Switzerland Today

Greetings from Bern,

Is Russia going to continue selling gas to Europe or will it close the valve as a response to sanctions? Energy security on the continent looks shaky and politicians are looking at last-ditch options. 

Valentin Flauraud/Keystone

In the news: Russian gas, Catalonian reckoning, profitable banks and moonwalkers

• Energy Minister Simonetta Sommaruga was in Berlin to discuss energy security with European leadersExternal link. This week it should be clear if Russia will restart gas supply to the continent via the Nordstream pipeline. With the heat affecting hydropower reservoirs, Switzerland is in a tough spot and it remains to be seen if an energy solidarity deal can be reached with others in a worst-case scenario.
• Catalonian exile Anna Gabriel returned to Spain to testify before the Supreme Court. A Geneva resident since 2018, she wants to clear her name and be free to travel after she was forced into exile for fuelling separatist/ independence feelings in Catalonia. 
• Swiss banks are making hay while the franc shines. They made the most money per client among wealthy nations. All those fees do add up.
• Six university students are pretending to be astronauts on a missionExternal link to learn what it takes to be space travellers. Instead of the moon or Mars, they’ll be confined for eight days in the Sasso San Gottardo fortress to simulate the astronaut experience. Data, such as the psychological impact of isolation, will be collected.

Netflix

Packed Postbus: Korean Netflix series causes overcrowding

A South Korean Netflix series called Crash Landing on You is putting pressure on a PostBus routeExternal link to Iseltwald in the Bernese Oberland. Some scenes from the movie were filmed thereExternal link and South Korean tourists appear to be flocking to the locations. PostBus route 103 from Interlaken to Bönigen-Iseltwald has experienced exceptionally high demand this summer, PostBus wrote in a statement. From Saturday, additional trips will be introduced to reduce overcrowding.