Dogon villages in Mali's Sahel region: Desertification and rising temperatures are making farming here increasingly more desperate. (Keystone) Swiss negotiators in Marrakech will strive to reach agreement on “robust and efficient” regulations for the Paris accord, the global treaty to combat climate change. But non-govemental organisations say more funding is needed for poor countries to fight global warming. The Paris Accord officially came into force on November 4 after it won the formal support of 55 nations representing at least 55% of greenhouse gas emissions. The deal, reached in the French capital one year ago, aims to slash greenhouse gas emissions by shifting away from fossil fuels to limit global warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times. That is the good news. The bad news was the aouncement from the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organization that carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere worldwide last year surpas

Swiss luxury clinics are doing a roaring trade, thanks to a growing number of rich patients from abroad seeking medical help, detox or cosmetic surgery. (RTS/swissinfo.ch/jh) Wealthy clients from Russia and Asia are notching up bills of up to CHF7,500 ($7,589) per night in some treatment centres. Even public institutions, such as Zurich University Hospital, are sending marketing managers to trade fairs in Russia to tap into the health tourism market. The clients are believed to be celebrities, leaders of companies or inteational organisations, govement officials and heads of state, attracted by Switzerland’s state-of-the-art clinics and hospitals. The clinics also provide translation services and organise first class accommodation for their patients. Secrecy surrounds the clinics and Swiss public television, RTS, was not permitted to film at La Prairie in Montreux, the Klinik Hirslanden in Zurich, and other treatment centres in Leukerbad and Genolier. The only place where cameras w

The ProClim report "Spotlight on Swiss Climate" was presented in Be in parallel with the kickoff of the global climate summit COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco on November 7. (Keystone) A new report by the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) highlights the economic and social opportunities that climate change adaptations can bring. The report’s main message is twofold: firstly, climate change is felt especially keenly by alpine ecosystems, where warming is double the global average. Secondly, immediate and coordinated action at the political, industrial, and societal levels is urgent, but doesn’t have to be a chore: many economic and social benefits can come from taking steps to mitigate and adapt to climate change, the authors say. Published by ProClim, SCNAT’s climate change forum, in collaboration with the Swiss environment ministry and the Advisory Body on Climate Change (OcCC), the 200-page report entitled “Spotlight on Swiss Climate - status and perspectives" was presented on Monda

Increased police presence at Zurich airport after the Brussels bombing in March (KEYSTONE/Eio Leanza) An increasing number of large and well-known Swiss companies are insuring themselves again terrorism: Swiss Federal Railways, major airports and even the Zurich Opera House. Switzerland itself, however, doesn’t have a govement solution for major damages. In the view of Switzerland’s intelligence service, the country is not a primary target of jihad terrorism because it is not taking part in the military battle against the Islamic State (IS). Nevertheless, the danger of terrorism has also increased here since the terror attacks on Paris, Nice and Brussels. Terrorism is not only a human disaster but a financial one as well: the September 11 terror attacks in the United States cost insurance companies $37 billion (CHF39 billion). Insurers consequently cancelled all agreements and refused to insure terrorism risks going forward. The state had to intervene, forcing insurers by l

The US electoral system may seem rather unique, but it actually has a lot in common with Switzerland’s brand of democracy. Here’s how they compare.

The report is presented by swissinfo.ch’s Susan Misicka. The original video was produced by Arthur Honegger and Jonas Bayona of the online news service of Swiss public television, SRF.

Photo essay Cédric von Niederhäuse “I do not know if the people of the United States would vote for superior men if they ran for office, but there can be no doubt that such men do not run.” Alexis de Tocqueville (1805 - 1859) “The mood is loaded, people are nervous, there’s something in the air.” Photographer Cédric von Niederhäuse spent the last year trying to capture America in an election year. Being Swiss helped open doors. First-hand encounters with people in small-town America, like a friendly National Rifle Association member at a shooting range, helped shape his understanding of polarisations within society. For von Niederhäuse, his Swiss nationality was a sign of neutrality and he was viewed as an “uninvolved observer”. After inteships at various Swiss outlets, von Niederhäuse applied to the Inteational Center for Photography in New York to study photojoualism. Interested in politics and society from an early age, it was na

Luca Zanetti in Pato Canyon in Peru, which separates the Cordillera Blanca mountain range from the Cordillera Negra range. This road is considered done of the most dangerous in the world (Luca Zanetti) What kind of Latin America road trip would Che Guevara go on if he were alive today? He may have ridden an electric bike. That’s what Swiss photographer Luca Zanetti and friends have done with their just completed ‘E-bike diaries’ adventure. The Swiss photographer swears he will never go on another adventure quite like it. The images are etched in his memory: smiling villagers, curious to see him riding by, the plains and the stuing mountains and roads that wind up and down the longest mountain range on the planet, as well as the smell of the rain-soaked soil and the sea breezes. "I was seen as a hero," said Zanetti, describing the welcome he received in towns and villages in the Andes, at 5,000 metres above sea level, after daily rides of up to 140 kilometres. But whenev

Hadzhi Toshko Yordanov: "We want more democracy and less corruption" (Slavi’s Show) Bulgarians will vote for the first time on three electoral initiatives on November 6. Years of collaboration with Switzerland helped pave the way for this democratic precedent. The hideous grey complex I enter in downtown Sofia was built in 1981 in honour of Lyudmila Zhivkova, daughter of Todor Zhivkov, a dictator who reigned over the country for 30 years. The ghosts of this communist dinosaur still loom today, particularly in the dark, never-ending corridors where I take shelter from the rainy autumn day outside. Suddenly a heavy wooden door opens and a short man with long, curly hair appears in the corridor. “Welcome to the Slavi show,” Hadzhi Toshko Yordanov says, inviting me into his office. “This is where we organised the biggest collection of signatures in the history of Bulgaria,” he adds grandly.The Slavi show is a Bulgarian take-off of American late night talk shows. Launched at t

Hands up who thinks creating bilingual schools outside canton Graubünden is a good way to keep Romansh alive (Keystone) Tough times for Romansh, Switzerland’s least-spoken national language. Not only is the Romansh chair at the University of Zurich under threat, but the official umbrella organisation complains that the language has been ignored by the national broadcaster. Just how serious is the situation – and what can be done? “Swiss language patriots up in arms – Romansh judged too expensive” was the headline in Zurich’s Tages-Anzeiger on September 9. The paper revealed that the federal technology institute ETH Zurich had decided to stop contributing money towards a Romansh chair at the University of Zurich. “A narrow-minded decision by a great institution which is betraying its own tradition on cultural issues regarding language,” Clà Riatsch, the professor who currently holds the 50% position, told swissinfo.ch. ETH Zurich has contributed CHF100,000 ($102,00

Thirty years after a fire caused a major chemical spill near Basel, many open questions remain. The Federal Office for the Environment is awaiting the final report before issuing new safety guidelines. In the early hours of November 1, 1986, a fire broke out at a warehouse belonging to chemicals company Sandoz at the Schweizerhalle industrial area just outside Basel. Around 1,351 toes of pesticides and agrochemicals went up in flames. The accident tued the River Rhine red, killed thousands of fish and sent acrid smoke over the city. It was one of Europe’s worst environmental disasters and it made headlines around the world. See in other languages: 4 Marcus Müller, head of canton Basel Country’s crisis squad, told Swiss public television SRF that both companies and communities are better prepared today. “We’ve got leadership bodies at the company, town and cantonal levels. They’re specially trained to deal with nuclear, biological and chemical emergencies.