and two forwards from the organization of the Biancoblù
Davide Fadani, Nadir Scilacci, Aris Häfliger, Olmo Pietro Albis, Richard Němec, and Aris Conceprio will reinforce the <a href="/swiss-league/snakes" title="Snakes: News, Kader, und Transfers" class="teamhub">GDT Bellinzona Snakes</a> this season
"HeShootsHeScoores" reports from today's press conference in Ambrì
it will be the fifth consecutive season on loan to the club from Bellinzona
Except for the Italian netminder, who was with Ambrì's main squad when not in Bellinzona, the other youngsters all mainly suited up for <a href="/national-league/hcap" title="HCAP: News, Kader, und Transfers" class="teamhub">HC Ambrì-Piotta</a>'s U20 squad last season
have already suited up at least in one game in the past for the then Rockets
World champion Alison dos Santos broke his own meeting record to win the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles in 47.61 at the Gala dei Castelli
this season&rsquo;s final World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting
held on a nice summer&rsquo;s evening in Bellinzona on Monday (12)
Dos Santos won last year&rsquo;s edition in 48.15 and returned to crown a dream season in which he won the world title in Oregon in 46.29 and the Diamond Trophy in Zurich in 46.98
European silver medallist Wilfried Happio from France placed second with 49.06 ahead of European bronze medallist Yasmani Copello from Turkey (49.66)
I wanted to give 100%,&rdquo; said Brazil&rsquo;s Dos Santos
&ldquo;The fans in Bellinzona are amazing and deserved a good performance
&ldquo;I love this city and the atmosphere of Bellinzona
I met children during the kids&rsquo; clinic on Sunday
That moment was very special as I want to be a role model for future generations.&rdquo;
Joe Kovacs beat Ryan Crouser for the third time on Swiss soil in the past month with 22.19m in the men&rsquo;s shot put
who set the meeting record of 22.28m in 2019
opened with a throw of 22.00m and continued with 21.79m from his second attempt before four consecutive fouls
The two-time Olympic champion maintained his lead until the fifth round
when Kovacs produced the winning mark of 22.19m
The two-time world champion threw over the 21-metre barrier four times with 21.12m
beating world bronze medallist Josh Awotunde (20.97m) and Nick Ponzio (20.75m)
Kovacs moved to second on the world all-time list with 23.23m in Zurich last week
while Crouser turned the tables by winning in Zagreb with 22.19m
Marie-Josee Ta Lou from Ivory Coast stormed to a win in the women&rsquo;s 100m in 10.86
missing&nbsp; Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce&rsquo;s meeting record by 0.08
Ta Lou has dipped under 11 seconds six times since 10 August
when she broke the African record with 10.72
This year&rsquo;s European and Commonwealth bronze medallist Daryll Neita placed second in 11.00 ahead of Bassant Hemida from Egypt (11.07)
World 200m champion Shericka Jackson had to settle for fifth place in 11.19
&ldquo;Today the main goal was to win and run a good time,&rdquo; said Ta Lou
World record-holder Wayde van Niekerk won a close head-to-head clash against this year&rsquo;s Diamond League champion Kirani James in the men&rsquo;s 400m
James also dipped under the previous meeting record with 44.38
&ldquo;Tonight was a good performance,&rdquo; said Van Niekerk
&ldquo;The last three competitions in Europe came off a challenging World Championships in Eugene
I used a month to put in some good work and finished the season on a good note
Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn claimed the win in the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles in 12.74 ahead of 2019 world champion Nia Ali (12.80)
but I managed to win the world bronze medal in Eugene,&rdquo; said Camacho-Quinn
World bronze medallist Ernest John Obiena cleared a meeting record of 5.81m on his second attempt to win the men&rsquo;s pole vault and went on to make three unsuccessful attempts at 5.95m
Olympic silver medallist Chris Nilsen took second place in 5.71m
beating Renaud Lavillenie and Jacob Wooten on countback
Brandon Carnes took a surprising win in the men&rsquo;s 100m
running 10.04 from lane eight to edge Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala and Kendal Williams
This year&rsquo;s NACAC champion Ackeem Blake finished fourth in 10.09
&ldquo;It is amazing to run in such a beautiful place surrounded by mountains.&rdquo;
Beatrice Masilingi from Namibia won the women&rsquo;s 200m in 22.51
European champion Mujinga Kambundji finished fourth with 22.88
Olympic and world finalist Natoya Goule from Jamaica pulled away with 200m to go to win the women&rsquo;s 800m in 1:59.08
one week after finishing second at the Zurich Weltklasse
World Championships finalist Anita Horvat finished second in 2:00.76 ahead of European bronze medallist Anna Wielgosz (2:01.24)
USA&rsquo;s Jamal Britt won the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles in 13.18
beating Damion Thomas (13.38) and Rafael Pereira (13.41).&nbsp; Dominic Lobalu from South Sudan
launched his kick in the final straight to win the men&rsquo;s 3000min 7:38.16 ahead of Michael Kiplangat Temoi from Kenya (7:38.50)
World champion Eleanor Patterson from Australia cleared 1.91m on her first attempt to win the women&rsquo;s high jump over world bronze medallist Elena Vallortigara from Italy on countback
Lada Vondrova won the women&rsquo;s 400m in 51.60
beating Laviai Nielsen from Great Britain (51.72).&nbsp;
Home star Perkovic wins discus duel to cap se..
Warholm and Allman make triumphant return to ..
<a class="c-overline b-overline" href="/investing/">Investing</a>How Marc Rich’s Former Haven Put a Commodity Trader on TrialBy Archie Hunter and Jack FarchyPublished: December 14, 2024 at 9:22AM EST
(Bloomberg) -- When Trafigura Group director Mark Irwin stood up earlier this month to give evidence in a Swiss criminal court, it represented a pivotal moment in the relationship between the world’s commodity traders and the country that many of them call home.
Until now, Swiss prosecutors had never put a commodity trading house on trial. In fact, they’d never tried any company for corruption at all.
Irwin, who was one of Trafigura’s earliest employees, was the company’s official representative at the federal criminal court in the picturesque alpine town of Bellinzona, where Trafigura and three individuals — including former chief operating officer Mike Wainwright — faced charges of bribery in a landmark case. All four defendants denied the charges against them. 
The testimony from a procession of current and former senior figures at Trafigura meant the case has provided an unprecedented glimpse into decision making at one of the world’s biggest commodity traders, a company that handles enough oil every day to meet the combined demand of Germany, France and Spain. But it’s also served to highlight a shifting stance in Switzerland, which has long been known for its light-touch regulation.
Instead, federal prosecutors were accused by Trafigura’s lawyers of being on a “crusade,” while a lawyer for Wainwright argued his client was being unfairly made an example of to show the country was cracking down on the sector.
“Switzerland became a leading commodities hub thanks to a unique combination of tax privileges, its financial industry, weak regulation and a lax embargo policy,” said Adrià Budry Carbó of Swiss NGO Public Eye. “In the Trafigura trial, federal prosecutors are for the first time opening up and scrutinizing a corruption machinery in a public trial, in order to establish the responsibility of individuals.”
It’s a far cry from the not-so-distant past, when commodity traders from all over the world flocked to Switzerland, lured by low taxes, political neutrality and business-friendly laws.
In the 1960s, Egyptian cotton merchants relocated to Geneva. Later, industry godfather Marc Rich chose the town of Zug for his eponymous trading house when fleeing US justice. He was followed by Russian oil and metals merchants in the 1990s.
But in recent years, mirroring a crackdown on corruption and market manipulation by commodity traders from US authorities, Swiss prosecutors have launched several cases against the industry. 
Both Glencore Plc and Gunvor Group have been fined for historical corruption, though the cases were resolved without going to trial. Trafigura has said it had been willing to settle, but the Swiss prosecutors “decided to send the case to court.”
And so, over the past fortnight, a small army of lawyers descended on Bellinzona. On trial were not just Trafigura, but also Wainwright, the former COO, Thierry Plojoux, a former Trafigura employee who was an alleged middleman for bribe payments, and Paulo Gouveia Junior, an Angolan oil official who allegedly received the bribes. 
At times, the court — which last saw major corporate action when Credit Suisse Group AG was convicted for laundering a cocaine dealer’s cash in 2022 — didn’t seem equipped to handle the volume of lawyers, public relations officials, observers and journalists. 
On the first day of the trial, prosecutors complained that Trafigura’s vast team meant there wasn’t enough space in the courtroom. During breaks, defendants and witnesses, some of them multimillionaires, queued along with everyone else for the courthouse’s two toilets and one coffee machine.
The crackdown on corruption is happening at a time when Switzerland’s position as an epicenter for much of the world’s physical commodities trade is under increasing threat. 
Singapore has wooed many of the world’s commodity traders with tax breaks — including Trafigura, which reorganized itself under a Singapore parent company in 2015, although its top executives are still based in Geneva. And Switzerland’s decision to mirror EU sanctions on some Russian commodities since 2022 has resulted in a significant shift in the companies handling those trade flows to Middle Eastern hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. 
Still, Switzerland doesn’t look like losing its status as a key hub for commodity trading any time soon. Swiss-based trading companies handle a third of the world’s trade in crude and oil products, according to the Swiss Commodity Trading Association SUISSENÉGOCE. In return “fiscal contributions” from trading represent 22% of Geneva’s budget, 10% in Zug and around 19% of Lugano’s income, according to the body.
The country’s famously low taxation rates mean it is still an attractive location for many trading businesses. Trafigura itself had an effective tax rate of just 2.8% on profits of $2.8 billion in its most recent financial year, it said in its annual report on Friday. Moreover, many traders receive the lion’s share of their compensation through the rise in value of their shareholdings in their companies — which, as capital gains, are not subject to Swiss tax.
Even Swiss corruption cases remain relatively easy for the traders to brush off. The country has a maximum corporate fine of 5 million francs ($5.6 million) on top of disgorgement of profits made in corrupt acts — a rounding error for companies that make billions of dollars in profits a year. 
The Swiss trial comes at a sensitive time for Trafigura. The company is preparing for the second CEO handover in its history next month, when gas boss Richard Holtum will take over from Jeremy Weir. It has also this year pleaded guilty in a US court to historical corruption in Brazil, settled allegations it manipulated oil prices, and on Friday confirmed it took $1.1 billion in losses related to alleged employee misconduct in its Mongolian oil business.
In the case that concluded last week, the charge against Trafigura is that it allegedly failed to take the necessary measures to prevent bribes being paid. Much of the trial focused on the adequacy of the company’s compliance function during the period of 2009 to 2011, when it made payments to intermediaries, which paid around $5 million to Gouveia.
Irwin, who attended the trial as Trafigura’s representative, told the court that the company’s compliance team had been “very independent” in the period when the alleged bribes were paid. 
Asked by the judges to explain the payments, he replied: “I cannot explain the payments to Mr. Gouveia.”
Prosecutors are seeking a total penalty of $157 million from Trafigura. Judges in the Bellinzona court usually take several months to deliver their verdict.
(Updates with additional details. An earlier version of the story corrected spelling in sixth paragraph.)
