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Road transport vote may not go government’s way

This content was published on Jan 28, 2004 Just over half those surveyed said they were against the proposals, which go to a nationwide vote on February 8. The main sticking point is the plan for a second Gotthard road tunnel through the Alps. In the final poll before the ballot, 51 per cent said they would vote against the proposals, while only…

Google to set up in Zurich

This content was published on Jan 28, 2004 Google says it chose Switzerland’s largest city because it offers access to information technology experts as well as a multilingual environment and favourable tax conditions. “Zurich should be thought of as our European headquarters. We will bring the best of Europe’s computer scientists to Zurich,” Urs Hölzle, a vice-president at Google, told the “Neue Zürcher…

OECD defuses tax row with Switzerland

This content was published on Jan 28, 2004 At a two-day meeting in Paris, Swiss negotiators agreed to give foreign tax authorities more access to information about Swiss-based holding companies. The issue was one of three points of disagreement between Bern and the OECD, which had threatened to blacklist Switzerland as a country that supports “potentially harmful tax practices”. The Swiss government had…

Swiss share wartime memories

This content was published on Jan 28, 2004 Conceived by film-maker Frédéric Gonseth, it features a series of interviews on video with 555 people from all walks of life. Visitors to the exhibition at the historical museum can select which interviews they want to watch on television monitors, or watch excerpts from them all on a large screen in a mini auditorium. The…

Excavations bring Bern’s past to life

This content was published on Jan 28, 2004 They hope the find – the second of its kind – will shed light on life in Bern 300 years ago. Archaeologists stumbled across around 270 human skeletons, thought to be people of high social standing, during excavations near the parliament building last November. Earlier in the year a paupers’ graveyard was discovered at another…

Swiss plan new mission to Mars

This content was published on Jan 28, 2004 Dubbed Sky-Sailor, the project involves designing a solar-powered plane that would fly around the red planet. The Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), and its Zurich counterpart (ETH) are involved in the project. In addition, the Swiss company, Ruag Aerospace, and aircraft expert Walter Engel will also contribute expertise. The autonomous systems laboratory at…

Poorer families squeezed by rising health costs

This content was published on Jan 27, 2004 Traditionally, the cantons provide income-linked support to people who have difficulty paying their premiums. But in many regions the funds available for these subsidies have not kept pace with the rise in insurance costs. Across Switzerland, health insurance premiums have risen by an average of 4.3 per cent this year, but in many cantons low-income…

Nestlé promotes good nutrition and health

This content was published on Jan 27, 2004 The inauguration of the centre in Singen was an opportunity for company CEO Peter Brabeck to stress that Nestlé was moving further into nutrition and “wellness”. “Nestlé is about to move away from its traditional role as a converter of agricultural raw materials to become in future a ‘health, nutrition and wellness’ company, in line…

Light at end of tunnel for subterranean station

This content was published on Jan 27, 2004 The federal government would have to fund the project located at Sedrun in canton Graubünden. The “Porta Alpina” would be in the new trans-alpine Gotthard Base Tunnel linking Zurich and Milan, and provide a gateway to the Alps. The project was submitted by two entrepreneurs, and still needs federal approval. “This is something the world…

Swiss get fired up over pan promotion

This content was published on Jan 27, 2004 More than three million pans have been bought at knockdown prices by customers across the country, who have to collect points to get a reduction. To get one pan at a reduced price, the customer has to collect 30 points – with one point for each SFr10 ($8) he or she spends in Coop. This…

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