Connect with us

International

Swiss president tests positive as Covid rules lifted

AFP

President Ignazio Cassis has tested positive for Covid-19, the government said on Thursday — the same day Switzerland lifted almost all remaining coronavirus restrictions despite high case numbers.

Wednesday’s “test came back positive and the president went into self-isolation this morning as soon as he learned of the test result,” a government statement said. “Mr Cassis has no symptoms and is in good health.”

The former cantonal doctor, aged 60, who holds the annually-rotating Swiss presidency alongside his foreign affairs brief, will return to his office next week.

Cassis struck an upbeat tone on Wednesday as he announced Switzerland was joining European countries including Austria, Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway in dropping almost all of Covid-19 restrictions.

Advertisement
20250701_dengue_728x90
20250715_donacion_sangre_central_728x90
20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL
previous arrow
next arrow

“The light is definitely there on the horizon,” he told a press conference, adding it was time to “learn to live with the virus”.

“We shouldn’t be afraid of a return to normal, but we shouldn’t be too enthusiastic either,” he said.

The only remaining coronavirus requirements in Switzerland are the obligation to self-isolate for five days after a positive test and to wear masks on public transport and in healthcare institutions.

To enter the country, it is no longer necessary to provide proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test, or complete an entry form.

Switzerland, population 8.6 million, has registered more than 2.6 million Covid-19 cases and over 12,500 deaths during the pandemic.

Advertisement
20250701_dengue_728x90
20250715_donacion_sangre_central_728x90
20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL
previous arrow
next arrow

At around 20,000 a day, recorded new infections are now around half of the peak witnessed towards the end of January. However, the case rate is still higher than in the surrounding European Union.

Nearly 69 percent of Swiss residents are fully vaccinated and 41 percent have had a booster dose.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
20250701_dengue_300x250_01
20250701_dengue_300x250_02
20250715_donacion_sangre_central_300x250
20250701_vacunacion-influenza-300x250
20250701_vacunacion_vph-300x250
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_300x250
20231124_etesal_300x250_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_300X250
MARN1

International

Erin brings strong winds and storm surge despite weakening offshore

Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 2 storm on Tuesday but continues to pose a threat to parts of the U.S. East Coast with potentially dangerous flooding, according to meteorologists.

Although the hurricane’s eye is expected to remain offshore, experts are concerned about Erin’s size, as strong winds extend hundreds of kilometers beyond the storm’s center.

In its 18:00 GMT bulletin, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) lifted tropical storm warnings for the Bahamasand Turks and Caicos Islands, but kept them in effect for parts of North Carolina.

Erin was located several hundred kilometers southeast of North Carolina and was moving northwestward.

“This means there is a risk of potentially life-threatening flooding of 60 to 120 centimeters above ground level,” said NHC Director Michael Brennan.

Advertisement

20250701_dengue_728x90
20250715_donacion_sangre_central_728x90
20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL

previous arrow
next arrow

He also warned of the possibility of destructive waves, combined with storm surge, that could cause severe damage to beaches and coastal areas, making roads impassable.

Continue Reading

International

Three U.S. Warships deploy near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking

Three U.S. naval vessels are moving toward the coasts of Venezuela, according to international media reports on Tuesday, after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump is ready to combat and curb international drug trafficking.

Reports indicate that the ships will reach Venezuelan waters within the next 36 hours as part of a recent U.S. deployment aimed at countering international narcotics operations.

The announcement coincides with Leavitt’s statement that Trump is prepared to “use the full extent of his power” to halt drug flows into the United States. The naval deployment involves approximately 4,000 military personnel.

“The President has been clear and consistent. He is ready to use every element of U.S. power to prevent drugs from flooding our country and to bring those responsible to justice. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela—it is a narco-terror cartel,” the spokesperson said during a press conference.

Continue Reading

International

Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing

Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.

“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.

He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.

A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.

Advertisement

20250701_dengue_728x90
20250715_donacion_sangre_central_728x90
20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL

previous arrow
next arrow

Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.

Continue Reading

Trending

Central News