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Watchmakers rub hands at revival

This content was published on Dec 22, 2010 Last month Swiss watch exports increased by almost 30 per cent compared with 12 months ago. What’s more, the demand for workers is also up. “The sector lost a quarter of its turnover in 2009, but only eight per cent of staff – of whom four per cent were given notice,” François Matile, head of…

Former WikiLeaks “bank” still denied licence

This content was published on Dec 21, 2010 PostFinance, the financial arm of Swiss Post, has squeezed the concession of future life as a separate company. But it must continue to sub-contract many financial services while it remains a state-run monopoly. The rather staid world of Swiss post office banking accounts and insurance offerings has been far from mundane in recent weeks. Earlier…

Drug price gap narrows in Switzerland

This content was published on Dec 21, 2010 However, generic drugs are nearly twice as expensive as the combined average of France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Britain, according to a survey published by the health sector on Tuesday. The 200 patented drugs generating the biggest turnover are around six per cent more expensive in Switzerland, a drop of three per cent…

Terre des hommes bows out of Vietnam

This content was published on Dec 21, 2010 The Swiss NGO’s delegate in Hanoi has known Vietnam for 30 years. In 1981 when I first travelled Vietnam from north to south, the country was literally devastated. “Bomb them back to the Stone Age” was the stated intention of General Curtis E. LeMay, chief of staff of the US Air Force from 1961-65. The…

EXHIBITION: At home abroad

This content was published on Dec 21, 2010 An exhibition looks at 500 years of migration in and out of Basel and how people and their cultures influencedthe city. Topics include mobility, refuge, foreign workforce, religion and integration.

Watch exports go up almost 30 per cent

This content was published on Dec 21, 2010 They rose by 29.7 per cent to SFr1.78 billion ($1.85 billion), making a total of SFr14.6 billion over 11 months. By the end of the year, these figures – slightly higher than those of 2007 – should come close to the 2008 record, when SFr17 billion was made. The Asian markets played a big role…

Snowshoes lead to growth of wildlife safe havens

This content was published on Dec 20, 2010 The Federal Environment Office and the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) recently launched an online map that indicates the latest wildlife protected zones to help people who go on ski tours and cross-country hikers on snowshoes to plan fauna-friendly routes. Like a lynx’s beautiful coat, the new internet map is covered with tiny spots – although…

Strong franc gives tourism sector the chills

This content was published on Dec 20, 2010 On Monday the euro fell to another record low against the franc of 1.2715 as investors, spooked by the euro crisis and tension between North and South Korea, moved into so-called safe-haven currencies such as the franc and the yen. Twelve months ago one euro cost SFr1.50. As a result, staying in Switzerland is around…

Novartis to invest $500 million in Russia

This content was published on Dec 20, 2010 Novartis says the investment will include the construction of a drug production plant in the western city of St Petersburg as well as research and development partnerships with local companies. The Basel-based company says construction of the plant starts in 2011. It will be used to produce 1.5 billion generic and proprietary drugs each year…

Toys and games bring holiday cheer

This content was published on Dec 19, 2010 Toy sales in Switzerland don’t appear to have been affected by the economic crisis, the industry reports. The e-games sector is even expecting a light upswing, boosted by market innovations. Christmas is a key time for toy retailers, with around 50 per cent of sales – yearly turnover for the industry is estimated to be…

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Internal: Archive

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Watchmakers rub hands at revival

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Former WikiLeaks “bank” still denied licence

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Drug price gap narrows in Switzerland

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Terre des hommes bows out of Vietnam

More

EXHIBITION: At home abroad

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Watch exports go up almost 30 per cent

More

Snowshoes lead to growth of wildlife safe havens

More

Strong franc gives tourism sector the chills

More

Novartis to invest $500 million in Russia

More

Toys and games bring holiday cheer

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