Switzerland called a 'safe haven' for Russian oligarchs
LUGANO, Switzerland -
A leading Swiss nongovernmental group on Monday called out Switzerland as a "safe haven" for Russian oligarchs and as a trading hub for Russian oil, grain and coal.
Public Eye called on the Swiss executive branch to "use all levers at its disposal to stop the financing of this inhuman aggression," a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine that has killed untold thousands of people, driven millions from their homes and rippled through world economy by driving up food and fuel prices.
It spoke out on the day that the Swiss president was due to host a conference on Ukraine's eventual recovery from Russia's war involving government officials, advocacy groups and U.N. institutions.
Ignazio Cassis was hosting leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by video message, at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in the bucolic lakeside town of Lugano. Swiss diplomats say the meeting aims try to map out a way forward for the world to help the war-battered country to recover and rebuild when Russia's war ends one day.
Cassis was set to welcome Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, leading a delegation of scores of Ukrainian ministers, lawmakers and others.
Public Eye said that "as a safe haven for oligarchs close to the Kremlin and as a trading hub for Russian oil, grain and coal, Switzerland bears a big political responsibility."
It said Switzerland has been over the years a "popular refuge" for Russian business magnates to park their assets. The group said firms use Switzerland as an "unregulated commodity trading hub" and exploit a lack of transparency about financial dealings in the country.
There was no immediate response from the Swiss government.
The group welcomed Switzerland's "humanitarian engagement" for Ukraine through the conference but called on the government to strictly implement international sanctions on Russian elites and their government, and better regulate its trading hub.
Switzerland is a major international financial center and its government has traditionally touted Swiss "neutrality" -- which is enshrined into law -- and Switzerland's role as an intermediary between hostile countries and as a host of many international and U.N. institutions.
The Swiss Bankers Association has estimated that the assets of Russian clients deposited in Switzerland's banks total 150-200 billion Swiss francs (about $155-$210 billion), making the country a key repository of Russian money abroad.
Swiss diplomats say hundreds of envoys from government, advocacy groups, the private sector, academia and U.N. organizations are expected for the Lugano gathering, which builds upon a multi-year, multi-country discussion about reform in Ukraine -- even before the war began. The diplomats say the conference is the first to bring disparate groups together to unite to address Ukraine's needs now.
Other top attendees expected to attend are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. More than half a dozen heads of state and more than a dozen government ministers are expected to take part, as well as heads of about a half-dozen international organizations.
TODAY’S RUSSIA-UKRAINE BULLETS
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Sask. RCMP issue Amber Alert for 7-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy
An Amber Alert was issued Monday evening by Shaunavon RCMP in Saskatchewan for seven-year-old Luna Potts and eight-year-old Hunter Potts.
Trump says Florida estate 'under siege, raided, and occupied' by FBI
The FBI searched Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate as part of an investigation into whether he took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence, people familiar with the matter said Monday, a move that represents a dramatic and unprecedented escalation of law enforcement scrutiny of the former president.
Anne Heche remains in critical condition as police continue to investigate her car crash
Anne Heche has remained in critical condition since crashing her vehicle into a Los Angeles residence on Friday, according to a new representative for the actress.
Helicopters bring supplies to Newfoundland towns cut off by raging forest fires
Helicopters have begun bringing essential supplies to southern Newfoundland towns cut off from the rest of the island by two out-of-control forest fires.
WhatsApp is going to stop letting everyone see when you're online
Two new features being introduced on WhatsApp, which will let you choose who can see when you're active, and to leave groups silently, will start rolling out to all WhatsApp users this month.
Actor, singer Olivia Newton-John dies at age 73
Singer and actor Olivia Newton-John, who was best known for playing Sandy in the film 'Grease,' has died at the age of 73, according to her husband.
Billionaires are funding a massive treasure hunt in Greenland as ice vanishes
Some of the world's richest men are funding a massive treasure hunt, complete with helicopters and transmitters, on the west coast of Greenland.
Ashton Kutcher says he battled the debilitating disease vasculitis. Here's what it is
Ashton Kutcher revealed Monday he had battled a serious autoimmune disease that affected his hearing, sight and ability to walk for more than a year.
