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Clariant in takeover talks with BTP

This content was published on Jan 20, 2000 The specialty chemicals group, Clariant, is in takeover talks with the British fine chemicals company, BTP. The Financial Times newspaper on Thursday said analysts had suggested an offer of around SFr15 a share, valuing the company at more than SFr2.5 billion. Clariant confirmed it was in negotiation but gave no further details. Rumours of a…

Sulzer releases mixed results

This content was published on Jan 20, 2000 The industrial and medical technology group, Sulzer, has reported another mixed set of sales figures. The group as a whole has announced a two per cent increase for 1999, but that masks some considerable differences in performance. Once again, Sulzer Medica is the star of the group, reporting a rise in sales of eight per…

New theories on the origins of crop circles

This content was published on Jan 19, 2000 Crop circles have mystified and fascinated us for centuries. The sudden appearance of geometric patterns in farmers’ fields has many convinced that extraterrestrial powers are at work. Swiss researcher, Werner Anderhub, has been studying crop circles for more than a decade. He points out that crop circles need not be circles at all. They take…

Workers keep up pressure on Adtranz

This content was published on Jan 19, 2000 Trade unions and workers representatives say they plan to press on with their campaign to save two Swiss plants which the German rail company, Adtranz, intends to close. 750 jobs are under threat at the plants in Pratteln near Basel, and Zurich-Oerlikon. Toni Patscheider, a member of the workers council at Adtranz Switzerland, was disappointed…

New boss plans shake-up of Locarno film festival

This content was published on Jan 19, 2000 The new president of the Locarno International Film Festival, Giuseppe Buffi, says the organisation has to adopt a more professional approach, if it’s to survive in the long-term. Buffi, a member of the Swiss Senate, said Locarno had to introduce professional structures, if it was to stave off eventual financial collapse. Speaking at his first…

Construction industry turns down deal with unions

This content was published on Jan 19, 2000 Employers in the Swiss construction industry have turned down a compromise salary deal worked out after months of painstaking negotiations with the unions. The move could lead to an escalation of unrest in the industry. At an extraordinary meeting, the Swiss Master Builders’ Association put a new proposal on the table, namely a general salary…

New GM rice to combat blindness

This content was published on Jan 19, 2000 Researchers in Switzerland and Germany have developed a strain of genetically-modified rice, which they say could mean an end to a leading cause of blindness and death among children. Researchers at the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich and the University of Freiburg in Breisgau, Germany, have developed rice plants which stimulate the body…

Novartis reportedly seeking merger partners

This content was published on Jan 19, 2000 The Swiss life sciences giant, Novartis, is looking for merger partners in the United States, according to a report in Britain’s Financial Times newspaper. The paper says Novartis has its sights on a tie-up with with American Home Products or Pharmacia and Upjohn. Citing sources close to the company, the FT says Novartis is exploring…

Swiss Life to shed 280 jobs

This content was published on Jan 19, 2000 The insurance company Rentenanstalt/Swiss Life says it is going to shed 280 jobs over the next year. The company says most of losses will be among its administrative staff, but it does not anticipate any forced redundancies – it says the jobs will be shed through voluntary resignations and retirements. The cuts come as part…

Swiss government plans tighter rules for GM crops

This content was published on Jan 19, 2000 The cabinet plans to introduce tighter regulations for producers of genetically-modified organisms, but has stopped short of imposing a complete ban on the planting of GM crops. The draft proposal aims to protect bio-diversity and the dignity of living creatures, without stifling further research. The seven-member Swiss cabinet had indicated that a complete ban on…

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Clariant in takeover talks with BTP

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Sulzer releases mixed results

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New theories on the origins of crop circles

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Workers keep up pressure on Adtranz

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New boss plans shake-up of Locarno film festival

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Construction industry turns down deal with unions

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New GM rice to combat blindness

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Novartis reportedly seeking merger partners

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Swiss Life to shed 280 jobs

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Swiss government plans tighter rules for GM crops

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