Internal: Archive

English dominance leaves academic cold

This content was published on Sep 1, 2004 In an interview with swissinfo, Anne-Claude Berthoud praises the co-existence of German, French and Italian in Switzerland as a model for the European Union. In June Berthoud became president of the Swiss Academy of Social Sciences, which groups about 50 scientific organisations and focuses on promoting research. She is a professor at Lausanne University in…

Government raises bar for pension funds

This content was published on Sep 1, 2004 The 0.25 per cent rise has been met with mixed reactions from trade unions and the Centre-Left, as well as the insurance industry. Announcing the increase on Wednesday, the interior ministry said the government had noted the recovery in the financial markets over the past 12 months and new profitable investment opportunities. The cabinet also…

Alexandre Huber Trio: Organic Sound

This content was published on Sep 1, 2004

Scientists pinpoint cause of altitude sickness

This content was published on Aug 31, 2004 Urs Scherrer and Claudio Sartori say studies they have carried out show that High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) is triggered by the lungs’ inability to transport sodium adequately. HAPE can occur when climbers ascend a mountain too quickly. Fluid builds up in the lungs, causing shortness of breath and extreme tiredness. Unconsciousness or even death…

Troubled Converium serves up more bad news

This content was published on Aug 31, 2004 The Zurich-based firm also announced on Tuesday that its reserves needed an additional $100 million top-up. It is the third disappointment to hit the markets and the company’s share price in the past six weeks. On July 20 the company issued a profit warning that sent its stock plummeting by more than 50 per cent.…

Swiss trade with US continues to decline

This content was published on Aug 30, 2004 Officials warn that no upturn can be expected for at least the next 18 months. At its annual press conference in Zurich on Monday, the chamber reported that Switzerland’s trade surplus with the US was at an all-time high, reaching a record SFr8.4 billion ($6.56 billion) in 2003. Swiss exports to the US declined by…

Research enriches Swiss development aid

This content was published on Aug 30, 2004 The programme, which has an initial four-year budget of SFr32.6 million ($25.4 million), is seen as an essential part of Switzerland’s development aid strategy. Leading Swiss institutions, such as the Swiss Tropical Institute in Basel and the Graduate Institute of Development Studies in Geneva, are taking part in the initiative. They are working closely with…

More Swiss seek psychiatric help

This content was published on Aug 30, 2004 Twice as many women as men seek help from a psychiatrist. Around 271,000 people received psychiatric treatment in Switzerland in 2002 – an increase of 0.4 per cent on 1997, according to the study published by the Federal Statistics Office on Monday. The increase was mainly the result of more women seeking help for mental…

Scientists hail malaria breakthroughs

This content was published on Aug 27, 2004 Both involve artemisinin, an ancient Chinese herbal extract, which has been used for centuries to treat the disease. Malaria kills about one million people worldwide each year, many of them children. The parasitic disease, which is spread by mosquitoes, is present in 90 countries in the world but is particularly rife in sub-Saharan Africa. Scientists…

Swiss Post faces uncertain future

This content was published on Aug 27, 2004 The state-run giant says email and increasing competition are taking their toll on the country’s postal services. Created in 1848 following the unification of cantonal postal services, Swiss Post enjoys a reputation for punctuality and reliability both at home and abroad. Business appears to be booming. Its latest results, published on Thursday, show that the…

Internal: Archive

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