Lawyer Koos Pretorius is Maria Mtsweni’s neighbor and legal counsel.
During my trip to South Africa last month, I explored the topic of coal. I visited people affected by mining, including the woman pictured here. Her house is crumbling as a result of blasting at the nearest coal mine.
You can read the whole story on swissinfo.ch.
Posted in Environment | Tagged climate, coal, commodities, energy, mining, South Africa | Leave a Comment »
Swiss Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann leaving an exhibit at Constitution Hill, site of a former prison in Johannesburg. (© Susan Vogel-Misicka, swissinfo.ch)
South Africa is Switzerland’s most important African trade partner – a point underscored in an official visit by Swiss Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann.
It was the first time a Swiss delegation included key members of the business as well as science communities … and yours truly, reporting for swissinfo.ch.
As Schneider-Ammann told me: “We wanted to open doors for our private sector representatives and contact the scientific community, and I wanted to get to know my South African colleagues and reactivate our personal ties. We achieved all of that.”
The economics minister, who had visited South Africa as an entrepreneur prior to his political career, said the country had changed “tremendously” in the meantime.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Posted in Current affairs | Tagged business, education, employment, energy, Science, South Africa, Switzerland, technology | Leave a Comment »
The end of Ramadan means the end to a month of fasting for Muslims everywhere. For the swissinfo.ch podcast, a Tunesian coworker told me what it was like to observe Ramadan in Switzerland.
Meanwhile, it seems that the Swiss are consuming less alcohol. I asked some federal experts to weigh in on some possible reasons for this.
Click here to listen to A measured drop in sipping.
For more details on the alcohol story, click here to read Swiss alcohol consumption declines.
Posted in Culture | Tagged alcohol, Culture, fasting, Food, health, Muslim, Ramadan, religion, Switzerland | Leave a Comment »
The Eiger North Face, as seen from Kleine Scheidegg © Susan Vogel-Misicka
Seventy-five years ago, a quartet of German and Austrian climbers were the first to summit the Eiger by climbing its feared north face.
Earlier this month, I got an up-close impression of the “death wall” from the safety of solid ground.
Click here to find out why the Eiger North Face continues to attract top alpinists as well as ordinary tourists.
And for more on the backstory of the reportage, you can listen to the related podcast.
Posted in Travel | Tagged alpinism, climbing, Eiger, Environment, mountaineering, nature, Switzerland, Travel | Leave a Comment »
The world’s largest solar boat sailed past New York’s Statue of Liberty in June.
© MS Tûranor PlanetSolar
Two Swiss solar vehicles have spent recent months touring the United States raising awareness of the potential of renewable energy. But how successful have the trips been in generating valuable funds or forging new partnerships? My latest article on swissinfo.ch tries to answer that question.
Check out the related podcast – Solar Flair – to hear interviews with Solar Impulse pilot André Borschberg as well as PlanetSolar CEO Pascal Goulpié.
Posted in Environment | Tagged adventure, aviation, business, Environment, green, solar power, Switzerland, technology, tourism | Leave a Comment »
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