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A court in Switzerland has convicted a Gambian former top official for crimes against humanity and has sentenced him to 20 years in prison
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes the move and recalls that former president Yahya Jammeh
the main responsible of crimes committed against journalists
should now have nowhere to hide from justice
Switzerland is now the second state to have investigated crimes against humanity in The Gambia during the Jammeh era
Ousman Sonko and Bai Lowe have been convicted for their contribution to crimes against those Gambians that the dictator Yahya Jammeh believed to be a threat to his power
These trials under the principle of universal jurisdiction
conducted far from The Gambia and most of the victims
show that accountability is possible and they point to the next important steps: continuing the quest for justice within The Gambia and holding Jammeh himself accountable
were tortured by Gambian authorities – at the time under the control of the Interior Minister
Many of the journalists’ colleagues suffered under this pattern of persecution
Being a critical journalist in The Gambia under Jammeh
“Over 100 journalists fled the country to live in exile
resulting in weakened state of independent journalism in the country,” said independent journalist&nbsp;Sanna Camara
who returned home in 2017 after three years in exile to continue working in the capital Banjul
Journalists facing major obstacles in reporting from the trials&nbsp;&nbsp;
While press freedom in The Gambia has improved significantly after the Jammeh era, Gambian journalists have faced major obstacles in reporting from the trials in Germany and Switzerland. The hearings and concluding statements were held almost exclusively in German language, with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/127593-witness-hearings-end-sonko-trial.html">no regard for the victims’ and journalists’ needs</a>
Only a few Gambian journalists made their way to Bellinzona
challenging visa processes and linguistic barriers.&nbsp;Mariam Sankanu and Sanna Camara have been following the trial from the first hearings on.&nbsp;
“Gambian journalists being able to follow this trial has brought information closer to the people who truly matter in all of this – the Gambian people
not much was heard of Sonko among ordinary Gambians
has awakened them and sparked their interest
Now everyone was looking forward to the verdict
Because they have been following,” said Gambian investigative journalist Mariam Sankanu
the two journalists have made their way once more from Banjul to Bellinzona to report about the verdict
Call for Jammeh’s extradition to The Gambia&nbsp;
RSF Switzerland nevertheless deplores the fact that the Tribunal did not take sufficient account of the particularities of a trial conducted on the basis of universal jurisdiction.&nbsp;“For such a trial to truly achieve its objectives
it should have been conducted in such conditions that the parties
as well as public and media representatives from Gambia
could have followed the proceedings with full simultaneous translation into English provided by the Swiss court itself
We regret this and hope that the Federal Criminal Court will learn from it in the future,” said Denis Masmejan
RSF’s Switzerland’s Secretary General.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We depend on you in order to be able to monitor respect for press freedom and take action worldwide
You support our activities when you buy our books of photos: all of the profits go to Reporters Without Borders
Lausanne-Sport are the first semi-finalists in the Swiss Cup
The Vaud team had to tremble against lower-ranked Bellinzona
The goalkeeper had only played his first championship game of the season last weekend because Karlo Letica had to forgo an appearance due to a contractual clause
Now Castella also stood between the posts in the Cup and saved his team from a bitter elimination
he saved the attempts of Nassim L&apos;Ghoul and Jonathan Sabbatini
Castella said that he had been patient all season in order to be ready on D-Day: &quot;It&apos;s always a nice thing for a goalie to win a penalty shootout.&quot; He will enjoy it tonight
Castella&apos;s performance must be a blessing for Lausanne-Sport
2 will be all the more important in the current dispute over regular goalkeeper Letica
blue Sport spoke to player consultant Baykal Bellusci before the cup game
He says about the Letica case: &quot;With such an important player
you have to make sure that he can deliver his performance and that this clause is removed from his contract
It doesn&apos;t do the team much good if you fight against it and know that the player will otherwise go through with it.&quot;
it would therefore be smarter to forgo the transfer fee of 200,000 to 300,000 Swiss francs for Letica in the summer in exchange for a player who will go all the way and help achieve the goals
With Castella&apos;s strong performance in the Cup
Lausanne may be in a slightly stronger negotiating position again
The pressure to comply with Letica&apos;s wishes has probably eased somewhat
The score was 1-1 after 120 minutes in a match characterized by tough duels
with the home team from the Challenge League initially taking the lead
a confusing situation following a corner kick led to the first goal of the game
A shot from distance was deflected in such a way that Rilind Nivokazi had a clear path
The 25-year-old Kosovan beat Castella from close range
Bellinzona&apos;s second semi-final appearance since the 1970s was within their grasp
but were unable to find a solution for a long time
a set-piece brought redemption for Ludovic Magnin&apos;s team
No&#xEB; Dussenne headed home the equalizer from a free kick to save Lausanne
An eagerly-awaited win by local star Ajla del Ponte and Olympic 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk&rsquo;s first international appearance since 2017 were the key highlights at the 10th edition of the Gal&agrave; dei Castelli in Bellinzona
a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting
But perhaps the most surprising result of the evening came in the women's 800m
where Hedda Hynne took another second off her own recent Norwegian record
The pacemaker led the field through the first lap in a swift 57.17 with Britain's Jemma Reekie close behind
Reekie still led as they entered the home straight
pulling Buchel and Swiss champion Lore Hoffman through too
The four women all finished inside 1:59 with Hynne winning in 1:58.10
Hoffman clocking 1:58.50 to become the second-fastest Swiss woman ever
Del Ponte&rsquo;s 11.18 victory crowned an impressive season in which she won Wanda Diamond League races in Monte Carlo and Stockholm
World U20 bronze medallist Kristal Awuah finished second in 11.33 ahead of European U20 200m champion Amy Hunt (11.41) and two-time world 200m champion Dafne Schippers (11.42)
&ldquo;It was completely different to win at home in front of my fans
who gave me a lot of energy,&rdquo; Del Ponte said
If I keep the energy from today&rsquo;s competition
Rome is going to be another nice race.&rdquo;
Van Niekerk made a winning comeback in his first race outside of South Africa since the 2017 World Championships in London
But he clawed his way back to take the win in 45.58 ahead of Dutchman Jochem Dobber (45.78) and Poland&rsquo;s Karol Zalewski (46.03)
&ldquo;The race was challenging,&rdquo; Van Niekerk said
&ldquo;The guys went out from the beginning and I had to stick with them
The 400m is where I belong and I showed that I am still around.&rdquo;
Van Niekerk tested positive for Covid-19 in early August and said he then remained isolated for 25 days
&ldquo;Basically I started from scratch.&rdquo;
who was fourth over 100m at last year&rsquo;s World Championships
won his third 100m race this summer in 10.02 into a slight -0.2 m/s headwind holding off Italian record-holder and world finalist Filippo Tortu
whose 10.07 was the fastest by a European this year
and Tortu will clash again in Rome on Thursday
Sweden&rsquo;s Michaela Meijer cleared 4.70m on her third attempt to win the women&rsquo;s pole vault before making one attempt at 4.85m
2016 world U20 champion and two-time European U23 champion Angelica Moser from Switzerland cleared 4.60m on her third attempt to finish second before making three unsuccessful attempts at 4.70m
World leader Femke Bol won the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles in 54.33 edging European champion Lea Sprunger from Switzerland
Bol made a big breakthrough earlier this year when she clocked the current world lead of 53.97 in Papendal
European indoor 60m hurdles champion Nadine Visser won the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles in 12.79
edging out three-time Italian champion Luminosa Bogliolo
Visser had beaten Bogliolo earlier this year at the Continental Tour meeting in Turku when she equaled the world leading 12.68
World 3000m steeplechase silver medallist Lamecha Girma produced a thrilling win in a close 1500m race with a PB of 3:35.67
Piers Copeland from Great Britain finished just 0.02 behind the Ethiopian with a PB of 3:35.69
World 5000m silver medallist Selemon Barega was third in 3:36.07
Finland&rsquo;s Kristian Pulli took an upset win in the men&rsquo;s long jump with 8.08m ahead of 2017 world bronze medallist Ruswahl Samaai (8.04m) and world champion Tajay Gayle (7.99m)
Ludvy Vaillant from France won the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles in 49.24 beating David Kendziera of the US
who clocked 49.67 after winning the past two editions of this meeting
Aaron Mallett of the US won the 110m hurdles with a 13.34 lifetime best
beating Swiss record-holder and European U23 champion Jason Joseph (13.40) in a race dedicated to the memory of late local coach Fiorenzo Marchesi
Dutch sprinter Lieke Klaver took a close win in the women&rsquo;s 200m in 22.96 ahead of Marije Van Hunenstijn (23.01) and Italian champion Dalia Kaddari
who smashed the national U20 record with 23.23
Perkovic extends winning streak in Bellinzona
Crouser breaks meeting record in Bellinzona
Mihambo leaps world-leading 7.03m in Dessau
The case is underway at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona.&nbsp;
was the chief operating officer at the time of the alleged offence.&nbsp;
The other two are a former Angolan official and an ex-Trafigura employee.&nbsp;
Prosecutors allege over 4 million euro as well as 600,000 US dollars was sent to the Angolan official in exchange for oil and shipping contracts.&nbsp;
Lawyers for the company says it will defend itself against the charges
and Michael Wainwright&rsquo;s lawyer says he will be putting up a robust defence and is certain the court will dismiss the case.&nbsp;
FC St.Gallen is the only team to fail in the last 16 of the Swiss Cup against a lower-ranked team
The European Cup participants lost 1:0 in Bellinzona
with Lausanne and Etoile Carouge also advancing alongside the Ticino side
St.Gallen&apos;s exit is not only surprising because of the league difference
but also because Bellinzona has been in a form slump for weeks
The 1-0 win against St.Gallen was the Ticino side&apos;s first victory since the end of September
In the eight games in the Challenge League in between
AC Bellinzona scored the golden goal ten minutes after the break when the ever-dangerous Rilind Nivokazi broke through in midfield and set up Caleb Chukwuemeka
The latter won his duel with St.Gallen keeper Lawrence Ati Zigi with aplomb
The hosts also had other good opportunities
Nivokazi only hit the post before the break and later had a good chance to make it 2-0
What FC St.Gallen produced was frighteningly little given the predicament they found themselves in after the 0:1 at the latest
There was no sign of an assault on the Bellinzona goal
there and then a solo effort from Christian Witzig
Gr&#xFC;nweiss showed too little to earn a place in the last eight
Just like last year (in the round of 16 against Del&#xE9;mont)
St.Gallen failed against a lower-ranked team
Lausanne-Sport had no problems and confirmed their good form
who scored his eighth goal of the season and third in the Cup
ensured a deserved and reassuring 2:0 lead at the break
It was only after this that FC Winterthur improved and had one or two chances to score before Fousseni Diabat&#xE9; made things clear with Lausanne&apos;s third goal in the 85th minute
Winterthur won the last clash between the two teams in the championship a month ago
It remains Zurich&apos;s only win from the last eight games
The only round of 16 tie between two clubs from the second-highest league was decided by a single action
made the most of a corner in the 70th minute
took the ball technically perfectly from the air
dribbled free and scored with a precise low shot
The corner kick was taken by Vincent R&#xFC;fli
who are also ahead of FC Aarau in the Challenge League
have reached the quarter-finals for the second time in the last 27 years
returned to the Challenge League this season
They had previously played in lower leagues for twelve years
had already qualified for the quarter-finals
Not much more from St.Gallen in stoppage time
The team from eastern Switzerland deserved to lose 1-0 to a defensively defiant Ticino side who deserved to progress to the quarter-finals
but lack ideas and simply lack quality in their attacking play
Bellinzona are doing a great job defensively
with the Ticino side repeatedly causing unnecessary St.Gallen fouls that disrupt the flow of the game
Maassen makes another substitution and brings on Mambimbi for Cisse
Vallci is almost begging for his second yellow card
but has so far managed to avoid his second caution
For the first time since conceding the goal
FC St.Gallen have something of a pressure phase
who gets stuck in the Ticino defense with his shot
shortly afterwards Witzig&apos;s shot doesn&apos;t make it through to the goal either
After a disastrous misplaced pass from Stevanovic
another single pass undermines the entire St.Gallen defense
St.Gallen goalie Zigi remains the winner - he stops the shot with his head
Enrico Maassen reacts to the deficit and brings on Stevanovic
The St.Gallen man makes a nice run down the left flank
This should not really happen to St.Gallen
A beautiful but simple through-ball from Nivokazi undermines the entire St.Gallen defense
The finish into the far corner is on target - 1:0 for Bellinzona
A Bellinzona free kick from a half-left position flies dangerously into the penalty area
Nivokazi is unguarded there and gets a header
Christian Witzig gets on the end of a superb pass from Lukas G&#xF6;rtler in the Bellinzona penalty area
Bellinzona goalkeeper Simon Enzler starts a dangerous dribble in his own penalty area
Cisse immediately goes for the ball and takes it from him - but then the whistle blows
Referee Lukas F&#xE4;hndrich judges the action as an offensive foul
FCSG coach Enrico Maassen does not agree at all
complains loudly and is shown a yellow card
A Bellinzona free kick causes trouble in the St.Gallen penalty area and somehow ends up with Gorga
St.Gallen can suddenly thank the aluminum that they are not behind
Bellinzona striker Nivokazi shook off Ambrosious
took a shot from an acute angle and hammered the ball against the post
Cisse manages to hold off two Ticino defenders and suddenly finds himself alone in front of Enzler
but tries to run around the Bellinzona goalie
AC Bellinzona have not conceded anything here
but so far lack the necessary precision in their passing
First shot of the game: Quintilla tries from a good 20 meters
but the ball is deflected by teammate G&#xF6;rtler and ends up in front of Bellinzona keeper Enzler&apos;s feet
1&#x20E3;1&#x20E3; | Unser <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LineUp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LineUp</a> f&#xFC;r das dritte Cupspiel im Ticino! &#x1F4AA; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ACBFCSG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ACBFCSG</a> <a href="https://t.co/pbplC7ZHTH">pic.twitter.com/pbplC7ZHTH</a>
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Hotel Bellinzona for sale by JLL Hotels agents Nick MacFie and Peter Harper
the beloved gem nestled in the heart of Hepburn Springs Daylesford
offering astute investors a rare chance to own a piece of hospitality history
have announced their decision to sell the property as they embark on new and exciting ventures
Having meticulously curated every detail of Hotel Bellinzona to create an unparalleled guest experience and design destination
De Marco and Albioli reflect fondly on their time at the helm
"After pouring our hearts and souls into renovating and rescuing Hotel Bellinzona
we feel it's now at a stage where we can pass the torch and pursue new opportunities
and we're so proud of what we've accomplished.”
