Archive – Banking & Fintech

Medical errors blamed for up to 60 deaths a week

This content was published on Apr 28, 2004 The death of a heart transplant patient in Zurich last week has highlighted the need for more measures to prevent treatment errors, which are often not made public. “There needs to be a complete rethink [about how we approach this issue],” said Daniel Scheidegger, head anaesthetist at Basel Cantonal Hospital and an expert in the…

CERN sends data on the Internet at record speeds

This content was published on Apr 27, 2004 Running data over the new Internet2, CERN and California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have set a new Internet speed record. This is the third time in the past year. The latest record is 6.25 gigabits per second over an 11,000 km “course”. This is some 10,000 times faster and a much greater distance, from Geneva…

EU set to approve Syngenta GM maize

This content was published on Apr 26, 2004 The European Commission said on Monday it expected to grant approval for the Bt-11 maize in the next two months. “It is difficult to predict exactly, but I would imagine this will be before the Commission in late May or early June,” said the EU’s health commissioner, David Byrne. “… Once these foods are authorised…

US to probe Swiss civil aviation security

This content was published on Apr 26, 2004 The visit coincides with a shake-up of the Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA), which has been criticised for failing to arrest a decline in air safety standards. A delegation from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will undertake a detailed “safety assessment” before submitting a report to the Swiss authorities. The inspection comes less…

Novartis left out in cold as Aventis chooses Sanofi

This content was published on Apr 26, 2004 On Sunday evening Aventis accepted an improved $63.8 billion (SFr83 billion) offer from its French rival Sanofi-Synthélabo. The deal – which if approved by Aventis shareholders will create the world’s third-largest drug company – is a snub to Basel-based Novartis, whose approaches were resisted by the French government. The French prime minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, welcomed…

NGOs slam IMF and World Bank for failing the poor

This content was published on Apr 23, 2004 The criticism comes as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank celebrate their 60th anniversary at a spring meeting in Washington. Jean-Claude Huot, permanent secretary at Swiss NGO the Berne Declaration, says the institutions are not sensitive enough to the needs of developing countries. “The main problem is that these two institutions promised…

Swiss explore CO2 emissions trading

This content was published on Apr 23, 2004 One likely option is the introduction of a fuel tax; another possibility is the establishment of a national emissions trading scheme (ETS). Earlier this month the environment agency told the government that existing measures would not reduce CO2 emissions to ten per cent below 1990 levels. A tax on fuel now seems inevitable, but the…

Companies sign up to avoid fuel tax

This content was published on Apr 23, 2004 They are likely to be exempted from a planned fuel tax after signing an agreement on Friday with the government. The companies produce 2.4 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually – almost a quarter of all Swiss industry emissions. They have pledged to take measures to cut CO2 emissions to 13.1 per cent below…

Adecco appoints new finance chief

This content was published on Apr 23, 2004 Fredholm, currently at Deutsche Post World Net, will join Adecco on June 1. Adecco, which is eager to try to restore credibility after twice delaying publication of its 2003 results, said on Friday that it was “delighted” at the appointment. “We believe his strong background in accounting, finance and controls acquired in several large global…

Italian bargain hunters flock to Switzerland

This content was published on Apr 23, 2004 The most sought-after items are Italian-made designer goods, but shoppers are also filling their bags with food and Italian wine. “It’s like bringing water to the sea,” says Lugano shopkeeper, Lino Gabbani, explaining how he is selling more and more Italian wine to Italian customers. Gabbani owns a handful of colourful shops in Lugano’s pedestrian…

Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Medical errors blamed for up to 60 deaths a week

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CERN sends data on the Internet at record speeds

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EU set to approve Syngenta GM maize

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US to probe Swiss civil aviation security

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Novartis left out in cold as Aventis chooses Sanofi

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NGOs slam IMF and World Bank for failing the poor

More

Swiss explore CO2 emissions trading

More

Companies sign up to avoid fuel tax

More

Adecco appoints new finance chief

More

Italian bargain hunters flock to Switzerland

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