BERLIN—The Swiss government on Wednesday rejected the idea of introducing a third gender option or no-gender option for official records, a position which differs from that of some neighboring countries. Responding to two proposals from parliament, the governing Federal Council said “the binary gender model is still strongly anchored in Swiss society.” “The social preconditions…
Swiss Drugs Regulator Looking Into Bubbles in COVID Booster Vials
BERLIN—Swiss drugs regulator Swissmedic said on Wednesday it is examining potential risks in connection with bubbles that appeared in vials of COVID-19 vaccine boosters retooled to target the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Swissmedic said it had been informed by vaccination centers of the appearance of bubbles during the preparation of the updated vaccine from…
For This Ultimate Potato Gratin, Bland, Rubbery Cheese Need Not Apply
As the saying goes, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. I agree with this philosophy, but with one caveat: You can always add more cheese—especially when making a potato gratin. Potato gratin is a cheese lover’s gift, with ultrathin layers of sliced potatoes blanketed in oozing cheese, cream, and, yes, more cheese. It’s a…
Swiss Prosecutors Appeal Against Acquittals of Blatter, Platini
ZURICH—Swiss federal prosecutors have filed an appeal to overturn the acquittals of former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and France footballing great Michel Platini on corruption charges, they said on Thursday. Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court had cleared the two in July after a seven-year investigation in which both were booted out of the sport. A judge…
Swiss Reject Initiative to Ban Factory Farming
GENEVA—Swiss voters on Sunday rejected a proposal to ban factory farming in a referendum on whether the wealthy country’s strict animal welfare laws need to be tightened yet further. The government’s VoteInfo App showed a provisional result of 62.86 percent of votes against the proposal, put to a referendum under the Swiss system of direct…
Swiss Sign Controversial $6 Billion Deal to Purchase F-35 Fighters
GENEVA—Swiss officials on Monday formally signed a procurement contract to acquire three dozen F-35 fighter jets from the United States as part of a planned refurbishment of Switzerland’s air force that has run afoul of critics of the big defense purchase, the government said. The head of Switzerland’s armaments service and F-35A program director inked…
Switzerland Presses Human Rights Concerns With China
ZURICH—Switzerland called a meeting with China’s ambassador to express its concern about the human rights situation in the western region of Xinjiang, the foreign ministry in Bern said on Thursday, correcting its earlier comment that it had “summoned” the envoy. “Switzerland is convinced that the best way to safeguard its interests and the respect of…
Swiss National Bank Posts Record First-Half Loss, Says No Policy Impact
ZURICH—The Swiss National Bank reported a first-half loss of 95.2 billion Swiss francs ($100.08 billion) on Friday, the biggest six-month loss since the central bank was founded in 1907. Stock market declines, falling bond prices, and the franc’s appreciation severely dented the value of its massive foreign currency holdings. The SNB reported a second-quarter loss…
No Guarantees Swiss Will Always Have Enough Gas, Minister Says
ZURICH— Swiss businesses would be first to have energy rationed in the event of supply shortages, Energy Minister Simonetta Sommaruga told the SonntagsZeitung, warning that the government cannot guarantee there will always be enough gas to go around. Landlocked Switzerland gets its gas via trading hubs in neighboring countries in the European Union, so disruptions…
Swiss Inflation Rises at Fastest Pace in 14 Years as Cost of Fuel, Home Rentals Surge
Switzerland has become the latest country to be hit by increased fuel and food prices, data from the Swiss government showed on Thursday. The consumer price index rose 0.7 percent in May 2022 compared with the previous month, reaching 104.0 points. Inflation increased 2.9 percent compared with the same month of the previous year, driven by…
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