Did you know that Switzerland has around 65'000 kilometres of hiking trails? That's about 1.5 times the circumference of the earth! A huge number of municipalities and volunteer organisations maintain the hiking trails and offer hikes in all the cantons.
FIFA officials Red Carded over Graft; Holes in Swiss-Cheese Knowledge Plugged; New Service Solves Solo-Dining Dilemma; Drugs Harm Reduction Vans Come To Basel Clubs
News on 2 June 2015
In a sweeping move by the American Justice Department with the aid of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, nine once and current senior executives of FIFA were arrested with the aid of swiss authorities late last week. They stand accused of massive, ongoing corruption involving bribes, illegal payments and taking kickbacks. The timing of the arrests and unsealing of indictments in the US was coordinated with the gathering of FIFA's governing Body in Zurich where the conference to reelect its leadership was scheduled to take place. Amongst those expressing outrage at what's been characterized as judicial overreach and bullying by the US are Russia who is set to host the World Cup in 2018 and the countries named in the indictment - like South Africa - who appear to be centrally involved in the criminal cases. Switzerland, which hosts the headquarters of FIFA is obviously in a bind over support for the crackdown - having little incentive to help after the fines and legal proceedings emanating from the US towards Swiss banks. However, the latest effort to crack down on graft in the worlds most popular sport seemed to convince Swiss authorities it was time to avoid the possibility of having its national reputation tarnished while hosting the headquarters of the organization. Incredibly, Sepp Blatter, the 4 term leader of FIFA whose direct reports have been charged with crimes - was reelected during the latest congress, just as the fallout of the arrests and charges progressed, and, striking a defiant tone proclaimed, “such misconduct has no place in football and we will ensure that those who engage in it are put out of the game.”
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Incredibly, it has taken until now to understand the science behind the holes in what's commonly known as Swiss Cheese. Perhaps, even more incredible is the fact that scientists have been focused on the project at all. Yet - the holes - common to what the Swiss know as Emmental and Appenzell cheese - and in the rest of the world simply as "swiss" cheese, have actually been in decline, worrying the manufacturers of losing their trademark style of cheese. Hence the scientific inquiry and rigor- which has now turned the conventional wisdom of bacteria as being the source of the holes into a fairy tale. The scientists and experts from the Swiss enterprise Agroscope which conducts agricultural research for the state of Switzerland, say the phenomenon of hole formation is, in fact, the result of tiny bits of hay being trapped and encapsulated in the milk as its turned into cheese. As farmers have moved to more modern techniques of cheese manufacture, and specifically, away from gathering milk in buckets to using sealed milking machines, the reduction in hay particles has also led to a reduction in the quintessential holes. Eureka.
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Tired of eating in restaurants alone, or with the same boring friends, relatives and acquaintances? Your boredom and tedium with the same old dinner conversations are about to end with the help of a service called "M-eating Table", the brainchild Baseler of Beatrix Revesz. The inspiration came to her during one of her numerous dinners at a restaurant with her husband. For an annual fee of 150 Swiss francs, participating restaurants set aside a reserved table for the service, which then matches single diners as they arrive at the restaurant without table mates. Eating Tables also uses the web and mobile ready apps to direct single diners to participating restaurants. Already Meating Tables has 12 restaurants signed up and also provides marketing and promotional support for the endeavor. The upside to the restaurants is of course efficient use of table capacity and happier diners, and for tourists, visitors and newcomers to participating restaurants they can confidently enter knowing they won't be dining alone or with only their mobile phones for company. The concept has also received support from the Basel Tourism office which has enthusiastically engaged the idea seeing the number of foreign visitors that travel to Basel alone each year. Participating Restaurants are now mentioned in the Basel Tourism restaurant guide according to Frederic Pothier, vice director of the organization, as they enhance the livability of Basel.
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In a test of Switzerland's drugs policy of Harm Reduction, Basel's nightclubs will now have access to on-site mobile drugs-checking vehicles. Despite the ban on consumption of the drugs, the swiss organization Contact Netz offers a free test for the safety and purity of drugs that are about to be consumed by those partying at nightclubs. As a specific response to the observed growth in the confiscation of the club drug Ecstasy in Basel's night clubs - Contact Netz hopes to reduce accidental overdoses and poisonings. Alexander Bücheli of the organization "Safer Nightlife Switzerland" said the contact netz program was an opportunity to provide information about the risks and hazards specifically where the drugs are to be consumed, while the drugs are analyzed - Thus providing an efficient instrument of harm reduction. Though specific information about the amount of ecstasy consumed in Basel nightclubs is not known, it is estimated that one in three partygoers takes the drug on any night when the clubs are open. Club owners from the Nordstern, Hinterhof and Jagerhalle have unequivocally supported the idea of the program saying it makes for a safer party environment especially in the context of alcohol use where people's normal inhibitions to drugs consumption is lowered. In a sweeping move by the American Justice Department with the aid of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, nine once and current senior executives of FIFA were arrested with the aid of swiss authorities late last week. They stand accused of massive, ongoing corruption involving bribes, illegal payments and taking kickbacks. The timing of the arrests and unsealing of indictments in the US was coordinated with the gathering of FIFA's governing Body in Zurich where the conference to reelect its leadership was scheduled to take place. Amongst those expressing outrage at what's been characterized as judicial overreach and bullying by the US are Russia who is set to host the World Cup in 2018 and the countries named in the indictment - like South Africa - who appear to be centrally involved in the criminal cases. Switzerland, which hosts the headquarters of FIFA is obviously in a bind over support for the crackdown - having little incentive to help after the fines and legal proceedings emanating from the US towards Swiss banks. However, the latest effort to crack down on graft in the worlds most popular sport seemed to convince Swiss authorities it was time to avoid the possibility of having its national reputation tarnished while hosting the headquarters of the organization. Incredibly, Sepp Blatter, the 4 term leader of FIFA whose direct reports have been charged with crimes - was reelected during the latest congress, just as the fallout of the arrests and charges progressed, and, striking a defiant tone proclaimed, “such misconduct has no place in football and we will ensure that those who engage in it are put out of the game.”