Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

Investigation into collapse of Credit Suisse beset by delays

In March 2023, Credit Suisse collapsed. An uncontrolled bankruptcy could only be prevented by big government aid and an emergency merger with competitor UBS. Switzerland is now waiting for a parliamentary inquiry report to reveal who was at fault as the bank disintegrated.

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CEO pay: can Switzerland compete with the US?

Swiss CEOs are some of the best paid in Europe but compared to peers in the United States, their salaries look modest. Some in the Swiss pharmaceutical industry see this as a problem.

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SWISS reports highest ever profit 

SWISS’ turnover totalled CHF5.3 billion ($6 billion) last year, the airline announced on Thursday, a significant increase on the previous year’s CHF4.4 billion, and a return to 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic.

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Swiss exports to Russia suspected of evading sanctions

Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, Swiss exports to countries close to Russia have increased significantly – which points to a possible evasion of sanctions.

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Young Socialists demand inheritance tax on ‘super rich’

The wealthiest in society “must pay for the fight against the climate crisis”, said the group on Thursday as they handed in over 140,000 signatures for a people’s initiative.

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India eyes $100bn investment deal with Switzerland and Norway

India is close to finalising a first-of-its-kind trade deal that could see a small group of European nations invest as much as $100 billion (CHF87 billion) over 15 years in exchange for easier trade access to the world’s most populous nation, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

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Switzerland marks start of China’s ‘high-level exchange’ with Europe

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is visiting Switzerland this week. The official state visit by China’s second highest ranking official signals a renewal in Sino-Swiss ties and the kick-off of his “high-level exchange” with Europe. Here’s what you need to know about official Swiss-Chinese relations.

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Swiss banker pleads guilty to tax offences in the US

A Swiss banker has pleaded guilty to tax offences in the United States. Between 2008 and 2014, he allegedly helped wealthy US clients hide their assets from the US authorities in accounts at Zurich-based Ihag Privatbank.

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Inside Geneva: UN Correspondents assess 2023

In this episode Imogen Foulkes is joined by New York Times contributor Nick Cumming-Bruce, Emma Farge of Reuters, and Dorian Burkhalter of Swissinfo, to look back at 2023 and the stories that made the news.

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Swiss budget agreed with humanitarian spending cut

Switzerland’s parliament has finalised the 2024 budget after agreeing to a CHF10 million cut on humanitarian funding.

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Inside Geneva talks to Navi Pillay: from the apartheid regime to the UN

On Inside Geneva: part four of our series marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Imogen Foulkes talks to Navi Pillay, who served as UN Human Rights Commissioner from 2008 to 2014.

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Politicians want 75% of Swiss CO2 emissions to be cut at home

Switzerland must reduce at least three-quarters of its carbon emissions in the Alpine country, the House of Representatives agreed on Wednesday.

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Palliative care without the hospital vibe

Many people who are terminally ill would prefer to spend their last days at home. However, this is often not possible. "La Maison de Tara" in Geneva offers a cosy alternative to hospital. Round-the-clock care by volunteers, home cooked food and medical assistance on tap are all part of its charm. The volunteers say "it's not a house of death but a house of love". swissinfo.ch visited the home to find out why. --- swissinfo.ch...

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Exploring Science in Davos: EP6 Lab 42 AI lab decoding the human brain

Artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT generate remarkably human-like results. But how intelligent is it really? SWI swissinfo.ch visits Lab42, a new AI lab in Davos, which is deploying playful techniques to better understand the fundamentals of human intelligence. In addition to the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) gathering, Davos is home to several leading research institutes. The newest is Lab 42, which opened its doors in July 2022,...

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Exploring Science in Davos: EP5 Snow and avalanche research in Davos

When and where the next avalanche will happen is hard to predict. In a special cold laboratory in Davos, researchers simulate the effects of wind on fresh snow to better understand the mechanisms that trigger avalanches. For centuries, avalanches have posed a threat to mountain farmers and their livestock. With the development of winter tourism, roads, railways and hydropower plants, the interest in avalanche research and protective measures has...

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Exploring Science in Davos: EP3 Why house dust mites, pollen and food additives cause allergies?

The small city of Davos in southeastern Switzerland, located at an altitude of 1,560m above sea level in the Swiss Alps, attracted tuberculosis patients back in the 1800s and 1900s after scientists discovered that clean mountain air had a positive effect on their health. However, with the development of antibiotics, the sanatoriums eventually lost their purpose. Today that same clean Davos air, marked by the absence of tree pollen, such as birch,...

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Exploring Science in Davos: EP2 Studying bones at the AO Research Institute Davos

Before 1960, broken bones were treated simply by using plaster casts or traction. Then 13 Swiss surgeons began rethinking fracture treatment: they standardised instruments, screws and nails, scientifically evaluated every operation, and started training surgeons. On their tour of Davos’s scientific communities, Sara and Michele go behind the scenes to see what new technologies are currently being developed. The AO Foundation in Davos has been a...

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Exploring Science in Davos: EP1 Orthopaedics gathering at the AO Davos Courses 2022

The Swiss town of Davos is famous for mountain slopes, winter sports and the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. But did you know that it also attracts scientists and doctors from all over the world? In this six-part video series, SWI swissinfo.ch journalists Sara Ibrahim and Michele Andina take you on a journey to discover five of Davos’s research institutes. In this first episode, they take you to the AO Davos Courses, a two-week...

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Using sound to find prehistoric ruins under Lake Lucerne

Construction workers got a surprise recently while laying a pipeline underneath Lake Lucerne in central Switzerland. On the lake floor they found the traces of a prehistoric village! This finally confirmed a long-standing theory among archaeologists, who believed that people had lived in the area thousands of years ago. But why were the traces of their home so deep within the lake? Across Switzerland there are about 500 pile dwelling sites, but...

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Why these Japanese patients wanted to die in Switzerland

In this second part of our two-part series on assisted suicide, SWI reporter Kaoru Uda tells host Susan Misicka what it was like to accompany two Japanese patients who came to Switzerland to die. Please sign up for our Free newsletter on Swiss Democracy.   SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern Switzerland. It publishes independent news and information in 10 languages about Switzerland for a global audience.

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