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Economy on recovery course but slow ahead

This content was published on Sep 5, 2003 The blue-chip Swiss Market Index reached its highest point of the year this week, fuelling hopes that the economy will pull out of recession soon. At the close of trading on Friday, the SMI had reached 5310.60 points, more than eight per cent up on the 4,899.50 recorded at the end of the first day’s…

Birds “divorce” to boost social status

This content was published on Sep 5, 2003 They say that eight per cent of oystercatchers – mainly females – dump a mate in order to move up in the world. “Females try to improve their social status,” ornithologist Dik Heg told swissinfo. Researchers found that females living in poor nesting spots were particularly likely to initiate a split and snap up a…

Bark beetles ravage Swiss forests

This content was published on Sep 5, 2003 This summer’s record temperatures and lack of rain has meant tree defences are down, leaving the country’s spruces particularly vulnerable to the destructive bark beetle. The ips typographus or bark beetle has a soft spot for spruce trees, which is bad news for cantons like Bern where spruces account for about 50 per cent of…

Ascom losses trimmed by almost a half

This content was published on Sep 4, 2003 Ascom, which has been struggling to repair its balance sheet, said that its accumulated losses largely resulted from areas that had been sold or extensively restructured or were in a restructuring phase. The news sent the share price rising by more than 11 per cent on the Zurich stock exchange in late Thursday morning trading…

Zurich firm takes off with flight simulators

This content was published on Sep 3, 2003 Zurich-based Elite supplies more than 20,000 flight schools, pilots and airlines with simulators for light aircraft, jets and even a helicopter. Unlike popular computer programmes used by amateur aviation buffs, Elite builds realistic virtual cockpits for trainee pilots. “It’s very realistic. If a pilot goes down, you’d think you’re flying in an aircraft,” Gerhard Thamm,…

More Swiss seek professional careers advice

This content was published on Sep 3, 2003 Last year in Switzerland around 125,000 people sought advice – almost a five per cent increase over the previous year. This week the Swiss capital is playing host to an international conference on careers guidance, with the focus on how professional counselling can help people find work in an ever-changing job market. More than 750…

Sell-offs could net $500 million for ABB

This content was published on Sep 3, 2003 Experts say the sale could raise $500 million (SFr709 million) and help the company reduce its $8.3 billion debt burden. ABB spokesman Thomas Schmidt said the sell-off – which was announced last year – would include the Moroccan power station, Jorf Lasfar Energy Co and South Africa’s Kruger Mpumelanga international airport. The company has already…

Lantal textiles fly the world

This content was published on Sep 3, 2003 President Bush sits on Lantal fabric every time he flies in Air Force One. And Britain’s Queen Elizabeth walks on the company’s carpet in her aircraft. Lantal has carved out a niche for itself in producing textiles for what can best be described as “moving interiors”. “We are specialists in transportation textiles – fabrics for…

Security fears over hospital data

This content was published on Sep 2, 2003 Michael Böni claims databases at 80 per cent of the country’s hospitals can be cracked using the same computer programme. Parked in his car outside Zurich University Hospital, Böni – whose experiment was sanctioned by the hospital authorities – used a laptop computer to gain access to hundreds of patient files stored on the intensive…

Five years after Halifax, claim still outstanding

This content was published on Sep 2, 2003 All but one claim for compensation against the former national carrier has now been resolved. Families of the victims filed a total of 192 claims against Swissair, the last of which is still being negotiated in the United States between lawyers and Swissair’s insurance company. None of the parties involved in the compensation claims are…

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