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banking secrecy weathers storms

This content was published on Jul 11, 2006 Even though parliament has refused to enshrine it in the constitution, this typical Swiss arrangement benefits a large proportion of the Swiss population. One of the myths surrounding banking secrecy that still circulates today is that it was reinforced by the Swiss government to protect the money deposited in Switzerland by Jewish victims of the…

business booms but tricky times lie ahead

This content was published on Jul 11, 2006 After a series of difficulties and an industry restructuring in the 1970s, exports of Swiss watches are once again up. But the country’s position is today under threat. A Swiss-made watch is a highly desirable but increasingly copied object. An original Swiss watch draws upon over four centuries of tradition, quality, expertise and innovation. It…

Swiss Re to axe 2,000 jobs

This content was published on Jul 11, 2006 The world’s largest reinsurer said on Tuesday that it had already cut over 250 posts, about 40 of which were in Zurich. Over the next four months the company plans to finalise the two-phase restructuring of its worldwide operations. “The job reductions will contribute to increasing Swiss Re’s overall efficiency and ensuring the company’s competitiveness,”…

Final meltdown nears for alpine glaciers

This content was published on Jul 10, 2006 Results of computer modelling experiments show that the Alps will lose 80 per cent of their glacier cover if summer air temperatures rise by three degrees Celsius. “Especially in densely populated high mountain areas such as the European Alps, one should start immediately to consider the consequences of such extreme glacier wasting on the hydrological…

Frictions between Bern and Brussels spice talks

This content was published on Jul 10, 2006 Their meeting came after recent EU criticism of Swiss tax policies and banking secrecy, and warnings that rejecting a SFr1 billion ($814 million) solidarity contribution for new EU members would be a mistake. The talks in Brussels included themes such as the ongoing implementation of two sets of bilateral accords signed by the Swiss with…

Mobile phone airship to conquer stratosphere

This content was published on Jul 10, 2006 Should Kamal Alavi’s project for the high-tech airship take off, the worlds of mobile telephony and data transmission would be turned on their heads. Not only would the technology, called High Altitude Platform Systems (Haps), make the current 1,000 earth-bound antennas redundant, it would drastically reduce radiation. A Swiss of Iranian extraction, Alavi is a…

Discarded children

This content was published on Jul 9, 2006

Swiss ponder future role of the internet

This content was published on Jul 8, 2006 Some observers fear the forum lacks the teeth to make any meaningful changes or that it will be hijacked by politically motivated groups when it meets for the first time in October. The concept of an independent international forum to discuss key policy issues relating to the future of the internet was born at the…

Barroso raises the tax stakes with Switzerland

This content was published on Jul 7, 2006 But the European Union’s top politician also has friendly words about Switzerland. Relations between Switzerland and the EU are similar to the summer weather. It’s mostly fine but thunderstorms cannot be ruled out. Just days before Leuenberger’s visit to Brussels, Barroso has put a little thunder into the air. On Wednesday Barroso sharply criticised Swiss…

Drink and vitamins top over-60s shopping list

This content was published on Jul 7, 2006 The study found that shoppers aged over 60 accounted for half the total spent on table wine despite representing less than a third of all households polled. The surprising results follow recent government statistics that predict the number of people aged over 65 in Switzerland will nearly double by 2050, representing 27 per cent of…

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Internal: Archive

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banking secrecy weathers storms

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business booms but tricky times lie ahead

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Swiss Re to axe 2,000 jobs

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Final meltdown nears for alpine glaciers

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Frictions between Bern and Brussels spice talks

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Mobile phone airship to conquer stratosphere

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Discarded children

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Swiss ponder future role of the internet

More

Barroso raises the tax stakes with Switzerland

More

Drink and vitamins top over-60s shopping list

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