Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

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Swiss companies’ balancing act with Russia

2022-03-18

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2022-03-18

Big consumer brands are leaving Russia in droves but for many Swiss companies untangling ties isn’t that easy.  Jessica covers the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to big global companies and their impact in Switzerland and abroad. She’s always looking for a Swiss connection with her native San Francisco and will happily discuss why her hometown has produced some of the greatest innovations but can’t seem to solve its housing crisis.

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Swiss economic prospects for 2022 dampened but not decimated

2022-03-17

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2022-03-17

The Swiss economics ministry has downgraded its growth forecast for 2022 due to the war in Ukraine. But it still predicts a solid post-pandemic upswing.

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Russian clients have up to CHF200 billion in Swiss banks

2022-03-16

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2022-03-16

Swiss banks hold between CHF150 billion and CHF200 billion ($160-$214 billion) in assets belonging to Russian clients, according to the Swiss Bankers Association.

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Experts warn of hit to economy without Russian oil and gas

2022-03-16

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2022-03-16

Renouncing Russian oil and gas would have serious consequences for the Swiss economy, an expert from the KOF Swiss Economic Institute has told a Sunday newspaper.

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A microbiome backup for our health

2022-03-15

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The microbial diversity that is crucial for our health is threatened worldwide by urbanisation. The project "The Microbiota Vault" aims to create a biobank for the whole world. The microbiome is part of our metabolic system and has a significant influence on human health. The gut microbiome is thought to have many important functions in addition to processing ingested food, including synthesising essential vitamins, fighting inflammation...

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Switzerland approves CHF80 million in emergency aid for Ukraine

2022-03-13

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2022-03-13

The Swiss government has boosted its humanitarian support to victims of the war in Ukraine. On Friday it approved CHF80 million ($86 million) as an “expression of its solidarity with Ukrainians in need”.

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Stay or go? Western consumer brands wrestle with Russian dilemma

2022-03-12

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2022-03-12

Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has led to an exodus of well-known western brands from Russia, but not every company has joined the rush.

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Swiss Post Office bounces back from pandemic difficulties

2022-03-11

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2022-03-11

The Swiss Post Office more than doubled profits to CHF457 million ($493 million) last year as it was less affected by pandemic restrictions.

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Switzerland listed as ‘unfriendly’ country by Russia

2022-03-10

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2022-03-10

Russia has drawn up a list of around 50 countries, including Switzerland, that have committed “unfriendly actions” against Russia, its companies and citizens, in the wake of severe economic sanctions over the war in Ukraine, the Russian state media agency TASS reports.

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A visit to the AI lab

2022-03-09

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Taking high-quality images with our smartphones, translating texts from one language to another in just a few seconds, streaming services that make suggestions for music and films – these are some of the many tasks that are performed by algorithms. It takes a lot of data and training for these algorithms to perform well, which in turn, require a lot of people and computing power. For the average user, it is often not easy to understand what...

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Swiss parliament paves way for genome editing

2022-03-09

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2022-03-09

The Swiss parliament has decided to ease restrictions on genetic engineering in agriculture, while extending in principle a moratorium for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) until 2025.

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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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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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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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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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