Nick MacFie and Peter Harper from JLL’s Hotels &amp; Hospitality Group have been appointed to handle the sale
echoed Tony and Theresa’s comments: "This is more than just a property; it’s a destination within a destination and an incredible canvas for someone to continue the legacy created by our clients in one of Australia’s premier tourism destinations
impeccable reputation and enormous 9,739sqm* land holding with three road frontages
Hotel Bellinzona is poised to continue to thrive and grow market share under new ownership."
Spanning 43 rooms adorned with bespoke décor and original artworks
Hotel Bellinzona has earned accolades for its distinctive design
to its myriad of dining spaces and exceptional conference facilities
each corner of the hotel exudes warmth and sophistication
The Freehold Going Concern of Hotel Bellinzona is being offered for sale
via an Expressions of Interest campaign closing Wednesday 26th June 2024 at 2pm (AEST)
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Ousman Sonko was back in the Swiss Federal Court in Bellinzona
a crowd not seen in the previous phases of the trial of the former Interior minister of the Gambia
none able to say with certainty what the outcome of the case would be
It is no longer in my hands,&rdquo; said Phillippe Currat
We don&rsquo;t have a precedent for this case
It&rsquo;s the first time we are trying the minister of another country
so I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo; The defence team and the accused family were almost complete
Their son was expected to be here for the verdict
but he could not get permission from school in time
after sharing pleasantries with the Deputy Permanent Representative of The Gambia Mission in Geneva
which he was reading when the three panel judges walked in
eyes fixated on the judges as the president of the court read out the judgement in German
Sonko was found guilty on multiple counts of intentional homicide
multiple counts of false imprisonment and multiple counts of torture as crimes against humanity
for acts that took place while he served the dictatorship of Gambian president Yahya Jammeh (1994-2017)
Sonko had been one of the longest serving government officials in the Jammeh regime
and an expulsion from the country for a duration of 12 years
Sonko has been in jail in Switzerland since January 2017
pre-trial and preventive detention before the date of judgement of a total of 2667 days will be taken into account in the execution of the sentence,&rdquo; said the court
Sonko would have spent 75 years and 4 months in prison (with Baba Jobe&rsquo;s murder carrying the highest single sentence of 15 years)
The president of the court further said that the accused did not show remorse and was not interested in clarifying issues
He criticized the accused&rsquo;s &ldquo;obstructive behaviour.&rdquo; Sonko was also ordered to pay compensation to the plaintiffs and to the Swiss Confederation for the expenses incurred in this trial
This would amount to 3.9 million US dollars
14,413.30 Swiss francs (16,000 USD) that was forfeited from Sonko has been allocated&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;to claimants to cover civil claims
&ldquo;The wheels of justice may turn slowly
but this verdict is a clear indication that they do turn
and in due time all those responsible for such crimes will be held accountable
It&rsquo;s a powerful precedent for accountability
The implications resonate far beyond this case
signalling to perpetrators worldwide that justice will eventually catch up with them,&rdquo; said Isatou Jammeh
&ldquo;I think it will boost the chances that other prosecutions will go ahead in The Gambia but also in other parts of the world
So it's a good day for justice today,&rdquo; concurred Philip Grant
the Swiss NGO that initiated the case against Sonko
Sonko was not convicted for all the crimes he was prosecuted. The court dismissed the rape charges on legal grounds, saying the rape cases alleged against Sonko did not show any connection to a systematic attack against a civilian population and therefore could not fall under the definition of a crime against humanity. It viewed them as isolated incidents.
&ldquo;If Ousman Sonko is not convicted of sexual violence after all the evidence from the TRRC where he&rsquo;s named and mentioned, then it&rsquo;s really concerning,&rdquo; said Fatou Baldeh, founder and chief executive director of Women in Liberation and Leadership (WILL), a Gambian NGO. &ldquo;But also, I think this would really hold women back, women victims of sexual violence as we move forward with prosecutions of other perpetrators.&rdquo;
Sadibou Badjie, a supporter of former president Jammeh, said this verdict was shocking. &ldquo;I have not discussed it with anyone yet,&rdquo; he said on the phone, referring to the people of Foni, Jammeh&rsquo;s hometown, &ldquo;but I am sure none will be pleased with this news of [Sonko&rsquo;s] jailing.&rdquo;
Volume 8 - 2023 | <a class="ArticleLayoutHeader__info__doi" href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2023.1085455">https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2023.1085455</a>
This article is part of the Research TopicUnhealthy Language: Linguistic Investigations of COVID-19 Discourse<a class="Link Link--linkType Link--maincolor Link--medium Link--icon Link--chevronRight Link--right" aria-label="View all 10 articles" href="https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/33557/unhealthy-language-linguistic-investigations-of-covid-19-discourse/magazine" target="_self" data-event="customLink-linkType-a_viewAll10Articles">View all 10 articles</a>
The study of the linguistic landscape (LL) focuses on the representations of languages on signs placed in the public space and on the ways in which individuals interact with these elements
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of life
the study of the LL is fundamental not only to better understand the ways in which places have changed and how people are interpreting and experiencing them but also to analyze the evolution of COVID-19 discourses since the pandemic broke out
This contribution aims to investigate how and in what terms the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the Italian LL
responded to and jointly reflected on the shared shock
assuming the city of Florence as a case study
The data collected in the three main phases of the pandemic include photographs of virtual and urban LL signs and interviews
which were analyzed through qualitative content analysis with the aim of exploring citizens&#x00027; perceptions and awareness of changes in the LL of their city
The results obtained offer a photograph of complex landscapes and ecologies
with public and private discourses that are strongly intertwined and often complementary
the diachronic analysis made it possible to identify
points in common with the communication strategies in the different phases
strong differences emerged in the bottom-up representations
characterized in the first phase by discourses of resilience
and in the second and third phases by disillusionment
the transformation of both residential and commercial spaces into tourist destinations or places of consumption
According to the data processed by the Florence Tourist Studies Center
the general flows reached 5.3 million arrivals and just under 15.5 million presences
These massive flows have led to the transformation of several neighborhoods of the city
This research is highly interdisciplinary, multisensory, and multi-temporal, as it is not limited to a synchronic analysis of the visual data displayed in urban LLs. Moreover, it explores the variation in diachronic terms, while expanding the LL approach to the so-called cyberscapes (<a href="#B19">Ivkovic and Lotherington, 2009</a>) and soundscapes (<a href="#B33">Scarvaglieri et al., 2013</a>)
Since the scope of this research is extensive and multifaceted
the discussion will be limited to some of the results obtained
reconstructing the stages of the pandemic in Italy through a qualitative analysis of the data collected
which consist of signs in the urban and virtual LL
Central to this perspective is the integrated analysis of top-down and bottom-up discourses (and signs)
explored as different sides of the same coin
To understand how perceptions and representations of the pandemic have changed over time
it seems essential to consider both institutional and private actors and sign makers
and how the latter intersect with each other
the research questions to be answered here are:
&#x02022; What discourses on COVID-19 materialized in the Italian LL in the different phases of the pandemic
&#x02022; Which actors and how did they convey these discourses
&#x02022; What was the perception and awareness of citizens at the emergence of these discourses
The need to consider the temporal component is linked to the fact that the evolution of the pandemic has involved the adoption of different measures and rules, as well as heterogeneous reactions on the part of the population. Initially, it was assumed that these issues would have been reflected precisely in the LL, carnival mirror (<a href="#B13">Gorter, 2012</a>
11) of the roles played by languages and ideologies in society
the first wave of the pandemic officially began on 20 February 2020
when the first Italian case of a patient suffering from COVID-19 was discovered
there was a rapid succession of decrees and regulations
with which increasingly restrictive measures were introduced to control the spread of the pandemic
which resulted in a national lockdown from 9 March 2020
The arrival of the summer of 2020 gave a false feeling of normality and freedom
which clashed with an increase in infections and the consequent restrictive measures starting from September 2020
when Italy entered the second wave of COVID-19
through which the Italian regions were distinguished by color
Each color included increasingly restrictive measures
due to the results of the measures themselves and the vaccination campaign
people were able to start moving around and repopulating the city streets
the LL evolved rapidly: the overview that will emerge from this study aims to offer an unprecedented reconstruction of what has been experienced and conveyed in the Italian LL in the past 2 years
opening to further and heterogeneous perspectives of analyses
as well as the emergence of new discourses in different linguistic and semiotic landscapes
including the discursive-affective practices
who contributed to these changes in the Italian LL
This study adopts a mixed methods approach (<a href="#B8">Creswell, 2003</a>, <a href="#B9">2008</a>): heterogeneous research tools
and interviews were used to answer the research questions
with collections of data stratified over time and plural analysis conducted on different levels
the comparison between top-down and bottom-up discourses
between the different linguistic and semiotic ways in which social actors have tried
to represent and control the social reality
three phases of the research can be distinguished
and advertising flyers in which the COVID-19 discourse assumed relevance
The choice to focus on the virtual environment was dictated by pragmatic reasons
as the lockdown imposed at the national level prevented the researchers from engaging in linguistic walks and from collecting data in the urban LL
the same limitations to which the researchers were subjected were experienced by the rest of the Italian population; regulatory
and interrelation discourses had moved to the virtual environment for everyone
thus making the cyberscape not only &#x0201C;the only&#x0201D; but also the most relevant source of data related to the pandemic discourse
The corpus of data collected in this first phase was subjected to a multimodal discourse analysis, &#x0201C;which extends the study of language per se to the study of language in combination with other resources&#x0201D; (<a href="#B28">O&#x00027;Halloran, 2011</a>
This was considered appropriate to identify the discourses themselves linked to COVID-19
and the linguistic and multimodal strategies adopted by institutional and private citizens to convey them
in addition to being an important complement to the physical space itself
can be considered an element of the territory
linguistic and semiotic choices have relevance; they influence the symbolic dimension of organization and power and must be considered in relation to the emplacement of (digital) texts and signs
A total of 346 references were thus codified
with three tree nodes (called &#x0201C;History and perceptions of the city of Florence,&#x0201D; &#x0201C;The subdivision of the city into districts,&#x0201D; and &#x0201C;Awareness of the Linguistic Landscape&#x0201D;)
One of the child nodes is related to &#x0201C;Discourses in the LL associated to the pandemic&#x0201D;; the discussion in the next pages will focus on this
The analysis conducted on the different types of data collected led to the identification of heterogeneous discourses related to the pandemic
different from each other not only regarding the agents who have decided to produce and convey them
and above all for the moment in time in which they materialized in the LL and the collective imagination
the temporal criterion will guide the discussion of the results
what emerged from the study will be explored by retracing the various waves of the pandemic in Italy
Since the dawn of the field of study (<a href="#B12">Gorter, 2006</a>), research on LL has focused on the description and analysis of (multilingual and multimodal) landscapes in the awareness of the impact that visible signs in urban space can have on citizens, inhabitants, and tourists, on all those who perceive, conceive, and experience these spaces (<a href="#B21">Lefebvre, 1991</a>; <a href="#B42">Trumper-Hecht, 2010</a>)
is one of the central characteristics of the LL
although not always explicitly considered in research: it is a key active element capable of receiving and influencing the very production of space and the LL
Photo 1&#x02014;white billboards in Milan; Photo 2&#x02014;San Carlo advertising with a pun; Photo 3&#x02014;meme related to self-certification; Photo 4&#x02014;meme linked to the visible panorama during isolation; Photo 5&#x02014;meme inspired by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte
With citizens forced to stay indoors, companies cut investment in signage. Nonetheless, commercial discourses continued to circulate, moving into the online environment. Cyberscape, and in particular the social media message boards, thus became privileged spaces to place one&#x00027;s advertisements, which began to circulate through the sharing of the consumers themselves. In addition, due to the dynamics and characteristics of cyberscape (<a href="#B19">Ivkovic and Lotherington, 2009</a>)
witnessing in this phase a reversal of the very concept of mobility
it is no longer consumers who move and come into contact with commercial discourses
and meet (more or less) static consumers in the physical space of their homes
being a non-essential product or inherent to the pandemic
In photo 4 (Hotel of a railway&#x02014;Hopper)
seen from the only possible angle: a window
