Worldcrunch
Many intellectuals have found inspiration in the bottom of a wine glass. But Swiss scientists may be the first to draw lessons from the way a good wine taster swirls that glass. The subtle slosh, it turns out, may be just the thing drug makers need for mi
Swiss butchers have a bit of leeway when it comes to aging meat. From mincing to marinating, there are several “tricks” they can legally employ to keep their products appealing – even after the meat’s sell-by date has expired.
Rudolf Elmer, former employee of Swiss bank Julius Baer, appeals his conviction of violating confidentiality. Elmer turned over private documents he says show the bank helping wealthy clients avoid taxes. Not surprisingly, Elmer’s new best pal is
Essay: Channeling her “citizen yogi,” Swiss columnist Anna Lietti takes a couple of deep breaths before launching into a passionate defense of why yoga matters more than ever.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust? Not always. Human remains can also be manufactured into diamonds, drugs and fertilizers. Or, in some very special cases, vinyl discs.
A number of wealthy and well-connected Swiss families are turning their homes into classical music venues. A throwback to the aristocratic salon-scene of yesteryear, Zurich’s private concerts can be elegant affairs, though the organizers insist they are n
A Swiss town has agreed, grudgingly, to accept 19 new asylum seekers. But the town is doing all it can to keep them out of sight, including a “Refugee path” that recalls “Jewish paths” that used to lead to and from ghet
Analysis: After last week’s arrest of a rogue trader accused of fraud that cost the Swiss bank $2.3 billion, UBS shareholders could actually wind up benefiting from a new structure that splits off the investment banking from the commercial business. But t
More and more vegetarians and vegans are keeping meat and animal products out of their pooch’s chow bowl. But some warn that even though they are omnivores, dogs need their meat. And by the way: don’t even think about trying to give a carrot to your cat.
Martin Meuli, a pioneer in the field of fetal surgery, is looking to operate on victims of spina bifida, a condition that can lead to severe life-long disability — and often prompts couples to choose abortion.
Talking with the team of Swiss researchers at the Observatory of the University of Geneva, who made the important discovery that will lead to a better understanding of planetary systems outside our own galaxy, the Milky Way.
Op-Ed: In a surprise move, Switzerland’s central bank has de facto linked the country’s currency to the fate of the euro. Risky as it is, the bold move is welcomed in a country increasingly united by a common fear of recession.
Fueled by Internet forums and photo-sharing, so-called “urban explorers” track down decaying houses and boarded-up factories to capture the way things were in an ever more remote past.
Teenage would-be models in Switzerland often end up in an apprenticeship instead of finishing high school. But experts in the field say the versatility that comes from a standard education is a better bet for achieving supermodel stardom. Yes: brains matt
The Swiss federal government is developing the criteria for certification of practitioners of alternative medicine. To do so, they’ve mandated an association with a board member who is a yogic flyer.
A pair of city councilors is urging Zurich to cut its decades-old ties with FIFA, soccer’s worldwide governing association. Not only do they say scandals have made FIFA bad for the city’s image, it’s also a waste of money.
As the 10th anniversary of the 2001 terror attacks in the United States approaches, prominent Swiss politicians, intellectuals and media figures have created an Internet site to demand a new investigation into the events of 9/11.
Three go on trial for allegedly planning to bomb an IBM facility in Switzerland. Prosecutors say the accused have ties with an Italian anarchist group known as the FAI, which claims responsibility for several recent bomb attacks in southern Europe.
Children growing up near nuclear power plants are not at higher risk of developing leukemia, Swiss researchers concluded this week.
Breast enlargement? Botox alternative? Nestlé is expanding investment in anti-wrinkle creams, injectible gels and a breast augmentation product Macrolane that is a source of profit – but also controversy – for the Swiss food giant.
Some of contemporary art’s biggest names have lent their talent to what is essentially an advertising object. A new book shows how the result, time and again, has been art of the highest order.
The head of Switzerland’s FDP-Frauen party is baring more than her soul in an effort to promote women’s rights. Some of Switzerland’s male politicians have make similarly revealing pitches.
Swiss winemakers Gérald and Patricia Besse have watched their daughter Sarah prepare for the family business since middle school. After a period of doubt, she has now immersed herself in the “art” and hard work required to continue the s
A Russian submarine provides a rare expedition to the bottom of Switzerland’s largest lake to view the wreck of a 19th century lake steamer, and a peek into a forgotten tragedy.
Bicycle paths in some Swiss cities are about to crowd up as motorized, 3-wheel rickshaw taxis come to town.
An NGO in Geneva, Swizerland is working on a drug to treat to African trypanosomiasis, better known as “sleeping sickness.” If approved, the medication would be available in pill form. Sleeping sickness patients must currently received painful injections.
Convicted rapist and murderer Jean-Louis B. escaped from his Swiss jail on Monday. “As he talked about his dark past, his eyes lit up”, recalls journalist Fati Mansour from her 1999 encounter with the man considered Switzerland’s most dangerous c
Armed with a healthy dose of courage – and his own sleeping bag – one Swiss reporter sets off on a perilous quest to brave Zurich’s cheapest sleeping establishment: the infamous Krone.
Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly carrying out their clinical trials abroad – in developing and emerging nations, including in the so-called BRICS countries. But in their eagerness to save both time and money, are the drug companies also sidestepp
Louise Bourgeois’ monumental public sculpture is a modern art icon. Best encountered up close, this itsy bitsy spider just crawled into Zurich.
In an effort to reinforce the ‘Swiss made” label, watch makers have decided to add more locally-manufactured parts to their time pieces.
An American manufacturer has come up with a device that allows people to “track what’s important.” For some that could mean pets or property. But what happens when the tracker’s target is of the two-legged variety?
As the secret annual meeting of the elite Bilderberg group arrives in Switzerland, theories of world domination abound.
Editorial: A German commentator says enough to corruption and gerontocracy at FIFA: we’re in the 21st Century, and this is the beautiful game we’re talking about.
A Swiss writer takes (Switzerland-based) Nestle’ to town for inventing a machine — and marketing campaign — that she says turns the simple preparation of baby formula into a status symbol. And sign of our wasteful times.
Switzerland’s largest city is hoping to get a better handle on its growing sex worker population. Under proposed regulations, prostitution would remain legal, but only in designated areas — including one equipped with new stalls for taking care
A controversial new initiative launched by a Swiss population control organization suggests that immigration – already blamed for the country’s crime, unemployment and even traffic – is also damaging for the environment.
A shrinking budget, and ever increasing influence of private actors could spell the end of the UN agency as we know it.
In a country that has banned the building of Muslim minarets, Mormons have set up a new community center with its own, unmarked tower. The locals don’t seem to mind.
Swiss policy of neutrality has always made foreign affairs everyone’s business. Which is exactly why think tanks can play such a key role in refining the policy, says Former Secretary of State Franz Blankart.