Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

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Swiss prepare for EU chill after quitting market access talks

2021-05-29

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2021-05-29

In Brussels there was shock and anger. In Switzerland, quiet celebration and relief — but, for some, doubts about what exactly comes next. On Wednesday, Bern announced it was formally withdrawing from negotiations to codify future relations with the EU into a single overarching “framework agreement” — a back-and-forth exchange that has dominated an increasingly fraught relationship with Brussels since 2014.

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Protest over academic collaboration with China

2021-05-25

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The Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) is one of three European institutions cooperating with a university in China with ties to the military. Not all ZHdK staff and students agree with the move. A petition has been organised by Verso, the ZHdK student organisation, which is calling for cooperation with the Chinese Harbin Institute of Technology to cease immediately. It has been signed by 531 students and members of staff. But a Swiss-China...

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Switzerland and WHO launch global pathogen BioHub

2021-05-25

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2021-05-25

Switzerland and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed to launch the first WHO BioHub Facility. This will enhance the rapid sharing of viruses and other pathogens between laboratories and partners globally.

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Public trust in Swiss banks soars amid pandemic 

2021-05-20

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2021-05-20

Swiss people’s trust in their country’s banks is at its highest in 20 years, boosted by Covid credits and a commitment to sustainability, according to a new survey. People from almost all political camps have a positive perception, with 75% describing their attitude towards Swiss banks as positive or very positive, found the survey conducted by gfs.bern for the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA).

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Eight Swiss in Bloomberg billionaire ‘rich list’ 

2021-05-19

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2021-05-19

In the latest version of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, eight Swiss or Swiss-resident names figure among the 500 richest people in the world. The richest of the Alpine-based billionaires is Geneva-based Ernesto Bertarelli, who according to his own self-description is a “Swiss entrepreneur active in the fields of business, finance, sport and philanthropy”.

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Napoleon Bonaparte’s impact on Switzerland

2021-05-17

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To mark the 200th anniversary of Napoleon's death, Swiss Public Television SRF takes a closer look at the changes he brought about in Switzerland, as he plowed his way across Europe with the French Imperial Army. --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos visit...

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Swiss Private Banks at Odds with Clients over ESG

2021-05-17

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2021-05-17

Switzerland used to be a place where the rich came with their money to escape the world’s problems, not to confront them. These days, the private banks that dot the pristine streets of Zurich and Geneva are no exception when it comes to the wave of enthusiasm that has broken over the asset management world for better environmental, social and governance standards.

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Swiss Life pays $77.4 million to placate US tax authorities

2021-05-16

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2021-05-16

Switzerland's largest insurance company Swiss Life has agreed to pay CHF70 million ($77.4 million) and enter a deferred prosecution agreement in the United States to resolve accusations it conspired to help wealthy Americans to avoid taxes.

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Overtourism could give way to Sustainable Travel

2021-05-13

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2021-05-13

Let me state from the outset, you won’t get a discount if you mention to your travel agent that you read this article when you book your trip to Switzerland this summer. But it will be nice to have you back; Switzerland – in line with much of Europe – is planning to open up to overseas visitors in a few short weeks. And since we haven’t seen you in a while, I expect you’ll be welcomed with open arms!

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Electric Car maker feels the power of Switzerland

2021-05-11

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2021-05-11

Anton “Toni” Piëch, co-founder of the Swiss electric car manufacturer Piëch Automotive, tells SWI swissinfo.ch why he chose Zurich and how he intends to make his mark in a highly competitive market with battery-powered cars for “purists who love technology”.

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Almost half of Swiss workers choose early retirement

2021-05-04

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2021-05-04

On Tuesday, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reported External linkthat in 2019 between 40-50% of people started receiving their pension from their so-called second pillar before the legal retirement age - 65 for men and 64 for women.

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What Switzerland and North Korea have in common

2021-05-03

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--- In both North Korea and Switzerland, the omnipresence of high mountains most probably affects the national psyche. An exhibition at the Alpine Museum in Bern investigates the similarities and differences between the two mountain nations, focusing not on politics but on people. swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on...

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Federer to auction clothes, rackets and other gear for charity

2021-05-01

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2021-05-01

Millions of Roger Federer fans around the world might be salivating at the prospect of owning some mementos of the Swiss great's incredible career after he announced he is auctioning off a collection of personal items this summer.

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Credit Suisse plots comeback after ‘costly mistakes’ took it to the brink

2021-04-29

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2021-04-29

As Credit Suisse executives finalised an emergency $1.9 billion (CHF1.75 billion) fundraising from investors last week, a group of the bank’s prized super-rich clients from across Europe and Asia were on a separate Zoom call hosted by law firm Boies Schiller Flexner to plot a class-action suit against the lender.

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Telecoms company Sunrise to axe 660 jobs

2021-04-28

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2021-04-28

Switzerland’s second biggest telecoms group, Sunrise UPC, says it will cut 600 jobs by the end of 2022, following UPC's CHF6.8 billion ($7.4 billion) takeover of Sunrise Communications last year.

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Main Swiss farmers’ group alarmed by proposed pesticide ban

2021-04-27

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2021-04-27

The director of the leading Swiss farmers’ organisation is deeply concerned about two initiatives to ban pesticide. Martin Rufer explains what voters’ approval would mean for Switzerland’s agriculture.

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Switzerland fears impact of minimum corporate tax rate

2021-04-27

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2021-04-27

Switzerland may have to find alternative ways to welcome foreign companies to Switzerland. Keystone / Peter Klaunzer This content was published on April 27, 2021 - 09:00 April 27, 2021 - 09:00 Matthew Allen When not covering fintech, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, banks and trade, swissinfo.ch's business correspondent can be found playing cricket on various grounds in Switzerland - including the frozen lake of St Moritz. ...

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Ex-roads ministry worker ‘paid CHF2,000 a month’ to rig emissions data

2021-04-26

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2021-04-26

A former employee at the Swiss Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) and two board members of a vehicle exporter have been charged with fraudulently manipulating data to avoid CO2 emissions sanctions.

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Swiss bank pays up to settle German tax evasion probe

2021-04-26

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2021-04-26

Switzerland’s Migros Bank has agreed to pay €2.4 million (CHF2.65 million) to clear up cross-border tax evasion issues with Germany. Migros is one of several Swiss banks that have shelled out a penalty to avoid prosecution in the neighbouring country. Other banks to have made such an arrangement in the past include UBS, Credit Suisse and Julius Bär.

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WEF set to return to Davos in 2022

2021-04-25

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2021-04-25

The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is set to take place in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos again next year. However, reasonable hotel rates are a prerequisite and the Covid-19 situation is also a decisive factor, according to organisers.

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