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Chalandamarz bids farewell to winter

This content was published on Mar 4, 2010 Boys in the Lower Engadine region of eastern Switzerland drive away the spirits with their bells, whips and rattles, so that “the grass will grow better”. Chalandamarz, here in the village of Ardez, takes place on March 1 (chalanda = first day of the month, marz = March). (Photos: Rolf Amiet, swissinfo)

UBS cleared in Madoff case

This content was published on Mar 4, 2010 A court in Luxembourg said that investors who lost money to the American through a fund set up by UBS cannot seek compensation directly from the bank. It rejected the demands of an initial small group of investors in the LuxAlpha fund who wanted to file individual claims against UBS, rather than having to go…

Carmakers put on brave glitzy face in Geneva

This content was published on Mar 4, 2010 With 100 world and European premieres, carmakers are hoping to catch the consumer’s eye at the 80th Geneva International Motor Show, which opens on Thursday. But beyond the glamour, the road to recovery remains a bumpy one. More than 700,000 people, including 10,000 journalists, are expected to pour through the doors of the huge Palexpo…

National Bank back in black

This content was published on Mar 4, 2010 The bank said on Thursday that the positive result was mainly due to the increased value of its gold holdings and income from interest on foreign currency. Switzerland’s central bank said the valuation gains on its gold reserves amounted to SFr7.3 billion. In the course of 2009, the price of gold rose to SFr38,958 per…

Germans ready to buy more tax-cheater data

This content was published on Mar 3, 2010 Baden-Württemberg, a German state that borders Switzerland, said over the weekend that it would not buy the CD, going against German Chancellor Angela Merkel. On Wednesday, however, federal authorities stepped in and said they would evaluate the data and make the purchase if it proves to be valid. The CD could hold data on as…

Swiss tackle the threat of animal diseases

This content was published on Mar 3, 2010 As veterinary experts know, it’s not a question of if the next big disease outbreak happens but when, something that the new Swiss animal health strategy aims to address. Although Switzerland is widely regarded as a best practice example in the area of animal health, global developments make vigilance essential. On Tuesday the Federal Veterinary…

Medium-size businesses upbeat about upswing

This content was published on Mar 3, 2010 A report by Ernst & Young published on Wednesday showed that 36 per cent of some 700 surveyed companies expect the business situation to improve. In May 2009 the figure was 27 per cent. The survey found 17 per cent of medium-size businesses believed conditions would continue to deteriorate, compared to 43 per cent that…

Getting into gear

This content was published on Mar 3, 2010 Geneva’s “Autosalon” is renowned for attracting car makers and the public from near and far. The 80th exhibition features around 100 world and European premiers in the “saloon sector” alone. There’s a growing number of environment-friendly cars but there are still plenty on display that guzzle the petrol.

Adecco staffing firm posts big quarterly win

This content was published on Mar 3, 2010 The Zurich-based company said on Wednesday that net profit for all of 2009 amounted to €8 million on a 26 per cent year-on-year drop in income. Net profit in 2008 totaled €495 million. In a statement the company said it expected the positive trend to continue as major markets in France and North America had…

Giving up on pesticides “would affect yields”

This content was published on Mar 3, 2010 In a recent biodiversity study carried out in nine regions across Europe, agricultural scientists from Göttingen University analysed the effects of 50 years of increasingly intensive farming on plants, beetles and birds. The result was that doubling a field’s cereal production would halve the number of plant species – and the species of birds and…

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