Swiss climate policy shortcomings violated human rights, top court rules
Strasbourg, France Reuters Europe’s top human rights court ruled on Tuesday that the Swiss government had violated the human rights of its citizens by failing to do enough to combat climate change. The European Court of Human Rights’ (ECHR) decision on the case brought by more than 2,000 elderly Swiss women set a precedent that […]
Pope meets with child protection board as events outside Vatican show abuse scandal isn’t going away
Rome, Italy AP Pope Francis sought to encourage his child protection board on Thursday to continue helping victims, as new developments outside the Vatican underscored that the Catholic Church’s clergy sex abuse scandal isn’t going away anytime soon. Francis met with his Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which is expected to soon release the […]
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy urges West to keep up pressure on Russia
Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the West on Tuesday to tighten sanctions pressure on Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and to step up its support for Kyiv to ensure that Moscow did not succeed in its war. Western hesitation in its backing for Kyiv and fears of an escalation in the war with Russia were […]
Global elite gather against WEF’s most complex backdrop so far
New York City, USReuters US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French President Emmanuel Macron and key Middle East leaders are slated to attend next week’s World Economic Forum, putting talks to end wars in Gaza and Ukraine at the top of the agenda for the global elite. The 54th annual WEF gathering in the Swiss […]
Seven European countries pledge CO2-free power systems by 2035
Brussels, BelgiumReuters Seven countries including Germany, the Netherlands and France pledged on Monday to eliminate CO2-emitting power plants from their electricity systems by 2035. Taken together, the countries account for nearly half of EU power production – largely thanks to the contributions from Germany and France, Europe’s two biggest power producers. Steam rises from the […]
Outside UN in Geneva, empty chairs symbolise hostages taken by Hamas
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters Demonstrators set up more than 200 empty chairs and strollers outside the United Nations in Geneva on Thursday to draw attention to the plight of Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas and to call for their release. Israel says more than 1,400 people were killed and more than 220 hostage taken after Hamas […]
Swiss turn to right at election as immigration fears weigh
Zurich, SwitzerlandReuters Switzerland looked set to shift to the right in national elections on Sunday, as concerns about immigration trumped fears about climate change and melting glaciers, though the vote is unlikely to change the make-up of the Swiss government. The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), Switzerland’s biggest political party, increased its share of the […]
Swiss glaciers lose 10 per cent of volume in worst two years on record
Zurich, Switzerland Reuters Switzerland’s glaciers suffered their second worst melt rate this year after record 2022 losses, shrinking their overall volume by 10 per cent in the last two years, monitoring body GLAMOS said on Thursday. The one-two punch for Swiss glaciers during the country’s third hottest summer on record means they lost as much […]
Vatican orders investigation into Catholic clerics linked to abuse, Swiss Bishops’ Conference says
Berlin, Germany AP The Vatican has ordered an investigation into high-ranking Catholic clerics in Switzerland in connection with sexual abuse, the Swiss Bishops’ Conference said on Sunday. The group said in a statement that there were allegations against several active and retired bishops as well as other clergy for their handling of abuse cases. Specifically, […]
Plastic levels in Swiss-French lake as high as world’s oceans
Founex, SwitzerlandReuters Lake Geneva, nestled at the foot of the Alps, has long been considered as a near-pristine body of water, but new research has found that its plastic pollution levels are as high as those in the oceans. Oceaneye, a Geneva-based non-profit that has for more than a decade been scouring the seas to […]