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Immigration vote result highlights Swiss unease

This content was published on Apr 3, 2014 The VOX analysis shows that the vote, which was 50.3% in favour of the initiative, was marked by a strong left-right opposition. Supporters of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party voted massively in favour of the proposal to limit immigration from the European Union – a stance mirrored by the members of the centre-left Social Democratic…

Big pharma fights back from China scandal

This content was published on Apr 3, 2014 China suddenly looked a more perilous place for western drugmakers to do business, and the following months saw a slowdown in sales as companies became more cautious in the way they marketed to doctors. As time has passed, however, industry executives and analysts say the sense of crisis has gradually abated. Bruno Gensburger, external affairs…

Weatherford move highlights Swiss problems

This content was published on Apr 3, 2014 Low Swiss cantonal tax rates have proved a magnet for multinational firms in the past few decades. But international pressure to reform tax practices, combined with a perceived Swiss intolerance of foreigners, have recently tarnished the reputation of ‘Location Switzerland’. Weatherford only moved its HQ from Bermuda to Switzerland in 2008, but the company now feels…

Widow of Zurich CFO rejects suicide report

This content was published on Apr 2, 2014 “We cannot accept your conclusion that his suicide was unaccountable,” Fabienne Wauthier told the packed hall on Wednesday. She was joined on stage by her daughter and the mother and brother of her late husband Pierre. Wauthier’s brother added: “It was not normal pressure at the office that led to his suicide.” Pierre Wauthier killed…

Mystery over deformed whitefish continues

This content was published on Apr 2, 2014 Bern cantonal authorities say a new study found that the number of male whitefish with deformed reproductive organs have dwindled. The phenomenon which caught international attention was linked to plankton the fish fed on but the reason for the abnormalities was never established scientifically, despite numerous investigations. Environmental experts have not ruled out the possibility…

Germany’s president questions Swiss voting system

This content was published on Apr 1, 2014 On the first day of his two-day state visit to Switzerland, Gauck held talks with this year’s Swiss president, Didier Burkhalter and Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga. Burkhalter countered Gauck’s criticism by emphasising that direct democracy is a cornerstone of Swiss culture and brings with it the necessity to accept when the majority votes against the…

Swiss tax allies falling by the wayside

This content was published on Apr 1, 2014 The two European Union states caved in to demands last month by signing up to the revised EU savings tax directive (EUSTD) that closes many loopholes on the current withholding tax model. Last year, Switzerland agreed to renegotiate its own withholding tax deal with the EU, signed a tax exchange deal with the United States (FATCA)…

H&M to introduce new minimum wage

This content was published on Mar 31, 2014 The leading clothing shop has raised the minimum amount it will pay staff to the level called for by the trade union, Unia, in an initiative which will go to a nationwide vote on May 18. The group has been lobbying various fashion shops to improve pay to this level for years. H&M told swissinfo.ch that…

Indian complaint over secret accounts confirmed

This content was published on Mar 30, 2014 A finance ministry spokesman confirmed to the Sonntagszeitung newspaper that the letter had arrived and that the Indian finance minister would get a reply “soon”. Palaniappan Chidambaram wrote to Widmer-Schlumpf on March 13, stating that Switzerland had failed to provide administrative assistance in an investigation into suspected tax evasion. According to the Sonntagszeitung, the Indians…

‘Climate migration also concerns rich countries’

This content was published on Mar 30, 2014 Thousands of Americans, fleeing the intense cold, are seeking refuge in Mexico. OK, that’s science-fiction, but the scene from 2004 Hollywood blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow illustrates a very real issue: climate migration. By 2100, hundreds of millions of people will have abandoned coastal zones as a result of rising sea levels, highlights the IPCC…

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Immigration vote result highlights Swiss unease

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Big pharma fights back from China scandal

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Weatherford move highlights Swiss problems

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Widow of Zurich CFO rejects suicide report

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Mystery over deformed whitefish continues

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Germany’s president questions Swiss voting system

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Swiss tax allies falling by the wayside

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H&M to introduce new minimum wage

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Indian complaint over secret accounts confirmed

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‘Climate migration also concerns rich countries’

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