Photo 5 (<a href="#F1">Figure 1</a>) is also ironic
as it shows the meme of a close-up of Giuseppe Conte
retouched with hearts and surmounted by the words &#x0201C;Andr&#x000E0; tutto bene&#x0201D; (&#x0201C;Everything will be all right&#x0201D;&#x02014;the reason of this sentence is illustrated below)
The image was taken from a Facebook group called &#x0201C;Le bimbe di Conte,&#x0201D; a movement born spontaneously on social media in support of the premier and which
official communications were shared and the rules to follow were remembered
using the emblematic phrases pronounced by the Prime Minister on live TV and social networks
but also the information services and the regulatory discourse in general in the first wave of the pandemic had moved online and
The premier himself made extensive use of social networks and of a lexicon of social networks
the decree by which the lockdown was established was called &#x00023;iorestoacasa (&#x00023;Istayathome)
Photo 1&#x02014;murals from the Lombardy region to support doctors and nurses; Photo 2&#x02014;patriotism in the LL; Photo 3
and Photo 5&#x02014;&#x0201C;Everything will be all right&#x0201D; banners
there was a shift both in the spaces and in the landscapes dedicated to the dissemination of discourses of various kinds
as well as in the agents who were personally engaged in conveying them: private citizens
who up to that moment essentially represented the recipients of the signs
were among the most important proponents of the spreading and strengthening of affective-discursive practices
as well as commercial and regulatory signs
went hand in hand in the first phase of the pandemic
manifesting a convergence between top-down and bottom-up discourses
The long period that constituted the second-third wave of the pandemic
was characterized by an alternation of opening-closing of commercial establishments
The system introduced at the national level provided
and therefore with more or less restrictive measures
were made on a weekly basis with centralized evaluations (based on the number of infections and other parameters)
This constant alternation had important consequences on the LL which was characterized by the invasive presence of regulatory discourses
which were necessary to disseminate the rules to be respected to avoid the spread of the virus and to allow the regular conduct of commercial activities
one of the participants in the focus groups conducted with citizens of Florence stated:
C: There has been an inversion of signs that address the new status
outside the shops; so there is a change due to the needs of the pandemic
(08/03/2021&#x02014;our translation from Italian)
in which to reinforce the indications relating to the behaviors to be followed (wear a mask and enter one at a time)
some tender characters are depicted (a dog with a mask covering its muzzle and a lone hedgehog)
Photo 1&#x02014;regulatory sign personalized based on commercial activity; Photo 2&#x02014;irony in the LL; Photo 3&#x02014;LL semiotically connoted; Photo 4 and Photo 5&#x02014;standardized regulatory signs
Other traders resorted to irony. In this regard, photo 2 and photo 3 in <a href="#F3">Figure 3</a> are prototypical
in which the shopkeeper sarcastically reports presumed reopening dates of the shop
barred from time to time in compliance with the decrees
one can see the outside of a restaurant festively decorated with yellow balloons and flags
symbolically signaling Tuscany&#x00027;s entry into the yellow zone
Most of the documented regulatory signs, however, consist of standardized signs (for example, photo 4 in <a href="#F2">Figure 2</a>)
or national authorities and downloadable for free
of signs with a limited amount of written text
mainly in Italian or at most duplicated in English
in which the efficiency and accessibility of communication are (only partially) guaranteed by the presence of semiotic elements such as symbols and icons
The pandemic has resulted in emptying and impoverishment of the multilingualism exposed
also and above all in cities like Florence
which welcomed thousands of tourists from all over the world every day before the spread of COVID-19
All this leads to questioning the degree of usefulness of these signs and how much they have actually influenced behaviors and attitudes
Conversely, other issues emerged from the analysis of the focus groups that, in many cases, aroused strong reactions in the attitudes of the interviewees. Consider in this sense what was observed by R., who drew attention to another central characteristic of this phase, which can be defined as the &#x0201C;Pompeii effect&#x0201D; (<a href="#B27">Mourlhon-Dallies, 2021</a>)
Discussing with the other focus group participants
there were areas where there were a lot of advertising signs
Another thing was the ATAF [the bus company in Florence]
which had 4/5 months old advertisements: the other day an ATAF bus drove by that had an advertisement with a deadline of 31 December
so it means that no one has bought the space and they do not even take it off
(25/03/2021&#x02014;our translation from Italian)
giving a snapshot of time and life prior to the outbreak of the pandemic
It is the moment in which the most tangible signs of the past were observed
and it is the moment in which infrastructural discourses linked to COVID-19 began to emerge with more force
F: COVID-19 has really caused a major change that still makes me very upset
But when you arrive at a big city like Milan
and you read in the luminous panels that normally indicate the queue or the traffic
you read &#x0201C;drive- through COVID-19 [tests] exit so and so&#x0201D;
Or when you find these enormous panels indicating the vaccination hub
it is something that still makes you think and takes you into a reality that is truly unusual for us and to which it is really hard to get used to
(02/04/2021&#x02014;our translation from Italian)
Among the most discussed issues identifiable within the node &#x0201C;Discourses in the LL related to the pandemic,&#x0201D; there is also a reference to the economic crisis
referring to the linguistic and more generally semiotic impoverishment of the urban landscape as a reflection of the closure of numerous shops or the absence of tourists
reported having noticed a proliferation of signs bearing the indication &#x0201C;for sale&#x0201D; and &#x0201C;rent,&#x0201D; and who
shifted the focus to transgressive discourses and street art which
may have been affected by the economic crisis
so there may be more references to issues of social justice
direct or indirect consequences of the economic crisis
This reference to street art turned out to be in some way prophetic of what was observed in the last phase of the research
While the survey carried out during the second and third waves of the pandemic did not lead to the identification of a significant number of transgressive signs carrying discourses about the pandemic
the anonymous writer suggests that there is someone (presumably the media and the government
those who use the term &#x0201C;gathering&#x0201D;) who sees sociality
only as a means of disseminating the virus
people&#x00027;s freedoms are limited and they are prevented from exercising their rights
Photo 1&#x02014;tag &#x0201C;COVID 1984&#x0201D;; Photo 2&#x02014;graffiti &#x0201C;we are more than a gathering&#x0201D;; Photo 3&#x02014;protest
and stratification in the LL; Photo 4&#x02014;stencil art &#x0201C;Vax
No doubt&#x000A1;&#x02018;; Photo 5&#x02014;meme reworked on blackboard; Photo 6&#x02014;leaflet for food support; Photo 7&#x02014;protest signs of a demonstration in the square; Photo 8&#x02014;graffiti &#x0201C;everything will be all right my ass&#x0201D;
The text in photo 3, in contrast, is explicit, as it reports graffiti with &#x0201C;No Green pass,&#x0201D; the document required to access certain services and, in some cases, to work. The image appears to be interesting as it allows us to reflect, among other things, on stratification and dialogue, two key characteristics of the LL (<a href="#B6">Blommaert, 2013</a>)
the wording &#x0201C;No,&#x0201D; part of the original text
evidently in favor of the Green Pass obligation
In favor of the vaccine is also Laben, a Tuscan street artist and author of the work in photo 4 (<a href="#F4">Figure 4</a>)
It is a work in stencil art (attached with vinyl glue to the service booths
with a &#x0201C;paste up&#x0201D; technique
in which Elle Driver by Tarantino is represented with a syringe and the writing &#x0201C;Vax
with this and other works documented in the different mapped neighborhoods
wants to raise awareness of the importance of the vaccine and to reflect on the doubts that exist in society about its efficacy and safety
The debate on the Green Pass and vaccination obligation was so intense that in some cases, it was no longer tolerated. In photo 5 (<a href="#F4">Figure 4</a>)
in which a famous meme has been reproduced
one pro-vax and the other no-vax: the sign maker&#x00027;s comment
&#x0201C;Loro sono Jack e Bill&#x02014;Jack &#x000E8; novax&#x02014;Bill &#x000E8; pro vax&#x02014;Jack e Bill hanno frantumato i coglioni
Non-siate come Jack e Bill&#x0201D; (transl: They are Jack and Bill&#x02014;Jack is no-vax&#x02014;Bill is pro-vax&#x02014;Jack and Bill have busted our balls
one can see a poster promoting mutual aid among the inhabitants of the neighborhood for food support
a service activated in March 2020 and never interrupted
does not enjoy the success of his predecessor among the demonstrators and his government is defined as &#x0201C;del ricatto&#x0201D; (&#x0201C;blackmail&#x0201D;)
but Italy itself is no longer seen as strong and united
the measures adopted by the government threaten our freedom
Finally, one of the most immediately recognizable consequences of the protracted health emergency was the gradual disappearance of messages of hope. Banners with rainbows and &#x0201C;everything will be all right&#x0201D; messages were removed, to make room for messages of despair and disillusionment. In some cases, they refer directly to the iconic phrases of the first wave, as in the graffiti in photo 8 (<a href="#F4">Figure 4</a>)
which reads &#x0201C;andr&#x000E0; tutto bene una sega&#x0201D; (&#x0201C;everything will be all right my ass&#x0201D;)
the question mark added to the title of this article at the end of the sentence that most of all characterized the discourse on COVID-19 in Italy
we have tried to offer an overview of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Italian LL in general and specifically in the city of Florence
have made it possible to reconstruct the mosaic of discourses that have characterized written communication in the public
restoring an unprecedented image of the 2-year period 2020&#x02013;2021 in Italy
made it possible to answer the research questions formulated
to the identification of the discourses on the pandemic that emerged in its various phases
they led to a reflection on the actors of the LL
being these sign-makers and issuers who have conveyed those discourses
they provided feedback on the perceptions and awareness of the readers of the signs when such discourses emerge
Collecting data in the different phases of the pandemic was a winning choice, which gave us the opportunity to use the LL as a narrative site to observe the unfolding of stories (and history). The rapid evolution that the LL has undergone reminds us once more of how important it is to always frame and base studies on a historical and diachronic level (<a href="#B6">Blommaert, 2013</a>)
contextualizing the data we collect and the analyses we do at the precise historical moment in which we act
with all the consequences that derive from this
it can be defined as a new way of offering oneself to the public
no longer and not so much as tourist-friendly
hidden away and inserted in larger semiotic aggregates
as emerged from the second and above all from the third phase of the research
calls into question the importance of these discourses both for issues of prevention and promotion
This aspect is confirmed by the data related to the awareness of the presence of this new textual genre
Conversely, the perception of the changes in the linguistic and semiotic urban landscape as a consequence of the pandemic was varied and shed light on some characteristic elements of the period, from the temporal suspension of the LL (the so-called Pompeii effect, <a href="#B27">Mourlhon-Dallies, 2021</a>) to the emotional shock brought about by the appearance of new infrastructural and medical discourses
the results of this study offer a photograph of complex landscapes and ecologies
demonstrating once again the usefulness of an analysis of the LL
to reflect on heterogeneous linguistic and social facts
The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material
further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors
Ethical review and approval was not required for the study involving human participants in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements
Written informed consent to participate in this study was not required from the participants in accordance with the national legislation and the institutional requirements
All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations
Any product that may be evaluated in this article
or claim that may be made by its manufacturer
is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher
1. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note1a" title="">^</a>Introduction of the International Journal of Linguistic Landscape <a style="color:grey;" href="https://benjamins.com/catalog/ll">https://benjamins.com/catalog/ll</a> (26/06/2022)
2. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note2a" title="">^</a>Further data were collected until January 2022
were not considered for the quantitative analysis
as they only concerned signs containing discourses on the pandemic
as was done for the second phase of the research
3. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note3a" title="">^</a><a style="color:grey;" href="https://www.infomilano.news/muri-bianchi-a-milano-senza-pubblicita/">https://www.infomilano.news/muri-bianchi-a-milano-senza-pubblicita/</a> (27/07/2022)
4. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note4a" title="">^</a>The self-declaration consisted of a pre-set form to be filled in and presented during police checks to justify travel
This form has changed numerous times (five times from 8 March to 26 April 2020) to adapt to the new decrees and changes in the restrictive measures
5. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note5a" title="">^</a>For example, <a style="color:grey;" href="https://www.forlitoday.it/cronaca/striscione-coronavirus-ospedale-forli.html">https://www.forlitoday.it/cronaca/striscione-coronavirus-ospedale-forli.html</a> (22/07/2022)
6. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note6a" title="">^</a><a style="color:grey;" href="https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2020/03/06/foto/coronavirus_post_it_tutto_andra_bene_lombardia-250317657/1/">https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2020/03/06/foto/coronavirus_post_it_tutto_andra_bene_lombardia-250317657/1/</a> (24/07/2022)
7. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note7a" title="">^</a>In December 2021
the numbers of infections started to rise again
8. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note8a" title="">^</a>The Green Pass is a digital certification created following a proposal from the European Commission to facilitate a free (safe) movement of EU citizens during the pandemic
the negative result of a COVID test or the successful recovery from the virus
9. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note9a" title="">^</a><a style="color:grey;" href="https://www.firenzetoday.it/video/no-green-pass-firenze-15-ottobre.html">https://www.firenzetoday.it/video/no-green-pass-firenze-15-ottobre.html</a> (22/07/2022)
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Citation: Bagna C and Bellinzona M (2023) &#x0201C;Everything will be all right (?)&#x0201D;: Discourses on COVID-19 in the Italian linguistic landscape
Received: 08 November 2022; Accepted: 10 February 2023; Published: 07 March 2023
Copyright &#x000A9; 2023 Bagna and Bellinzona. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY)</a>
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&#x0002A;Correspondence: Carla Bagna, <a id="encmail">YmFnbmFAdW5pc3RyYXNpLml0</a>; Martina Bellinzona, <a id="encmail">bWFydGluYS5iZWxsaW56b25hQHVuaXN0cmFzaS5pdA==</a>
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Traffic on A13 motorway to be disrupted for months due to landslide
<a href="https://www.thelocal.ch/20240623/three-missing-after-heavy-swiss-flooding">The landslide that struck in Grubünden over the weekend</a>, claimimg two lives, also <a href="https://www.blick.ch/schweiz/graubuenden/sprechen-nicht-von-tagen-astra-aeussert-sich-zu-reparaturarbeiten-an-der-a13-id19874015.html">destroyed</a> a part of the north-south axis of the A13 motorway
is an important throughway for both passenger and commercial traffic
According to the Graubünden cantonal police
this section will remain out of service “for months,” including the busy summer holiday period
Consumer beware: products labelled as ‘local’ may not be
Eggs, vegetables and other foods that Swiss supermarkets label as being ‘regional’ or coming from family farms (and therefore cost quite a bit more than ‘regular’ products)  often are neither, according to Swiss <a href="https://www.ktipp.ch/artikel/artikeldetail/detailhaendler-verdienen-an-regionalen-produkten-bauern-gehen-leer-aus">consumer platform K-Tipp.</a>
One example are eggs marked as being from Zurich (and sold in that canton)
but which are sometimes  ‘imported’ from Solothurn
The same kind of inaccurate labelling concerns foods advertised as originating from small businesses when in fact they are manufactured by large companies
New deadline to make Swiss train stations accessible to the disabled
the Federal Transport Office mandated that all of Switzerland’s train stations must be accessible to people in wheelchairs and others with reduced mobility by the end of 2023
However, as no works could take place during the Covid pandemic, the deadline is now extended until 2027, the Federal Council said in a <a href="https://www.admin.ch/gov/de/start/dokumentation/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-101537.html">press release</a>
1,089 train stations out of a total of 1,800
Around 160 stations will not be transformed
because the number of passengers there is very low
In a claim that is easily among the most outrageous ‘fake news’ in years, Russia’s state-owned  television, RT, <a href="https://www.20min.ch/fr/story/guerre-en-ukraine-la-suisse-veut-bombarder-la-russie-clame-la-propagande-103132899">reported</a> that “Switzerland wants to bomb Russian cities.” 
The claim was made after the National Council’s Security Commission recently said that countries which had purchased military equipment from Switzerland should be able to transfer it to Ukraine
the RT reported that the Commission’s president
“hopes to involve Switzerland as quickly as possible in the conflict in order to demonstrate its military power to Russia.”
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the Federal Criminal Court of Bellinzona heard the final pleas in the Swiss trial of a former Gambian minister
Ousman Sonko&rsquo;s lawyer asked for his acquittal and compensation amounting to almost a million Swiss Francs - 929
which is almost an equivalent amount in euros
The public prosecutor and the plaintiffs&rsquo; lawyers were given the floor to react afterwards
and Fanny De Weck - all maintained that Sonko was not in the dark about the crimes perpetrated under his responsibility
the defence&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;pleaded that the prosecution did not bring proof of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population in The Gambia
&ldquo;The plaintiffs have come before your court to deliberately describe an absolutely catastrophic situation throughout Yahya Jammeh&rsquo;s presidency
They naturally have an interest in portraying things in the bleakest possible light
exaggerating the negative elements and ignoring their own misdeeds,&rdquo; argued defence lawyer Philippe Currat
&ldquo;They feel all the more free to do this because none of you three [judges] have ever been to The Gambia and have no experience of the situation on the ground at the time of the events.&rdquo;
For him, an attack within the International Criminal Court&rsquo;s definition of a crime against humanity is absolutely impossible to claim, as there was no concrete threat to the civilian population in The Gambia. &ldquo;None!&rdquo; he exclaimed, before coming back to the key testimony of <a href="https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/127079-ousman-sonko-faces-first-witness.html">Binta Jamba</a>
a State Guard soldier said to be loyal to Jammeh at the time
Ousman Sonko is accused of complicity in Manneh&rsquo;s murder by luring him into an ambush in 2000
&ldquo;Madam Federal Prosecutor, you asked my client why Binta Jamba [who <a href="https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/127079-ousman-sonko-faces-first-witness.html">accused Sonko of raping her</a> multiple times] would lie and he replied that she could better tell you the reasons
the reasons are obvious: her husband apparently died trying to resist his arrest
Her husband&rsquo;s failed coup deprives her of the opportunity to become the country's first lady
as she might have wished if he had succeeded
Of all the private plaintiffs we heard in this trial
she was the only one whose emotions - which were rare
by the way - did not appear sincere,&rdquo; said Currat
He further pleaded that there was no unifying link between Manneh&rsquo;s death, the acts described by Jamba, the punishment of the March 2006 coup attempt, the <a href="https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/127314-sonko-trial-who-responsible-murder-baba-jobe.html">death of Baba Jobe</a> and the punishment of the &ldquo;illegal&rdquo; demonstration of 14 April 2016
which are all described in the indictment as a continuous offence of which Sonko is accused
could be the result of a proportionate use of force
&ldquo;The use of lethal force to arrest a high ranking army officer in a coup attempt who opens fire on the forces that have come to stop him cannot a priori be considered murder or homicide,&rdquo; he pleaded
Currat also told the court that during the trial
the private plaintiffs submitted numerous copies of newspapers published in The Gambia between 2000 and 2016
which he said proves that &ldquo;journalists were free to write and publish articles
including articles critical of the government
even on the most sensitive topics affecting national security
such as on persons involved in a coup attempt or investigations conducted after such attempts
on persons detained or possibly ill-treated in these circumstances.&rdquo;
Currat said it could be ruled out that Musa Saidykhan and Madi Ceesay were arrested and interrogated because they were journalists
they were arrested &ldquo;because they had published a false report that earned them a complaint from the person they had falsely portrayed as being involved in the coup
there is no evidence that they would have been targeted.&rdquo;
Currat didn&rsquo;t mention that according to <a href="https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/86069-trrc-final-report-gambia-between-prosecutions-and-amnesties.html">Gambia&rsquo;s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) findings</a>
there were over 140 arrests and detentions of media practitioners under Jammeh&rsquo;s regime
&ldquo;shows a deep-seated intolerance for freedom of expression and the media exercising its functions of promoting public participation
as he viewed this as a threat to his power&rdquo;
torture is never acceptable,&rdquo; Currat kept on saying on Wednesday March 6
before the floor was given to the prosecutor and plaintiffs&rsquo; lawyers to respond the next day
&ldquo;What a blind person can see but the defendant refuses to admit is that he was one of the central figures in the state apparatus of Jammeh&rsquo;s regime of torture and terror,&rdquo; said public prosecutor
&ldquo;The defence&rsquo;s introductory statement has made it clear that the defendant
has an aim to politicize the proceedings.&rdquo;
The defence lawyer accused TRIAL International
of pushing their agenda to bring Jammeh to justice through this case
&ldquo;Ousman Sonko is only a means to this end,&rdquo; Currat said in his closing arguments
&ldquo;The trial is not political,&rdquo; Beyeler stressed
&ldquo;The only person who makes it a political issue is the accused
presumptuous and defamatory to suggest that a non-governmental organization is acting as a whistleblower and that the courts in Switzerland would wave the trial through with a conviction for nothing
so that the criminal proceedings against Yahya Jammeh could be conducted as the ultimate goal.&rdquo;
retorted that the defence&rsquo;s speculations about Jamba&rsquo;s motivations for falsely accusing Sonko
may exist within the world view and logic of the accused
She is also representing Madi Ceesay and Musa Saidykhan
two journalists tortured&nbsp;in March 2006
I have already explained in detail the persecution of journalists and media organizations classified as critical
I would like to vehemently reject the claim that my clients themselves said that they were not persecuted and tortured as journalists
both stated that they had been arrested and tortured in connection with their journalistic work - both also stated that their position within the Gambian Press Union had an influence at the time of their arrest,&rdquo; she told the court
a lawyer for three other plaintiffs &ndash;&nbsp;Bunja Darboe
Demba Dem and Ramzia Diab &ndash;&nbsp;refuted the defence&rsquo;s statement that the victims are not part of the civilian population because they were coup plotters
&ldquo;This element alone shows that the 2006 repression was an attack against the civilian population and not a criminal case against coup plotters,&rdquo; she added
Currat also accused the plaintiffs of having an interest in making people forget the criminal nature of their behaviour
he was one of the highest ranking officers in the Gambian army and was involved in a coup attempt,&rdquo; he told the court
&ldquo;Bunja Darboe is not innocent either
as he was also involved in a coup attempt against the legitimate government of the country
none of them had the aim of promoting human rights when organizing their coups
Musa Saidykhan and Madi Ceesay had published false information
Baba Jobe was a war criminal who was on the United Nations Security Council sanctions list for his involvement in the illicit trade in blood diamonds in connection with the civil war in Liberia and Sierra Leone.&rdquo;
He had in front of him a document he was reading thoroughly
and look up at the ceiling as if waiting to be saved
the public prosecutor came towards the podium to speak to the accused
and they seemed to have a friendly conversation
the defendant appeared a bit less anxious but still tense
There was a pile of documents in front of him
he first expressed his disappointment with the court for &ldquo;refusing&rdquo; to provide him with translation from German
the language in which the final pleas were expressed
He started to say that he could not comment on the pleadings because he did not know what was said against him
He however told the court he noticed that the complainants amended their earlier statements
&ldquo;I regret that they discredited themselves in this way by lying
with the sole aim of supporting the accusation against me
I don&rsquo;t blame them and I understand how important this trial is for them
&ldquo;There is an African dictum that says: &lsquo;justice is not justice if in your journey to seek justice you kill an innocent person as a way for you to get to the person that actually hurt you&rsquo;,&rdquo; the former interior minister added
&ldquo;You have detained me for more than seven years without trial and in undignified conditions,&rdquo; he told the court
&ldquo;The legality of which no Swiss authority has ever been willing to examine
I have been held in solitary confinement for almost two years
which has had a serious impact on my health and
has caused permanent damage to one of my eyes
which is therefore a crime under Swiss law.&rdquo;
&ldquo;You seem to be interested in what has happened in my country
the actions of its police and its authorities
You take a condescending view of the resources available to us in government to try to ensure its development
and probably without really thinking about it
you are part of a history of colonialism and racism
You have to understand that we can&rsquo;t work miracles under these conditions
If a country as rich and developed as yours is unable to provide its prisoners with dignified conditions of detention
how do you expect us to be able to do so?&rdquo; he asked
contempt and lies from your criminal prosecution authorities
After seven years in pre-trial detention in Switzerland
I have the impression that your judicial system is based on arbitrariness
You have let me express myself to you more than at any time in the last seven years
but I don&rsquo;t know if you have heard me.&rdquo;
The 21-year-old will move a few kilometers north for the upcoming 2024-25 season
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The team of <a href="http://www.archdaily.com/office/azpml" target="_blank">AZPML</a> + <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/tag/dfn">DFN</a> has won a competition for the design of the Passerella Ex-Torretta, a new bridge spanning the Ticino River in <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/tag/bellinzona">Bellinzona</a>, <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/tag/switzerland">Switzerland</a>
The bridge will connect two existing medieval structures
the Torretta tower to the west of the river and medieval arcades on the eastern bank
and will provide a gradual 6% slope to allow for pedestrian and bicycle access
The bridge design draws inspiration from the “organic geometry of the waves” in the river, employing an undulating sinusoidal structure to retain a respectful and graceful profile.
