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 […]
Treaty that created modern Turkey still evokes pain for some, 100 years after signing
Lausanne, Switzerland Reuters The Treaty of Lausanne that formed modern Turkey is still cherished by some but remains a disappointment for others including Kurds and Armenians who hoped for autonomous regions and justice for Ottoman-era crimes. Some of those voices are included in an exhibit called Borders – put on by the Swiss city’s history museum […]
Robots say they won’t steal jobs, rebel against humans
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Robots presented at an AI forum said on Friday they expected to increase in number and help solve global problems, and would not steal humans’ jobs or rebel against us. But, in the world’s first human-robot press conference, they gave mixed responses on whether they should submit to stricter regulation. One of nine […]
UN recruits robots in strive to meet global development goals
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Dozens of robots, including several humanoid ones, will take centre stage at a conference organised by the UN technology agency in Switzerland this week to showcase their potential to help it reach a series of increasingly improbable global goals. Set in 2015, the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals aim to improve human life […]
Swiss court acquits police officers over Black man’s death, sparking anger
Lausanne, Switzerland Reuters A Swiss court on Thursday acquitted six white police officers of charges of negligent homicide in the death of a Black man who suffered a fatal heart attack after he was held down in the street during an arrest. The case has raised questions about structural racism in Switzerland and the prosecution […]
Swiss voters approve global minimum corporate tax, climate goals
Zurich, SwitzerlandReuters Voters in Switzerland on Sunday approved the introduction of a global minimum tax on businesses and a climate law that aims to cut fossil fuel use and reach zero emissions by 2050, public broadcaster SRF reported. The results showed almost 80 per cent of those who voted in Sunday’s national referendum backed raising […]
Italian court convicts Swiss billionaire in asbestos deaths
Rome, ItalyReuters An Italian court on Wednesday sentenced a Swiss billionaire to 12 years in jail after convicting him on charges of aggravated manslaughter related to the death of hundreds of people from exposure to asbestos. Judges in the city of Novara issued the verdict after more than seven hours of deliberations, according to multiple […]
Swiss court confirms historic war crimes ruling against Liberia warlord
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters A Swiss court on Thursday upheld a guilty verdict for war crimes in the case of a former Liberian rebel commander and convicted him of crimes against humanity in a landmark case. Alieu Kosiah, who fought in the 1990s against then-President Charles Taylor’s army, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June, […]
Switzerland evacuates village threatened by vast rockfall
Brienz, Switzerland Reuters Swiss authorities have ordered residents to abandon a tiny mountain village in the eastern canton of Graubunden because of fears it could soon be buried beneath a collapsing mountainside. A thick coat of fog covered the mountaintop overlooking the village of Brienz on Thursday, where vegetation has been replaced by a slope […]