Swiss News

MEPs have secured an air passenger rules deal that maintains compensation for three-hour delays, ensures faster reimbursement, fee-free child seating and flight price transparency.
Committee on Transport and Tourism

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

MEPs have secured an air passenger rules deal that maintains compensation for three-hour delays, ensures faster reimbursement, fee-free child seating and flight price transparency.
Committee on Transport and Tourism

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Marius Borg Høiby wurde zu vier Jahren Haft verurteilt. Sobald das Urteil rechtskräftig ist, wird er voraussichtlich ins Hochsicherheitsgefängnis Ila gebracht, in das er vergangene Woche verlegt wurde. Von hartem Knastleben ist dort aber wohl weniger die Rede.

Mexico modernized the legendary Azteca Stadium –now officially known as Banorte Stadium, to host five matches during the 2026 World Cup. However, residents have complained that the urban projects developed in the area do not address their needs, such as access to drinking water and better transportation. Credit: Emilio Godoy

By Emilio Godoy
MEXICO CITY, Jun 15 2026 (IPS)

The construction of an elevated pedestrian bridge connecting central and southern Mexico City –one of roughly 2,000 urban works tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, began last October, and, with only days to go before the tournament’s kickoff, remains unfinished.

When work broke ground, the Mexican capital, one of three host cities in this Latin American country, had no environmental plan in place –a requirement under the sustainability framework of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), the sport’s global governing body.

The 2026 World Cup spans three North American nations –Canada, the United States and Mexico, where the opening match was played last Thursday 11th at the iconic Estadio Azteca, now officially named Banorte Stadium, in Mexico City.

The unfinished bridge is not an isolated case, as it reflects the broader dynamic in Mexico City, where the local administration has launched some 2,000 construction projects ahead of the tournament, accelerating preparations throughout 2025 for a metropolis of nine million residents –23 million including greater metropolitan areas–.

The 2026 World Cup is the largest in history, featuring 48 teams, 104 matches across 16 cities in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It is also set to be the most polluting ever, according to two recent studies

The two other Mexican host venues face comparable shortfalls. Zapopan, neighboring Guadalajara in the western Jalisco state, and Guadalupe, on the outskirts of Monterrey in northern Nuevo León, have environmental plans riddled with gaps and not designed for mass events like a World Cup.

In all three cases, sustainability became an afterthought. The absolute priority was speed – ensuring completion before the opening whistle.

FIFA’s sustainability strategy encompasses the social, environmental, economic and governance pillars, and covers all three phases of tournament organization: preparation, staging and post-event activities, from strategy development through to the final sustainability and human rights report. FIFA, headquartered in Zürich, requires host cities to integrate environmental and human rights into their planning.

The strategy includes the prevention and mitigation of adverse environmental impacts, as well as measures to protect the ecosystems and address environmental degradation and its consequences on human rights.

The plan also stipulates protections for groups or populations facing disproportionate risks associated with the World Cup environmental footprint, addressing potential environmental risks related to the tournament’s organization, and tackling the effects tied to modifications made during its preparation.

Its environmental pillar comprises energy efficiency, waste reduction, city-level transport planning, impact prevention and mitigation. However, the strategy does not establish a specific carbon budget or an updated emissions estimate for the tournament.

The environmental factor is critical due to issues such as waste generation and water scarcity –common challenges across all three Mexican cities, as well as ongoing construction projects, particularly in Mexico City.

This reporter filed dozens of public information requests to agencies across all three host municipalities. None possessed estimates for carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions –the human-generated gas responsible for global warming, energy consumption, traffic volume, waste generation, water use or public transport ridership tied to the World Cup.

The gaps extended across virtually every relevant institution: Mexico’s Office of the Presidency; Mexico City’s Mayor’s Office; the capital’s secretaries for Mobility, Environment and Water Management; local public transit services; and the boroughs of Coyoacán and Tlalpan have no records of these measurements.