“Our project aims to respect and enhance the natural beauty of the fluvial context of the Ticino River. Our intention has been not only to minimize the visual impact of the bridge in the natural landscape, but also to create a visual resonance with the meanders and the ripples of the moving water surface of the Ticino River,” said the architects in a press release.
“The design of the bridge is defined according to the structural behavior as well as the experience of the pedestrians, alternating along its trajectory between an integrative and protective structural section,” explain the architects.
Views. Image Courtesy of AZPML</a>The budget for the project is estimated to reach €4.5 millions
A timetable for construction has not yet been released
News via <a href="http://azpml.com/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com" target="_blank">AZPML</a>
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World 400m hurdles champion Femke Bol improved her own meeting record by more than a second to 52.79
holding off world silver medallist Shamier Little (53.64) on a very warm night at the Gala dei Castelli in Bellinzona
a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting
Racing in front of 5752 enthusiastic spectators who packed the Comunale Stadium
Little also ran under the previous meeting record that had been set by Bol
who returned to the scene of her first professional race in 2019
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing to see the crowd so close to the athletes in this beautiful meeting,&rdquo; said the Dutch 23-year-old
&ldquo;I stared my career in Bellinzona and it&rsquo;s nice to be back here
but I do that with passion and with a smile on my face.&rdquo;
Brazil&rsquo;s 2022 world champion Alison dos Santos came from behind in the final straight to win the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles
improving his own meeting record by 0.11 to 47.50
Wilfried Happio ran a season&rsquo;s best of 47.56 in second
while his French compatriot Ludvy Vaillant also dipped under 48 seconds with 47.92
USA&rsquo;s Olympic discus champion Valarie Allman followed her winning throw of 70.47m in Berlin with a second consecutive win in Bellinzona with 69.09m in the first round
Olympic and world champion Daniel Stahl from Sweden threw to 67.24m in the second round to win the men&rsquo;s discus ahead of last year&rsquo;s world champion Kristjan Ceh from Slovenia
Fedrick Dacres from Jamaica took third place with 66.19m
Jamaica&rsquo;s Oblique Seville stormed to a win in the men&rsquo;s 100m in 10.01
Five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah completed a Jamaican double by winning the women&rsquo;s 100m in a season&rsquo;s best of 10.92
Imani Lansiquot from Great Britain dipped under 11 seconds for the first time in her career with 10.99
while Zaynab Dosso missed her Italian record by 0.01 with 11.15
&ldquo;I am happy with my win as I set my season&rsquo;s best in Zurich last week and I improved it again,&rdquo; said Thompson-Herah
&ldquo;I want to continue this season and run more races.&rdquo;
USA&rsquo;s Tamara Clark won the women&rsquo;s 200m in 22.64
beating Shashalee Forbes from Jamaica (22.74) and Italy&rsquo;s Dalia Kaddari (22.86)
The women&rsquo;s pole vault at the Gala dei Castelli was held on Sunday afternoon as a city event in Largo Zorzi in Locarno
Three-time world silver medallist Sandi Morris set a meeting record of 4.80m on her first attempt to win the competition
Morris then failed three attempts at 4.92m
&ldquo;My first goal is to end the season healthy
to focus on the preparation for next year&rsquo;s Olympic Games,&rdquo; she said
&ldquo;I am very motivated and I aim to reach the five-metre barrier again and win a medal at the Olympic Games in Paris.&rdquo;
World University Games champion Angelica Moser cleared 4.58m at the first time of asking to finish second
beating world finalist Elisa Molinarolo from Italy on countback
Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles for the second consecutive year in 12.56
improving Nadine Visser&rsquo;s meeting record by 0.01
European indoor champion Jason Joseph from Switzerland followed his national record of 13.08 in Zurich with another win in the 110m hurdles on Swiss soil in 13.18
Louis Francois Mendy from Senegal finished second in 13.29 ahead of Orlando Bennett from Jamaica (13.40)
I will end my season at the Diamond League final in Eugene
where I want to confirm my good level,&rdquo; said Joseph
&ldquo;I set my national record in Zurich and I came close to this time again here.&rdquo;
Jamaica&rsquo;s Natoya Goule-Toppin won the women&rsquo;s 800m for the second consecutive year in Bellinzona in 1:57.53
US 19-year-old Addison Wiley also dipped under the 1:58 barrier
European U20 champion Audrey Werro finished third with 1:58.13 for the fourth best European U20 time in history
beating three-time European silver medallist Renelle Lamote from France (1:58.42) and Lore Hoffmann from Switzerland (1:58.73) in a high-quality race where nine women dipped under the two-minute barrier.&nbsp;&nbsp;
World U20 champion Reynold Cheruiyot pulled away in the final straight to win the men&rsquo;s 1500m
Dominic Lobalu took second place with 3:3:35.22 ahead of James West (3:35.44)
Five athletes cleared the same height of 2.24m in the men&rsquo;s high jump
Andriy Protsenko from Ukraine had a clean sheet until that height to take the win over Norbert Kobielski and Stefano Sottile on countback
Olympic and world champion Gianmarco Tamberi also cleared 2.24m on his third attempt to finish ahead of Antonios Merlos from Greece on countback
Liemarvin Bonevacia took the win in the 400m in 45.43
pipping Italian record-holder David Re (45.70) and Zakithi Nene from South Africa (45.76)
Although there have been attempts to open a Kurdish Community Center in the canton
where more than 300 families from Kurdistan live
The building where the Democratic Kurdish Community Center (CDK) has finally been opened
is used jointly by international institutions including the Workers Party (POP)
Equomedia press organization and the organization of Chilean society
is aimed both at developing the social bond between the people of Kurdistan and making it a diplomatic center for the Kurds living in the canton
Swiss Democratic Kurdish Community Center (CDK-S) co-chair Ismail Kardaş and members of the co-presidency council attended and delivered speeches at the opening act
CDK-S co-chair Ismail Kardaş started his speech by emphasizing the importance of the People's Assembly that emerged within the framework of the Democratic Confederalism paradigm envisaged by Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan
Referring to the importance of partnering with revolutionary and internationalist institutions
Kardaş continued: " We thank our friends and internationalist friends who contributed to the realization of the opening of the centre for their efforts."
Kardaş continued: "The dirty policies of these sovereign powers lie behind the invasion of Kurdistan and the genocidal attacks on the Kurdish people
We will continue our struggle by organizing wherever we are."
Sandra Perkovic maintained her unbeaten record in the discus when winning with her first-round throw of 68.92m at the Gal&agrave; dei Castelli meeting in Bellinzona on Wednesday (18)
The double Olympic champion and three-time world returned to the Swiss city that last year played host to Perkovic&rsquo;s lifetime best throw of 71.41m
Although she didn&rsquo;t quite reach the 70-metre line this time
Perkovic finished comfortably ahead of Cuba&rsquo;s Yaime Perez (64.39m) and extended her winning streak to 13 competitions
&ldquo;I am happy with my performance,&rdquo; she said
&ldquo;I am tired as I&rsquo;m training hard for the European Championships in Berlin
I wanted to return to Bellinzona to compete in this amazing stadium.&rdquo;
World champion Andrius Gudzius won the men&rsquo;s discus with a second-round throw of 66.78m
The Lithuanian produced three more throws beyond 65 metres
all of which would have been enough to win as Austria&rsquo;s Lukas Weisshaidinger finished second with 64.50m
USA&rsquo;s Michael Rodgers recorded two sub-10-second clockings: 9.94 in the heats and 9.92 in the final
missing Asafa Powell&rsquo;s meeting record by 0.05 and his own season&rsquo;s best by 0.03
Turkey&rsquo;s Jak Ali Harvey clocked a season&rsquo;s best of 9.99 to place second
finishing ahead of Japan&rsquo;s Yoshihide Kiryu (10.10) and world champion Justin Gatlin (10.13)
World indoor 60m bronze medallist Mujinga Kambundji edged out double Olympic gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce by 0.02
winning the 100m in 11.13 to achieve her second consecutive win in Bellinzona
The poster girl of the meeting was competing for the first time since setting a national record of 10.95 at last weekend&rsquo;s Swiss Championships
&ldquo;It was a great feeling to beat Shelly-Ann; she is a great sprinter and has won many titles,&rdquo; said Kambundji
who will compete at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco on Friday
&ldquo;I had expected to run under 11 seconds for a long time
I am looking forward to the European Championships in Berlin
There will be a great enthusiasm for this event in Germany.&rdquo;
the second fastest runner in the world this year with 1:43.46
broke the 21-year-old men&rsquo;s 800m meeting record with 1:44.38
Five days after setting a PB of 14:24.24 at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rabat
world 10,000m bronze medallist and 2015 world cross country champion Agnes Tirop dominated the women&rsquo;s 5000m
Commonwealth champion Tobi Amusan from Nigeria clinched the win in the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles in 12.71 beating USA&rsquo;s Evonne Britton (12.84)
USA&rsquo;s Freddie Crittenden took a surprising win in the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles in 13.31
holding off Canada&rsquo;s Johnathan Cabral (13.34) and USA&rsquo;s Aleec Harris (13.37)
Another US victory came in the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles as David Kendziera won in 48.77 to beat US champion Kenneth Selmon (49.87)
In the men&rsquo;s long jump Jamaica&rsquo;s Tajay Gayle produced a PB of 8.19m with his first attempt and was the only athlete to jump beyond eight metres
South Africa&rsquo;s Zarck Visser finished second with 7.95m
Morocco&rsquo;s Soufyan Bouqantar pulled away in the final straight to win the men&rsquo;s 3000m in 7:42.24 ahead of Ethiopia&rsquo;s Telahun Bekele (7:42.81) and Kenya&rsquo;s James Kibet (7:43.13)
Swiss rising star Julien Wanders set a personal best of 7:50.35
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ShareSave<a class="isDg-4PG" href="https://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/" data-ga-track="breadcrumb-L2">Lifestyle</a><a class="isDg-4PG _2XNbdi6I" href="https://www.forbes.com/travel/" data-ga-track="breadcrumb-L3">Travel</a>Five Reasons You Need To Visit Ticino, Switzerland’s Enchanting Mediterranean RegionBy<a class="_4tin10wS YbfXuVMn" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sandramacgregor/" rel="noreferrer" target="_self">Sandra MacGregor</a>
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights
Sandra MacGregor is a North American writer focusing on luxury travelNov 04
06:30am ESTShareSaveThis article is more than 5 years old.Montebello Castle And Sasso Corbaro Castle
area of the country that’s ripe for exploration: Ticino
Set on the most southern side of Switzerland and nestled up against Italy
temperate Ticino is the Italian-speaking region of the country
Italian cuisine (oh the pasta!) and an enchanting
laid-back attitude that’s impossible to resist
Here are five of the best cities to visit to explore Switzerland’s Italian spirit
Each has its own unique tale and beauty and all three are worth a visit—though Castelgrande
is arguably the most jaw-dropping of the bunch (with a fascinating museum and some fantastic sweeping views of the city
At the base of the Alps lies the lovely resort town of Locarno
it’s said to have Switzerland’s sunniest clime
Framed by towering mountains and laced with cobblestoned streets brimming with lush
it’s clear why the picturesque town is popular with locals from the region looking for a relaxing weekend getaway
one of the most highly regarded cinema-centered events in Europe
Just over a mile away from Lucarno lies Ascona
one of Switzerland’s most breathtaking spots
incredibly walkable village (no cars are allowed in the main center) is one of Ticino’s most celebrated beauties for good reason
ancient cobblestone streets that lead you down to the incredibly stunning Piazza Motta
The pedestrian-only square borders the lake and is rimmed with palm trees
It’s also loaded with brightly painted lively cafes that very successfully tempt you to idle away the afternoon soaking in the picture-perfect panoramas
Elegant Lugano is yet another of Ticino’s gorgeous lakefront towns
wins accolades for its ancient architecture
Sometimes referred to as the “Rio” or “Monte Carlo” of Switzerland
bustling city is not to be missed and deserves a two- or three-day visit at the very least
(Photo by: Hermes Images/AGF/Universal Images Group via ..
