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New Year heralds 396 new laws

This content was published on Jan 1, 2010 It is fewer than the previous year when 425 legal changes were introduced. An economic recovery package of SFr300 million ($290 million) – Switzerland’s third since the onset of the global financial crisis – has provisions for employment and aims to strengthen purchasing power. Measures for short-term work will only be introduced if the unemployment…

Christmas cards kept Swiss Post busy

This content was published on Dec 31, 2009 Around 20 million items were processed daily between mid December and the end of the month, on a level with previous years. “The letter will not disappear, despite text messages, email and electronic chat forums,” Swiss Post said, adding that its sorting centres – the most high-tech in the world – had been operating at…

Autopsy shows British tourist was drunk

This content was published on Dec 30, 2009 The body of the 23-year-old man, identified in media reports as Myles Robinson of London, was found on Monday at the foot of a 100-metre cliff halfway between the villages of Wengen and Lauterbrunnen. Tests showed he was heavily under the influence of alcohol at the time of his death, with a blood alcohol content…

Geographer Oliver Strebler with helmet and had torch

Exploring the inside of a melting glacier

This content was published on Dec 30, 2009

A milestone year ends for banking secrecy

This content was published on Dec 30, 2009 How it will evolve in 2010 will depend on the stance taken by the government and the Swiss voters, two experts told swissinfo.ch. The year saw two major shifts in the history of Swiss banking secrecy. In August, in violation of Swiss law, the UBS bank was forced to hand over customer data to the…

Stock exchange ends 2009 on steady note

This content was published on Dec 30, 2009 The SMI hit a six-year low at 4,234.96 points on March 9 but increased by 55 per cent in the following nine months. It remained steady at around 6,600 points at the end of the year, closing on Wednesday slightly down at 6,525.91 points. After finding themselves among the ten biggest losers of 2008, Swiss…

Champagne loses its fizz

This content was published on Dec 30, 2009 The financial crisis has forced people to tighten their belts, and champagne producers are set for a drop in sales of up to 16 per cent for the year. “Moderation is the name of the game for many customers, especially when it comes to champagne,” said Jürg Welti from Globus, a fine-food store. “They’re making…

Swiss trade rebounds with third-quarter surplus

This content was published on Dec 29, 2009 The country posted a SFr11.4 billion ($11 billion) surplus, compared with a deficit of SFr6.4 billion in the same period in 2008. But the reversal masks a third quarter still marked by a troubled global economy. Exports of goods and services fell by 15 per cent on the year to SFr66 billion and imports dropped…

Caritas calls to halve poverty by 2020

This content was published on Dec 29, 2009 The organisation estimates that in Switzerland 700,000-900,000 people, around a tenth of the population, are in need of social welfare. The charter launched in the Swiss capital Bern on Tuesday outlines several avenues for action including better identification and documentation of poverty cases, improved access to training regardless of age and more job creation. Caritas…

Darwin, the Big Bang and the moon

This content was published on Dec 28, 2009 2009 also saw two important anniversaries for Darwin and the moon, as well as the uncovering of a red lake and rather surprising revelations about sex. Scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern) announced their groundbreaking results from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) on November 23. “This is great news – the start…

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New Year heralds 396 new laws

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Christmas cards kept Swiss Post busy

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Autopsy shows British tourist was drunk

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Exploring the inside of a melting glacier

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A milestone year ends for banking secrecy

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Stock exchange ends 2009 on steady note

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Champagne loses its fizz

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Swiss trade rebounds with third-quarter surplus

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Caritas calls to halve poverty by 2020

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Darwin, the Big Bang and the moon

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