One in eleven young people has already attempted suicide – according to the Sunday news

One in eleven young people in Switzerland has already attempted suicide, Ukraine calls on refugees in Switzerland to do military service and Switzerland is a hub for Russian espionage: the Swiss Sunday newspapers reported this and more today.

A selection of headlines in unverified reports:

According to a study by the United Nations Children’s Fund, Unicef, one in eleven young people in Switzerland have attempted suicide. “That is two per school class,” says Bettina Junker, director of Unicef ​​Switzerland, in an interview with “Blick”. She scrutinized politicians. In Switzerland there are hardly any accessible contact points where young people can go. Only three percent of respondents use the public offer. “When young people look for a therapy place, they often have to wait six months,” says Junker. In a rich country like Switzerland this is unacceptable.

The Ukrainian army has called on all refugees between the ages of 25 and 60 to serve in the army. The call also went out to Ukrainians in Switzerland, as the “SonntagsZeitung” wrote. The country needs the commitment of all citizens who can join the army, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense told the newspaper. There are currently 9,300 Ukrainian refugees registered in Switzerland. Military service is still voluntary. The Ukrainian parliament is currently working on a new law to attract more men from abroad to the army.

Switzerland has become more important as a spy center for Russia since the start of the war, according to an intelligence expert. The satellite dishes of the Russian mission to the United Nations are used for intelligence activities, Adrian Hänni told “NZZ am Sonntag”. Russian espionage is an important focus of the Federal Intelligence Service (NDB). The war in Ukraine confirmed that the focus was correct, the NDB said. According to the newspaper, agents who used satellite dishes to spy on embassies have been deported everywhere in Europe except Austria and Switzerland. 24 satellite dishes have been installed at the Russian representation in Vienna. Seven bowls can be seen at the representation in Geneva.

The rose oil for perfumes sold worldwide is also produced in Turkey by child labor. “Small, dexterous hands are best at picking the flowers,” a foreman in Turkey’s Isparta province told “NZZ am Sonntag”. The Swiss company Givaudan, the world’s largest manufacturer of flavors and fragrances, does not rule out child labor for its products. “There is no 100% guarantee,” says a spokeswoman. The harvest takes a few weeks. During this time, migrant workers live in precarious conditions, as the “NZZ am Sonntag” has noted. Until last year, children aged six and older helped with the harvest. This has been prohibited by law since this year. Child labor has been illegal in Turkey for fifty years.

Despite a turbulent year, the Swiss Red Cross (SRK) has met the requirements of the 2023 budget. For the current year, the SRK expects donations of around 45 million francs, as SRK President Thomas Zeltner said in an interview with “NZZ am Sonntag ”. In the past, SRK employees have not proactively addressed conflicts, Zeltner said in the interview published on Sunday. That was his only minor criticism he wanted to make.

Zeltner took over the presidency of the SRK this summer. “I initially thought I would resign in June 2024,” says the former director of the Federal Office for Public Health. He now assumes that he will hand over his office in June 2025. “I’ll stay as long as I’m needed.”

Switzerland’s ambassador to Iran, Nadine Olivieri Lozano, has spoken out in favor of closer cooperation with a controversial mullah university. The university is considered a branch of the Revolutionary Guard and is trying Hezbollah cadres, as ‘SonntagsBlick’ wrote. The visit to the university took place in February. At the time, the university was not known to be the University of Religions and Denominations (URD), the newspaper wrote. “We are very interested in expanding cooperation between Swiss universities and the URD,” said Olivieri Lozano, according to a portal close to the regime.

Swiss officials arrested a suspected IS supporter in the canton of Aargau in the spring of 2022. Due to ongoing investigations, the authorities have not yet communicated the matter, as the “NZZ am Sonntag” wrote. The federal prosecutor’s office said the case against the 51-year-old Algerian is nearing completion. He is said to have planned an attack in France. The suspected IS supporter is serving an early sentence in a Swiss prison. He was arrested as part of the international operation “Miya”. It led to thirteen arrests within two and a half years. Twelve countries, including Algeria, were involved. (lacquer/sda)