Новости за 15.04.2024

Despite its protecting power mandate for the United States in Iran, Switzerland lacks influence to de-escalate tensions in the region. Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel on Saturday in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian embassy compound in Syria has raised tensions another notch in the Middle East. Iran claims it gave neighbouring countries Turkey, Jordan and Iraq, as well as the United States, 72 hours’ notice before launching the strikes. However, Washington... Читать дальше...

Switzerland emitted 41.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2022, 3.5 million tonnes less than in 2021. Greenhouse gas emissions from buildings in particular fell because less heating was required due to the warm winter and people increasingly switched to heat pumps. Overall, Swiss greenhouse gas emissions were 24% lower than in 1990, according to the Federal Office for the Environment’s (FOEN) annual greenhouse gas inventory, which will be submitted to the UN Climate Change Secretariat in April. Читать дальше...

The Swiss sports market shrank in 2023 after two strong years. Fewer hard goods such as skis and rucksacks were bought, as were textiles. However, more shoes were purchased than in the previous year. The Swiss sports market (excluding bicycles) recorded a decline in sales of 1.5% to CHF2.17 billion ($2.38 billion) in 2023, market research company GfK said on Monday. Sales of hard goods such as skis, helmets and fitness equipment dropped by 3% and textiles by 2%. The footwear segment performed best with an increase of 3%. Читать дальше...

No harmful organisms such as the quagga mussel should be introduced into Lucerne’s lakes. The cantonal government is tightening the provisions in the navigation ordinance with effect from May 1. Until now, a vignette was required for ships from another canton or abroad that wanted to enter Lake Lucerne. The state chancellery announced on Monday that these ships would now have to be cleaned. They would only receive a vignette if they had a corresponding receipt. The aim of the change is to prevent alien plants... Читать дальше...

Switzerland’s participation in the taskforce in connection with sanctions against Russia, a ban on extremist symbols and dozens of motions are the topics of the three-day special session of the House of Representatives, which begins on Monday. Special sessions are organised by the Federal Assembly when there is not enough time in the ordinary sessions to deal with their business. Special sessions can also be organised by only one chamber. Unlike the House of Representatives, the Senate does not have to sit in “detention”. Читать дальше...

The United States had contact with Iran through Swiss intermediaries both before and after Tehran’s mass drone and missile attack on Israeli territory, a senior Biden administration official said on Sunday. The official declined to provide details on the contact, saying only that the US and Iran had “a series of direct communications through the Swiss channel”. Asked about comments by Iran’s foreign minister that Tehran had given regional countries 72 hours’ notice of the attacks, the official said that was not true. Читать дальше...

A year ago Credit Suisse staff were stunned by the sudden demise of their bank. Many are now fighting for their careers with 3,000 Swiss posts set to be axed by their new employer UBS, starting this year. Speaking to Swiss public broadcaster, SRF, one Credit Suisse employee described the takeover by UBS as “surreal”. The staff member, who did not want to be identified, is now in survival mode. “When the going gets tough, you want to be the first to send off job applications – before the big clear-out comes,” he said. Читать дальше...