October 21, 2024: The most important thing of the day

Snow in the lowlands

The first snow has been falling in the lowlands in Switzerland since this afternoon. A small low pressure area brought moist air from the west, causing snowfall to reach low altitudes. Flakes are falling from the sky in the city of Zurich as well as in Basel and Bern, confirming SRF Meteo’s forecast that almost all regions of Switzerland can expect snow; especially in Lower Valais and Aargau, where 10 to 20 centimeters are expected.

Most of the snow will fall in the evening. The roads and sidewalks are expected to be slippery. Meteo Switzerland is reporting a significant snowfall event for the central and eastern Mittelland as well as northwestern Switzerland, with snowfall intensities that can be moderate to high in the evening. By Friday morning, 10 to 25 cm of fresh snow could fall widely, and locally even up to 30 cm.

Due to the expected snowfall, the federal government has increased the danger level for the upper Basel area and the canton of Jura to 4 out of 5, which means a “major danger” in traffic. The public is urged to exercise caution and follow weather reports closely.

Russian ICBM fired against Ukraine?

The Ukrainian military has said it accuses Russia of firing an intercontinental ballistic missile during an attack on the city of Dnipro on Thursday morning. The rocket was launched from the Astrakhan region in the Russian Federation and was not equipped with a nuclear warhead. In addition, the Ukrainian military said that a ballistic missile and seven cruise missiles were also used in the attack. Six of the seven cruise missiles were intercepted, according to the statement. “The other rockets had no significant consequences,” it said.

Russia did not want to comment on the accusations from Kyiv. According to reports of the use of rockets The spokeswoman for the Moscow Foreign Ministry received an order not to comment on the incident in the middle of a live media conference. Russia claims to have intercepted two Storm Shadow cruise missiles fired by Ukraine. It would be the first use of these weapons supplied from Great Britain over Russia since the beginning of the war.

SRG General Director Wille is considering cutting around 1,000 jobs

The new General Director Susanne Wille is planning the biggest transformation in SRG’s history. Around 1,000 full-time positions are to be cut by 2029, which corresponds to around 17 percent of the workforce. Adjustments already planned include the abolition of broadcasts and reductions in regional journals. Wille emphasizes that comprehensive reorganizations are necessary at all levels. The Federal Council also plans to gradually reduce fees for radio and TV, which will reduce revenue by 120 million francs by 2029.

Parliament is debating the fee reduction, with some proposals going beyond the Federal Council’s plans. The vote on the halving initiative will be a crucial moment in 2026.

Controversy over Trump’s preferred justice minister continues

The Ethics Committee of the US House of Representatives has dealt with the controversial Matt Gaetz, nominated by Donald Trump as Attorney General, against whom there are serious allegations. The committee had met for about two hours but dispersed without reaching an agreement to publish a report on Matt Gaetz’s alleged sexual misconduct. The focus is on the accusation that Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a minor and financed trips, which Gaetz denies. There are further investigations into suspected illegal drug use and the misuse of campaign funds. After his surprise nomination by Trump, Gaetz resigned from his House seat, which paused the ethics investigation.

Senators are now demanding clear information in order to adequately fulfill constitutional obligations. The aim is to reach a cross-party consensus on the publication of the report.

Memoirs of a former chancellor: Putin warned Merkel about Ukraine

In her memoirs, Angela Merkel describes how she rejected Ukraine’s rapid accession to NATO during her chancellorship. She feared a military response from Russia. Merkel referred to the risks associated with the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea and emphasized that a minority of Ukrainians were in favor of joining NATO at the time. Merkel’s memoirs offer further insights into her interactions with contemporaries; she also expressed concern about relations with authoritarian leaders based on encounters with Donald Trump. She received advice from “highest places” – Pope Francis – on how to deal with difficult political situations.

What will be important tomorrow

Showdown bei Swiss Olympic

On Friday, Swiss sport will determine the successor to Swiss Olympic President Jürg Stahl. Two candidates remain: Ruth Metzler and top official Markus Wolf. Former Federal Councilor Metzler is supported by Swiss Athletics, Wolf, the former CEO of Swiss-Ski, by several large sports associations.

Nations League: Quarterfinals draw

The group phase of the Nations League has been played, things continue without the Swiss national football team, who has quietly said goodbye to the highest class. The draw for the playoffs as well as the quarter and semi-final duels of the knockout phase will take place in Nyon. The following have a chance of winning the title: Portugal, France, Germany, Spain (Pot 1) and Croatia, Italy, Netherlands and Denmark (Pot 2).

The picture of the day

Urs Nagel has been a site manager and news journalist at Tamedia since 2018. He previously worked as a news editor for several Swiss media outlets.More info

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