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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…

Kyrgyzstan follows Swiss economic model

This content was published on Dec 28, 2003 Djoomart Otorbaev, a government minister and “special representative on foreign investments”, spoke to swissinfo about Kyrgyzstan’s often-troubled transition. Switzerland has helped Kyrgyzstan to adapt by representing the republic at the Bretton Woods institutions – the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). In 1991, Askar…

Switzerland has mixed record in Central Asia

This content was published on Dec 26, 2003 Swiss projects have chalked up some notable successes, but there have also been some white elephants. “What does Switzerland want in return?” is a common question in parts of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan which are benefiting from Swiss development aid. Switzerland has its own reasons for helping Central Asian countries to develop; chief among them is…

High-tech Swiss tool hits the half-century

This content was published on Dec 26, 2003 Tucked away in the small village of Wasen in the picturesque Emmental region, renowned for its cheese, is a pleasant surprise. This is the home of the PB 100, a screwdriver with a difference. At first sight, it has one obvious distinguishing feature – its red transparent ridged handle. The fact that it is comfortable…

St Moritz celebrates electrifying pioneer

This content was published on Dec 25, 2003 The installation of the primitive arc lamps to illuminate the dining room is one of several pioneering achievements associated with the hotel and its founder. Christmas lights frame the Greek columns at the entrance to the Kulm Hotel, which sits on the crest of the hill rising up from the resort. To the west are…

Kyrgyzstan’s crumbling Soviet legacy

This content was published on Dec 25, 2003 Amidst the crumbling factories, silos and a disused railway line, the city’s 45,000 inhabitants struggle for survival. During the Soviet era, Balikchy thrived thanks to bustling shipbuilding and fishing industries. Goods from the city were sent to all parts of the Soviet Union. But after independence in 1991, Balikchy’s industries and factories were forgotten, sold…

Nescafé continues to roast coffee rivals

This content was published on Dec 24, 2003 Today some 3,900 cups of Nescafé are drunk every second, with the trend ever upwards. The soluble coffee from the house of Nestlé has spread its aroma to many parts of the globe since it was introduced on the market in 1938. But commercialisation of the product at the outset was not an “instant” hit.…

Chef recalls the White House years

This content was published on Dec 24, 2003 It was polenta for Richard Nixon, lobster thermidor for Lyndon Johnson, while Ronald Reagan had a soft spot for anything Italian. Haller, who hails from Altdorf in canton Uri, retired in 1986 after two decades of banquets and receptions for kings, presidents, delegations, senators, artists and business leaders. His White House career saw him serve…

Ethics committees fill moral vacuum

This content was published on Dec 23, 2003 Rapid advances in science, particularly in the field of medicine, mean politicians and business leaders find it increasingly difficult to assess future risks and benefits. Genetically modified organisms, human cloning, stem-cell research and the production and storage of embryos for therapeutic purposes are just some of the issues that have raised perplexing moral issues. Though…

Swiss economy poised for better year ahead

This content was published on Dec 22, 2003 However, growth will at best be very modest and there are a number of question marks still clouding the horizon. While 2003 was anything but spectacular on the economic growth front, there have recently been increasing signs that Switzerland has started to recover from a double-dip recession. The economic barometer of the KOF Institute for…

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Victorinox employees have no cross to bear

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Kyrgyzstan follows Swiss economic model

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Switzerland has mixed record in Central Asia

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High-tech Swiss tool hits the half-century

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St Moritz celebrates electrifying pioneer

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Kyrgyzstan’s crumbling Soviet legacy

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Nescafé continues to roast coffee rivals

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Chef recalls the White House years

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Ethics committees fill moral vacuum

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Swiss economy poised for better year ahead

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