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UBS ordered to comply with French request

This content was published on Jul 5, 2016 The Zurich-based bank said it received a disclosure order from the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (FTA) to transfer information based on a French request for international administrative assistance in tax matters. “The request concerns a number of UBS account numbers pertaining to current and former French domiciled clients and is based on data from 2006…

How do democracy and populism go together?

This content was published on Jul 4, 2016 Paul TaggartExternal link is an expert on the subject. The professor of politics at Sussex University in England gave a keynote speech at a recent international conference in Zurich and put the phenomenon into context. The two-day conference was organised by the NCCR DemocracyExternal link and the Foundation for Population, Migration and EnvironmentExternal link.

Milking robots improve cows’ lives

This content was published on Jul 4, 2016 A farmer in canton Aargau extolls the virtues of his new milking robot, which also feeds his cows and cleans up after them. (RTS/swissinfo.ch)

ABB’s ‘Mr Robot’

This content was published on Jul 4, 2016 The former management consultant had taken over the ailing robotics division of Swiss engineering group ABB. Its robots were too expensive and pitched largely at the auto industry, which was in a severe downturn. Operating losses in robotics hit almost $300m in 2009. “It was bleeding like hell,” Mr Spiesshofer recalls. “A lot of people…

Youth groups reject ‘double weighting’ of votes

This content was published on Jul 3, 2016 “This idea is contrary to our democracy,” Tamara Funiciello, president of the youth branch of the leftwing Social Democratic Party, told the SonntagsBlick newspaper on Sunday. She was commenting on an idea put forward by a member of the Zurich cantonal government, Jacqueline Fehr, to reorganise the voting system in Switzerland. Under her plan, the…

Fare dodgers cost Swiss Railways millions

This content was published on Jul 3, 2016 According to a report in the Le Matin Dimanche and SonntagsZeitung, last year 460,000 people were caught on the Swiss Railways network without a valid ticket. Eighty per cent of fare dodgers were issued with a fine of CHF70-90 sent to their home address. But only one in three actually paid the fine. Over 300,000…

Cantons demand higher quotas for non-EU skilled workers

This content was published on Jul 3, 2016 The cantonal economic directors from the three regions have issued a joint demand to the federal government to raise the number of residence permits and work permits for specialists from non-EU states from 6,500 to at least 8,500 a year. This limit was imposed in 2015 following an anti-immigration vote. “The quota system is a…

‘Gridlock within Switzerland’s political system’

This content was published on Jul 3, 2016 Slowing down to allow participation conflicts with the need to act quickly in an interconnected world. Reforms, however, are only promising if that the political elite makes proposals that will be supported by everyone, Vatter argues. swissinfo.ch: Let’s begin with some bookkeeping with regards to direct democracy. What are its biggest benefits and disadvantages? Adrian…

Roche to cut 350 IT jobs

This content was published on Jul 2, 2016 A spokesman told Reuters that 100 posts would be cut in Switzerland and another 100 in the United States, confirming a report by the Basler Zeitung newspaper. The remainder of the job cuts would be spread across several other countries, mostly in Europe. At the same time, the Basel-based firm plans to add 300 jobs…

Swiss retailers cut plastic bag use

This content was published on Jul 1, 2016

Internal: Archive

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Internal: Archive

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UBS ordered to comply with French request

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How do democracy and populism go together?

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Milking robots improve cows’ lives

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ABB’s ‘Mr Robot’

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Youth groups reject ‘double weighting’ of votes

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Fare dodgers cost Swiss Railways millions

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Cantons demand higher quotas for non-EU skilled workers

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‘Gridlock within Switzerland’s political system’

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Roche to cut 350 IT jobs

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Swiss retailers cut plastic bag use

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