swissjourno

Chocolate is said to reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as making you feel happier by releasing the hormone Serotonin. The problem is that chocolate is very fattening and contributes to obesity in western societies. Researchers at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ) now have the answer: lower fat chocolate that tastes better than ever. (swissinfo.ch/SF 2.11.2009)

Respected American photographer, Julia Calfee, has spent a few months near a glacier in southeastern Switzerland to record the sound of melting ice, as part of her latest multimedia project on global warming. (SF/swissinfo, 04.11.2009)

Footbagging is a young sport. Competitors juggle a tangerine-sized sack (the hacky sack) with their feet and do "tricks" with it. Tina Aeberli is the best in the world in her category, freestyling. She's also a candidate for next year's city council elections in Zurich. (Raffaella Rossello, swissinfo.ch)

While strong-tasting sauerkraut is still popular with the older generation, young people tend to go for lighter foods. Now the industry is brainstorming on how to make sauerkraut fit with today's eating habits. (SF/swissinfo.ch)

Base jumpers are often hitting the headlines because of the spectacular nature of the sport and the tragic accidents that sometimes happen. Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Alps has been hosting Switzerland's first ever base jumping race. 44 participants from all over the world vied for the quickest jump time. (swissinfo.ch/SF, 28.10.2009)

Between October 1941 and March 1943, the Swiss Red Cross organised four medical missions to Russia's eastern front. Personnel were sent to help the injured and sick in German war hospitals. Many regarded the missions as acts of goodwill, designed to mollify the Germans. They were organised by people who openly sympathised with the Nazis. (archive swissinfo.ch/SF 09.06.2005)

The Basel autumn fair is Switzerland's largest and oldest autumn fair. For two weeks more than 470 roller coasters, carousels, ghost rides and market stands occupy the public squares. Martha and Fritz Müller have been setting up their amusement ride at the event for decades. (SF/swissinfo.ch)

Isabelle Eichenberger and Rolf Amiet are given a guided tour of the Ravire Chàteau by owner Michel Savioz, a wine producer who knows how to add extra character to the very old vines of the Rhône Valley in canton Valais. (Production: Daniel Wihler, swissinfo.ch)

This association helps Verdingkinder and their families: http://www.verdingkinder.ch/

After nearly 500 years in a pit, Bern's famous bears have a new home - a riverside reserve on the edge of the old city. The opening of the new enclosure brings to an end years of protests by tourists and animal lovers, who complained that the pit was an unsuitable place to keep bears. (Julie Hunt, SF, swissinfo.ch 25.10.2009)

The Swiss Ski Federation recently held a special promotional event in the centre of Lausanne to build on last season's successes and find the next generation of skiers and boarders. Youngsters could meet stars including Didier Cuche or Carlo Janka. (Simon Bradley, swissinfo.ch, 23.10.2009)