Dozens of people gathered last week at Geneva’s Impact Hub to celebrate the launch of one of Switzerland’s newest non-profit organizations: Cause Direct, an online platform that serves to connect certified NGOs worldwide with interested funders and investors. The concept behind the site isn’t a novelty. Thousands of people around the globe use websites such […]
UDC seeks to block Islamic Centre
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (UDC) of Fribourg is gathering signatures for a referendum to oppose an Islamic studies center at the University of Fribourg. The move comes at a time when reaching out to Muslim communities seems more important than ever. That is certainly the opinion of Antonio Loprieno of the University of Basel, […]
The Human Brain Project: a very expensive headache
On Reflection is an occasional column contributed by a reader. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily shared or supported in any way by Le News. By now, most of us have heard of the Human Brain Project, whose aim is to simulate the complete human brain using supercomputers. The […]
Editorial comment: Can you be a good Swiss?
In an article highlighted last week by SwissInfo, a Swiss government-funded information service, a new survey on what is a Swiss has been issued by a group of artists, historians and sociologists fifty years after a controversially censored ‘Gulliver’ questionnaire was carried out during the Swiss National Exhibition in Lausanne in 1964. Basically, the landmark […]
UDC open to immigration compromise
Christophe Blocher, vice-president of Switzerland’s right-wing UDC party, has indicated that he is prepared to compromise on the controversial 9 February, 2014, referendum that demands quotas on mass immigration from Europe. In an interview last Sunday with the German-language SonntagsZeitung, the Zurich politician said that he was open to exploring more subtle approaches, such as […]
Lady Godiva pub in Geneva in dispute against Godiva Chocolate
The Lady Godiva pub in the centre of Geneva is being challenged over the use of its name by Turkish-owned Belgian chocolate brand, Godiva. The chocolate company claims the pub is trading off its name and brand and has delivered a 90 day ultimatum to the pub owner to stop using the name and associated […]
Geneva wins prestigious energy award
For the second time running, Geneva has won the Gold European Energy Award (EEA) for its visionary energy policies. Considered the most prestigious distinction of its kind for European cities and issued every four years, the award recognizes Geneva’s performance with a top rating of 82% of renewable energy initiatives compared to 77% in 2010, […]
Who is speaking out for Swiss Muslims?
If Swiss Muslims are not speaking out with a single voice to condemn the brutalities of ISIS, it may be because there is no single voice that speaks for all of Islam. The majority of Swiss Muslims come from Balkan countries such as Kosovo, Bosnia and Macedonia, and practise Sufism, a moderate form of Sunni […]
Rural-urban construction: need for broader vision
As part of the 28 September referendum, the half-cantons of Basel Town (BS) and Basel Country (BL) voted whether to join forces as part of a larger – and more manageable – Greater Basel. While city voted for, the countryside voted against, but they did agree to develop more cooperation with each other. This is […]
French out to tax Basel Airport
Unlike Geneva airport, which is located entirely on Swiss soil but still operates a French side, Switzerland’s third major airport – Basel-Mulhouse EuroAirport – is on French territory, but run by the Swiss. Paris now wants to run the show by taxing all revenue, plus imposing its own rights on both French employees and companies. […]
