Новости за 21.06.2018

Pope Francis has visited the Swiss city of Geneva – a centre of Protestantism – on a whirlwind one-day tour to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and to promote Christian unity.  The pope flew into Geneva – historically known as the “Protestant Rome” for its links to John Calvin – on a hot Thursday morning for a packed schedule that began with a meeting at the airport with Swiss government officials.  After a 20-minute tête-à-tête, Alain Berset, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year... Читать дальше...

The potential impact of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology on the financial system needs more clarity before the Swiss central bank would consider issuing a digital franc, says board director Thomas Moser. Moser’s comments on Thursday reflected the previously stated stance taken by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) towards an e-franc version of bitcoin. But Moser went further at the Crypto Valley blockchain conference in Zug, likening blockchain in its present form to the “useless innovation” of compact discs (CDs). Читать дальше...

Cryptocurrencies and the blockchain technology they run on are currently far too primitive for the Swiss central bank to consider issuing a digital franc, says board director Thomas Moser.  Moser’s comments on Thursday reflected the previously stated stance taken by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) towards an e-franc version of bitcoin. But Moser went further at the Crypto Valley blockchain conference in Zug, likening blockchain in its present form to the “useless innovation” of compact discs (CDs). Читать дальше...

Cryptocurrencies and the blockchain technology they run on are currently far too primitive for the Swiss central bank to consider issuing a digital franc, says board director Thomas Moser.  Moser’s comments on Thursday reflected the previously stated stance taken by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) towards an e-franc version of bitcoin. But Moser went further at the Crypto Valley blockchain conference in Zug, likening blockchain in its present form to the “useless innovation” of compact discs (CDs). Читать дальше...

Having navigated nearly 2,000km (1,250 miles) of motorways and through city traffic, Beat Studer and his trusty tractor rumbled into Kaliningrad on Thursday having completed an epic World Cup journey to watch the Swiss football team take on Serbia.  Shining brightly under a midday sun, the 1964 vintage crimson tractor pulled into a Kaliningrad Stadium car park having reached the finish line of a 12-day odyssey that began just outside Lucerne and will culminate, Studer hopes, on Friday with a Swiss victory in the Group E showdown. Читать дальше...

Pope Francis was the focus of attention in Geneva on Thursday. Here are some colourful moments taken during the day, from his arrival at Geneva Airport, to an ecumenical prayer session at the World Council of Churches and mass at the Palexpo. (All images Keystone)

Swiss-based financial entities – for example the Swiss National Bank, pension schemes and foundations – should stop investing in companies that produce war materiel. This is the demand of a people’s initiative, signed by almost 130,000 people, which was handed into the Federal Chancellery on Thursday.  A total of 104,902 had been confirmed as valid, said the Group for a Switzerland Without an Army (GSoA), the Young Green Party and the Association for a Ban on Arms Dealing. People’s initiatives must... Читать дальше...

Are the Swiss ready to take the bull by the horns over the issue of…well, horned cows?

Swiss President Alain Berset says Switzerland and the pope share common values. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)

The gap between the top-paid and least-paid employees of the 39 largest companies in Switzerland remains high, despite a 2013 vote against excessive executive pay. According to Switzerland's largest trade union, Unia, in 2017 the average ratio between top and bottom in these companies was 1:143. The chief executive of Switzerland’s leading bank UBS took home the highest salary, CHF14.2 million ($14.2 million). The bank has the widest gap between the highest and lowest earner (1:273), according to the Unia ranking published on Thursday. Читать дальше...

Sepp Blatter, the suspended former president of world football’s governing body FIFA, has met Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, defying FIFA’s wish for him to attract little attention.  Blatter says he went to see the Russian president after watching Portugal’s 1-0 win over Morocco in Moscow on Wednesday – wearing the laminate fan ID card required for all people attending World Cup games in Russia.  “We had small talks,” the 82-year-old Swiss said on Thursday. “We spoke about football and the good start of the competition... Читать дальше...

The Swiss government has presented proposals aimed at promoting public service online media as part of a larger reform of the broadcasting law. Online media play an increasingly important role in a digitalised world, beside traditional radio and television or print sources, Communications Minister Doris Leuthard told a news conference on Thursday. Under the proposals, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), the parent company of swissinfo.ch, would continue to be a key provider of news, culture... Читать дальше...

Pope Francis has warned worshippers about the risks of unbridled consumerism. (World Council of Churches, swissinfo.ch)

Pope Francis has warned worshippers about the risks of unbridled consumerism. (World Council of Churches, swissinfo.ch)

If cryptoassets are ever to fill the gaping hole left by the now-defunct Swiss banking secrecy system, then look no further than the ultra-discreet exchange platform ShapeShift, which has quietly operated out of Zug’s Crypto Valley for the last three years. ShapeShift offers services to anyone with a hankering to convert their bitcoin into ether, litecoin or a host of other cryptotokens. No annoying ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) paperwork. No awkward questions asked. In that respect ShapeShift resembles an old-school Swiss private bank. Читать дальше...

Pope Francis arrived in the Swiss city of Geneva on Thursday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). Swiss government officials including Alain Berset, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, welcomed him at the airport.  The previous papal visit to Switzerland was in 2004, when Pope John Paul II came to Bern and Geneva not long before he died. + How much does the papal visit to Switzerland cost? Pope Francis headed to the WCC headquarters in... Читать дальше...

Aerial, Bikram, Yin, Baby, Dog, Goat, Tantrum, Karaoke, Ganja and even Beer yoga: Are faddish yoga trends harming the integrity of the discipline?  “Yogic practice should be performed in a calm and quiet atmosphere with a relaxed body and mind,” states guidelines issued by the Indian ministry in charge of yoga (AYUSH).  However, the atmosphere at the Suburb Yoga studio in Zurich is anything but calm and quiet. It is 7pm on a Friday and instead of headbanging in a nightclub, 11 women and two men are tuning into the latest craze in the city... Читать дальше...