Divorce, aging athletes and the Swiss Bond girl

Here are the stories we will be watching the week of March 14:

Monday

Switzerland’s divorce rate is pretty average, but a (sub)urban-rural divide hints that country life is more conducive to wedded bliss. Or is it? Find out the answer when we map out the rates.

The European Space Agency (ESA) launches the first of its two missions to Mars. Switzerland contributes a research instrument and other technologies. Check out our explainer.

Wednesday

In a preview of Baselworld, the world’s biggest trade fair for watches, we look at a taboo subject in the Swiss watchmaking industry: Destocking new watches and selling them through alteative channels – a growing phenomenon. The trade fair kicks off a day later.

Thursday

What happens when Olympic athletes end their sports careers and go on to find a job? Virginie Faivre, the 33-year-old Swiss freestyle skier and world half-pipe champion, tells us about it.

Switzerland’s central bank announces its latest thinking on monetary policy, namely whether to change interest rates, a week after the European Central Bank’s surprise stimulus measures.

Friday

Amid tight security, a verdict is expected in Bellinzona in the trial of four Swiss-based Iraqis accused of forming an Islamic State (IS) terrorist cell in Switzerland. The four deny allegations of belonging to a criminal group, disseminating hate videos, smuggling, and illegal residency and plotting a terrorist attack.

Weekend

The lights go down as we tu our attention to the big screen and Swiss cinema. We crunch the numbers to reveal the most popular Swiss films of all time, and, on Saturday, we celebrate the 80^th birthday of Ursula Andress, the Swiss film and television actress best known for her role as Honey Ryder – the original Bond girl – in the first James Bond film, Dr. No.

What you may have missed:

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