The same was true in Jalisco, where the state General Secretary of Government, the Secretaries of Environment and Territorial Development, the general coordination offices of Municipal Services, Public Works, Mobility and Transport, and Strategic Growth and Economic Development; the State Water Commission, the Inter-municipal Water and Sanitation Services System, and Guadalajara and Zapopan local governments confirmed they had no such projections. In Nuevo León, the pattern repeated itself: state and municipal environment and mobility agencies, along with the Monterrey water utility, have failed to produce these projections.

Gabriela Cuevas, a former senator from the opposition National Action Party (PAN) now serving as the presidential delegate for the World Cup, told this reporter her schedule was full and referred the inquiry to the Federal Attorney General for Environmental Protection (Profepa). In a June 4 appearance at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference, Cuevas asserted Mexico had met all FIFA requirements. FIFA did not respond to a request for comment.

The Mayor’s Office referred inquiries to the Secretary of Territorial Management, whose communications department stated that the matter fell outside its jurisdiction.

This silence is no accident; the government’s priority is the absolute success of the competition, overshadowing improvisations, mistakes, and complaints.

Streets flooded by heavy rains in the Santa Úrsula neighborhood, in southern Mexico City, home to the Banorte Stadium (formerly Azteca), which will host five World Cup matches.
Credit: Emilio Godoy

Urban window-dressing

Sources consulted for this article doubt on the environmental credentials and the necessity of many of the projects, while also denouncing a lack of public consultation to affected communities in several cases.

Rubén Ramírez, Santa Úrsula local community’s traditional authority –where Banorte Stadium stands, said the works fail to address the area’s most pressing crises, such as water availability, mobility, and the unchecked surge in construction.

“From the two World Cups that have been held (in Mexico), they have made millions, while the town has been left behind”, he said, referring to the 1970 and 1986 tournaments, both of which featured prominently the then-Azteca Stadium.

Mexico City legal framework requires authorities to consult indigenous and traditional communities before carrying out works on their territories –a requirement that was not met in the World Cup preparations, residents say. Locals have also complained of inadequate information and no meaningful response to their concerns.

Amid water shortages, a lack of green spaces, and poor mobility, the Santa Úrsula neighborhood has lived in the shadow of the stadium for half a century, but nothing has compared to this tournament. Its narrow streets are now bracing for thousands of visitors and dozens of public transit units in the so-called “Last Mile” corridor to the arena.

Alejandro Cerezo, who lives within the area of influence of the modernized stadium, considers the works to be mere “showcase projects” with no real environmental benefit.

“They didn’t build infrastructure. The right to mobility is restricted by road closures. It’s their plan, they (the government) execute it, and for everything else, there’s no consultation”, said Cerezo, a human rights defender.

In April, with dozens of projects already underway, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada unveiled the “Green World Cup: With Fair Play, the Planet Wins” –a ten-point initiative covering recycling, clean air and sustainable food.

Furthermore, in March, she had announced a Human Rights Agenda for the capital ahead of the tournament, comprising more than 100 actions under six headings, including mobility, non-discrimination, diversity and transparency.

One of these pillars, dubbed “Green Pitch” (Cancha Verde), supports economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights, with an emphasis on promoting circular economy principles and waste reduction.

The capital government has painted the city purple –the city government’s colour of presumed feminist alignment, and has plastered images of axolotls on every corner. The species, endemic to Mexico City, is critically endangered. For the Brugada administration, its ubiquitous image serves as a proxy for environmental credibility.

The true color is gray, the dye of the concrete poured across the city. Simply inserting the words “green” or “environmental” into every official message has not, by itself, made this World Cup any greener.

Mexico City, Guadalupe, and Zapopan—which expect to receive over five million visitors—have focused their efforts exclusively on projects surrounding the stadiums and the transit infrastructure needed to reach them: roadways and public transportation.

The Mexican capital has also tackled hydraulic works, rainwater capture, street lighting, pedestrian mobility and the rehabilitation of avenues surrounding the stadium, which will host five matches. Larger projects include the renovation of the international airport and an upgrade to one Metro public transit system line.

Across all three cities, the population breathes polluted air, faces water access issues, and copes with massive waste generation.

