News from Switzerland: From job cuts at Roche to FC St. Gallen's Cup victory
In the Swiss economy, there is bad news from the pharmaceutical giant Roche. The company is cutting numerous jobs in its Diagnostics division in Rotkreuz (Canton of Zug). External employees, so-called "contractors," are particularly affected by this crisis. The reason for the cuts is a management error in the development of a new analytical device for mass spectrometry.
Another scandal is occupying the medical world in Switzerland. It concerns the case of the former Zurich heart surgeon Francesco Maisano. Criticism of the ethics committees is growing, as Maisano is still allowed to appear at international congresses despite a major medical scandal. Many experts wonder how it was possible that the control authorities did not intervene earlier over the years.
In Swiss retail, there is an important change for customers of the DIY chain Obi. Following the separation from Migros, Obi is no longer participating in the Cumulus bonus program. Instead, its own "heyOBI" app has now been introduced. The new head of Obi Switzerland, Lena Steiner, explained in an interview that customers can now receive discounts and coupons directly via this app.
Sports fans in St. Gallen, on the other hand, have a great reason to celebrate. After 26 years without a title, FC St. Gallen has finally won the Cup again. Thousands of fans celebrated the triumph together with captain Lukas Görtler. Videos from the locker room spread on social media, showing how exuberantly the players celebrated this historic success.
There are also touching stories from society to report. The Rolph AG workshop produces wigs for sick people from hair donations. Recently, eleven wigs were made from 80 kilograms of donated hair for victims of an accident in Crans-Montana. A video of 20-year-old Ashlynn also attracted a lot of attention. Her mother's loving and supportive reaction to her unplanned pregnancy was viewed millions of times on the internet.
With the beautiful weather, scientific and practical topics are also coming into focus. Many people suffer from the "photic sneeze reflex" in summer and have to sneeze as soon as they look into the sun. Researchers explain this by the proximity of the nerves for vision and smell. Those who prefer to use the sun for sporting activities will find inspiration in the new travel guide from Lonely Planet: The book recommends 96 long-distance hikes worldwide, sorted by the best month for the trip.
Finally, we take a look at the world of entertainment and social media. The well-known Swiss comedy couple Loredana and Kilian married for a second time on their tenth wedding anniversary and celebrated the jubilee with 50 guests by the lake. Meanwhile, Norwegian lighthouse keeper Paal Bjørndal is becoming a star on TikTok. Although the strong wind makes his words almost inaudible in the videos, his tips and the rugged nature inspire his numerous followers.