On 23 August 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first Covid-19 vaccine. The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has now been approved for use in individuals 16 and older. Previously, the vaccine was available under emergency use authorisation, a status which remains for use on those aged 12 to 15. “The FDA’s approval of […]
Almost all Swiss now out of Afghanistan
By 24 August 2021, all those working for the Swiss government and their close family members had either successfully left Afghanistan or made it to a secure part of the airport in Kabul, according to RTS. 15 Swiss citizens now remain in the country in addition to those at the airport. A total of 292 […]
SWISS makes Covid vaccination mandatory for all flight staff
On 24 August 2021, the airline SWISS announced it is making Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for its entire flying personnel from 15 November onwards. The airline explained the requirement was being introduced for operational reasons and as a duty of care towards its employees. The action is in response to national entry restrictions worldwide. Rules requiring […]
Swiss women rank top globally for hypertension in 2019
A recently published study funded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on rates of high blood pressure ranks Switzerland’s women top, with the lowest rate of hypertension among the 200 nations studied. The study estimates that 17% of Switzerland’s women suffer from hypertension. The top 10 nations for women include Peru (18%), Canada (20%), Taiwan […]
Researcher in Switzerland warns of potential Covid super variant
Sai Reddy, a researcher and immunologist at ETH Zurich, has warned of the potential emergence of a new super variant of the coronavirus that could occur if features of existing variants combined, reported RTS. Reddy, who works at the biosystems science and engineering department of ETH Zurich in Basel, told the SonntagsBlick newspaper that it […]
Covid: Geneva minister wants unvaccinated to pay for hospital
On 20 August 2021, Mauro Poggia, Geneva’s health minister, recommended unvaccinated people cover part of their own hospitalisation costs and lost earnings compensation should they end up in hospital or be unable to work after catching the virus, reported 20 Minutes. Solidarity towards the unvaccinated has its limits, said Poggia, while pointing out that 90% […]
Majority of Swiss support gay marriage ahead of vote
Ahead of a vote aimed at stopping a legal amendments to allow gay marriage in Switzerland, a survey suggests a majority of Swiss voters favour the changes. According to a survey by Tamedia, 64% of the population said they plan to vote in favour of accepting the government’s amendment to Switzerland’s civil code allowing same-sex […]
Covid: younger people ending up in hospital in increasing numbers
On 24 August 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) announced that 97 Covid-19 patient admissions were reported in Switzerland over the last 24 hours. Over the last 7 days a total of 325 Covid-19 admissions have been reported. The number of hospital admissions is currently far below the peaks of the first and […]
Switzerland moves closer to paying second 1 billion to EU
After Switzerland ended talks with the EU on an institutional framework agreement aimed at replacing the country’s current patchwork of agreements with the bloc in May 2021, some in government have been focused on how to keep the EU on side. One obvious way to curry favour is to make the second 1 billion EU […]
The West’s abandonment of Afghanistan: a story of arrogance, ineptitude, and little understanding
By Edward Girardet The collapse of Afghanistan has been a disaster in the making for two decades and even longer. America’s shared responsibility for this country’s ongoing war stretches back to the summer of 1979 when the Central Intelligence Agency first began militarily supporting the anti-communist guerrillas, some of whom later became the Taliban. Even […]
