Sunday, July 28, 2024
Published: Sunday, Jul 28th 2024, 05:10
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An expert report on Switzerland's treatment of the Yenish, contaminated water in bathing establishments and heavy dependence on IT providers: this and more can be found in the Sunday newspapers. The headlines in unverified reports:
"NZZ am Sonntag":
The Swiss government has commissioned a legal opinion to clarify Switzerland's role in dealing with the Yenish. The report is intended to clarify whether those involved and the Swiss state committed genocide or crimes against humanity against the Yenish, as the "NZZ am Sonntag" wrote. The Federal Department of Home Affairs has confirmed the commission. The "Children of the Country Road" program of the Pro Juventute aid organization had taken children away from the Yenish for decades. The state had legitimized and co-financed it. Yenish associations spoke of a "cultural genocide" and demanded recognition for this. The report should be available in the fall and the Federal Council should respond by the end of the year.
"SonntagsBlick":
Figures from last year's cantonal laboratories have revealed frequent problems with water quality in outdoor and indoor pools. In Zurich, defects were found in almost a third of the pools examined, and in the canton of Bern, almost half of the 89 pools tested had complaints, according to SonntagsBlick. In Aargau, 44 of the 45 pools inspected were found to be faulty. According to "Sonntags-Blick", a particularly common reason for complaints was excessive chlorate levels, which can impair oxygen uptake and damage the kidneys. Nevertheless, the head cantonal chemist Alda Breitenmoser gave Swiss swimming pools a good report card. Deficiencies are usually rectified quickly.
"SonntagsZeitung" / "Le Matin Dimanche":
According to a study, Switzerland has become too dependent on providers such as Google, Microsoft and SAP in the IT sector. According to the SonntagsZeitung and Le Matin Dimanche, researchers from the Bern University of Applied Sciences have found that other countries are making greater efforts to achieve independence. "In the Federal Administration alone, we are talking about over 30,000 workplaces that use Windows," said study author Matthias Stürmer. Part of the companies' business model is based on binding customers so tightly that it is de facto impossible to switch providers. The consequences include limited information security and legal uncertainty. As a solution, the university of applied sciences proposed open source software in administration.
"NZZ am Sonntag":
According to a study, the renovation of all energy-inefficient residential buildings would cost CHF 228 billion by 2050. This includes improved windows and building envelopes as well as the replacement of fossil heating systems, as the NZZ am Sonntag wrote based on an analysis by real estate consultancy firm Wüest Partner. According to the analysis, 931,000 residential buildings would have to be comprehensively renovated in order to achieve the climate targets by 2050. According to the study, the financing is "entirely realistic" in economic terms. However, the profitability would depend heavily on the economic strength of the respective region. The higher the local price level, the more attractive the renovation of rental apartments is.
"SonntagsZeitung":
In addition to the store, the Thai Central Group has only expressed interest in the Globus building on Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse. An offer is expected "soon", the SonntagsZeitung quoted from the current restructuring report of Signa Prime Selection, the luxury division of the Signa Group. The sales process for the property in Bern's city center has been prepared. For the "smaller properties", "loose discussions" are underway regarding their sale. The most important sales should be completed by the end of the year. The Globus construction site in Basel is not expected to be sold until after completion in 2026. At the same time, negotiations are underway to take over the operational business of the department stores.
"SonntagsZeitung":
No member of the Federal Council will be giving a speech at this year's 1 August celebrations on the Rütli UR. In fact, a member of the Federal Council from the centre-right should have made an appearance, as the SonntagsZeitung wrote. However, all members of the Federal Council from the SVP and FDP canceled, were asked too late or not at all. Albert Rösti (SVP) was already too busy with seven appearances. Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP) will speak to the Swiss abroad on National Day in New York. Guy Parmelin (SVP) has not received an invitation, but also has too busy a schedule. The administrator of the Rütli meadow, the Swiss Society for the Common Good, does not see it as a negative thing that no member of the Federal Council is appearing. In this "transitional year", they want to give more weight to the topic of public utility.
"SonntagsBlick":
The Valais Chamber of Tourism will hold a meeting on Tuesday due to its newly elected president. The chamber elected Yannick Buttet as president despite the fact that he has been convicted twice, once for sexual harassment and once for coercion. In his new role, he would indirectly be the boss of his victim, as "SonntagsBlick" wrote. Criticism of the choice came from his party, the center, among others. Christina Bachmann-Roth, President of the Center Women, said that it was a scandal that he was given another prestigious job within the probation period and would indirectly become the boss of his victim. Buttet and the Valais Chamber of Tourism did not wish to comment, according to the newspaper.
"SonntagsBlick":
According to Mayor Erich Fehr, Biel has freed itself from its dependence on the watch industry. Today, a good tenth of the workforce is still employed in the watch industry, as Fehr said in an interview with "SonntagsBlick". The poor half-year results of the Biel-based Swatch Group could be absorbed by the business location. "Even if not without rumblings", said Fehr. Companies have shown that economic development and tax revenue are not directly linked, he added. "What we are still, however, is an export and industrial location," said the SP politician. The most important trading partner is not China, but Europe.
"NZZ am Sonntag":
The federal government has added processed foods to its list of nutritional recommendations. These include vegan meat substitutes in particular, as the "NZZ am Sonntag" wrote. The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office will update its recommendations in September. It advises that products with long lists of ingredients should be consumed sparingly. The background to the amendment is a request from the Federal Commission on Nutrition. A year ago, it identified an "urgent need for action" in relation to highly processed foods, as the newspaper wrote.
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