Sharlene Mawdsley produced a brilliant performance to come from behind and claim victory over 400m at the Gala dei Castelli meeting in Bellinzona
the Newport sprinter clocking 51.35 to defeat Austria’s Susanne Gogl-Walli (51.39) and Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands (51.42)
Mawdsley ran a measured opening 300m and turned for home in third
but the Irishwoman proved much the strongest in the final 100m
holding her form brilliantly to claim victory at the Continental Tour Silver meeting
The win brought a fitting end to a breakthrough season for Mawdsley
who kept her cool in the crucial final strides to edge Gogl-Walli
who she’d clashed with in the world indoor 400m semi-final in Glasgow in March
Mawdsley cut in a fraction too soon as she overtook Gogl-Walli entering the final bend
which led to her being controversially disqualified and missing out on a place in her first global final as an individual
run fast’ — Sharlene Mawdsley on her path to the Olympics
But the 26-year-old Tipperary sprinter bounced back better than ever outdoors
anchoring Ireland to mixed 4x400m bronze at the World Relays in the Bahamas in May
mixed 4x400m gold in the European final in Rome in June and to fourth place in the women’s 4x400m final at the Olympics
she also reached the European final and Olympic semi-final
lowering her 400m PB to 50.71 in Paris to also tick off the qualification standard for next year’s World Championships in Tokyo
there was a breakthrough run by Luke McCann over 800m
the Dubliner finishing like a train in the men’s 800m to take second in 1:45.33
a personal best by 0.2 by the Paris Olympian
It moved him fourth on the Irish all-time list and saw him defeat Irish record holder Mark English
the Donegal man fading to third in the final strides to clock 1:45.56
The race was won by France’s Gabriel Tual in 1:43.98
Sarah Lavin had a race to forget in the women’s 100m hurdles
the two-time Olympian clocking 13.06 in an event won by former Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn in 12.52
In a year of remarkable consistency by the 30-year-old Limerick hurdler
it was just the second time in 19 races that she hasn’t broken 13 seconds
Meanwhile at the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York on Sunday
Sarah Healy finished sixth in the women’s race
with USA’s Karissa Schweizer taking victory in 4:14.8
Fellow Dubliner Cathal Doyle finished eighth in the men’s race in 3:53
which was won easily by Britain’s Josh Kerr in a course record of 3:44.3
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Sign in/Up<a href="https://identity.worldathletics.org/registration?source=waw&amp;tag=waw" class="style_link__2RGFF">Register now</a><a href="/inside-track" class="style_link__2RGFF">Why Register</a><a class="" title="" href="/competitions/world-athletics-championships/14th-iaaf-world-championships-7003368">WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPSMOSKVA (LUZHNIKI)
Croatia&#x27;s Sandra Perkovic in the discus (© AFP / Getty Images)
Double Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic grabbed the headlines at the Gal&agrave; dei Castelli in Bellinzona with an impressive world leading mark and a national record of 71.41m
The Croatian produced the best series of her career with another throw beyond 70 metres in the sixth round with 70.05m
two more throws beyond 69 metres (69.08m and 69.02m in rounds one and five respectively) plus 65.77m in the third and 66.87m in the fourth
It&rsquo;s the first time since 1990 that someone has thrown beyond 70 metres twice and beyond 69 metres four times within one series
&ldquo;It was very important to have a consistent series of throws,&rdquo; said Perkovic
&ldquo;I set my previous personal best of 71.08m in Zurich when I won the European title in 2014
I was expecting to throw far but it was a surprise to throw over 71 metres
The fact that I threw 70.05m in the sixth attempt shows that I am in very good shape
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a tough season as I am looking for something special at the World Championships,&rdquo; added Perkovic who
&ldquo;I am still working for London and I have three weeks of training before London
I will be fresh in London and I hope I can improve my world leading mark again
Bellinzona was a fine competition but the World Championships is a World Championships.&rdquo;
The organisers of the Gal&agrave; dei Castelli adopted the same format as the IAAF Diamond League meetings by holding both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s discus events at the same time
USA&rsquo;s Mason Finley won the men&rsquo;s contest with a third-round throw of 65.48m
beating Olympic champion Christoph Harting
who produced his best throw of 63.34m in the third round
Poster girl Mujinga Kambundji provided the highlight for the Swiss fans by winning the 100m in 11.07
equalling the national record she set two years ago at the World Championships in Beijing
Natasha Morrison finished second in 11.22 ahead of 2015 European under-23 champion Rebekka Haase (11.32)
&ldquo;I knew I was in good shape but it was a little bit of a surprise,&rdquo; said Kambundji
&ldquo;The most recent races did not go very well
It&rsquo;s a great track and the atmosphere is always very nice
The 4x100m ran a fast time in Lausanne and we hope to reach the final.&rdquo;
World record-holder and 2012 Olympic champion Aries Merritt cruised to a 13.20 (-0.8m/s) victory in the 110m hurdles
who set a meeting record of 12.62 here in 2015
won the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles for the second time in her career with 12.79
beating 2014 European champion Tiffany Porter (13.00)
&ldquo;The track was very fast,&rdquo; said Stowers
They are always knowledgeable and supportive
It&rsquo;s always a pleasure to come back to Bellinzona.&rdquo;
Double European indoor champion Selina Buchel scored another win for Swiss athletics
She took the lead at 500 metres and held on to win the 800m in 1:59.85
Hedda Hymna from Norway edged Italian champion and Olympic semi-finalist Yusneisiy Santiusti by 0.03 with 2:00.14
&ldquo;At 500 metres the pace was slow and I decided to pull away,&rdquo; said Buchel
who will run the 400m at the Swiss Championships in Zurich before the World Championships
I am happy that I managed to beat strong athletes but I hoped to run faster.&rdquo;
European 400m hurdles bronze medallist Lea Sprunger edged out Jamaican Anneisha McLaughlin by 0.01 in 51.68
&ldquo;It was an important win against strong athletes,&rdquo; said Sprunger
who set a Swiss record of 51.09 earlier this month
&ldquo;I returned from Rabat yesterday and I was tired.&rdquo;
USA&rsquo;s Mike Rodgers won the men&rsquo;s 100m for the second consecutive year in 10.11 ahead of Jamaica&rsquo;s Tyquendo Tracey (10.21)
Three-time world champion Brittney Reese clinched the win in the long jump with a last-round leap of 6.64m to overtake double European indoor champion Dariya Klishina by two centimetres
USA&rsquo;s 2005 world champion Bershawn Jackson caught 2014 European champion Kariem Hussein on the home straight to win the 400m hurdles
Kenya&rsquo;s Job Kinyor launched a strong kick in the final metres to take the men&rsquo;s 800m in 1:45.17 ahead of European indoor 1500m champion Marcin Lewandwski
who clocked a season&rsquo;s best of 1:45.44
Reese leaps 7.04m season’s best in Bellinzona
Strong openers for Perkovic and Kolak in Spli..
By <a href="https://www.insideworldfootball.com/author/paulnicholson/" rel="author" class="fn">Paul Nicholson</a>
June 9 &#8211; The start of the eagerly awaited criminal trial of former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA boss Michel Platini was pushed back 24 hours on Wednesday after Blatter told the court he was too ill to testify because of chest pains
After an investigation lasting seven years
once the two most powerful officials in world football
If found guilty after an 11-day hearing in Bellinzona
both former powerbrokers could face a jail sentence and/or a suspended sentence and hefty fine
At the heart of the case brought by the Swiss judicial authorities and which opened in 2015 is the “disloyal payment” to Platini authorised by Blatter in 2011 which ended up bringing the careers of both men crashing down
Blatter and Platini were banned by FIFA’s ethics committee because of the payment
as FIFA president after 17 years at the helm and ending Platini’s chances of succeeding his former mentor having previously held the same position at UEFA
Just as he was about to take the stand Wednesday
looking frail after arriving holding the arm of his daughter Corinne
I have these problems that come and go,” Blatter
said in a voice barely louder than a whisper
I don’t feel capable at the moment of responding to an interrogation.”
he told reporters: &#8220;I know I have not done anything against the law
The three judges told Blatter the trial was running on a tight schedule but eventually allowed him to make his testimony today instead
joked beforehand that he would have to improve his German so he could follow the proceedings
&#8220;I am convinced that justice will be fully and definitively done to me after so many years of wild accusations and slander,&#8221; the Frenchman said in statement before the hearing
&#8220;We will prove in court that I acted with the utmost honesty
that the payment of the remaining salary was due to me by FIFA and is perfectly legal.”
But at the start of the hearing FIFA’s lawyer Catherine Hohl-Chirazi told the court: &#8220;It is obvious that FIFA has been damaged
The payment from Blatter to Platini was never approved by FIFA.”
