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Back from the brink

This content was published on Dec 24, 2002 Pro Specie Rara (PSR) has clocked up notable successes in its two decades, thanks to the work of a sea of volunteers. Twenty-one breeds of farm animals, 1,600 different varieties of fruit and 700 varieties of cereal and vegetables have been saved from extinction. Nineteenth century Swiss literature refers to green fields upon which animals…

XIOS plumbs the depths for profits

This content was published on Dec 23, 2002 Two-year-old, XIOS SA, has successfully adapted and miniaturised sophisticated military sonar technology normally used in submarines for use by deep sea divers. Worn on the wrist, the system helps divers locate their position below the waves. After spending much of his career making systems for the British and French navies for his employer Thomson Marconi…

Nestlé acts to defuse Ethiopia row

This content was published on Dec 23, 2002 Struggling to avert a public relations disaster, Nestlé on Monday declared it would make some $1.6 million (SFr2.26 million) available immediately. The Swiss firm has come under fierce criticism from British aid group, Oxfam, which says the country – struggling to head off a famine – can ill-afford to pay. Peter Brabeck, Nestlé’s CEO, said…

Gretag Imaging collapses – 1,000 jobs at risk

This content was published on Dec 23, 2002 Once a stock market favourite, Gretag has fallen victim to the digital revolution. On Monday, the company confirmed that last-ditch efforts to resuscitate its business had failed. “In the end, the problem of over-indebtedness, coupled with short-term liquidity needs, was an insurmountable hurdle,” Gretag said in a statement. The announcement came just hours ahead of…

The Emmental rediscovers its culinary roots

This content was published on Dec 22, 2002 swissinfo’s Dale Bechtel spent a day travelling through the agricultural region, stopping off at places displaying the Emmental “Ruschtig” label – a guarantee of home-grown, quality produce. My first port of call was the “Landgasthof Bären” in the town of Sumiswald, deep in the heart of the Emmental, which was the setting for 19th century…

Future of computing comes under scrutiny

This content was published on Dec 22, 2002 Pervasive computing, which includes wearable and injectable computers, is considered by experts to be the next step in the evolution of computer technology. For TA-Swiss, the national technology assessment centre, its introduction raises more than a few questions. “There will be no escaping the wireless world,” said Sergio Bellucci, director of TA-Swiss. “But we should…

Illegal “moonlighting” costs government billions

This content was published on Dec 21, 2002 Friedrich Schneider, an economics professor at the University of Linz in Austria, says moonlighting is now the fastest growing sector of Switzerland’s economy. Illegal workers in Switzerland earned more than SFr39 billion ($27 billion) in 2002, representing 9.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), according to the study. Schneider estimates that there are around…

Credit Suisse First Boston settles up on Wall Street

This content was published on Dec 20, 2002 New York regulators announced the fines on Friday, unveiling a long-awaited settlement. Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB), the investment arm of Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second-biggest bank, and nine other brokerages said they would more clearly separate research analysts from bankers working on underwriting deals. They also agreed to pay $900 million in relief for investors,…

Federal authorities overturn decision on GM wheat

This content was published on Dec 20, 2002 The turnaround comes a few months after Switzerland’s environment minister, Moritz Leuenberger, demanded the Office reconsider its earlier ruling. The Office said on Friday that scientists from Zurich’s Federal Institute of Technology would be able to carry out their trials, but under certain conditions. The GM wheat will have to be under permanent observation once…

CSFB handed record British fine

This content was published on Dec 20, 2002 The investment bank was penalised for trying to mislead Japanese regulatory and tax authorities between 1995 and 1998. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) said CSFB’s derivatives unit in London had concealed and removed evidence about its Japanese businesses. The FSA found that the company prepared false statements about its activities because it feared Japanese regulators…

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Back from the brink

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XIOS plumbs the depths for profits

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Nestlé acts to defuse Ethiopia row

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Gretag Imaging collapses – 1,000 jobs at risk

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The Emmental rediscovers its culinary roots

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Future of computing comes under scrutiny

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Illegal “moonlighting” costs government billions

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Credit Suisse First Boston settles up on Wall Street

More

Federal authorities overturn decision on GM wheat

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CSFB handed record British fine

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