Geneva University and its partners have completed a two-week expedition – Terra Submersa – to explore Greece’s underwater past and the prehistoric landscapes in the Gulf of Nauplio. Operating from the MS Tûranor Planet Solar, the world’s largest solar catamaran, archeologists mapped the sea floor and uncovered Paleolithic and Neolithic remains dating back 36,000 years.
Lausanne launches integration fund
With 42% of its population coming from 160 countries and carrying a passport other than Swiss, promoting integration is a key objective for Lausanne. The city announced that it is launching an integration fund of CHF 100,000 to give associations and not-for-profit groups the means to run projects that prevent racism and promote social cohesion. […]
Five franc fakes
Recent reports that counterfeit 5 franc coins are in circulation has caused consternation among traders and the general public according to a report in GHI, the Geneva newspaper. The standard of counterfeiting is very high and casual users may easily be caught out. The report claims that traders and citizens are reluctant to use or […]
University of Geneva alumnus wins Fields prize
The Fields Medal, officially known as International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians aged under 40 by the International Mathematical Union. It has been awarded every four years since 1950. It is often viewed as the greatest honour a mathematician can receive and has often […]
Pleasant shock for your wallet
Many Lausanne residents will have received a pleasant surprise with their latest electricity bill – a deduction of CHF 80 for every person, including children, in the household. This is in fact an annual subsidy from the commune to partly offset the cost of living in the city. It was introduced at the beginning of […]
REGA requests investigation into Schumacher files
ZURICH Amid allegations by the French newspaper Dauphiné Liberé that REGA, the Swiss air rescue service, may be involved in the mis-appropriation of the medical files belonging to German Formula One racing driver Michael Schumacher, the Zurich-based non-profit has filed charges against ‘unknown’ persons and requested an official investigation. According to REGA spokesperson Sasha Hardegger, […]
Drones for relief
LAUSANNE Medair, a Swiss aid agency, is using innovative technology to help refugees. Ever since international relief agencies began becoming more involved with helping refugees and other crisis victims worldwide at the end of the 1970s, much of their response has been focused primarily on traditional food, shelter and medical aid. More recently, however, some […]
Tougher Swiss customs allowances – don’t get caught!
Swiss Customs has introduced new regulations for personal importation of food and other goods. This is vaguely good news for true carnivores and pet owners, but bad news for lovers of delicatessen. Whereas a person used to be able to bring 500 grams of fresh meat or fish and 3.5 kilos of other meat products […]
Swiss lead among small arms exporters
According to the latest worldwide Small Arms Survey, Switzerland ranks sixth among exporting countries, following the US, Germany, Austria, Italy and Brazil. The annual survey by Geneva’s Graduate Institute of International Studies said Swiss exports amounted to USD 191 million (CHF 172 million) compared to the US lead of USD 917 million. Survey authors said […]
First all-boys boarding school since 1970 to open in Gstaad next year
Switzerland is known for its boarding schools and now the first all-boys boarding school since 1970 will open in Gstaad next year. The Surval Gstaad school aims to educate international students from ages 13 to 19. It will open with just 25 students, with yearly fees expected to be around CHF 90,000. Headmaster and former […]