Latest news with #MarleenKaesebier
Hindustan Times
01-07-2025
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Swiss village's loss in rockslide puts focus on Alpine disaster readiness in Kandersteg
* Swiss village's loss in rockslide puts focus on Alpine disaster readiness in Kandersteg Kandersteg boosts preparedness as rockslide threats rise * Several systems track climate impact on Alpine permafrost * Blatten losses show need for effective disaster management By Marleen Kaesebier, Cecile Mantovani KANDERSTEG, Switzerland, - In the Swiss Alpine resort of Kandersteg, officials have been closely monitoring a deteriorating mountain peak that towers above its picturesque homes and hotels, after a glacier collapse and massive rockslide buried a neighbouring village weeks ago. The destruction late in May of Blatten, a village of around 300 people in the Loetschental valley, threw into sharp relief concern about the impact of melting permafrost as temperatures trend higher on Alpine mountain ranges. Blatten was evacuated before a chunk of a glacier broke off, triggering a dangerous cascade of ice, earth and rock towards the village, in a manner similar to what Kandersteg has been preparing for. "Of course, Blatten really upset us," said Kandersteg's mayor Rene Maeder. "It really gets under your skin. You're speechless when you see those images of the violence of nature." Still, Maeder was confident Kandersteg's dams and daily monitoring prepared it well to avert disaster, with researchers checking the mountain via GPS, radar and drone. There has been a heightened threat of rockslides in Kandersteg since 2018, when paragliders noted that Spitzer Stein, a distinctive rocky peak crowning a lush Alpine landscape, was losing height and that bits had broken off it. That discovery made the village a testing ground for technology that monitors what some experts believe is the likely impact of climate change on the Alps, where thawing permafrost has weakened rock structures that were long frozen solid. Seismic activity and geological instability are also risks for the region's mountains. THAWING PERMAFROST Kandersteg was a prime example of an area with historical structural instability that could be aggravated by many factors, including permafrost, said Robert Kenner at the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Davos. "What calmed down for about 3,000 years is now reactivated," he said. Sensors monitoring GPS locations on the Spitzer Stein showed the mountain shifting by up to 70 centimetres a day, Maeder said. In the event of major rock movement, residents should receive warnings at least 48 hours in advance. Blatten was evacuated 10 days before the deluge, which caused insurance losses of 320 million Swiss francs , an initial estimate by the Swiss insurance association showed. There are about 48 Swiss Alpine peaks of at least 4,000 meters in height, and several hundred at least 3,000 meters high. In 2017, a landslide killed eight hikers in the southern village of Bondo, despite prior evacuations. Monitoring there has since been ramped up. 'TIP OF THE ICEBERG' Kandersteg, with a population of about 1,400, has spent over 11 million Swiss francs on disaster preparedness, including dams to slow flooding, Mayor Maeder said. Residents, who get regular updates on the mountain's movements via email and WhatsApp, have faith in the technology. "We still sleep well," said Patrick Jost, head of Kandersteg's tourism office, whose home is one of the most exposed to a potential Spitzer Stein collapse. He lives with his two children in the red zone, the village's most high-risk area, where no new construction is allowed. Despite the shock of Blatten, life is largely unchanged, including vital tourism, locals say. Kandersteg will perform its first ever full evacuation drill next year, Maeder said, observing: "Blatten and Kandersteg, that's just the tip of the iceberg." Residents like 77-year-old Rudi Schorer know they will have to move fast in an emergency, and have set aside identification details, spare clothes and a few belongings. "These are ready in a suitcase at home," Schorer said. "That's what we were advised to do, and that's what we did." This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
German landlord Aroundtown looks to convert offices into data centres
By Marleen Kaesebier (Reuters) -Aroundtown, one of the largest German-listed landlords, is planning to convert office spaces into data centres as demand for them grows in Europe, the group said on Wednesday after announcing it had tripled its first-quarter profit. Aroundtown has been facing higher vacancy rates in its office spaces, the biggest segment of its portfolio, since the COVID-19 pandemic led to a shift to remote work. It has already been converting some of its less sought-after office rentals into serviced apartments, most of which are expected to enter operation in 2026. Timothy Wright, Aroundtown's Head of Investor Relations, said the Luxembourg-based company was in the early stages of obtaining regulatory approvals for data centre conversions and it hoped to team up with more specialised companies. Potential tenants could be companies active in businesses ranging from cloud computing to autonomous driving, he said. "In five years time, let's hope we have some data centres in our portfolio," Wright said in an interview. "It's a different asset class for us ... We need to build up the IT know-how for the setup." The main challenges for data centre conversions in Germany include municipal regulatory permit approvals and obtaining confirmation from power providers that required energy needs can be met, he said. "It takes a few years until we can get to, let's say, crystalising the gains," Wright said. So far Aroundtown has received one regulatory permit to convert an office space into a data centre in Frankfurt, though it has not yet received the go-ahead for its electricity usage. Upon obtaining the required approvals, Aroundtown could either sell the properties for quick cash or undertake the conversions itself, Wright said. Data centre tenants typically have their own specific requirements, he added, so Aroundtown would aim to ensure they are already leasing the properties before the construction to convert them begins. "You can build a data center and go to Amazon, and they're like, 'Yeah, actually, this is not really what we need,'" he said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
