More than 11,000 candles — one for each Swiss victim of the coronavirus pandemic — lit up the December darkness outside the Swiss parliament in Bern.

"We want to create a space to remember and mourn the victims," Simon Gehren of the "Corona-Mahnwache" (corona vigil) movement told Reuters.

Around 40 volunteers helped light the candles arranged geometrically on the square that is Switzerland's political centre. The group organised a similar event last year.

Gehren said the vigil was also an appeal to the government to take firmer action to contain soaring infection numbers.

A woman lights one of more than 11,000 candles during a candlelight vigil in front of the seat of the Swiss federal parliament Bundeshaus in Bern, Switzerland, December 7. — Reuters
A woman lights one of more than 11,000 candles during a candlelight vigil in front of the seat of the Swiss federal parliament Bundeshaus in Bern, Switzerland, December 7. — Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...