RCMP has been using spyware tools for years and in more cases than previously reported, MPs told
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and senior RCMP officers are defending the national police force's years-long and previously undisclosed use of spyware—capable of remotely accessing cell phone and computer microphones, cameras and other data—as part of dozens of major investigations.
Canada
-
Helicopters bring supplies to Newfoundland towns cut off by raging forest fires
Helicopters have begun bringing essential supplies to southern Newfoundland towns cut off from the rest of the island by two out-of-control forest fires.
-
Crews recover two bodies from construction site trench collapse in Ajax, Ont.
Rescue crews recovered the bodies of two men from an Ajax, Ont., construction site where a trench they were digging collapsed Monday afternoon.
-
Saskatoon woman who had been reported missing faces charges in U.S., Canada
Federal prosecutors in the United States have accused a Saskatoon woman of faking her own death and that of her son in what they describe as an elaborate scheme to illegally enter the country.
-
Sask. RCMP issue Amber Alert for 7-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy
An Amber Alert was issued Monday evening by Shaunavon RCMP in Saskatchewan for seven-year-old Luna Potts and eight-year-old Hunter Potts.
-
Montreal mayor requests independent investigation into cancellation of Pride parade
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante has requested an independent investigation into the abrupt cancellation of the Montreal Pride parade Sunday after meeting with festival organizers Monday evening.
-
Community cut off by Newfoundland forest fires running out of food, says deputy mayor
The deputy mayor of a southern Newfoundland town says his community is running out of food as it remains cut off from the rest of the island due to the worst forest fires the province has seen in more than 60 years.
World
-
Taiwan warns China drills show ambitions beyond island
Taiwan warned Tuesday that Chinese military drills aren't just a rehearsal for an invasion of the self-governing island but also reflect ambitions to control large swaths of the western Pacific, as Taipei conducted its own exercises to underscore it's ready to defend itself.
-
Nagasaki marks atomic bombing anniversary amid fresh nuclear war fears
Nagasaki paid tribute to the victims of the U.S. atomic bombing 77 years ago on Aug. 9, with the mayor saying Russia's war on Ukraine showed the world that another nuclear attack is not just a worry but 'a tangible and present crisis.'
-
Alex Jones likely to win large cut in Sandy Hook punitive damages award: attorneys
U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones could end up owing as little as 10 per cent of the US$45.2 million in punitive damages that a Texas jury awarded to the parents of a Sandy Hook victim last week, legal experts told Reuters on Monday.
-
Russian disinformation spreading in new ways despite bans, report says
After Russia invaded Ukraine last February, the European Union moved to block RT and Sputnik, two of the Kremlin's top channels for spreading propaganda and misinformation about the war. Nearly six months later, the number of sites pushing that same content has exploded, according to a report by NewsGuard.
-
Trump says Florida estate 'under siege, raided, and occupied' by FBI
The FBI searched Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate as part of an investigation into whether he took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence, people familiar with the matter said Monday, a move that represents a dramatic and unprecedented escalation of law enforcement scrutiny of the former president.
-
Ex-Philippine leader and democracy defender Ramos is buried
Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos was laid to rest in a state funeral Tuesday, hailed as an ex-general who backed and then helped oust a dictatorship and became a defender of democracy and a can-do reformist in his poverty-wracked Asian country.
Politics
-
RCMP has been using spyware tools for years and in more cases than previously reported, MPs told
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and senior RCMP officers are defending the national police force's years-long and previously undisclosed use of spyware—capable of remotely accessing cell phone and computer microphones, cameras and other data—as part of dozens of major investigations.
-
House ethics committee begins second day of hearings into RCMP use of spyware
Ron Diebert, director of the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab, will speak to the House of Commons ethics committee as part of its probe into the RCMP's use of spyware in 32 investigations in the last five years.
-
Bill Graham, ex-interim Liberal leader and post-9/11 foreign affairs minister, dies
Condolences from Canadian politicians past and present poured out Monday as they learned about the death of Bill Graham, who served as foreign affairs minister when the country decided against joining the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Health
-
Monkeypox in the U.S.: Where could it spread next?
The United States declared monkeypox a public health emergency last week, an effort to bolster the U.S. response to contain the outbreak.
-
Monkeypox in Canada: Tracking where the cases are
The Public Health Agency of Canada is tracking the publicly reported cases of monkeypox across the country, updating the number of confirmed infections in each province and territory on a weekly basis.
