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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Global billionaire club gets bigger and richer

2017-10-29

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2017-10-29

The total wealth of the world’s 1,542 billionaires - including 35 in Switzerland - grew 17% to $6 trillion (CHF5.93 trillion) last year, led by a surge in Asia’s emerging billionaire class and growth in the materials, industrials, financial and technology sectors.

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Swiss tax spy ‘acted out of patriotism’

2017-10-29

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2017-10-29

A Swiss man accused of spying on the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia’s (NRW) tax authority has confessed and named names. In a Frankfurt court on Thursday, the 54-year-old man, identified only as Daniel M., explained via his defence team that he had not acted with criminal intent. Rather his motivation was “patriotism, a desire for adventure, a pursuit of profit, and outrage”.

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Switzerland drops in international pension ranking

2017-10-28

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2017-10-28

The Swiss pension system has ranked eighth in an annual international study looking at the sustainability and efficiency of retirement schemes. This represents a drop of four places in the past two years, largely driven by sustainability issues.The Global Pension Indexexternal link, published by consulting group Mercer, ranks 30 countries according to a methodology based on adequacy (the design of the system), sustainability (breadth of coverage,...

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Trans people no longer considered mentally ill

2017-10-28

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As of 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) list of psychological disorders will no longer include trans people. This adjustment also reflects a changed attitude in society. The Swiss news programme ’10vor10′ met Stefanie Hetjens, who talks about her life as a trans woman. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) — swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). …

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Most young Swiss keep informed online

2017-10-27

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2017-10-27

Social media is becoming increasingly dominant in the Swiss media industry, controlling not only consumer habits but also the advertising market. In addition, television is dying. These are the findings of the latest “Yearbook Quality of the Media” by the University of Zurich. They are strong, they are dominant, they have money – and they are located outside the Swiss sphere of influence: the internet giants or “tech intermediaries”.

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What it takes to start a Swiss business

2017-10-27

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Their mum started it all by using caffeine to fight wrinkles. Then Tom and Amy Derrington came up with the idea of recycling coffee beans to make a body scrub. The British siblings, who live in Bern, explain how they went about launching their brand in Switzerland. (Veronica DeVore, Julie Hunt, swissinfo.ch)  After mixing their first …

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Music lovers shun orchestra’s new digs

2017-10-27

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The home of the world-class Tonhalle orchestra in Zurich is being renovated, so the musicians have been forced into exile, making some classical music lovers see red. (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 …

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Calatrava: pushing architecture to the limit

2017-10-27

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For over 30 years, Santiago Calatrava has been designing buildings in his office in Zurich which are writing architectural history. The Spanish-Swiss architect is now planning the world’s tallest building: an observation tower in Dubai – and is pushing the limits of what is technically possible. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) The Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava lives between New York …

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Doing the math to solve renewable energy problem

2017-10-27

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Gabriela Hug aims to make a significant contribution to the energy revolution by taking a mathematical approach.  The 38-year-old associate professor at the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich could make a substantial contribution to the shift to renewable energy.  The challenge is to overcome the discontinuity of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, which vary …

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Visiting the federal parliament building in Bern

2017-10-27

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Tama Vakeesan was born in Switzerland to Tamil parents from Sri Lanka. This week she visits the Swiss federal parliament building in the capital, Bern, and meets up with politicians with migrant backgrounds, including Corrado Pardini and Sibel Arslan. They explain why it’s important to them not to forget their roots. (SRF Kulturplatz/swissinfo.ch)  — swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the …

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Börsen-Talk vom 27. Oktober 2017

2017-10-27

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Alfred Herbert ist für den Schweizer Aktienmarkt sehr optimistisch. Störmanöver erwartet der cash-Guru nur von der Politik. Derweil rät er allerdings, den gestärkten chinesischen Machthaber im Auge zu behalten.

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Switzerland ranks highly in youth employment survey

2017-10-26

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2017-10-26

Switzerland has the second-best labour market for young Europeans behind Denmark, according to a ranking of over 30 countries. Denmark came top, followed by Switzerland, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands in the latest KOF Youth Labour Market Indexexternal link, which analysed the year 2015. The ranking is produced annually by the Economic Institute (KOF) at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ).

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Think twice, before buying that castle…

2017-10-26

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Living in a castle or even a fort might seem like a dream come true, but the reality can make that dream extremely expensive. Nouvo brings you short videos about Switzerland, Swiss current affairs and the wider world. Keep up to date and watch the videos wherever you are, whenever you like. — swissinfo.ch is … Continue...

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A Look Inside The Secret Swiss Bunker Where The Ultra Rich Hide Their Bitcoins

2017-10-25

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2017-10-25

Xapo Vault
Somewhere in the mountains near Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne lies a hidden underground vault containing a vast fortune. It’s no ordinary vault, according to Quartz. Built inside a decommissioned Swiss military bunker dug into a granite mountain, it’s precise location is a closely guarded secret, and access is limited by myriad security precautions.

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Stephan Karpischek, Geschäftsführer und Mitgründer von Etherisc

2017-10-25

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Blockchain nimmt nicht nur Banken ins Visier, sondern auch die Versicherer. An vorderster Front dabei ist das Start-up Etherisc. cash sprach mit CEO Stephan Karpischek über neue und günstige Versicherungslösungen.

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Stories making the Swiss Sunday papers

2017-10-23

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2017-10-23

Scepticism of Sion’s Winter Olympics bid, the cost of travelling around the country and Switzerland’s addiction to sugar – here are some of the leading stories making Swiss newspapers on Sunday. The bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics has seriously underestimated the cost of security for the event, according to some observers.

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One billion franc Swiss winter Olympic bid sparks backlash

2017-10-22

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2017-10-22

Mountain
On Wednesday, Switzerland’s Federal Council said it would stand behind the country’s winter Olympic bid to the tune of nearly one billion francs, according to newspaper 20 Minutes. The town of Sion, in Valais, is throwing its Olympic hat into the ring as the centerpiece for the 2026 winter games. Other cantons would also host certain events. In autumn 2019, a choice will be made between Sion, and other possible contenders, including Innsbruck...

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End of tax-free online shopping delayed by a year

2017-10-22

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2017-10-22

Online-shopping
Last year Switzerland’s government announced plans to change the rules on charging VAT on imported goods. Currently, most things ordered abroad and sent through the post to Switzerland that attract VAT of less than CHF 5, are waived through customs free of charge.

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Swiss government announces TV tax cut ahead of vote to eliminate it

2017-10-21

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2017-10-21

Swiss TV License
On Wednesday, the Federal Council said it will cut Switzerland’s TV-Radio tax from CHF 451 to CHF 365 annually from 2019. According to Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard, the cut is made possible by cost savings from simplifying the system and an increase in the numbers who will pay it – everyone will soon pay, not just those with a receiving device.

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Government against allowing foreign inter-city bus operators

2017-10-20

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2017-10-20

The Swiss cabinet is not in favour of liberalising the Swiss transport market by allowing foreign coach firms to offer inter-city services within Switzerland. In a report released on Thursday, the seven-member body said it is not keen on going beyond the current legal framework, as it deems the quality of existing international transport options in Switzerland as satisfactory.

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