Новости за 24.04.2024

The Alpine nation is under pressure from the European Union (EU) to accommodate international train operators but it’s not competition that’s a problem. Switzerland and the EU are getting ready to restart talks over bilateral relations after the Alpine nation walked away from the negotiating table in 2021. Both parties are working on repackaging the many bilateral agreements between them into a more streamlined deal. Among the negotiations taking place is updating the existing overland transport agreement. Читать дальше...

The Swiss government has sent proposals to parliament to strengthen security in asylum centres. The move follows revelations about cases of violence in these centres. In spring 2021, several media and NGOs reported a disproportionate use of force in asylum centers. Former federal judge Niklaus Oberholzer was then charged with leading an investigation. + UN calls for improvements at Swiss asylum centres His report did not demonstrate any systematic use of violence, recalls the Federal Council in a press release. Читать дальше...

Swiss International Air Lines cancelled flights from Zurich to Paris and Nice on Thursday because of an air traffic controller strike in France. Swiss International Air Lines cancelled flights from Zurich to Paris and Nice on Thursday because of an air traffic controller strike in France. Geneva, on the other hand, is served by SWISS without any restrictions, while Basel is not a SWISS destination anyway. Of the eight cancellations from Zurich and back from France, around 900 passengers are affected... Читать дальше...

The director of the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), Nicoletta della Valle, is stepping down on January 31, 2025. The Federal Council approved the 62-year-old's resignation on Wednesday. A successor will be decided later. Della Valle has been heading Fedpol for almost ten years. It was very important to her to turn the Federal Office into a police force, as the Federal Council wrote in a statement. In the fight against terrorist threats and organised crime, it relied heavily on intensive cooperation with Swiss and foreign partner authorities.

UBS Chair Colm Kelleher said that the Swiss government’s proposal to require the bank to hold substantially more capital is the “wrong remedy” to the failings that brought down Credit Suisse over a year ago. “We are seriously concerned about some of the discussions related to additional capital requirements,” Kelleher said at the bank’s annual general meeting in Basel, Switzerland, on Wednesday. “It is imperative that our regulatory policies ensure a level playing field. In other words, Switzerland’s... Читать дальше...

The Swiss government plans to issue CHF56.2 million ($61.4 million) in loans for humanitarian aid projects in the Middle East as it delays a decision on whether to unfreeze its contribution to the UN Palestinian relief organisation UNRWA. The proposed loan has been submitted to the parliamentary foreign policy commissions for consultation. + Can the UNRWA report restore confidence? In December, the government said it wanted to disburse humanitarian aid funding in the Middle East in tranches and after consultations. Читать дальше...

New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion will be awarded the prestigious Pardo d'Onore Manor for outstanding cinematic achievements at the Locarno Film Festival’s 77th edition in August. Campion won the Palme d'Or in Cannes for her film The Piano (1993). At the time, she was the first woman to receive this award. She was nominated twice for Oscars as Best Director and received the trophy in 2022 for The Power of the Dog. Campion was also the first female director from New Zealand to compete at the Venice Film Festival... Читать дальше...

UBS boss Sergio Ermotti already sees “a lot of progress” in the integration of Credit Suisse into UBS. However, significant restructuring measures and optimisations are still needed before the bank can fully exploit the advantages of the merger. The integration is “a marathon, not a sprint” emphasised Ermotti on Wednesday, according to the text of the speech at the bank’s annual general meeting in Basel. The year 2024 will be a crucial year for the big bank. + Does Switzerland need a huge global bank? Читать дальше...

As of April 24, private individuals will be able to run a website with an URL ending in ".swiss" rather than ".ch". This URL domain is certified by the Swiss Confederation and guarantees that the owner of the domain belongs to the Swiss community. Launched in 2015 for professionals and public organisations and administrations, the ".swiss" domain is now available to private individuals. The Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) will be taking registrations as of April 24. Strict eligibility requirements Caroline Sauser... Читать дальше...

The director of Swiss federal railways, Vincent Ducrot, fears that international rail will take precedence over Swiss rail at the end of negotiations with the European Union. The EU is considering giving international routes priority over domestic travel, he said. The negotiating mandate between Switzerland and the EU provides for the opening of international rail lines to competition. The problem is that all the train paths are occupied, indicates Ducrot on Wednesday in Le Temps. On the Geneva-Paris route for example... Читать дальше...

The pandemic restrictions may have long been lifted, but some measures are still making waves politically. The Swiss electorate is once again called to the polls to vote on a bill that has a connection with Covid-19. What is the initiative about? The initiative demands that “interventions impacting physical or mental integrity” require the consent of the person involved. It states that every person should have the right to decide for themselves what “may be injected or inserted into their body”. Additionally... Читать дальше...

The civil rights watchdog Amnesty International has criticised Switzerland for not fully respecting the right of citizens to peacefully protest. The NGO released its annual report as the world reaps the consequences of escalating conflict and the breakdown of international law. Of the 155 states controlled, Switzerland is also criticised, particularly on the right to demonstrate. The right to protest, essential to drawing attention to human rights abuses, is violated in multiple ways across the world, including in Switzerland. Читать дальше...

Hedge fund Appaloosa LP became the latest to sue over the $17 billion wipeout of high-risk bonds last year that was part of the deal to save Credit Suisse bank from a full-scale collapse. Hedge fund Appaloosa LP became the latest to sue over the $17 billion wipeout of high-risk bonds last year that was part of the deal to save Credit Suisse bank from a full-scale collapse. + Credit Suisse AT1 "rip-off" could cost Swiss taxpayer Appaloosa served as investment adviser to Palomino Master and Azteca Partners... Читать дальше...

The long-awaited independent report into the neutrality of UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, does not reveal any major dysfunction within the organisation. But whether this will reassure the United States and Israel remains to be seen. UNRWA is “irreplaceable and indispensable”, but “problems of neutrality” remain. These are the main conclusions of the “Colonna Report” – named after former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who chaired the enquiry committee. The independent... Читать дальше...