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Full text of the Swiss president’s speech

This content was published on Jul 30, 2004 Whether adults or children, self-employed or employees, working or retired, each and every one of you day after day weaves invisible yet solid threads between the world and Switzerland. Fellow Swiss abroad, today I would like to thank you for what you do. Your presence abroad is a symbol of globalisation, characterised not only by…

Health insurer wants to reward non-smokers

This content was published on Jul 30, 2004 Helsana says the discounts – which would need government approval – could apply to non-smokers as well as people who eat healthily and take regular exercise. The proposals come amid an ongoing debate about how to stem the rising costs of healthcare in Switzerland. Swiss health insurance premiums are among the highest in the world,…

Report calls for end to neglect of autism

This content was published on Jul 30, 2004 The survey found that the authorities were also failing to provide adequate support and advice for parents of autistic children. Autism is a developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to people around them. Children and adults who suffer from autism usually have difficulties with everyday social interaction and often have…

Government wants to take airports under its wing

This content was published on Jul 29, 2004 The transport ministry says it wants a bigger say in how Switzerland’s three main airports, Zurich, Geneva and Basel, are run and developed. Airport operators reacted with scepticism to the proposals, which appeared in a draft report released on Thursday. The report, the first major revision of air transport policy since the 1950s, covers a…

Authorities sound alarm over low water levels

This content was published on Jul 29, 2004 On Thursday one regional authority in western Switzerland announced a hosepipe ban in a bid to conserve water supplies. The restrictions in canton Fribourg – due to come into force next week – will mainly affect farmers who pump ground water for irrigation. The ban applies to water taken from most of the rivers and…

ABB says turnaround is complete

This content was published on Jul 29, 2004 The company announced on Thursday that it had swung to its biggest quarterly profit in more than two years, with improved demand in most markets. It reported “solid” increases in core division orders, revenues and earnings. “We have said before we will achieve a black number at net profit level in the full year… It…

Farmers forced to diversify or die

This content was published on Jul 29, 2004 More than a quarter of the country’s farms have shut down over the past ten years, and those that remain are being forced to find new ways of staying in business. The Swiss delegation at the Geneva-based WTO said everything possible had been done to defend the interests of the country’s farmers during last week’s…

Modern Olympics mirror those of the past

This content was published on Jul 29, 2004 In the capital, Athens, the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (ESAG) is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Director Philippe Ducrey points out the similarities between the old games and the new. “The old sporting competitions were an extension of the rivalries among Greek cities. They were an opportunity to confirm your superiority,” Ducrey says. Using…

Outsourcing company lures Swiss business to India

This content was published on Jul 28, 2004 But it is from here that Cognizant is seeking to persuade some of the country’s biggest corporate names of the benefits of outsourcing work to India. Krishna Nagashwaran has headed Cognizant’s Zurich office since it opened just over 18 months ago. His task is to encourage chief executives in Switzerland to shift their information technology…

Converium reports heavy loss

This content was published on Jul 27, 2004 The Zurich-based company also announced on Tuesday that it would probably end the year in the red. “It will be very hard to make a profit,” said chief executive Dirk Lohmann. Converium confirmed that it would be turning to investors to raise capital to help it cover a $385 million hole in its reserves, drained…

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