Cluster: Archive

Sledging and skating into the unknown

This content was published on Jan 22, 2003 However, anyone wishing to get off the beaten track will find a region waiting to be discovered. And the best way to do so is by sledge or on ice skates. Since the Albula Pass road is closed in winter, only tourists who choose to travel by train from Zurich to St Moritz catch a…

EU gives way on banking secrecy – for now

This content was published on Jan 21, 2003 Brussels had been trying to force countries to share information about savings income to combat tax evasion, but EU finance ministers on Tuesday agreed to exempt certain states. Under the deal, Switzerland and three EU countries would be able to levy a withholding tax on EU citizens’ savings in their banks instead of exchanging information…

CS announces record loss

This content was published on Jan 21, 2003 Switzerland’s second-largest bank is facing difficulties in the United States. But its Winterthur insurance arm has finally returned to profit. Analysts said the worst was thought to be over for the embattled group, which says it expects to turn a profit this year. CS reported it was putting aside an extra SFr702 million for legal…

E-voting brings new potential to Swiss elections

This content was published on Jan 20, 2003 But the vote has raised several questions about the future of democratic elections in Switzerland. In particular, there are fears about the potential security risks of using the Internet to register a confidential vote. According to the authorities, a computer hacker working by trial and error has a one in five billion chance of getting…

Swiss talks address failure of former Soviet states

This content was published on Jan 20, 2003 The Swiss finance minister, Kaspar Villiger, is to open the two-day meeting in Lucerne with an appeal for better cooperation among those states. Villiger is expected to urge the CIS-7 (Commonwealth of Independent States) to open their borders to the goods and services of their neighbours, despite the sometimes deep political differences among them. The…

Investors turn their backs on BZ Bank

This content was published on Jan 20, 2003 The Bank reported it had lost SFr26 billion of client funds as investors pulled out 90 per cent of the funds held in custody accounts. Once hailed as the champion of the small investor, Ebner has seen his financial empire crumble over the past two years as a result of the global bear market. BZ…

Playing games pays for Swiss start-up

This content was published on Jan 20, 2003 Rather, they have been selling a neural networking-based software package they created that helps players improve their skills. SnowieGroup is a two-man company based in Morges that Egger formed with German-born Levermann after they met at a backgammon tournament five years ago to sell their creation, called Snowie. “Snowie has changed backgammon tournaments irrevocably,” says…

Biotech seen as answer to generic competition

This content was published on Jan 20, 2003 A key objective of BioData 2003 is to look at how pharmaceutical firms can use biotechnology to stay ahead of the competition. Michael George of Geneva-based Serono – Europe’s largest biotech firm and one of Biodata’s main sponsors – predicts that pharmaceutical and biotech firms will work ever more closely together in the future. “The…

Biopharma industry sets out to charm investors

This content was published on Jan 20, 2003 The event, BioData 2003, will also showcase cutting-edge advances in biotech research. The organisers of BioData 2003 say they are confident the event will help restore investor faith in the “biopharma” industry, which has been hit hard by depressed world financial markets. They also blame the ongoing threat of terrorism and last year’s accounting scandals…

Swiss villagers remember Audrey Hepburn

This content was published on Jan 20, 2003 For the last 30 years of her life, the film actress was a popular member of the local community in Tolochenaz. She often walked her dogs through the village and warmly greeted her neighbours in French. But it is not only the villagers who have fond memories of Hepburn, who after a highly successful movie…

Cluster: Archive

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Cluster: Archive

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Sledging and skating into the unknown

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EU gives way on banking secrecy – for now

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CS announces record loss

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E-voting brings new potential to Swiss elections

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Swiss talks address failure of former Soviet states

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Investors turn their backs on BZ Bank

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Playing games pays for Swiss start-up

More

Biotech seen as answer to generic competition

More

Biopharma industry sets out to charm investors

More

Swiss villagers remember Audrey Hepburn

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