Sunday, July 07, 2024
Published: Sunday, Jul 7th 2024, 05:10
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Resettlement and protective measures due to the storms, the activities of the "gray wolves" in Switzerland and the lack of sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers: this and more can be found in the Sunday newspapers. The headlines in unverified reports:
"NZZ am Sonntag" / "SonntagsZeitung":
In an interview with the "NZZ am Sonntag" newspaper, Carmelia Maissen, President of the Mountain Cantons, warned against taking a "short-sighted and cynical view" of the resettlement of Alpine valleys. Resettlement could occur in individual cases. "We will certainly not give up entire valleys", said the Graubünden councillor (center). Resettlement would be a serious intervention for those affected, who would lose their homes, said the President of the Intergovernmental Conference of the Mountain Cantons. ETH professor David Bresch agreed in an interview with the SonntagsZeitung that the climate scenarios must be included in a risk analysis. "As long as global warming continues, evacuations will increase," said the professor of weather and climate risks.
"SonntagsZeitung":
Storms have not led to more damage and fatalities in the last 50 years. The reason for this is the protective measures taken, as Andreas Zischg, professor at the university and co-head of the Mobiliar Lab for Natural Risks, told the SonntagsZeitung newspaper. According to federal figures, the average amount of damage was CHF 300 million. The annual death toll has hardly changed since the 19th century, according to the Federal Office for the Environment. Zischg did not see this as an all-clear for the future: if the climate forecasts come true, more heavy and frequent rainfall is to be expected. "The damage is likely to increase," he said.
"NZZ am Sonntag" / "SonntagsZeitung":
The renaturation of rivers in Switzerland has only made slow progress. According to the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, Switzerland should restore 50 kilometers of obstructed waterways every year. According to the Federal Office for the Environment, the current average is around 18 kilometers. Obstructed watercourses overflow their banks more quickly during storms. In Valais in particular, the discussion about the Rhone correction has flared up since the storms. The report on the correction was the first analysis of a flood project for the expert Christophe Voyame. "I was able to assess the Rhone correction with a fresh eye and without preconceived ideas," he told the NZZ am Sonntag. The report prompted the Valais State Council to reconsider the project.
"SonntagsBlick":
The far-right Turkish movement "Grey Wolves" is also active in Switzerland. "SonntagsBlick published a photo of children in Zurich posing with the group's wolf salute. Members of the network meet in clubhouses and mosques, the newspaper wrote. The headquarters are located in the industrial area of Regensdorf ZH. It is the headquarters of the Swiss-Turkish Federation, which coordinates the activities of almost a thousand members. The federation is an offshoot of the MHP party, around which the "Gray Wolves" were formed. The movement is particularly powerful in Basel. The Federal Intelligence Service did not mention the group in its annual activity report.
"SonntagsBlick":
The Federal Council will not impose any sanctions against radical Israeli settlers. Switzerland condemns the acts of violence committed by extremist settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) told SonntagsBlick. However, after weighing up the interests at stake, the administration decided not to adopt the EU sanctions. The EU imposed sanctions on four extremists and two organizations, the newspaper wrote. Liechtenstein joined them. The USA has also imposed sanctions against militant Israelis.
"NZZ am Sonntag":
Switzerland will not be renewing its China strategy, which expires at the end of the year. Instead of a policy paper focusing on China, which was formulated in a critical manner in certain areas, a broad overview of the major Asian economies will be published, as the NZZ am Sonntag wrote. The new strategy also includes India, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia, as the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) informed the newspaper. The FDFA has left open how detailed China will be in the strategy. According to observers, the government's focus is currently on updating the free trade agreement.
"NZZ am Sonntag":
The aid organization of the Swiss Protestant Reformed Church (Heks) is no longer allowed to represent asylum seekers in north-western Switzerland. The State Secretariat for Migration withdrew the corresponding mandate, as the NZZ am Sonntag wrote. Between the summer of 2022 and 2023, Heks did not accompany hundreds of asylum seekers to Dublin talks, where it is clarified which country is responsible for an asylum procedure. Vulnerable women were also not accompanied, as the newspaper wrote based on email correspondence. A number of legal representatives were overworked or had resigned. The Bernese legal advice center for people in need and the Swiss Workers' Relief Organization are now responsible for asylum seekers in northwestern Switzerland.
"SonntagsZeitung":
Kiosk operator Valora is increasingly competing with Swiss Post. The delivery service DPD and the retail company Valora have launched a branch network for dropping off and collecting parcels, as the SonntagsZeitung newspaper reported. The network now comprises 700 locations. By comparison, Swiss Post operated around 1,240 locations last year. Customers can now drop off or pick up parcels at kiosks and Avec stores operated by Valora, the newspaper wrote. Valora already has a similar cooperation with UPD. It covers 13 locations.
"SonntagsBlick":
The public prosecutor's office has filed an appeal against the acquittal of a former heart surgeon at Zurich University Hospital. The former head of cardiac surgery was accused of falsifying documents in office, as SonntagsBlick wrote. At first instance, the district court acquitted him in April. The public prosecutor's office wants the high court to re-examine the case. It accuses the surgeon of having stated the duration of the operation far too short in an operation protocol. The patient died during the operation. The criminal proceedings on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter had already been discontinued by the public prosecutor's office some time ago.
"Le Matin Dimanche":
Around 30 professionals from the construction sector are suspected of private corruption in Geneva. Among other things, they are alleged to have received or paid commissions of over one million francs for the sale of villas in the canton, as "Le Matin Dimanche" wrote. Judicial investigations would reveal a controversial practice in the real estate sector: Commissions and kickbacks paid by various players in exchange for contracts. The Geneva real estate industry has been on alert for months due to the legal proceedings.
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