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Swiss haunted by job fears

This content was published on Dec 15, 2003 Over two-thirds of those polled said they were concerned about job security, which replaced health care as their primary headache. Unemployment topped the list of the annual Credit Suisse “Worry Barometer” for the first time in four years. Almost 70 per cent of respondents said it was one of their five main concerns – up…

Clarity needed for charity’s sake

This content was published on Dec 15, 2003 Critics have also long called for tax laws to be changed to encourage people to donate more money to charities. The Swiss government is also looking at ways to bring more transparency to the workings of these organisations. Not much is known about this branch of the economy – what is known is that these…

De Botton returns to a different Switzerland

This content was published on Dec 14, 2003 The Zurich-born writer, who lives in London, received the award on Saturday for his exploration of the meaning of travel. The “Art of Travel” – which has sold over 400,000 copies worldwide since its publication last year – is the author’s seventh book. Earlier works include “The Consolations of Philosophy” – a look at the…

Central bank holds interest rates steady

This content was published on Dec 12, 2003 The bank said it would keep borrowing costs low until it is sure a weak recovery in the Swiss economy has taken hold. The SNB had been widely tipped to maintain its target band for the three-month Swiss franc Libor rate at 0.0-0.75 per cent, where it has been since its seventh consecutive rate cut…

Electronic waste stores up trouble for the future

This content was published on Dec 12, 2003 The question of what to do with them was one subject discussed in Geneva this week at the World Summit on the Information Society. The fear is that careless disposal of these hazardous materials is endangering human health and the environment. Computers and other electronic equipment are made from hundreds of different materials. Some are…

De Botton on the difficult art of writing

This content was published on Dec 12, 2003 But the Swiss-born author says writing is an uphill struggle. swissinfo: You’ve enjoyed great commercial success with your books. Do you find it hard to keep your feet on the ground? Alain de Botton: I think writing is an incredibly humbling, even humiliating job. Every book is a terrible struggle and it never gets any…

NGOs criticise draft summit action plan

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 They have also complained that their ideas and opinions were not fully taken into account during the run-up to the conference. “The official draft documents represent the lowest common denominator of what could have been achieved,” Wolfgang Kleinwächter, a spokesman for civil society at the summit, told swissinfo. Confronting what they view as a lack…

Blocher to step down at EMS Chemie

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 The populist figurehead of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party announced on Thursday that his 34-year-old daughter would take over as CEO. Magdalena Martullo-Blocher – a member of the board at EMS since 2001 – is already a familiar face at her father’s company. She had been widely expected to assume overall responsibility for the company…

EMS Chemie hit by strong Swiss franc

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 The company, which is owned by right-wing politician Christoph Blocher, said net profits had decreased to SFr108 million ($72.8 million) compared with the corresponding period in 2001. The result came alongside a 3.7 per cent drop in sales for the first six months of 2002 to SFr620 million. Blocher said the profit fall was due…

Kyrgyzstan’s globetrotting dolls

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 Their success was made possible by craftsmanship and creativity, a village-style factory and a plane ticket to Hungary. “Twenty years ago there was nothing in this area. I used to come here to shoot birds,” remembers Ura, our friendly driver, speaking in stilted French, which he probably hasn’t used since. We are in the dusty…

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Swiss haunted by job fears

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Clarity needed for charity’s sake

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De Botton returns to a different Switzerland

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Central bank holds interest rates steady

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Electronic waste stores up trouble for the future

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De Botton on the difficult art of writing

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NGOs criticise draft summit action plan

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Blocher to step down at EMS Chemie

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EMS Chemie hit by strong Swiss franc

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Kyrgyzstan’s globetrotting dolls

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