A week after a steamboat on Lake Lucerne was recognised as a “treasure of European film culture”, we take a scenic cinematic tour of films in which Switzerland’s natural beauty and landmarks have played an unforgettable role. On Wednesday the Film Commission Lucerne & Central Switzerland announced that the 118-year-old Belle Époque paddle steamer Schiller would be the first location in Switzerland to be recognised as a Treasure of European Film Culture by the European Film Academy. Scenes from La Chimera... Читать дальше...
Switzerland should do away with “restrictive” animal testing. On Monday, five organisations submitted a petition in Bern with over 40,000 signatures in favour of "pain-free animal" scientific research. According to a press release, Switzerland should become a model for innovative, effective, and pain-free scientific research. The animal protection organisations, Animalfree Research, la Ligue suisse contre la vivisection, Associazione svizzera per l'abolizione della vivisezione, Tier im Recht and... Читать дальше...
Two petitions signed by around 45,000 people are calling on the Federal Council and parliament to secure funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The non-governmental organisation Amnesty International Switzerland submitted the petitions in Bern on Monday with a campaign entitled "Humanitarian Switzerland, where are you?". + Switzerland to analyse UNRWA report before funding decision The petitions call on Switzerland to "reflect on its humanitarian tradition... Читать дальше...
At the end of January 2024, 6,881 men and women were behind bars in Switzerland. This is 7% more than a year ago. The occupancy rate has risen to its highest level in ten years. The number of prisoners is comparable to that before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some 64% of prisoners were serving sentences or other disciplinary measures, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Monday. Another 30% were in pre-trial detention or preventive detention and 6% were detained for other reasons. Читать дальше...
The number of cases of child abuse recorded in Swiss paediatric clinics rose to 2,097 in 2023, an all-time high. This significant increase (+13% from 2022) is mainly due to improved recording. Cases of psychological abuse resulting from a child witnessing domestic violence are now reported in detail, the child protection group Swiss Paediatrics reported on Monday on the basis of a report from the country's 19 paediatric clinics. This type of case increased by 64%, to 185. This particular type of... Читать дальше...
According to the Swiss Trade Union Federation (SGB), income policy in Switzerland is heading in the wrong direction. While top salaries continue to rise, low and middle salaries are stagnating in real terms, according to a report published on Monday. After paying taxes and rent, people on middle and low incomes have less to live on today than in 2016, the SGB complains. A "lost decade" is looming for lower and middle real wages, according to the report, which analysed the distribution of wages, assets, and tax burdens in Switzerland. Читать дальше...
Recently, there have been multiple arrests in Germany linked to suspected espionage for China. Similarly, a case has gained attention in Switzerland: a former hotel manager in Meiringen, a municipality in the canton of Bern adjacent to a military airfield, is under suspicion of espionage for China. Ralph Weber, a Professor of European Global Studies at the University of Basel and an expert on China, sheds light on how the Chinese leadership gathers information within our borders in an interview with Swiss public television, SRF. Читать дальше...
The storm that hit La Chaux-de-Fonds in canton Neuchâtel on July 24, 2023 caused more damage to buildings than previously thought. The insurance company for cantonal buildings estimates the damage at CHF117.15 million ($128.5 million). The original estimate was between CHF70 and 90 million. A total of 2,989 claims were reported, according to the insurance company. Including the damage in the town of Le Locle, 3,300 buildings were affected, some of which were completely destroyed. On average, the damage amounted to around CHF40,000. Читать дальше...
People in Switzerland spent CHF2.17 billion ($2.38 billion) on sporting goods last year. This was 1.5% less than in the previous year, according to Swisspo, the specialist agency for sporting goods in Switzerland. Online retail grew by 1% and accounted for 28% of sales, as Swisspo reported on Monday. In 2019 - before the Covid-19 pandemic – the share of online sales in retail was significantly lower at 16%. The running (up 0.3%) and leisure sports (up 1%) segments recorded the highest year-on-year growth in 2023, according to the press release.
The International Committee of the Red Cross will not replace the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). "We already have enough to do without trying to replace other organisations," said ICRC Director Pierre Krähenbühl. "We have completely different mandates. The UNRWA receives its mandate from the UN General Assembly, the ICRC from the Geneva Conventions," Krähenbühl said in an interview with Le Temps published on Monday. "The ICRC will therefore not take over the UNRWA's mandate." + What are the allegations against UNRWA? Читать дальше...
Zurich Airport expects a long-term annual rise in passenger numbers of 2%. Its director, Lukas Brosi, explains how rising demand can be met without necessarily increasing flights and without compromising on the objective of carbon neutrality. Brosi, CEO of Flughafen Zürich AG, must have had a few nervous moments this winter. On March 3, citizens of canton Zurich went to the polls to decide on extending two runways at his airport. As it turned out, 61.7% of voters were in favour. Flughafen Zürich is not a typical company. Читать дальше...