Government propaganda for the soccer World Cup in southern Mexico City. The capital administration has painted the public space purple and covered it with images of the axolotl, an endangered endemic species. However, the ecological credentials of the tournament preparations are nowhere to be seen.
Credit: Emilio Godoy

Insufficient Plans

Guadalupe, Nuevo León –home to BBVA Stadium, which will host four matches — has no specific plan for large-scale events that incorporates environmental and human rights obligations, no equity or environmental justice framework, and no quantifiable targets for emissions, renewable energy or carbon footprint reduction.

The town, which has 635,718 residents –while the Monterrey metropolitan area counts 5.32 million, has a regulation for stationary emission sources. Its Article 129 sets specific environmental guidelines for collection centers and sport fields, as well as frameworks for waste management, ecosystem protection and public participation.

The Guadalupe Programme, announced in 2025, includes cleanup actions, paving, reforestation, improvements to parks and plazas, as well as traffic safety campaigns. The local administration announced a mobility plan in May –one month before kick-off. Civil society organizations had already flagged poor public transport planning in February.

In Zapopan, home to Akron Stadium (host for four games) and located near Guadalajara, the Municipal Climate Action Programme lacks an environmental justice approach, a human rights-environment nexus and any assessment of cumulative impacts from the tournament. Furthermore, it is not designed for large-scale international events like the World Cup.

On the positive side, its ban on single-use plastics and polystyrene in commercial establishments represents a concrete step toward tournament sustainability.

In response to an FOIA request, the municipal council said it was still calculating greenhouse gas emissions and waste projections.

Over the course of this year, human rights organizations have recorded at least 15 protests over mobility issues in Guadalajara, whose metropolitan area totals 5.32 million residents, while Zapopan has 1.58 million.

“There are impacts from the closure of public spaces, not just from construction. We don’t know the environmental impact of the works”, said Denise Montiel, the Centro de Justicia para la Paz y el Desarrollo director, a Guadalajara-based NGO.

The construction of a public electric bus line –originally conceived as a metro track, began in 2025 without local permits. The lane links Guadalajara’s airport to the metropolitan area, with a stop at the stadium.

 

Water for Whom?

Water scarcity is among the most critical issues across all three host cities. Six NGOs warn that consumption could rise 40 to 60 percent during the contest in the three metropolises.

In Mexico City, where one in four households does not receive water daily and nearly four in ten liters are lost to leaks, an estimated 15,000 additional visitors could require some 2,250 cubic meters (m3) of water per day.

Guadalajara faces a similar crisis, as three of the four aquifers supplying the city suffer from a deficit because extraction outpaces recharge. It is estimated that an additional 18 000 people could require nearly 2700 m3 of water per day.

Monterrey is no different. All four of its supply aquifers are in the red, and the city carries a permanent deficit of 2.1 m3 between supply and demand. An estimated 15 000 additional visitors could require daily some 2250 m3.

 

The Dirtiest Cup

The 2026 World Cup is the largest in history, featuring 48 teams, 104 matches across 16 cities in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It is also set to be the most polluting ever, according to two recent studies.

The 2026 tournament is expected to generate 7,8 million tons of CO2—double the 2022 Qatar World Cup level of 3.6 million –primarily due to fan travel (nearly 88% of the total) across the 16 venues, according to an analysis by Paris-based climate tech consultancy Greenly. The next largest sources are accommodation and stadium modernization.

Meanwhile, London-based Scientists for Global Responsibility and the non-governmental Environmental Defense Fund put the figure even higher, at nine million tonnes.

FIFA has committed itself to halving its climate emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, but this commitment applies to the organization as a whole, rather than to individual competitions. Little evidence of progress has emerged from net-zero tracking platforms. FIFA is expected to rely again on carbon offsets, as it did for Qatar 2022.

In 2023, the Swiss Fairness Commission –Switzerland’s self-regulatory body for advertising and communications, found FIFA’s claim that Qatar 2022 was the first fully carbon-neutral World Cup to be unsubstantiated.

Even before it is kicked, FIFA and the three Mexican host cities have already fouled the ball.

Blick-Kolumnist Kubilay Türkyilmaz macht sich wenig Sorgen um die Nati, weil sie es gegen Kleine einfach nicht kann. Er glaubt an zwei Siege, sofern sich Xhaka und Embolo steigern und der Coach wieder einen klaren Kopf hat.

