Ruag paid a ransom to blackmail a subsidiary – contrary to federal regulations.Image: keystone
Federal Councilor Albert Rösti wants to direct the income from the CO2 tax into the federal coffers in the future and, according to a Sust investigation, there was almost a train collision in western Switzerland because of language hurdles: The Sunday News.
June 14, 2026, 07:38June 14, 2026, 07:38
CO2 money to the federal government instead of the population: Rösti wants system change
According to “NZZ am Sonntag”, Federal Councilor Albert Rösti is planning a radical restructuring of climate taxes. Accordingly, he no longer wants to give the CO2 taxes on fossil fuels back to the population and the economy, but rather the money should go entirely into the federal treasury. The Environment Minister wants to rely on an emissions trading system from 2030. With the abolition of the CO2 tax, today’s redistribution will also no longer apply, the paper quotes Rösti’s Department for the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication (Uvek). The federal government wants to use the additional revenue generated in this way, probably several hundred million francs per year, to finance new climate policy measures. People in Switzerland have previously received the money as a discount on their compulsory health insurance premiums. Criticism also comes from Rösti’s own party, the SVP. “We view this very critically,” the newspaper quoted Solothurn National Councilor Christian Imark as saying.
Due to language impairment among SBB train drivers: trains almost collided
According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, a Sust investigation has identified language barriers among SBB train drivers as the cause of a dangerous train approach in Neuchâtel-Vauseyon. Technical defects in trains or safety systems could have been ruled out. On August 12, 2025, after a misrouting while shunting, a regional train ended up on the track of a freight train, which came to a standstill 50 meters before the collision. Misunderstandings between German-speaking train drivers and French-speaking dispatchers made it more difficult to deal with the situation. The affected train drivers had met the internal SBB requirements with language level A1, but, according to Sust, were not able to handle the situation safely in French. The Sust therefore states that the language requirements of the SBB do not sufficiently meet the legal requirements. The SBB described the incident as an isolated case, but they are taking it “very seriously”.
SBB is reducing the maximum speed for certain shunting operations
According to “SonntagsBlick”, the SBB is reducing the maximum speed for shunting passenger trains from 30 to 15 kilometers per hour. The reason for this is several recent incidents during shunting trips, including collisions in Basel and Bern. From June 15th, the lower maximum speed in passenger transport will initially apply during a four-month pilot test. The maximum speed of 30 still applies only in exceptional cases with a special signal. The new regulation does not apply to freight traffic. Longer routes would be shunted there and a general reduction in speed would not improve safety, according to SBB. According to “SonntagsBlick”, parts of the locomotive and shunting staff were skeptical about the attempt. The slower journeys led to longer journey times and increased time pressure. In addition, train drivers criticized the shunting training, which, in their view, was not sufficient to achieve the necessary practical maturity.
Ransom in Ruag extortion: Did the USA play a role?
According to “NZZ am Sonntag”, the head of the hacked Ruag subsidiary in the USA has one of the highest security clearances in the country as a former officer in the American National Guard. This fuels speculation about the background to the ransom payment after the cyber attack on the subsidiary. According to insiders, the Akira group’s hackers may have stolen confidential military information and contracts. This raises the question of whether there was also sensitive data on the F-35 fighter jet. The Ruag subsidiary LLC says it is responsible for managing complex transactions between Switzerland and the US defense industry. According to “NZZ am Sonntag”, IT security expert Nicolas Mayencourt assumes that American interests may have played a role in the decision to pay the ransom. Ruag and the Defense Department did not want to comment on the case.
Crans Montana victims still have to wait for aid
According to “Le Matin Dimanche”, the victims of the Crans-Montana fire are still waiting for the promised public aid funds. The Beloved Foundation, created by the canton of Valais, has 24 million francs, but has not yet made any payments. The cantonal coordinator Pierre-Yves Délèze explained to the newspaper that a date for the first payments cannot currently be given. The Federal Office of Justice, which has promised a one-off solidarity aid of 50,000 francs for seriously injured people and relatives of those who died, is expecting a payment via the canton of Valais “as soon as possible”. However, those affected have already received cantonal emergency aid of 10,000 francs. In addition, the free victim support services for acute hospitalizations have been extended beyond the end of March.
