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Aluminium giant slashes 180 jobs in Valais

This content was published on Jan 12, 2006 The closure of the plant in Steg, canton Valais, comes just seven months after 110 posts were cut at another Alcan plant in the same canton. The move is expected to result in the loss of 140 jobs for smelter workers and 40 employees in support positions. A statement from Alcan, the second-largest aluminium company…

Nasa gathers stardust from “Bernese” comet

This content was published on Jan 12, 2006 The comet was named after its discoverer, the Bernese astronomy professor, Paul Wild. “It was only a small whitish spot on the edge of a photograph,” Wild says of the object he saw for the first time on January 6, 1978. The emeritus professor and former director of Bern University’s Astronomical Institute had seen such…

Gout discovery offers hope for arthritis

This content was published on Jan 12, 2006 They say they have identified the mechanism that triggers gout and claim it can be successfully blocked using inhibitor drugs already available on the market. It has long been known that patients suffering from gout have a high level of uric acid in the blood. This over time crystallises and settles in the joints, causing…

Father of LSD celebrates 100th birthday

This content was published on Jan 11, 2006 The drug, famed for its hallucinogenic trips, was popular among the 1960s hippy generation. But it was also once a well-respected treatment for a variety of psychiatric disorders. To mark Hofmann’s centenary, an international symposium, entitled LSD – Problem Child and Wonder Drug, is being held in Basel from January 13-15. Hofmann is scheduled to…

Novartis leaves Berna Biotech on the shelf

This content was published on Jan 10, 2006 The announcement paves the way for Crucell, a Dutch company, to make good its own offer and comes a month after Novartis said it was considering making a cash bid. The Novartis decision sent the Berna share price reeling at the stock exchange in Zurich. At close of trade on Tuesday the stock was down…

Study finds out what’s for dinner

This content was published on Jan 9, 2006 Contrary to Swiss Italians, Swiss French and Germans show a lack of creativity in the kitchen and waste little time preparing their meals. The results of the study, sponsored by the processed food company, Knorr, were based on surveys conducted at 11,000 homes on one evening in late November last year. Slightly more than 50…

Public transport good for ecology and economy

This content was published on Jan 9, 2006 The author of the report recommends that a third of the revenue from the current petrol tax should be used to subsidise new public transport infrastructure, amounting to SFr1.25 billion ($980 million) a year. Sponsored by the pro-public transport organisation, umverkehR (Verkehr=traffic), the study found that thousands of new jobs would be created since public…

Adecco makes a move for German “gem” DIS

This content was published on Jan 9, 2006 The company also announced that DIS chief executive Dieter Scheiff and chief financial officer Dominik de Daniel had been offered the positions of CEO and CFO of Adecco. Adecco says the deal, worth €636 million (SFr981 million), will allow the company to strengthen its position on the German recruitment market, which is one of the…

Federal institute aims to lead the way

This content was published on Jan 8, 2006 Hafen wants the federal institute to lead the way in education in Switzerland by changing its system of teaching and forging closer links with industry. He believes student fees would help students make better decisions and help fund education at the institute in future. And he thinks a referendum vote at the end of last…

Obwalden’s new tax system creates interest

This content was published on Jan 7, 2006 According to local authorities, foreign citizens and companies are already enquiring about conditions for setting up shop in this quiet corner of Switzerland. Germans have so far shown the most interest in moving to Obwalden. “They came during the Christmas holidays to find out about our taxes on individuals and companies,” the local economics minister,…

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Aluminium giant slashes 180 jobs in Valais

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Nasa gathers stardust from “Bernese” comet

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Gout discovery offers hope for arthritis

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Father of LSD celebrates 100th birthday

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Novartis leaves Berna Biotech on the shelf

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Study finds out what’s for dinner

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Public transport good for ecology and economy

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Adecco makes a move for German “gem” DIS

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Federal institute aims to lead the way

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Obwalden’s new tax system creates interest

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