Economic concerns, historical finds, and sporting challenges
The mood in the Swiss economy is currently tense. According to a report by UBS, the confidence of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has fallen to a multi-year low. The reasons for this are international conflicts, such as the war in the Middle East, as well as trade disputes with the USA. Experts are even warning of a possible recession if the global situation does not improve soon.
A serious case of police failure is causing an international stir. New bodycam footage shows the arrest of Henry Nowak. Although Nowak said several times that he could not breathe, the police officers did not believe him. An ambulance was only called after more than two minutes, which ultimately had fatal consequences for the man.
There is an archaeological sensation to report in Switzerland. In Solothurn, divers have found the remains of a 1,700-year-old bridge from the Roman era in the Aare. Researchers had long suspected that a bridge existed there, but only now could the wooden remains in the riverbed be reliably identified.
The Swiss national football team is currently having to do without an important player. Striker Breel Embolo was unable to fly to the USA with the team because there were problems with his visa. He had to appear in person at the US Embassy in Bern to apply for the documents. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel spoke about the situation in San Diego but could not yet say when Embolo would join the team.
There were also setbacks for well-known athletes in other sports. In the women's Giro d'Italia, Swiss rider Marlen Reusser lost her second place in the overall standings and fell back to fifth place. At the same time, there is frustration for Aryna Sabalenka: the world number one was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the French Open and was so disappointed afterwards that she briefly even considered ending her career.
In nature, there is worrying news from the island of Ibiza. An invasive snake species, the horseshoe whip snake, is spreading massively there. As their food is becoming scarce, the snakes are now even swimming to neighboring islands. This poses a great danger to the rare Ibiza wall lizard, which could be wiped out by the snakes.
In Niederglatt in the canton of St. Gallen, a serious fire completely destroyed an empty building. Around 60 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the flames. Police suspect that a lightning strike during a thunderstorm on Tuesday evening caused the fire. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.
Finally, there is news from the world of entertainment. Reality star Umut Tekin visited his family in Turkey with his girlfriend Lena Goldstein. Since the couple is not married, they have to sleep in separate rooms out of respect for the family's traditions. This news triggered a lively discussion on social media about cultural differences.