Die Gemeinde Unteriberg setzte am Sonntag ein deutliches Zeichen für die 10-Millionen-Initiative. Nirgends in der Schweiz war die Zustimmung so hoch wie im Schwyzer Dorf. Was prägt die Stimmung im Dorf? Blick hat nachgefragt.

Philippe Katerine und Julie Depardieu posierten am Samstag mit ihren Kindern Billy und Alfred beim Fernsehfestival von Monte Carlo auf dem roten Teppich – und zogen alle Blicke auf sich.

Julie Depardieu und Philippe Katerine posieren mit ihren beiden Söhnen Billy und Alfred bei einem Festival in Monte-Carlo. Die Enkelkinder von Schauspieler Gérard Depardieu wirken dabei ziemlich von der Rolle.

Öngyilkos merénylet Kvettában

Pakisztán legnagyobb és legszegényebb tartományában, Beludzsisztánban hosszú ideje harcolnak a pakisztáni fegyveres erők több beludzs terrorszervezettel. Ezek közül a legjelentősebb a BLA (Baloch Liberation Army), amely a terület teljes függetlenségét tűzte ki céljául és az elmúlt években sorra hajtott végre támadásokat mind civil, mind katonai célpontok ellen.

Február elején egy soha korábban nem tapasztalt terrortámadás-sorozat után a pakisztáni hadsereg már megpróbálta kisöpörni a BLA-t az ország területéről a Radd-ul-Fitna-1 hadművelet keretei között, ez azonban nem járt sikerrel. Igaz, hogy az akcióban több, mint 200 terroristát likvidáltak, több tucat civil áldozat mellett, de a szervezetet nem tudták legyőzni, az azóta is működik.

A BLA a téli harcok után május 24-én hajtotta végre az elmúlt hónapok legnagyobb terrortámadását Beludzsisztán fővárosában, Kvettában. Egy öngyilkos merénylő a város vasútállomásán hajtott bele egy személyszállító vonatba, robbanószerekkel telepakolt autójával. A támadásban legalább 30-an veszítették életüket és több, mint 50 ember került kórházba, közülük sokan súlyos sérülésekkel. Az áldozatok többsége a pakisztáni biztonsági erők tagja volt, akik a közelben állomásoztak.

Az akció időzítése nem volt véletlen, ugyanis Shehbaz Sharif pakisztáni miniszterelnök éppen másnap tárgyalt Pekingben a kínai kormánnyal és Xi Jinping kínai elnökkel. A BLA egyik célja a Kína által finanszírozott Kína-Pakisztán Gazdasági Folyosó infrastruktúrafejlesztési projekt keretein belül Beludzsisztánban épülő beruházásoknak az ellehetetlenítése. Állításuk szerint ezek csak a terület kizsákmányolását jelentik és rendszeresen hajtanak végre támadásokat ellenük.

Shehbaz Sharif miniszterelnök elítélte a támadást, amit gyáva terrorakciónak nevezett. Asif Ali Zardari pakisztáni elnök pedig megígérte, hogy le fogják győzni a terroristákat és mindenkit, aki finanszírozza őket. Régóta emlegetett pakisztáni vád, hogy a szervezet finanszírozásában India is szerepet játszik valamilyen formában, Újdelhi azonban mindig következetesen tagadta ezeket az állításokat.

Veres Máté

 

Izrael                                         

Benjamin Netanjahu miniszterelnök a hónap végén arra utasította az izraeli hadsereget, hogy emeljék meg 70%-ra a gázai övezezt feletti ellenőrzésnek a mértékét. A döntés aggodalomra add okot, mivel ez a lépés nehezíti a béketárgyalásokat.

Az Izrael és Irán közötti feszültség továbbra is fennáll és meghatározó. A tárgyalások lassan haladtak Amerika és Irán között, miközben továbbra is fennáll a térségben egy eszkaláció veszélye. A Hormuzi-szoros körüli bizonytalanság a globális energiaárakra is hatással volt.

Izrael hadiipara bejelentette, hogy új drónelhárító technológiák fejlesztését tervezik, válaszul a Hezbollah által használt pilóta nélkül vezérelt drón támadások növekvő fenyegetésére.

