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Syngenta comes under fire in Burkina Faso

This content was published on Feb 9, 2011 The West African country is calling for the product to be placed on the Rotterdam Convention list of extremely dangerous substances. A UN treaty, the convention establishes guidelines for the use of hazardous chemicals and pesticides with a view to protecting human and environmental health. A study conducted in June-July 2010 by the Burkina Faso…

Syngenta continues steady growth

This content was published on Feb 9, 2011 Sales were up six per cent to $11.64 billion, the Basel-based multinational said on Wednesday. Syngenta makes genetically modified seeds as well as products to kill weeds and insects. “Strong volume growth starting in the second quarter of 2010 has more than offset the impact of lower crop protection prices and demonstrates the ongoing expansion…

Customs officials claim successful year

This content was published on Feb 8, 2011 They also intercepted three times more smuggled food items than in 2009. Leather articles and jewelry accounted for more than half the 2,741seizures of fakes. Other popular items were clothes and accessories such as scarves, hats and sunglasses. A total of about 826 tonnes of smuggled food items were discovered. Fruit and vegetables accounted for…

UBS ponders moving businesses from Switzerland

This content was published on Feb 8, 2011 The Swiss bank could relocate its risky investment banking operations to a more relaxed regulatory environment if proposed Swiss rules are significantly more stringent. The proposals were aired as UBS announced its first full year of profits since 2006. UBS chief executive Oswald Grübel complained on Tuesday that in the future there would probably be…

Chocolate industry experiences recovery

This content was published on Feb 8, 2011 Chocosuisse, the umbrella organisation of 18 manufacturers, reported on Tuesday that sales went up by 2.5 per cent to SFr1.74 billion ($1.82 billion), while the quantity produced increased 1.3 per cent to 176,424 tons. In a statement, the Bern-based organisation said that of total production, 60.4 per cent was sold abroad compared with 60.7 per…

Givaudan profit for 2010 has sweet smell

This content was published on Feb 8, 2011 However, the Geneva-based company warned that it expected an “overall strong raw material price increase” this year and indicated product price rises. Total sales were SFr4.24 billion in 2010, a rise of 7.1 per cent in Swiss francs. Givaudan reported that sales in the fragrance division totalled almost SFr2 billion (up nine per cent), while…

Happy hour at Swatch after record profit

This content was published on Feb 8, 2011 The Biel-based group, which is best known for its colourful plastic Swatch watches but also owns higher-end brands such as Breguet, Blancpain and Omega, coped well with the economic downturn and strong franc as customers, particularly in China, continued to splash out on watches. “Prospects remain good for the year as a whole, despite the…

UBS result shows there is room for improvement

This content was published on Feb 8, 2011 Net profit for the year as a whole was SFr7.2 billion ($7.55 billion) compared with a loss of $2.7 billion in 2009. It is the first time the bank has been in the black since 2006. UBS reported in a statement that net profit in the fourth quarter of 2010 was SFr1.29 billion, with net…

Swiss health system diagnoses more cancer

This content was published on Feb 7, 2011 Leading cancer specialist Giorgio Noseda tells swissinfo.ch the system helps diagnose cases early on, thereby increasing the numbers. But there is no single reason why Switzerland has higher cancer rates. Noseda, who heads the Swiss Institute for Research in Biomedicine, says one of the main challenges for the near future is to get a clearer picture…

Swiss franc a magnet in times of strife

This content was published on Feb 7, 2011 The Swiss franc, or “Swissie” as it is known by traders, first gained a reputation as a safe haven currency after the First World War. But will it continue to attract investors in times of economic hardship? The fundamental reasons behind the attractiveness of the franc as a safe haven are much the same now…

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Syngenta comes under fire in Burkina Faso

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Syngenta continues steady growth

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Customs officials claim successful year

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UBS ponders moving businesses from Switzerland

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Chocolate industry experiences recovery

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Givaudan profit for 2010 has sweet smell

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Happy hour at Swatch after record profit

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UBS result shows there is room for improvement

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Swiss health system diagnoses more cancer

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Swiss franc a magnet in times of strife

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