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Better marks for Swiss students in Pisa study

This content was published on Dec 5, 2004 In a report leaked to the media on Saturday, the Swiss students came in the top nine in maths, science and problem solving, and finished 13th in reading. The trend is positive. Switzerland has been able to maintain its strong position in maths, which was the focus of the 2003 study. The Swiss scored 527…

Cigarette factory workers continue strike

This content was published on Dec 4, 2004 The employees, who began their strike on Tuesday, fear the closure of the plant. Negotiations with management are set to begin on Monday. The workers decided to continue the strike through the weekend even though the management agreed on Friday to begin talks. “We’re convinced that it is important to continue the strike despite the…

ABB stock tumbles after US court decision

This content was published on Dec 3, 2004 The surprise rejection of ABB’s $1.2 billion (SFr1.4 billion) settlement is seen as a major setback for the company. On Thursday the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia threw out the plan, saying the settlement would have to be renegotiated by lower courts. Company shares traded on the virt-x platform dropped by 11.93 per…

Nuclear reactor to stay online

This content was published on Dec 3, 2004 Green groups say the authorities have surrendered to the demands of the nuclear lobby, which is pushing for more power plants. The authorities gave the green light to the continued operation of the Beznau II reactor on Friday, despite opposition from the German and Austrian governments as well as environmental organisations such as Greenpeace. The…

UN pricks pharma’s conscience

This content was published on Dec 3, 2004 Paul Hunt was speaking at a conference in Basel hosted by the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development (NFSD). His comments come as the pharma sector faces increasing attacks over issues ranging from drug prices to scandals such as the recent market withdrawal of the painkiller, Vioxx. A US opinion poll published last week showed that…

Hydrogen powers futuristic car

This content was published on Dec 3, 2004 To prove their point, scientists at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have been helping develop a prototype car powered by hydrogen. The Hy-Light concept car, developed in collaboration with tyre specialist Michelin, was presented recently in Shanghai. According to Michelin, the Hy-Light was the most efficient fuel-cell vehicle taking part in the Bibendum Challenge in…

A computer disguised as a watch

This content was published on Dec 3, 2004 But there is no danger of the traditional wristwatch being swept away by the rising tide of technological innovation. “Right now, for example, I’m checking how Microsoft’s shares are doing,” said Bill Gates during the presentation of the novel timepiece in New York. The American software king in fact mentioned only one of the features…

Setback for ABB’s asbestos settlement plan

This content was published on Dec 2, 2004 On Thursday the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in the US threw out the plan, saying the settlement would have to be renegotiated by lower courts. The news sent the share price tumbling at the stock exchange. At the opening of trading on Friday, ABB shares fell by 11.25 per cent to SFr6.25 ($5.43) from…

Senate moves to extend labour-market access

This content was published on Dec 2, 2004 Parliamentarians voted on Thursday unanimously in favour of the proposal, which includes a series of measures to combat the threat of wage dumping. Earlier this year the second phase of a bilateral accord with Brussels came into effect, removing the priority previously given to Swiss workers on the domestic labour market. The latest proposal agreed…

Lack of money causes Swiss innovation to lag

This content was published on Dec 2, 2004 In the previous three years, Swiss companies managed consistently to capture gold, silver and bronze based on their innovations in materials, biotech, and computing. But this year only a handful of Swiss teams made into the semi-finals, and none exhibited a sufficient amount of innovation to make it to the top of the rankings, according…

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Better marks for Swiss students in Pisa study

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Cigarette factory workers continue strike

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ABB stock tumbles after US court decision

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Nuclear reactor to stay online

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UN pricks pharma’s conscience

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Hydrogen powers futuristic car

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A computer disguised as a watch

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Setback for ABB’s asbestos settlement plan

More

Senate moves to extend labour-market access

More

Lack of money causes Swiss innovation to lag

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