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Pensioners turn out in force to defend benefits

This content was published on Sep 12, 2003 Organisers denounced what they called the “putsch” of the Swiss interior minister, Pascal Couchepin, “against the welfare state”. A former Swiss government minister, Ruth Dreifuss, joined around 600 protesters in Bern on Friday to demand that the current level of pension benefits be maintained. Their message was aimed both at Couchepin’s proposals to raise the…

Kudelski posts modest profit

This content was published on Sep 12, 2003 A recovery in the digital TV market helped the firm recover from a net loss of SFr17.9 million last year. Kudelski was widely tipped to post an improvement on last year’s first-half result. The company still made an operating loss of SFr6.36 million in the first six months of the year. But it beat analysts’…

Bon viveurs wine and dine in Ticino hideaway

This content was published on Sep 12, 2003 The Fattoria L’Amorosa – owned by one of the region’s biggest winemakers – also offers exquisite accommodation for those in search of natural beauty and rustic charm. Owner Angelo Delea says the idea of setting up his farmhouse-style retreat came about when he decided to expand his wine emporium in 1998. “I bought up this…

Disabled organisation withdraws sex project

This content was published on Sep 11, 2003 Pro Infirmis says it decided to end its direct involvement in the project after suffering a sharp fall in donations. The pilot scheme was unveiled in April by Pro Infirmis’ Zurich branch, which wanted to train 12 professional “touchers”. The successful applicants were then expected to offer sexual and emotional relief to Zurich’s disabled community.…

Sipping in the city – Zurich’s urban vineyards

This content was published on Sep 11, 2003 Less well known though is the city’s contribution to the Swiss wine-making industry. With 615 hectares of grapes, the canton of Zurich is the largest wine-producing region in eastern Switzerland and the sixth most important in the country as a whole. And although the vast majority of Zurich’s wines come from the canton’s rural fringe,…

Deiss defends Swiss farming at Cancun

This content was published on Sep 11, 2003 Speaking at the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference at Cancun, Mexico, Deiss also said Switzerland was prepared to make substantial concessions. He told the 5,000 delegates that Switzerland wanted to strike a balance between protection of the country’s agriculture and the liberalisation of the markets. “Switzerland is ready to make concessions,” said Deiss, who…

Swiss People’s Party

This content was published on Sep 10, 2003 Ueli Maurer, president The forerunner of the People’s Party represented “farmers, traders and Swiss citizens” from rural areas. At the end of the First World War it grew into an opposition movement to the Radicals and eventually won a cabinet seat in 1929. It merged with a number of smaller, regional parties to become the…

Insurers’ burden cut at pensioners’ expense

This content was published on Sep 10, 2003 From January 1, 2004, insurers will have to deliver only a 2.25 per cent rate of return on pensions, compared with four per cent a year ago. The move coincided with demonstrations across Switzerland protesting against plans to reduce state pensions. Although the protests were not as big as unions had hoped for, they are…

Insurers’ burden cut at pensioners’ expense

This content was published on Sep 10, 2003 From January, 1, 2004, insurers will have to deliver only a 2.25 per cent return, compared with four per cent just a year ago. The cut will be the second in a year – on January 1, the government reduced the rate of return on occupational pensions to 3.25 per cent. In a statement on…

Ticino winemakers gear up for rich pickings

This content was published on Sep 10, 2003 Around 70 per cent of wine production comes from the Merlot grape, but Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Semillon and Cabernet Sauvignon are also popular. Freddie Martin, a winemaker for Guido Brivio, one of Ticino’s biggest wine producers, tastes and compares dozens of wines a day to decide on the final blend – or assemblage – of…

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Pensioners turn out in force to defend benefits

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Kudelski posts modest profit

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Bon viveurs wine and dine in Ticino hideaway

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Disabled organisation withdraws sex project

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Sipping in the city – Zurich’s urban vineyards

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Deiss defends Swiss farming at Cancun

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Swiss People’s Party

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Insurers’ burden cut at pensioners’ expense

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Insurers’ burden cut at pensioners’ expense

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Ticino winemakers gear up for rich pickings

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