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Tourism becomes light at the end of tunnel

This content was published on May 18, 2000 The La Presta asphalt mine in the western Travers valley was once the world’s only source of the substance. Even though mining operations came to an end years ago, tourism has become the light at the end of the tunnel. An average of 21,000 people a year go underground at the site. That is a…

Switzerland shelves inquiry into VW

This content was published on May 18, 2000 The competition commission launched the investigation at the end of 1997, when prices for new cars in Switzerland were between 10 and 20 per cent higher than in Italy. “We had strong evidence which led us to open the inquiry two years ago,” said the commission’s president, Roland von Bueren. “But in the meantime, a…

Swiss petrol prices to rise once more

This content was published on May 18, 2000 Together, the increases mark a five per cent increase in the price of petrol within only eight days. The oil companies gave the same reasons for the new increase as for last week’s rise. They said they were merely passing on a sudden rise in prices on the market in Rotterdam. The increase was due…

Lake Geneva threatened by suffocating algae

This content was published on May 18, 2000 The warnings, published in New Scientist magazine, make alarming reading. Two researchers from the University of Geneva have been examining the impact of dams on Lake Geneva, and have concluded that the Lake is slowly suffocating to death. They say that the nine hydro-electric dams, built on tributaries of the Rhone over the past 40…

Ascom turns down single share

This content was published on May 17, 2000 After lengthy and at times what was described as “spiteful” debate on Wednesdsay, a majority of 68.5 per cent followed the advice of the board to reject the single share formula. The proposal had been put forward by the financier, Ernst Müller-Möhl, who died in a plane crash two weeks ago. Müller-Möhl controlled almost 20…

Ascom turns down uniform share

This content was published on May 17, 2000 More than two-thirds of shareholders on Wednesday turned down the proposal to replace the current two-tier share structure with a uniform share. The vote followed a lengthy discussion at the meeting on Wednesday, and marks the culmination of a long-running debate. The change had been proposed by the financier, Ernst Müller-Möhl, whose A&A Actienbank is…

Panamarenko exhibits in Basel

This content was published on May 17, 2000 Panamarenko has been called as an artist, poet, engineer, physicist, inventor and visionary all rolled into one. The Basel exhibition of his key works and drawings attest to the accuracy of the description, to which might be added the word “dreamer” – because the objects he has created are from an idiosyncratic dream-world of escapism.…

Novartis under fire over genetic transplant plans

This content was published on May 17, 2000 Greenpeace claimed the patent proved that life science companies were intent on turning plants, animals and people into market commodities, for the purpose of profit making. Switzerland’s Green Party argued that the patent was nonsensical since any trade in organs is banned by the constitution. Nevertheless both environmental groups are calling on the Swiss government…

Hotels mushrooming in Zurich

This content was published on May 17, 2000 “Zurich’s hotel sector has not experienced such a period of strong growth since the 1970s,” said Gugliamo Brentel, director of the Zurich Hotel Association. Occupancy rates run at close to 77 per cent, making Zurich second only to Amsterdam in terms of occupancy in Europe. “The city is benefiting from many factors, including an unprecedented…

Industry revels in boom

This content was published on May 17, 2000 The umbrella organisation for the three sectors said businesses had registered growth rates of 5.5 per cent in the first three months of the year, putting an end to two years of negative growth earlier than expected. It said exports had grown particularly fast (6.9 per cent) compared to domestic demand (2.9 per cent). The…

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