További fontos májusi esemény volt, hogy az Európai Unió új szankciókat fogadott el a ciszjordániai izraeli telepesekkel szemben. Az intézkedések több személyt és szervezetet is érintenek, miközben az EU a Hamász vezetőivel szembeni szankciós rendszert is bővítette. Brüsszel szerint a döntés visszaszorítja a térségben a növekvő erőszakot és megőrzi a kétállami megoldás esélyét. Izrael élesen bírálta a lépést és politikailag motiváltnak nevezte a szankciókat. A vita jól mutatja, hogy 2026 májusában tovább romlott Izrael és több európai partner viszonya a ciszjordániai telepbővítések és a palesztin területeken tapasztalható feszültségek miatt. Emellett hét ország (Franciaország, Németország, Egyesült Királyság, Olaszország, Kanada, Ausztrália és Új-Zéland) közös nyilatkozatban szólította fel az izraeli kormányt a telepek terjeszkedésének leállítására és a telepesek által elkövetett erőszak visszaszorítására.

Tekula Dóra

 

Szerkesztette: Tekula Dóra

A Közel-Kelet, 2026. május bejegyzés először Biztonságpolitika-én jelent meg.

Hach, volle Brauen wie Lily Collins (37) sollte man haben. Weil wir aber nicht alle von Natur aus mit einer üppigen Härchenpracht gesegnet sind, müssen wir in die Trickkiste greifen.

Der Star ist das Stadion! Okay, beim 4:1 gegen Paraguay waren das auch die US-Boys. Doch wie ist das Stadionerlebnis in diesem Sofi in Los Angeles, dem teuersten Stadion der Welt, in welchem wir am kommenden Donnerstag gegen Bosnien spielen?

Nach einem schweren Arbeitsunfall kämpft Eisenleger Gëzim Zuka fast zwei Jahrzehnte gegen die Justiz und seinen Arbeitgeber. Das Bundesgericht bringt späte Gerechtigkeit.

Der Flugsimulator von Google Earth läuft neu kostenlos in jedem Browser. Ein paar Klicks genügen – und schon hebt man ab. Nur die Steuerung hat ihre Tücken.

Für einen Weltmeister ging am Sonntag in Barcelona die Sonne auf (41, Lewis Hamilton) und für den anderen (44, Fernando Alonso) ging sie unter. Beide wissen, dass ihre einmalige Karriere auf die Zielgerade eingebogen ist.

Sonnige Tage, mediterrane Stimmung und Feriengefühle wie im Süden: Das Tessin begeistert mit seinem besonderen Charme. Wer dem Alltag entfliehen möchte, findet zwischen Lago Maggiore und Luganersee zahlreiche Traumziele für unvergessliche Sommerferien.

Vom fiesen Kater über die Bierdusche bis zum Wildpinkeln auf dem Heimweg: An der Fussball-WM gibts Dinge, die danebengehen können. Der Beobachter zeigt, wie man diese sechs Fettnäpfchen vermeidet.

Gesundheitsdaten sind heute allgegenwärtig. Trotzdem unterschätzen viele Menschen ihr persönliches Krankheitsrisiko. Da sich Krebs, Diabetes und andere schwere Erkrankungen oft jahrelang unbemerkt entwickeln, können die richtigen Fragen beim Arzt entscheidend sein.

Ferienhorror als Steckenpferd: Kult-Kolumnist Max Küng entfesselt im neusten Roman Urlaubs-Albträume. Beim Besuch in seiner Schreibstube verrät der Schriftsteller, wer ihn zu den Figuren in «Supertoskana» inspirierte.

Die USA und Iran haben sich auf eine Absichtserklärung geeinigt. Doch wie realistisch ist ein nachhaltiger Frieden? Wer profitiert vom Deal, und welche Folgen hätte er für den Libanon und die Region? Darüber spricht Nahostexperte Erich Gysling im Podcast «Durchblick».

Pietro Lombardi hatte am Sonntag einen Autounfall in Köln. Eine 20-jährige Beteiligte habe dabei leichte Verletzungen erlitten.