Swiss president and others pay tribute to Pope Francis; Geneva Airport plans to introduce facial recognition technology; and more news in our Tuesday roundup.
‘His legacy will endure’: Swiss politicians pay tribute to Pope Francis
Tributes from political circles poured in honouring Pope Francis, who died on Monday in Rome.
Swiss president Karin Keller-Sutter called the Pope a “great spiritual leader, a tireless advocate for peace” on X (formerly Twitter), adding that “his legacy will endure.”
Among many other tributes, MP Laurent Wehrli praised the Pope for “never losing sight of the interests of ordinary people” and being “a beacon for hope for those in need.”
And another deputy, Martin Candinas, noted that the Pope “based his principles on charity and mercy, demonstrating a great closeness to the people until the end.”
READ ALSO: Pope Francis dies on Easter Monday aged 88
Geneva Airport plans to use facial recognition
This project is intended to improve passenger flow and enhance security.
“The passenger’s face would become their boarding pass,” said the airport’s technical director Massimo Gentile.
Specifically, when a passenger arrives at the airport, they will have a first point of contact at the check in. “From that point on, the biometric image can be used at all airport points where boarding pass or document recognition is required,” Gentile said, adding that “the data is very reliable — more so than human recognition. It can help increase security.”
Though the airport already has all the necessary equipment on stand-by, it has not yet been activated, and won’t be until the current Aviation Act is revised to allow the use of this technology, most likely toward the end of 2026.
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Switzerland’s housing shortage will get even worse, expert warns
According to real estate economist Andreas Loepfe, the already tight housing situation is expected get even worse as time goes by.
Insufficient land for new construction (which drives land prices upward), as well as rising construction costs, will exacerbate the shortage and, consequently, lead to higher rents.
“Rents will rise over the next ten years to an extent that most people cannot imagine today,” Loepfe said.
Another key contributing factor is the population growth, which will continue to increase in the coming years, driven mostly by higher immigration.
READ ALSO: How Switzerland’s population will change in the coming years
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Be kind to Mother Earth today….
In Switzerland, as elsewhere, April 22nd marks the Earth Day, the world’s largest environmental movement.
This year’s theme is ‘Our Power, Our Planet’, which calls for the commitment to “harness renewable energy to build a healthy, sustainable, equitable and prosperous future for us all.”
Various municipalities around the country, including schools and universities, will hold earth-related events for people of all ages.
Check your community’s calendar to find out what is planned for your area.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at news@thelocal.ch
