Новости за 08.04.2024

The Swiss Ornithological Institute (SOI), that is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, has come up with a Swiss bird list for those wishing to add some feathered wonders to their Swiss wish list. In early April of 1924, a group of bird lovers gathered to inaugurate the observation hut on the southern shore of Lake Sempach in central Switzerland. Alfred Schifferli was the visionary behind the SOI and became its first director. The coordination of bird ringing was one of the bird SOI’s initial main tasks. Читать дальше...

In a much-anticipated ruling, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg will decide on Tuesday whether Swiss authorities are responsible for not implementing efficient climate change policies and violating the right to life of a group of elderly women in Switzerland. The verdict could set a precedent and have worldwide repercussions. The 100 or so members of the Swiss association “Senior Women for Climate Protection”, which filed the suit against the Swiss government, have all travelled to Strasbourg for the ruling. Читать дальше...

Patting a player on the back can help increase the chances of scoring in basketball, according to research by the University of Basel. Swiss scientists found that female basketball players were more likely to score a free throw if their teammates gave them a friendly tap on the shoulder or squeeze of the hand beforehand. Do you want to read our weekly top stories? Subscribe here. "Our results speak in favour of the power of touch," wrote the researchers led by Christiane Büttner in the study published... Читать дальше...

Residential buildings in Swiss cities should be made one or two storeys taller wherever possible to create more living space, according to the centre-right Radical-Liberal party. Do you want to read our weekly top stories? Subscribe here. There is hardly any free space left in cities for building developments, Raphael Karlen, a board member of Radical-Liberal Urban, which was founded six years ago, told reporters in Bern on Monday. The solution to creating more living space in cities and preserving... Читать дальше...

A train loaded with around 70 French army vehicles has crossed Switzerland destined for the “Strategic Reserve Force” that will support the European Union military mission (EUFOR ALTHEA) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Do you want to read our weekly top stories? Subscribe here. France is responsible for equipping the Strategic Reserve Force (SRF) with personnel and equipment during the first half of 2024. This consists of a motorised infantry battalion. If necessary, it can be deployed to support the EU mission (EUFOR ALTHEA)... Читать дальше...

After a record year in 2023, the Swiss hotel industry is enjoying a positive early start to the year, mainly thanks to large numbers of foreign visitors. Do you want to read our weekly top stories? Subscribe here. The total number of overnight stays rose by 3.8% to 3.4 million in February compared to the same month last year, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reported on Monday. In January, the number of overnight stays had already risen by 2.2% to 3.1 million. More international guests Guests... Читать дальше...

Despite last month’s nationwide vote that rejected the idea of raising the Swiss retirement age, the Swiss Employers' Association is keen to increase the retirement age to 66. This would have to take place in small steps, according to the association’s president, Severin Moser. Do you want to read our weekly top stories? Subscribe here. Initially, the retirement age would be increased by half a year, and later by another half year, Moser said in an interview with the news group CH Media, published on Monday. Читать дальше...

Researchers from Zurich have discovered fossils of a previously unknown species of squid in Ticino - and given them a Swiss-German moniker. The fossils had been stored in a cabinet at the University of Zurich (UZH) for several decades. It was only when the collection was re-examined that the significance of the cephalopod species was recognised. "At first, we thought about naming the species after a colleague," Christian Klug from the university’s Palaeontological Institute told the Keystone-SDA news agency. Читать дальше...

The head of strategy of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party’s youth wing, Sarah Regez, has denied any past knowledge of the Austrian far-right activist Martin Sellner. The Austrian, who holds hardline views on migration, has been barred from the UK, the US and Germany. Do you want to read our weekly top stories? Subscribe here. In an interview with the German-language paper Sonntagszeitung on Sunday, Regez said that she had been an active member of a group that was critical of the government's anti-Covid... Читать дальше...

Swiss cities like Bern and Zurich are pledging to reinforce the integration of migrants. They are part of a growing number of cities worldwide that want to become a more welcoming space for foreigners, as a recent conference in Geneva shows. More than half of the global population lives in cities. That proportion is only set to grow, according to the United Nations, which also reports that 70% of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) seek refuge in cities. Most labour migrants also try their luck in urban areas. Читать дальше...