-
Children with headache disorders report worse symptoms, mood during pandemic: study
A new study has found children who suffer from headache disorders have been experiencing more frequent pain and worse anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sci-Tech
-
WhatsApp is going to stop letting everyone see when you're online
Two new features being introduced on WhatsApp, which will let you choose who can see when you're active, and to leave groups silently, will start rolling out to all WhatsApp users this month.
-
Russia successfully launches Iranian satellite
A Russian rocket on Tuesday successfully launched an Iranian satellite into orbit.
-
Talks to revive Iran nuclear deal end, produce 'final text'
Talks to revive Tehran's tattered nuclear accord with world powers in Vienna ended Monday as the parties closed a final text and the Iranian negotiator prepared to return to his capital, diplomats said.
Entertainment
-
Ashton Kutcher says he battled the debilitating disease vasculitis. Here's what it is
Ashton Kutcher revealed Monday he had battled a serious autoimmune disease that affected his hearing, sight and ability to walk for more than a year.
-
Before and after Rydell High: Looking back on Olivia Newton-John's career
Although she is best known for her role as Sandy in the blockbuster musical 'Grease,' Olivia Newton-John, who died at the age of 73, had a career that extended far beyond the dramas of Rydell High.
-
'Hamilton' team responds to Texas church's unauthorized performance
A Texas church performed 'Hamilton' this weekend, but the team behind the Tony-award winning production says it shouldn't have happened.
Business
-
Wall Street mixed ahead of this week's inflation data
Wall Street is mixed Tuesday as more corporate earnings trickle in ahead of highly-anticipated inflation data from the government.
-
France's most famous condiment is running out
Hoping to bring some mustard home from France? It might actually be the last place you'll find some at the moment. France's most famous condiment is running out, and there is no sign of its return to the shelves.
-
The meme stock craze is back: AMC, GameStop and Bed Bath & Beyond soar
Meme mania has returned to the stock market with a vengeance. Shares of movie theater chain AMC, video game retailer GameStop and struggling home furnishings retailer Bed Bath & Beyond soared Monday, extending last week's big gains.
Lifestyle
-
Issey Miyake, influential Japanese fashion designer, dies aged 84
Issey Miyake, the Japanese fashion designer whose timeless pleats made him an industry favorite, has died aged 84. He died of cancer on August 5, his office confirmed to CNN on Tuesday.
-
'Socially awkward' dog gets 'pity party' after spending more than a year in a B.C. shelter
A Metro Vancouver shelter held what it called a 'pity party' for a dog who's been waiting to be adopted for more than a year - the first dog at the facility to wait that long in about even years.
-
WhatsApp is going to stop letting everyone see when you're online
Two new features being introduced on WhatsApp, which will let you choose who can see when you're active, and to leave groups silently, will start rolling out to all WhatsApp users this month.
Sports
-
Hope for 'significant change' in all of sports following Hockey Canada board chair's resignation: lawyer
The recent resignation of Hockey Canada's board chair could be a sign of further departures to come, says Simona Jellinek, a sexual abuse and assault lawyer.
-
Lone U.S. team in B.C.-based hockey league can't find enough vaccinated players
The lone American team in a junior B hockey league based in British Columbia is pulling out of the upcoming season because it can't find enough players vaccinated against COVID-19 to fill its roster.
-
Colorado Avalanche assistant coach Ray Bennett brings Stanley Cup home to Innisfail
The Stanley Cup was in Alberta on Monday, brought to Innisfail by former resident Ray Bennett.
Autos
-
Bolivia's 'Death Road' once haunted drivers. Now it's a wildlife haven
Bolivia's decision to open an alternate route to its historic 'Death Road' - a serpentine dirt path across the towering Andes hills known for its deadly cliffs - has led to a resurgence of wildlife in the area, according to an environmental group.
-
Bill with tax credits for 'North American' electric vehicles passes in U.S. Senate
The new plan to encourage Americans to buy more electric vehicles built in North America, instead of just the United States, has cleared its tallest hurdle, and for the Canadian auto industry, the stakes are enormous.
-
Florida death could be 20th in U.S. caused by Takata air bags
A Florida man who was killed in a traffic crash last month could be the 20th death in the U.S. caused by exploding Takata air bag inflators.
