Новости за 16.04.2024

The ‘Pfuusbus’, an emergency shelter for homeless people, was busier last year than ever before. The Pfarrer Sieber charity has said this is likely due to a change in drug use, an overburdened psychiatric system, and the housing shortage. The Pfuusbus emergency sleeping centre, an initiative by Pfarrer Sieber, is open to people aged 20 and over who have no place to sleep. Night patrollers seek out people on the street and show them the way to the Pfuusbus, which offers support with their living situation, pastoral issues, and social enquiries. Читать дальше...

With the hunger crisis in Africa not only affecting Sudan, but also neighbouring Ethiopia, the United Nations (UN) wants to support 15.5 million people there this year. However, there is a lack of funds. At a donor conference in Geneva on Tuesday, the UN campaigned for the funding of a requirement plan. Less than 5% of the $3.24 billion (CHF2.96 billion) needed for this year has been raised so far, the UN emergency aid office OCHA reported. The UN hoped that governments at the conference would raise... Читать дальше...

The first races of the ‘Patrouille des Glaciers’ in Valais have been cancelled due to weather conditions which organisers said would endanger the safety of runners and staff. The first races were planned for Tuesday and Wednesday from Zermatt and Arolla to Verbier. Conditions and the latest forecasts for Tuesday evening, Wednesday and Thursday, as well as the opinions of experts, led to the cancellation of races Z1 and A1, event organisers announced in a press release on Monday evening. A worsening... Читать дальше...

Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has said estimates banking giant UBS will need a further $15 billion to $25 billion (CHF13.7 billion to CHF23 billion) in capital as part of government proposals are accurate. “It's true, the figures are plausible,” Keller-Sutter told the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper on Monday. Last week, the government presented its report on the reform of banking regulation and recommended, among other things, stricter capital requirements for the country's largest bank to strengthen the sector. Читать дальше...

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is resuming flights to and from Tel Aviv as of Tuesday. Following a thorough analysis of the situation, it has been concluded that safe operations can be ensured, the airline said on Tuesday. It also said the situation was being closely monitored and should the situation change, the flight schedule will be adjusted accordingly, with the safety of crew and passengers the top priority. +SWISS flights to skirt Iranian airspace Flights to Beirut, which were also suspended last week... Читать дальше...

As Switzerland steps up its efforts to address looted art in public collections, Nikola Doll is set to play a central coordinating role. This month she starts work as the culture ministry official responsible for looted art in Switzerland. When the reclusive Cornelius Gurlitt bequeathed his problematic art collection to the Kunstmuseum Bern, the Swiss capital's museum of fine art, ten years ago, it created a new impetus in Swiss policy on Nazi-looted art that is still building. Nikola Doll has been... Читать дальше...

Swiss economics minister Guy Parmelin signed the Artemis Accords at NASA's headquarters in the US capital of Washington on Monday. As a result, Switzerland has agreed to promote the peaceful exploration of outer space with the US and 35 other signatories. Bill Nelson, administrator of the US space agency NASA, described the signing as a “a giant leap forward in the partnership” between Switzerland and the US. Former NASA astronauts have not only travelled with outstanding Swiss experiments, said Nelson... Читать дальше...

Last year, the Swiss Climate Foundation granted CHF2.4 million ($2.63 million) to 17 innovation projects, a funding increase of around half a million francs to the same number of projects, compared to 2022. Support for seven projects from previous years was cut short in 2023, according to the Swiss Climate Foundation's annual report, published on Tuesday. The report said that this happens when the path of a company that has applied for funding does not lead to the hoped-for success, or if it is not... Читать дальше...

From November, the Universities of Zurich and Geneva will experiment with new forms of democracy through a ‘Citizen Council 2025’ project. The aim is to investigate what such a council can contribute to the debate and solving of social challenges. The University of Zurich (UZH), the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the Centre for Democracy Studies in Aarau (ZDA) announced on Tuesday that Switzerland was facing urgent and sometimes deadlocked political challenges. A press release said that a national... Читать дальше...

The world is marking 30 years since the Rwandan genocide. Inside Geneva talks to those who witnessed it. “We came to one village where there were a few survivors and a man came to me with a list and said ‘look, the names have been crossed out one by one, entire families, they were killing everybody from those families,’” says Christopher Stokes, from Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). Charles Petrie, former United Nations (UN) humanitarian coordinator, recalls: “She thought there... Читать дальше...

Inflation is nearly under control but some manufacturers are down in the dumps – these are the sector-by-sector highlights of the Swiss economy for the first three months of 2024. 1) Inflation slows but growth remains sluggish Experts at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) are still forecasting weak growth for 2024, with gross domestic product expected to rise by 1.1%. “Until recently, the world economy presented a very mixed picture,” SECO wrote in mid-March. Sign up for our weekly... Читать дальше...