Switzerland Today
Greetings from Lausanne!
More volleys, goals, twists and turns and controversy at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This time over "OneLove" armbands.
Plus some other non-football news.
In the news: Nespresso pods, beetles and Swiss farms.
- The Swiss coffee brand Nespresso has announced plans to trial paper–based compostable capsules next year in Switzerland and France. The compressed paper pulp pods will not replace existing aluminium pods but rather offer “an alternative” for those who want to compost their capsules rather than having to take them to recycling points or back to the shop.
- A large infestation of Asian long–horned beetles, which causes major damage to trees and forests, has been reported in Zell in canton Lucerne.
- A Swiss-British deal, granting access of consultants, engineers and IT workers to each other’s markets, will be extended until the end of 2025.
- A petition signed by over 13,000 people was handed in in Bern calling for help to prevent the death of small farms in Switzerland. Over the past 40 years the number of Swiss farms has dropped by over 50% to 48,864 in 2021.
- British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has quashedExternal link talk of a shift to a Swiss-style Brexit, saying he would block any move requiring the UK to align with EU laws. The remarks came after the Sunday Times newspaper reported that the government was looking into such plans. Non-EU member Switzerland has access to the EU’s single market, but in return has to accept certain conditions on budget contributions and migration.
- The board of a Swiss-based trust fund managing some $3.5 billion in frozen assetsseized after the Taliban took power last year is meeting in Geneva for the first time on Monday, a Swiss government spokesperson confirmed. The frozen central bank reserves were recently transferred from Washington into the ‘Fund for the Afghan People’.
Football teams drop ’OneLove’ rainbow armband plan after FIFA threat.
Swiss captain Granit Xhaka (pictured) and players for England, Wales, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark decided today not to wearExternal link ‘OneLove‘ armbands at the football World Cup in Qatar under pressure from FIFA, their associations said in a joint statement today.
FIFA had threatened to issue yellow cards to any player wearing the multi-coloured armband which was introduced to show solidarity with the LGBT community. Football associations expressed their “frustration” at FIFA’s decision. The move was criticised by LGBT groups, with mixed reaction as to who was to blame.
World Cup host Qatar has faced a barrage of criticism over its treatment of foreign workers and LGBT rights.
On Saturday, in lengthy, and sometimes angry, opening remarks at a news conference on the eve of the start of the tournament, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said criticism of Qatar 2022 by Europeans was nothing but hypocrisy.
Energy crunch has not been totally averted.
Like other European countries, Switzerland has been scrambling to prepare for possible power shortages this winter, primarily due to Russia restricting gas supplies amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Things could get ugly in a worst-case scenario, Werner Luginbühl, head of the Federal Electricity Commission (Elcom), warned in August. Switzerland should expect temporary power cuts and it is advisable to have enough candles and firewood in the house just in case, he said.
But today his message is much less alarming. The energy supply situation has eased thanks to sufficient rain and mild temperatures throughout autumn. “In the summer we communicated and acted on the basis of what was known at the time,” he told the Tages-Anzeiger.
In addition, Germany’s last three nuclear power plants should continue to run over winter and France plans to bring repaired nuclear power plants back online faster than previously announced.
Despite this, the risk of energy shortages this winter has not been completely averted and it is important to keep saving electricity, said the Elcom boss. Europe’s gas storage facilities only cover half of winter demand and have to be constantly refilled. “Every kilowatt hour that we save today protects our reservoirs and gas storage facilities abroad,” said Luginbühl.
“The precautionary principle is still appropriate… There are still incalculable risks, for example, periods of cold weather or attacks on the energy infrastructure. The situation can change again quickly.”
Swiss docs for an international audience.
SWI swissinfo.ch is now offering a selection of Swiss documentary films with English subtitles from the streaming platform Play Suisse that are available worldwide.
The latest offering examines the tragic crash of Swissair flight 111 in 1998, a spectacular post office robbery in Zurich, a runaway train drama in the Swiss Alps and much more.
English-speakers can now enjoy in any part of the world Swiss films that were previously accessible only in Switzerland.
Access couldn’t be easier. Go to www.swissinfo.ch/films to choose a film from the selection of exciting documentaries that are regularly updated.
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More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
