Switzerland today

Population check,1MDB trial, cockroach drones, vertical turbines and Eurovision odds

Dear Swiss Abroad,

do you feel Switzerland is getting too crowded? An initiative is being submitted today to limit the country’s population to not more than 10 million up to 2050. It is not calling for a one-child policy like China did in the past but wants to put the brakes on immigration once the population reaches the 9.5 million mark.

KEYSTONE/© KEYSTONE / ANTHONY ANEX

In the news: Population check, 1MDB trial and Eurovision odds

The Swiss People’s Party has handed in signaturesExternal link in support of its initiative to limit the Swiss population to 10 million until 2050. It is calling for a new article on “sustainable population development” to be added to the constitution. This would ensure that immigration is severely curtailed once the number of Swiss residents crossed the 9.5 million mark. Measures recommended include freezing permanent residence permits, rejecting family reunification requests, and even suspending the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons with the European Union.

Two Swiss dual nationals are on trial in Switzerland for their part in embezzling money from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1MDBExternal link. It is almost a decade since the fraud was discovered with  about seven billion dollars passing through Swiss accounts.

Switzerland’s chances of winning the Eurovision song contest got a big boost. According to bookmakersExternal link, singer Nemo is leading the betting odds with a 20% chance of winning. If Switzerland does winExternal link, it will be the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SWI’s parent company) that will have to organise it.

The drone is streamlined and made up of low-friction material, like a cockroach. WSL

Science highlights: Vertical wind turbines and cockroach drones

Swiss researchers at EPFL have used machine learning to improve the efficiency of vertical wind turbines by 200%External link. These turbines are more silent and bird-friendly than conventional turbines but have not been widely adopted as they are not as efficient.

Another problem solved by Swiss researchers is developing a drone that can collect DNA samples from remote forests without getting stuck in the canopy. Inspired by the humble cockroachExternal link, the drone can feel its way around obstacles like tree branches.

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