Category Archive: 3) Swiss Markets and News

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Public Eye issues criminal complaint against Glencore

Swiss NGO Public Eye has filed a criminal complaint with the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland against the activities of Swiss commodities giant Glencore in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Office of the Attorney Generalexternal link on Tuesday confirmed receipt of the complaint but said further details were currently not possible, according to the Swiss News Agency.

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Scaring off wild boar in their own language

Forget guns or traps, a researcher in Switzerland has been using terrifying sounds to try and scare wild boar away from crops. It’s hoped that the “scary stories”might help farmers, who suffer from destroyed fields and harvests thanks to the animals. The number of wild boar in Switzerland has been increasing for years. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) — swissinfo.ch is …

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Life without a mobile phone

It might be hard for some of us to believe, but there are people who choose to live without a mobile phone. Do you find yourself looking at an app to check the weather, rather than looking out of the window? This is just one example of a reliance on mobile technology that started to … Continue reading »

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How much more you need to earn in Switzerland to breakeven

Recently published international price comparison numbers show just how expensive life is in Switzerland. The price of a standard basket of items, including food, clothing, accommodation, healthcare, transport, education and other regular expenses, was far higher in Switzerland than in the rest of Europe.

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Veterinary office lifts quarantine for Swiss chicken farm

A poultry farm in southern Switzerland has been given a clean bill of health following a recent outbreak of the virulent Newcastle virus that resulted in thousands of chickens being put down. Veterinarians in canton Ticino confirmed that the farm is no longer infected and that all remaining animals are now free of the disease.

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Helvetia chairman resigns amid ongoing FINMA probe

The chairman of the Swiss insurance company Helvetia, Pierin Vincenz, has resigned. The Swiss financial regulator, FINMA, is currently investigating his activities during his time in charge of the Raiffeisen bank. In a statementexternal link released on Monday, Helvetia said Vincenz had stepped down with immediate effect.

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Reindeer? No, postmen on skis!

The Swiss Post may soon be using drones to deliver Christmas packages in isolated areas, but 60 years ago, postmen used a good old analogue method: skis. Modern postmen have more to fear from aggressive dogs than sporting injuries. But last century, postmen in mountain areas of Switzerland risked breaking their necks to get the Christmas …

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Lawsuit seeks freezing of Tezos Foundation assets

A fourth Tezos lawsuit filed in the United States has called on Californian courts to freeze an estimated $1 billion (CHF990 million) of investor assets sitting in a Swiss-based foundation. Law firm Block & Leviton argues that the recent departure of a Tezos Foundation director and the apparent replacement of the entity’s auditor gives weight to its demand for funds, derived from an initial public offering (ICO) in July, to be frozen.

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Swiss tourism – sharp rises and falls from some countries over the summer

The number of visitors to Switzerland rose 6% this summer, but this headline figure hides some steep rises and falls. From May to October 2017, 11 million people holidayed in Switzerland, 644,000 more than the over same period in 2016.

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Jura farmers turn their hand to spirulina production

A Swiss family business has branched out into the cultivation of spirulina, an aquatic microalgae that has become a much sought-after food supplement. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) — 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 …

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Switzerland should not act alone against tax havens

Switzerland must not go to war on its own against offshore tax havens in the wake of the Panama Papers scandal, the lower chamber of parliament has agreed. It prefers concerted action with other countries and wants to see the results of existing measures. The House of Representatives on Thursday rejected two motions and two parliamentary questions, supported by the leftwing Social Democrats and Greens, which had called for financial transactions...

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Viva l’Italia!

Tama Vakeesan was born in Switzerland to Tamil parents from Sri Lanka. This week Tama talks to her Italian friends about what it’s like for them living in Zurich, and Italian cultural taboos. For instance, you should never cut your spaghetti or drink a cappuccino in the afternoon! (SRF Kulturplatz/swissinfo.ch) — swissinfo.ch is the international branch …

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Christoph Schenk, Zürcher Kantonalbank

Christophn Schenk über die Zinsentwicklung in der Schweiz.

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China tops export destination ranking for Swiss SMEs

A study commissioned by Switzerland Global Enterprise (SGE) indicates that China is the most attractive export destination for Swiss small and medium enterprises (SMEs). A total of 107 countries were evaluated using a set of 15 criteria that included market size, market potential, export volume and average market growth in recent years.

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Private Equity Pulse Insight

The 3 reasons why 40% of M&A deals fail and whether this will rise and fall. For more info: http://bit.ly/2z40Xgp

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Switzerland Is Well-Prepared For Civilizational Collapse

More than any other country, Switzerland’s ethos is centered around preparing for civilizational collapse. All around Switzerland, for example, one can find thousands of water fountains fed by natural springs. Zurich is famous for its 1200 fountains, some of them quite beautiful and ornate, but it’s the multiple small, simple fountains in every Swiss village that really tell the story. Elegant, yes, but if and when central water systems are...

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Ansgar Gmür, Direktor Hauseigentümerverband Schweiz

Ansgar Gmür sagt im Interview mit cash, wie es um den Immobilienmarkt Schweiz steht.

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UBS chairman warns of ‘bitcoin bubble’

Axel Weber, the board chairman of big bank UBS, has warned of a possible Bitcoin currency crash. With increasing numbers of small investors jumping on the cryptocurrency bandwagon, it is time for regulators to intervene, he says. Bitcoin has surged from $1,000 (CHF9,900) at the start of the year to above $16,000.

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Poverty risk high for Swiss pensioners despite high spending

A recent OECD study, which looks at retirement, shows the relatively large amount spent on pensioners in Switzerland. Switzerland consumes 11% of its GDP on retirees, compared to 9% across OECD nations. Despite this high spending, the risk of poverty is higher in Switzerland than across the OECD. According to the organisation, 19% of those over 64 in Switzerland are at risk of poverty, compared to an OECD average of 13%.

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Swiss train rides: punctual and beautiful

Trains, train, trains: Diccon Bewes packs his bag and heads off for a day out on Swiss public transport. Along the way he manages to hop on board almost every type of moving vehicle that Switzerland has to offer. It turns out it’s not the beautiful views that take his breath away, but the intricate train … Continue reading...

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