Category Archive: 3) Swiss Markets and News

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Investec is a distinctive Specialist Bank and Asset Manager. We provide a diverse range of financial products and services to a niche client base in three principal markets, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia, as well as certain other geographies. Investec’s strategic goals are motivated by the desire to develop an efficient and integrated business on an international scale through the active pursuit of clearly established core competencies in the group’s principal business areas.
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Russia sanctions list: What the West imposed over the Ukraine invasion

2022-03-08

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2022-03-08

The US, UK and EU have adopted sanctions aimed at freezing the assets of President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, in response to the war in Ukraine.

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Swiss emergency relief supplies arrive in Ukraine

2022-03-08

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2022-03-08

Around 35 tonnes of emergency aid, including medical equipment and tents, sent from Switzerland to help victims of the war in Ukraine have arrived in the capital, Kyiv.

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Covid: weekly cases and hospitalisations rising again in Switzerland

2022-03-06

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2022-03-06

This week, 120,9017 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Switzerland, up 24% from the 97,335 cases reported a week earlier. In addition, the reported number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised edged up slightly from 340 to 352 compared to the week before. Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.comThe 7-day average case number had been in constant decline since the end of January. However, the number began to turn upwards in the days leading up to the end...

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Why Switzerland doesn’t want to join the European Union

2022-03-06

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2022-03-06

Switzerland and the European Union have a complicated relationship. The recent decision by the Alpine nation to definitively shut the door on a framework agreement with the EU reaffirms its attachment to its independence. It shows that 30 years after refusing to join the EU, Switzerland's stance has only been reinforced. We look at some of the main reasons why.

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Chart of the week: Swiss retirement age compared

2022-03-06

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2022-03-06

Switzerland’s retirement age of 65 for men and 64 for women puts its state pensioners in the youngest half of OECD retirees. Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.comThis week, when a Swiss parliamentarian asked in which direction pension reform was heading, he received a written response that said the state pension system could be stabilised from 2030 with a rise in the retirement age to 68 for both men and women, reported the NZZ newspaper....

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Switzerland builds business case for non-fungible tokens

2022-03-05

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2022-03-05

NFTs have hit the headlines with spectacular sakes of digital artworks, such as the wildly popular CryptoPunks. Keystone / Obs/4artechnologies The latest blockchain phenomenon, the non-fungible token (NFT), has generated vast profits for artists and a raft of fraudulent scams. Several Swiss NFT projects have set out to prove that the technology can have a lasting impact beyond the spectacular headlines. This content was published on March 5,...

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Switzerland simplifies process of employing foreign workers

2022-03-04

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2022-03-04

Companies will no longer have to prove there are no Swiss job candidates in some sectors. Moves to cut red tape for non-EU foreign workers in Switzerland will not necessarily lead to more work visas being issued. On Friday, the government announced measuresExternal link to make it easier to hire skilled workers from such countries as India, Britain, China and the United States.By making it simpler to award B and L work permits, Switzerland hopes...

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Switzerland triggers wide range of sanctions against Russia

2022-03-04

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2022-03-04

More than a million Ukrainians have fled their country since the Russian invasion. Switzerland said it is activating sanctions against Russia on Friday, including a ban on many industrial exports and wide-ranging restrictions on financial activities, which includes cutting Russian banks from the SWIFT financial messaging system.

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Understanding ESG Bonds and Their Use Cases

2022-02-28

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Interest in ESG bonds has been steadily growing these past years, as investors seek to align their portfolios to climate and social goals like those featured in the Paris Agreement. There are different types of ESG bonds depending on their end goal: either directly support a project, or support a company in reaching general corporate targets. Green bonds, like social and sustainability ones, belong to the first type. Sustainability-linked bonds to...

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Ukraine: What Swiss sanctions-busters need to consider

2022-02-27

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2022-02-27

Legal expert Mark Pieth is amazed that Switzerland is taking its own problematic approach to international sanctions against Russia. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the US and the EU announced economic sanctions, whereas Switzerland announced that it would first have to analyse the new situation. The obvious question there is what has the Swiss Government been doing for the past few weeks, as tensions have been rising?

