Archive – Banking & Fintech

Preserving ancient tradition is cold comfort

This content was published on Jan 6, 2004 swissinfo discovered that bone-chilling temperatures can freeze an ancient Engadine courting ritual in its tracks. The young men and women of the villages of the Upper Engadine valley are praying for crisp but not extreme winter temperatures for this year’s “Schlitteda”. The horse-drawn sleigh processions take place each weekend in a different village in the…

Egyptian crash carrier’s fleet had “serious faults”

This content was published on Jan 5, 2004 But the Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA) said it was drawing no conclusions about Saturday’s crash, which killed all 148 people on board. The agency said in a statement it had found a number of defects on both aircraft, including missing navigational documents, fuel calculations that didn’t match international standards and unsuitable emergency exit…

Growth forecasts divide economists

This content was published on Jan 5, 2004 Estimates for GDP growth are modest, ranging from 0.9-1.9 per cent. In the latest forecast, Jean-Pierre Roth, chairman of the Swiss National Bank, said the economy would grow by 1.5 per cent as export demand began to rise. This contrasts with a more cautious prediction of 0.9 per cent by Switzerland’s leading economic barometer, issued…

Egyptian crash airline banned in Switzerland

This content was published on Jan 4, 2004 The Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA) said it had banned Flash Airlines planes after detecting technical problems in one of their aircraft more than a year ago. “A series of safety shortcomings showed up in a plane of Flash Airlines during a routine security check at Zurich airport in October 2002,” said Celestine Perissinotto…

Chilling out in an igloo village

This content was published on Jan 2, 2004 swissinfo checked into the “igloo village” above the southeastern town of Scuol to find out why taking a room at an icy inn has become one of the coolest trends in the Alps. Scuol’s igloo village has to be Switzerland’s largest accommodation made entirely of snow and ice. On the night of our visit, the…

New law promises more rights for disabled

This content was published on Jan 1, 2004 Two offices dealing with disability have also opened to help implement the law and offer legal advice and information. The new law guarantees improved access to public buildings and transport – within limits. The legislation applies to all new public buildings in Switzerland, but existing structures do not have to comply with the law until…

Blocher gives up stake in EMS Chemie

This content was published on Dec 31, 2003 The announcement – made at an extraordinary meeting of the company’s shareholders – came one day before he officially took up the post of Swiss justice minister. On Wednesday, Blocher confirmed that he had transferred his 73 per cent stake in the company to his four children. “Although I wasn’t legally obliged to do so,…

Kyrgyzstan’s organic cotton revolution

This content was published on Dec 31, 2003 In turn, Swiss companies have been asked to purchase Kyrgyzstan’s “bio-cotton” to help farmers fund their transition. “Finally, I feel like a real farmer,” Kurbashev Mirzaakim told swissinfo. A former army officer who was given a plot of land by the Kyrgyzstan government when it privatised the country’s collective farms in 1996, Mirzaakim spent the…

History shows there’s more to fondue than cheese

This content was published on Dec 31, 2003 While debate about the authentic recipe is endless, no one disputes that the melted cheese dish has long been part of the national cuisine. The ingredients, and the way fondue is eaten, recall the legendary “Kappel milk soup” of 1529 when, after a battle, Catholic and Reformist Confederates resolved their differences over a huge steaming…

Victorinox employees have no cross to bear

This content was published on Dec 29, 2003 While many companies are quick to lay off employees when times are tough, sackings are taboo at the 120-year-old Victorinox. The family-run firm say this policy is down to its Christian traditions. “Our firm feels obliged to adhere to Christian principles in the day-to-day running of our business,” Carl Elsener IV, who runs the company…

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Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Preserving ancient tradition is cold comfort

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Egyptian crash carrier’s fleet had “serious faults”

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Growth forecasts divide economists

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Egyptian crash airline banned in Switzerland

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Chilling out in an igloo village

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New law promises more rights for disabled

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Blocher gives up stake in EMS Chemie

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Kyrgyzstan’s organic cotton revolution

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History shows there’s more to fondue than cheese

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Victorinox employees have no cross to bear

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