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The Swiss government wants to increase Switzerland’s involvement in the building of the world’s largest-ever radio telescope.

Switzerland will start issuing forgery-proof “Covid-19 certificates” next Monday.

By Tom Allard JAKARTA (Reuters) - COVID-19 is many times more prevalent in Indonesia than shown by official figures in the worlds fourth most populous country, authors of two new studies told Reuters. The country of 270 million has recorded 1.83 million positive cases, but epidemiologists have long believed the true scale of the spread has been obscured by a lack of testing and contact tracing. The results of Indonesias first major seroprevalence studies - which test for antibodies - were reveal...

Swiss scientists have developed a biodegradable battery that can be thrown into the compost after use. The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) used a 3D printer to produce the battery made from carbon, cellulose, glycerin and table salt. Researchers combined all the ingredients into a gelatinous ink that was discharged from the printer into four layers that form the battery. The prototype can store enough energy to run a digital clock for several hours, said EM...

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) announced on Monday that it will require major banks and insurance companies to report transparently on climate-related financial risks in the future. Separately, a study ranking Swiss banks’ sustainability efforts highlighted room for improvement. Going forward, FINMA expects financial institutions to evaluate significant climate-related financial risks and the impact on their strategy, business model and financial planning. They must a...

By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) -The World Health Organization, at the heart of the worlds slow and stuttering handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, faces a potential shake-up aimed at preventing future outbreaks from destroying lives and livelihoods. Health ministers agreed on Monday to study recommendations for ambitious reforms made by independent experts to strengthen the capacity of both the U.N. agency and countries to contain new pathogens. Under the resolution submitted by the Europea...

Study sees untapped solar and wind energy potential in the Alps Wind turbines have already been installed in some parts of the Jura Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott Installing wind turbines and solar panels in Alpine regions is the most effective way for Switzerland to become carbon neutral and energy self-sufficient, a study has concluded. This content was published on May 28, 2021 - 10:54 May 28, 2021 - 10:54 EPFL/SWI swissinfo.ch/ilj The “optimal scenario” suggests adding new capacity in ...

Swiss unis fear for research after EU deal breakdown A researcher at work at a laboratory at the Eawag institute © Keystone / Gaetan Bally Swiss universities say that the government’s decision to drop the institutional agreement on relations with the European Union puts Switzerland’s top research position at risk. This content was published on May 27, 2021 - 16:31 May 27, 2021 - 16:31 Isobel Leybold-Johnson Isobel trained as a journalist in Great Britain and speaks all three Swiss natio...

By Andrea Januta (Reuters) - Wooded areas up and down the U.S. East Coast are breaking into a deafening buzz. After 17 years spent alone underground, billions of red-eyed cicadas are emerging for their final act: to meet a partner, breed and die. Upon emerging, the insects blanket the trees and ground -- with the males filling the air with buzzing and whistling to attract females. But that sound also brings tourists and scientists to study this rare event. With air temperatures and surface soils...

By Manas Mishra MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian doctors on Wednesday decried the free distribution of an unproven remedy to COVID-19 patients by the state of Haryana as the maker of the herbal medicine faced a backlash over comments in which he said modern medicine had caused deaths. The northern state, which is ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party, said this week it would hand out Coronil to COVID-19 patients. The ayurvedic medicine was launched by yoga guru Baba Ramdevs comp...