The United Nations has estimated that repairs to its European headquarters in Geneva will cost upwards of SFr618 million ($675 million). A technical study found that the Palais des Nations repairs were urgent as failings posed health and safety risks to delegates, staff, civil society and the tens of thousands […]
by Islah Bakhat in Fribourg, swissinfo.ch The narrow display hall of the Bible+Orient Museum is rich in treasures, some 15,000 unique pieces from the ancient Near East, valued at SFr8 million ($8.9 million). Often overlooked, the museum serves to recall the common roots between the three monotheistic religions and to […]
by Jean-Michel Berthoud, swissinfo.ch The Catholic Church in Switzerland dealt with apartheid “hesitantly” and allowed itself to be influenced by business interests, a church-commissioned study has found. Historians looked into the church’s approach to South Africa’s racial segregation regime between 1970 and 1990 and found “a cautious and rather hesitant […]
A dead pig and four pig heads were buried on the site of a future mosque in an anonymous anti-Islam attack, police said. The attackers sent anonymous letters to the media in the region near the mosque site in the town of Grenchen in canton Solothurn. In the letter they […]
By REUTERS ZURICH: Swatch Group SA will cut supplies of watch movements to competitors to force them to invest in their own production and choke off exports to Asia where they may be used to make fake Swiss products, its Chief Executive Nick Hayek said. His comments are the latest […]
By the grace of Allah I have been able to perform Hajj 3 times and Umra an additional 2 times. It was always a great experience, so great in fact that it is difficult to describe. But let me try … The last time I went for Hajj was 6 […]
by Marc-André Miserez, swissinfo.ch Before he became the king of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej lived an almost ordinary life as a student on Lake Geneva in western Switzerland. A new book, written in French by Swiss journalist and author Olivier Grivat, looks at the adolescence of a shy young man, who […]
Nearly half the Swiss population is in some way affected by alcohol problems, an addiction support group has said. Addiction Info Suisse is launching a new round-the-clock manned website to help alcoholics and their friends and family with questions and problems. The group hopes the website will help overcome the […]
by Etienne Strebel, swissinfo.ch The higher your self-esteem, the greater the chance of a successful relationship and improved work and health, according to scientists at Basel University. Does self-esteem increase success, are people with more of it more successful – or do the two reinforce each other? Ulrich Orth, professor […]
Imagine all the people sharing all the world. When Lennon wrote the lyrics in 1971, the world population was 3.8 billion. In the coming days it will hit seven billion. swissinfo.ch spoke to demographics expert Philippe Wanner about the rise and rise of the global population and asked whether we […]
Major Step Forward for Waste Dumping Ban More than 170 countries have agreed to fast-track the implementation of a ban on the export of hazardous and toxic waste to developing countries, thanks to an Indonesia Swiss initiative. The agreement on the early entry into force of the proposal, which is […]
by Isobel Leybold-Johnson, swissinfo.ch Swiss newspapers have been mulling the consequences of Sunday’s parliamentary polls for the cabinet election in December – and have not made up their minds. A less powerful rightwing Swiss People’s Party – which suffered a big loss – might actually make it more eligible for […]
BY COLIN FREEMAN, TELEGRAPH. A populist party is on course to trample over the politics of politiness in Sunday’s election, writes Colin Freeman in Zurich As his two-legged party comrades like to point out, Zottel the goat represents everything that is good about the hard Right in Switzerland. The official […]
In recent weeks, the ICRC has visited thousands of newly arrested people. It has evacuated almost 50 wounded patients from Sirte and delivered medical supplies to Bani Walid. ICRC experts are now providing the transitional authorities with advice on managing mass graves and human remains. “Since late August, we have […]
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has appointed Peter Maurer, secretary of state at the Swiss foreign ministry, as its new president. He will take over from July 2012 and replace Jakob Kellenberger who asked to retire after 12 years at the helm of the Swiss-run organisation, the […]
by CLARISSA ROHRBACH The Mahmud Mosque invites on the weekend Swiss of any belief to discover Islam at a lecture at the Zurich Volkshaus. Imam Sadaqat Ahmed explains why this enlightement is necessary. Tagblatt of the City of Zurich: Sadaqat Ahmed, what do you want to achieve with this function? […]
As politicians and diplomats strive for a return to normality in Libya, potential avenues for Swiss business are being sketched out. However, there is still a lot of work to be done before business with Libya can go back to how it was under Moammar Gaddafi’s rule or even expand. […]
By MD RASOOLDEEN | ARAB NEWS RIYADH: Shoura Council Chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh has said a key Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting will review its role in Arab and Islamic countries in maintaining peace and security in the region. The 125th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union will be held in the Swiss capital […]
A petition in support of illegal immigrants or “sans papiers”, which has gathered 20,000 signatures, has been handed in to the federal authorities. The group behind the move – the sans papiers movement – is demanding an end to Switzerland’s “hypocrisy” over the issue. The text calls for the regularisation […]
Switzerland has signed an accord with the Republic of Guinea aimed at improving the system of repatriation of asylum seekers. Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga and Guinean Foreign Minister Edouard Gnakoye Lama signed the accord, one of the few struck with an African country. The government said it was a “new […]