Uproar during Moretti interrogation and incriminating chats
According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, the ten-hour interrogation of the Moretti couple temporarily got out of hand due to tears, heckling and interventions by several lawyers. According to the interrogation protocol available to the newspaper, Deputy Attorney General Catherine Seppey had to temporarily interrupt the hearing and restore order. Jessica Moretti cried during the questioning after the topic of a waitress who died in the fire came up. The victim’s lawyer Romain Jordan then called for less pathos and more truth. Jacques Moretti accused the lawyers of demonizing him and his wife. Several lawyers repeatedly intervened, whereupon Seppey threatened to be excluded from the courtroom. A victim advocate later described the hearing as insufficiently efficient and pointed to difficulties in recording the minutes. The Morettis are under criminal investigation in connection with the fire at their bar that killed 41 people.
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Biel’s ex-fire brigade chief raises allegations of bullying
According to “SonntagsBlick”, the departed Biel fire brigade commander Didier Wicht sees himself as a victim of bullying. This week, the city of Biel agreed with Wicht on his resignation as commander of the professional fire department. This is despite the fact that an administrative investigation cleared him of allegations of abuse of power, weak leadership and conflicts of interest. Wicht told “SonntagsBlick” that he was “severely bullied” within his own ranks. He filed a criminal complaint for defamation. The authors of the administrative investigation came to the conclusion that the allegations from the workforce were also aimed at preventing Wicht from returning. Legally, however, there is no bullying. The city of Biel, on the other hand, is of the opinion that the passing on of allegations to the media has crossed the line into bullying. She also filed a criminal complaint – for breach of official secrecy.
Palantir CEO Karp is building a huge villa in Liechtenstein
According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, the controversial Palantir boss Alex Karp has settled in Liechtenstein and is having a property built. According to information from the land registry office, Karp is the owner of a property measuring around 6,000 square meters in a residential area of Schaan. He is also already registered in the municipality of Gamprin-Bendern. According to the paper, there has been speculation about Karp’s branch for a long time, but no one in Liechtenstein has yet officially confirmed this. The head of the US software company Palantir originally planned a residence in the canton of Schwyz, but presumably failed there because of Lex Koller’s specifications. In the principality, his settlement caused some criticism. State Parliament member Sandra Fausch asked questions about possible tax advantages and any business interests Karp may have in Liechtenstein. The government has stated that Liechtenstein is not a customer of Palantir. Palantir and Karp did not respond to a request from the newspaper.
Almost 400 million: CO2 requirements for cars trigger massive fines
According to a study by Auto-Schweiz cited by “SonntagsBlick”, the CO2 requirements for new cars have triggered fines of 376 million francs since 2012. In 2025 alone, a further 125 million francs in sanctions would be incurred. In addition, the industry association estimates indirect costs due to price adjustments, special promotions or losses in the second-hand vehicle market at 247 million francs. The study comes to the conclusion that the regulation delays the renewal of the vehicle fleet and could thus reduce part of the expected climate impact. For 2025, the study estimates this impact to be at least 370 million francs. Together with the direct fines, this results in a burden of around half a billion francs. According to “SonntagsBlick”, the Federal Office for the Environment refers to the requirements of the Federal Council and Parliament, which it adheres to.
The Federal Council’s AHV 2030 project could double pensions
According to “Le Matin Dimanche”, the Federal Council’s AHV 2030 project could more than double the AHV pension. The lifelong AHV pension is currently 2,520 francs per month with an average annual income of 90,720 francs. If pension receipt is postponed for one year, the pension increases by 5.2 percent. With a delay of two years it increases by 10.8 percent, with five years – today’s maximum – by 31.5 percent. The Federal Council’s proposal envisages raising the age limit for deferring pensions from 70 to 80 years. A delay of 15 years would lead to an increase of 145 percent. The lifelong AHV pension could rise to 6,169 francs per month and even reach 10,796 francs with the 13th AHV pension in December. (sda/con)