Earlier this month, Swiss President Didier Burkhalter joined 11 foreign ministers around the world in a joint declaration in favour of abolishing the death penalty. “The death penalty is incompatible with human rights,” the Swiss government said in a statement last week. While Switzerland abolished the death penalty from its federal criminal law in 1942, […]
Federer masters China
Swiss tennis player Roger Federer (33) won his first Shanghai Masters title in China on 12 October, with a straight set of victories over 29-year-old French player Gilles Simon. Federer, a 17-time Gland Slam winner, won the game after Simon hit a forehand into the net, giving him a 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-2) victory. “To […]
Apple’s game-changer: iPad Air2 for a cheaper connection
It’s either good news for consumers as the mobile networks’ throttlehold is broken, or bad news if consumers’ choice of network operators is restricted. Apple announced this week that its new iPad Air will contain a “soft sim” which allows the user to choose their preferred mobile operator based on service and price, and indeed […]
Cause Direct: Not your average crowd-funding site
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 […]
The Salt of the Earth; Gone Girl
THE SALT OF THE EARTH **** Wim Wenders has a definite knack with documentaries. He brings them to life with both charm and intelligence, like his inimitable classic, The Buena Vista Social Club. Here, he retraces the steps of the renowned Brazilian photojournalist, Sebastiao Salgado, who has witnessed all forms of international conflicts and isolated […]
Montreux Art: Uncovering artistic talent
Montreux Art Gallery, now in its tenth year, is a contemporary art fair with a juried selection of more than 150 exhibitors. The fair takes place in the Montreux Convention Centre, situated in the heart of Montreux. “We chose the right place,” says Jean-François Gailloud, director of MAG. “The Centre des Congrès is a very […]
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, […]
D. I. Y. Why can’t I?
I come from a long line of handymen and handywomen, and so does my husband. There is absolutely nothing these people can’t do: they bake, garden and make jam; they build bookshelves, dig French drains and put in their own swimming pools; they sew, embroider, knit, make jewellery, do their own tiling and house painting […]
A global fund for reporting: Who should pay?
At last week’s Women’s Forum in Deauville, many participants said they wanted the private sector, governments and society-at-large to respond more effectively – fewer words, more action – to global humanitarian and development concerns. Whether clamping down on female genital mutilation or the need for companies to assume more socially responsible roles, there were at […]
The ICRC – Doing the impossible
Earlier this month, Laurent DuPasquier, a 38-year-old Swiss national, was killed when a cluster bomb landed near the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Ukranian town of Donetsk. DuPasquier had been working for the Geneva-based humanitarian organization for more than five years in Pakistan, Yemen, Haiti, Egypt and Papua New Guinea. For […]