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Prices of dairy products set to rise in Switzerland

2022-02-25

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2022-02-25

Dairy prices are rising globally. Higher global prices are expected to trigger price rises in Switzerland as local dairy farmers follow the global trend, reported 20 Minutes. © Erix2005 | Dreamstime.comSince the beginning of the year, the price of a tonne of dried milk has risen by around 16% to US$ 4,503, according to the website Global Dairy Trade. Contracts dated March 2022 are priced slightly higher at US$ 4,510. Between 4 January and 15...

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Swiss employment reaches new record

2022-02-25

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2022-02-25

Data published this week by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show that the number of active workers in Switzerland rose to a record 5.239 million by the end of 2021. Photo by Lex Photography on Pexels.comThe number of people employed at the end of 2021 was 1.9% higher than at the end of 2020. 5.239 million represents around 73% of those 15 or older. Sharp rise in hotel and restaurant jobs The number of people...

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Prosecutor calls for maximum fine for Credit Suisse

2022-02-24

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2022-02-24

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has demanded Credit Suisse be fined CHF5 million ($5.4 million) – the maximum provided for by law – for aggravated money laundering and subsidiary support of a criminal organisation.

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Empowering linguistic diversity in newsrooms

2022-02-22

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SWI swissinfo.ch is a team of journalists producing content in ten languages for an international audience. This multilingual work environment is inspiring and enriching but also comes with its special challenges. Take a look behind the scenes in our video and hear directly from our staff members about how they work. The employees of SWI swissinfo.ch come from many parts of the world. Around 15 languages are spoken across our departments. Our...

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Credit Suisse client data leak sparks political storm

2022-02-22

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2022-02-22

Switzerland is facing calls to clean up its financial sector in the wake of the so-called “Suisse Secrets” controversy, which drew on leaked data from banking giant Credit Suisse. Many see the scandal as evidence of systemic shortcoming in the Swiss banking sector, which has undergone major reforms over recent years in a bid to shake off its image as a financial haven for criminals.

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SWISS suspends flights to Ukraine

2022-02-19

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2022-02-19

Other airlines in the Lufthansa Group also announced plans to halt flights to the country. © Keystone / Christian Beutler Amid further escalations of the crisis in Ukraine, Swiss International Airlines has decided to temporarily suspend flights to Ukraine from next week. This affects flight connections in Kyiv. This content was published on February 19, 2022 - 17:22 February 19, 2022 - 17:22 Keystone-SDA/jdp All flights will be...

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Covid: weekly cases and hospitalisations fall further as Switzerland drops nearly all measures

2022-02-19

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2022-02-19

This week, 118,555 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Switzerland, down 25% from the 157,683 cases reported a week earlier. The reported number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised also fell 20% from 492 to 392 across the week. Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.comCovid-19 deaths were also down. Across the week, 61 Covid-19 related deaths were reported, a figure 13% lower than the 70 reported the week before. In addition, the number of...

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Glencore sets aside $1.5bn to settle UK, US and Brazil probes

2022-02-16

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2022-02-16

Glencore expects to resolve bribery and corruption investigations in the UK, US and Brazil this year and has set aside $1.5 billion (CHF1.4 billion) to cover potential fines and costs.

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Swiss women in space

2022-02-11

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Far more men have been to space than women. The European Space Agency is recruiting and would be happy to hire females. To be considered, you need a master’s degree in a STEM subject (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), a medicine degree or a pilot’s license. The problem is that many girls in school consider STEM subjects to be a male domain.⁠ One Swiss woman who may have the right stuff is Deborah Müller, an engineer and manager at...

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Gaming influencer on Twitch

2022-02-02

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Millions of people watch others play games on live streaming portals. One of the biggest gaming platforms is Twitch. It's where you can find Stefanie "Stefy" Holenweg. Under the name "8bitblonde", she is one of the best-known Twitch users in Switzerland. She gives us a glimpse into her world, which is not just about games but also about social encounters. Private topics, such as heartbreak, are also discussed in her community....

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