German landlord Aroundtown looks to convert offices into data centres
By Marleen Kaesebier (Reuters) -Aroundtown, one of the largest German-listed landlords, is planning to convert office spaces into data centres as demand for them grows in Europe, the group said on Wednesday after announcing it had tripled its first-quarter profit. Aroundtown has been facing higher vacancy rates in its office spaces, the biggest segment of its portfolio, since the COVID-19 pandemic led to a shift to remote work. It has already been converting some of its less sought-after office rentals into serviced apartments, most of which are expected to enter operation in 2026. Timothy Wright, Aroundtown's Head of Investor Relations, said the Luxembourg-based company was in the early stages of obtaining regulatory approvals for data centre conversions and it hoped to team up with more specialised companies. Potential tenants could be companies active in businesses ranging from cloud computing to autonomous driving, he said. "In five years time, let's hope we have some data centres in our portfolio," Wright said in an interview. "It's a different asset class for us ... We need to build up the IT know-how for the setup." The main challenges for data centre conversions in Germany include municipal regulatory permit approvals and obtaining confirmation from power providers that required energy needs can be met, he said. "It takes a few years until we can get to, let's say, crystalising the gains," Wright said. So far Aroundtown has received one regulatory permit to convert an office space into a data centre in Frankfurt, though it has not yet received the go-ahead for its electricity usage. Upon obtaining the required approvals, Aroundtown could either sell the properties for quick cash or undertake the conversions itself, Wright said. Data centre tenants typically have their own specific requirements, he added, so Aroundtown would aim to ensure they are already leasing the properties before the construction to convert them begins. "You can build a data center and go to Amazon, and they're like, 'Yeah, actually, this is not really what we need,'" he said. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Star
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Deutsche Telekom raises guidance after slightly beating Q1 core profit expectations
(Reuters) -Deutsche Telekom reported a first-quarter core profit slightly above analyst expectations on Thursday and marginally lifted its full-year guidance. The Germany-based telecoms group reported first-quarter adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation after leases (EBITDA AL) of 11.3 billion euros ($12.65 billion), compared with the 11.11 billion euros expected by analysts in a company provided poll. The group raised its guidance for 2025 for the same metric to around 45 billion euros, from 44.9 billion euros. It also expects free cash flow after leases of around 20 billion euros, from 19.9 billion euros expected before. ($1 = 0.8933 euros) (Reporting by Marleen Kaesebier and Maria Rugamer; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Temenos catching up on deals delayed by Trump tariffs uncertainty, CFO says
By Marleen Kaesebier (Reuters) -Swiss banking software company Temenos had some deals delayed last month because of U.S. President Donald Trump's April 2 tariff announcement, but they were coming through now and the group's U.S. growth plans were on track, its finance chief said on Wednesday. Temenos shares fell more than 4% after it reported after market close on Tuesday lower than expected first quarter revenues, saying some deals were delayed because of economic uncertainty. "There were some uncertainties, some banks were more cautious ahead of the, call it 'liberation day', but the majority went ahead and said, 'We're not affected directly'," Chief Financial Officer Takis Spiliopoulos told Reuters, referring to Trump's tariff announcement. "None of these deals got lost or anything," Spiliopoulos, who was speaking before Wednesday's market open, said. "Basically the deal is almost done, but the last mile was pushed into early April, mid-April." He said some of those deals have already been signed and more were expected this week. In November, Temenos detailed its plans of increasing its focus on the U.S. market, planning to boost its sales force to increase growth over the next four years, and Spilliopoulos said the group remained committed to that plan. "It's a long-term massive opportunity for us to conquer the U.S. market," Spiliopoulos said "You can't call yourself a global leader if you don't make it in the U.S." Serving more than 950 core banking and over 600 digital banking clients, Temenos, which offers a banking platform to financial services providers, reported sales of over $1 billion in 2024, with 27% generated in the Americas. ($1 = 0.8233 Swiss francs) Sign in to access your portfolio
