LAUSANNE Ten per cent of the earth’s CO2 emissions are emitted by industrial processes related to the creation of cement. The widely used construction material negatively impacts on the environment at all stages of its production. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation has now granted more than CHF 4 million to a project instigated […]
New anti-immigration initiative
Switzerland’s conservative UDC party, which launched the controversial initiative to curb mass European immigration last February, is contemplating a new one. In a statement, the party said it would seek to ensure the Federal Council “annuls the agreement with the EU on the free circulation of people” as required by its initiative. The UDC suspects […]
From Millennium to Sustainable Development Goals
GENEVA Given the world’s failure to eradicate poverty and hunger by 2015, governments and development specialists are seeking a new continuum with a greater emphasis on sustainability. According to a 23 May Geneva Environment Network roundtable, the new Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, should fully integrate environmental concerns since health, food security and other crucial […]
Promoting health & sex education in developing countries
Switzerland’s Federal Council has submitted a report emphasising the country’s commitment to promote health and sex education in developing countries. The report focuses on the importance of sexual and reproductive health for the future of global development. Prior to 1994 most programmes emphasized the need for governments to impose family planning measures and distribute free […]
Solar Impulse 2 test success
PAYERNE Bertrand Piccard’s and André Borschberg’s second solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse 2, successfully completed a two-hour maiden flight above La Broye on 2 June. This remarkable feat of engineering and ingenuity has captivated enthusiasts across the world — a suitable global acclaim considering the plane’s ability to reach far-off destinations without having to land. In […]
Lowest Swiss unemployment in 25 years
Bern With last month’s unemployment figures at 3% – the lowest in 25 years according to Bern’s Secretary of State for Economy (SECO) – Switzerland’s good economic prospects are proving increasingly attractive to foreign companies despite the gloom of the 9 February anti-mass immigration vote. Based on an Ernst & Young (which now calls itself […]
Quick guide to Switzerland’s unique form of democracy
This video from Swissinfo.ch is an engaging beginners guide to how Switzerland’s unusual bottom-up democracy works.
Plans to toughen drink laws in Vaud
A damper on a night on the town LAUSANNE Young people looking for a great nightlife are flocking in ever-greater numbers to Lausanne. Many come from Geneva where the bar scene is less lively and, above all, more expensive. Not everyone plans to get roaring drunk, but under peer pressure more are doing so. And […]
Referenda: “No fighters, but cheaper buses”
No fighters, but cheaper buses Switzerland’s functioning democratic system produced on 18 May an array of local and national decisions which shocked some, irritated others and rationally satisfied many, depending, of course, on which way you kicked. The majority federal vote (53.4%) rejecting the Swiss army’s proposal to purchase 22 Swedish-built multipurpose Gripen jet fighters […]
Blocher resigns from parliament
Billionaire politician Christoph Blocher, the driving force behind the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (UDC), has resigned from the House of Representatives, with effect from the end of May. Blocher has long been an outspoken critic of parliament and, indeed, of most Swiss political institutions. He is leaving to pursue other political goals. The 73-year-old former […]