Contact the writer of this story at <a href="javascript:;" data-enc-email="naqerj.jnefunj[at]vafvqrjbeyqsbbgonyy.pbz" class="mail-link">mo&#99;&#46;l1746524984&#108;&#97;b&#116;o1746524984of&#100;lr1746524984o&#119;e&#100;i1746524984sni&#64;w1746524984&#97;h&#115;ra1746524984w&#46;&#119;er1746524984&#100;&#110;a1746524984</a>
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During the first day of Tarek Obaid’s trial on Tuesday
his lawyer tried to argue that he couldn’t testify unless the court was closed to the public
Jamaica’s 2013 IAAF World Athlete of the Year Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce bounced back from her disappointing eighth place over 200m at the at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene at the weekend with a 100m win at the fourth edition of the Galà dei Castelli International meeting in Bellinzona
a triple winner at last year’s IAAF World Championships and the 2014 World Indoor Championships 60m winner
sped to a time of 11.21 in the Italian-speaking region of Canton Ticino
holding off Germany’s 2010 European champion Verena Sailer by 0.04
Her first European race of the season served as a good warm up for another 100m outing at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rome on Thursday
as she seeks to amass points and defend her Diamond Race title in the event
I felt a left leg problem," said a smiling Fraser-Pryce
"I have not had a perfect start to the season but it’s not a championship year
I executed the race better than in my previous 100m race in Doha
I enjoyed this meeting and the crowd and I am looking forward to returning next year
I started my career with smaller meetings."&nbsp; 
Fraser-Pryce’s training partner Nesta Carter
who clocked an impressive but wind-assisted 9.89 in Eugene
stormed to an easy win in the men’s 100m in 10.23
with his compatriot Rasheed Dwyer second in 10.36
The Jamaican athletes’ night was completed by world indoor 400m silver medallist Kaliese Spencer who caught up with Germany’s Esther Cremer in the final straight to win over one lap of the track without barriers in 52.06
just three days after setting the fastest time in the world this year in the 400m hurdles when clocking 54.29 in Eugene
Panama’s Yvette Lewis won the 100m hurdles in 13.06 into a slight headwind of -0.1m/s
Elijah Kiptoo Kipchirchir narrowly missed the stadium record winning the men’s 1500m in 3:35.81
The men’s javelin proved to be the best of the field events as Estonia’s Tanel Leanmae returned to Bellinzona after finishing second last year and sent his implement out to 81.16m with his fourth attempt to overtake Greece’s Spiridon Lebesis
who had a best throw of 80.64m in the third round
Italy’s 1500m and 5000m national champion Giulia Viola held off her training partner Margherita Magnani down the final straight to win in 4:10.50
US runner Molly Ludlow Beckwith took the first place in the women’s 800m in 2:00.99 but emerging local star Selina Buchel
who finished a surprising fourth at the World Indoor Championships in March
was a distant and disappointing sixth in 2:02.84
The men’s 800m went to Erik Sowinski in 1:46.87
Greece’s 2013 Mediterranean Games champion Kostadinos Douvalidis clinched the win in the men’s 110 m hurdles in 13.60
The 18-year-old was loaned to Bellinzona of the Swiss second division on Tuesday
The left back is part of the elite Swiss club
He is on loan to Bellinzona until June 2024
he has a contract with Servette until June 30
Behrami is considered one of the most talented footballers of his position in Switzerland
He has two appearances with Switzerland U19
This edition has an appearance in the Swiss Super League
the important thing for Behram is to play regularly
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Annex of the former Radio Prishtina (first floor) George Bush pn
There were mixed results for Jamaicans in the Gala dei Castelli meet in Bellinzona
World Championships finalist Natoya Goule was the sole Jamaican winner at the event
a World Athletics Continental Tour silver level meeting
Goule stopped the clock at one minute 59.05 seconds to finish ahead of Anita Horvat of Slovenia and Anna Wielgosz of Poland who posted times of 2:00.76 and 2:01.24 respectively
Damion Thomas clocked 13.38 to take second in the men&rsquo;s 110 metres hurdles behind  American Jamal Britt who clocked 13.18
Third place was taken by Rafael Pereira of Brazil in 13.41
Andrennette  Knight was third in the women's with a time of  52.23 seconds
The event was won by Lada Vondrova of  the Czech Republic in 51.60
with second place going to Laviai Nielsen of Great Britain in 51.72
Ackeem Blake was out-dipped in the men&rsquo;s 100m and had to settle for fourth after clocking 10.09 seconds
Brandon Carnes of the United States won in 10.04
Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya was second in 10.05 while American Kendal Williams was third with the same time
World Championships 200m gold medallist Shericka Jackson's 11.19 seconds was only good enough for fifth in the women&rsquo;s 100m
Marie-Jos&eacute;e Ta Lou of  Cote d'Ivoire took the event in 10.86
The top three was rounded out by Daryll Neita of Great Britain with 11.00 and Bassant Hemida of Egypt with 11.07
<a href="http://jamaica-gleaner.disqus.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjamaica-gleaner.com%2Farticle%2Fsports%2F20220912%2Fmixed-results-bellinzona-jamaican-athletes">View the discussion thread.</a>
By <a href="https://www.railwaygazette.com/railway-gazette-international/1098.bio" rel="author">Railway Gazette International</a>2020-09-04T14:29:00+01:00
SWITZERLAND: The 15·4 km <a href="https://www.railwaygazette.com/54021.article" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ceneri Base Tunnel</a> between Bellinzona and Lugano was formally inaugurated on September 4
with President of the Swiss Confederation Simonetta Sommaruga cutting a ribbon before the inaugural freight train ran south
This was followed by special passenger trains carrying guests in each direction
The celebrations were scaled back because of the coronavirus pandemic
Revenue services are scheduled to begin with the December timetable change
The Ceneri Base Tunnel formally completes the SFr23bn New Rail Link Through the Alps (NEAT in German
NLFA in French and NFTA in Italian) programme to switch traffic from road to rail by providing low-gradient north–south transit routes across Switzerland
This included the 35 km Lötschberg Base Tunnel when opened in 2007 and the 57 km Gotthard Base Tunnel which followed in 2016
The programme was approved by the Swiss parliament on December 16 1992 and backed by a referendum on November 29 1998
‘NEAT provided the impetus for an intelligent policy to transfer freight traffic from road to rail that we can still be proud of today’
‘It was a brave and farsighted decision both for our country and for protecting the Alps
The Ceneri provides fresh impetus to our traffic transfer policy.’
The eastern bore of the SFr3·6bn Ceneri Base Tunnel is 15 452 m long and the western bore 15 289 m
Main construction was undertaken by a consortium of Società Italiana per Condotte d’Acqua
Following a disputed tendering process which delayed the project
the tracklaying contract was awarded to the Mons Ceneris consortium of Mancini &amp; Marti
while the Railway Systems &amp; Overall Co-ordination contract was awarded to the CPC consortium of Cablex
Thales was appointed to supply ETCS Level 2 signalling
The new tunnel and upgrading of the Zug – Arth-Goldau line will cut the Zürich – Lugano journey time by round 20 min
reducing the journey time from Zürich to Milano to 3 h 17 min
The Camorino viaduct at the northern end of the tunnel provides a direct connection to the Giubiasco – Locarno line
cutting the travel time between Lugano and Locarno from 51 to 30 min
If international connections can be optimised
SBB expects the NEAT north-south corridor to cut freight transit times by 2 h from December
Luxembourg the Netherlands and the EU agreed to further promote rail transport
issuing a joint declaration saying that rail was environmentally friendly and European networks should be further harmonised and strengthened
Italy and Switzerland also signed an agreement to provide 4 m clearances on the Simplon – Novara route by 2028
with Switzerland to contribute SFr148m and Italy to cover the remainder of the cost
SWITZERLAND: The Gotthard Base Tunnel and Brenner Pass trans-Alpine rail routes were closed for much of August
Although both have now at least partially reopened
operators are again being forced to assess how best to manage unexpected disruption.&nbsp;Toma Bačić&nbsp;reports
SWITZERLAND: Rail’s share of the north-south transit freight market reached its highest level for 25 years in the first half of this year
according to the Federal Office for Transport
   Source: AlpTransit Gotthard  INNOTRANS: Michaela Stöckli
director of Swiss railway industry association Swissrail
will be the guest on the next edition of the InnoTrans Mobility podcast
She will be discussing the 15 km Ceneri Base Tunnel
which opened last year as part of the NEAT trans-Alpine ..
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"Something became increasingly clear towards the end of the criminal investigation: there seemed to be two faces of Ousman Sonko," prosecutor Sabrina Beyeler said on March 4 when the Swiss Federal Court of Bellinzona resumed the crimes against humanity trial of the former Gambian interior minister
courteous and cooperative suspect who knows of no wrongdoing and has never been guilty of anything
The other face shows a person who was aware of everything from A to Z
who knew about the systematic human rights violations and helped orchestrate them at the highest level
a person of power who wants to control the situation at all times and hold all the strings."
they were shown the following side of the accused: "He claims and defends himself that there was no state repression
he says that it was &ndash; and these were the words of the defense &ndash; a tourist paradise
Such a statement is tasteless and misplaced
It ignores all of the revelations that have become internationally known in recent years about the machinations of Yahya Jammeh [president of The Gambia from July 1994 to January 2017] and his followers
The accused wants to present himself as a reformer and law-abiding public servant and claims that there have been many improvements under Yahya Jammeh."
In the prosecutor&rsquo;s view the handwritten notes found with the accused when he was arrested in 2017 demonstrate that Sonko knew everything
"These memos also show that the accused was well able to resist instructions from the president."
For the prosecutor, the accused&acute;s involvement in <a href="https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/44218-ousman-sonko-a-view-on-the-swiss-case-from-gambia-s-truth-commission.html">the murder of Almamo Manneh</a> is the highest crime he allegedly committed. Manneh was a state guard soldier and one Jammeh&acute;s most loyal men. Before the <a href="https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/41754-time-for-the-truth-in-gambia.html">Gambia's truth commission</a> (2018-2021)
he was implicated to have participated in a number of tortures
Manneh himself suffered a similar fate as many of Jammeh&acute;s close allies
Sonko refused to respond to questions on this issue
"I am bound by an oath of secrecy," he always responded
"The Office of the Attorney General considers that the involvement of the accused as an accomplice is more than sufficiently proven
the accused led the group of five to six soldiers
they carried out the orders as they had been planned and ordered by the accused
He himself acted as part of this group and actively participated by shooting the fleeing Almamo Manneh with his own weapon
that Almamo Manneh would not be arrested but liquidated as an enemy of the State," the prosecutor argued
she told the court Sonko used his professional connection with Manneh to lure him into an ambush
"acted with the soldiers as a kind of 'death squad' and was prepared to eliminate any person who was [against] the regime
it was too insignificant compared to the government's selfish interests in staying in power
The killing is therefore to be qualified as a serious case because perpetrators acted cruelly."
The prosecutor then touched on all the other crimes
"The army was active as part of this [group of] perpetrators in the context of attempted coups
The perpetrators' collective also acted together to prevent the prosecution of these crimes by covering these state crimes with a cloak of silence
falsifying or destroying incriminating evidence and publicly covering up the true facts with untrue statements
This collective of perpetrators acted together in an organised and coordinated manner in the crimes against Bunja Darboe
Fatoumatta Jawara and Modou Touray," the prosecutor continued
naming all the individual victims in the case
<a href="https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/127079-ousman-sonko-faces-first-witness.html">Binta Jamba, the widow of Manneh testified to being raped by Sonko</a> multiple times over several years after her husband&acute;s murder
Sonko denied it and said that during that period
from January 2000 to January 2002 he was in a neighbouring country
Jamba&acute;s statements "show a sufficient number of different real indicators to conclude that her statements are true and that the events took place as she described them," the prosecutor pleaded
"If one compares the statements made by Binta Jamba in the course of the pre-trial proceedings and before the court," she explained
"it is noticeable that she described the course of the core events the same way and with a high level of detail
even though she did not report on certain events chronologically per se&hellip; Various characteristics of the accused&rsquo;s actions show that the crime against Binta Jamba were not primarily about the satisfaction of the accused&rsquo;s sexual urges
but rather about the state interests of President Jammeh power apparatus
which the accused wanted to protec with his behaviour
One feature that stands out is the official appearance of the accused
He did not appear to Binta Jamba and the public as a private person in the moments in question
It took the prosecutor about six hours to make her pleadings before the three judges. Then she concluded: "In December last year, the Jungler <a href="https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/tag/bai-lowe-en">Bai Lowe</a>
who was involved in various crimes against humanity as a driver
was sentenced to life imprisonment [in a German court]
The defendant&acute;s involvement in the offence and his culpability must be weighed significantly higher in this case&hellip;Taking all sentencing criteria into account
the Office of the Attorney General therefore requests that the accused be sentenced to life imprisonment."
When the closing argument of the prosecutor was shared in writing with the parties as Beyeler began addressing the judges
Sonko&rsquo;s defense lawyer Philippe Currat asked the court for interpretation for his client
the defendant has to sit in court through long hours of pleadings about what his fate should be in a language he claims to not understand
Despite several submissions by the prosecution and defense
has maintained that its only official language is German
going through documents and mostly jotting something down
Only he and Currat are on the defense bench this time around
"There is no point coming if you cannot understand the language
It's just going to be additional costs for nothing," Currat responded when asked by Justice Info
<a href="https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/127079-ousman-sonko-faces-first-witness.html">In January, a little Gambian community formed in Bellinzona</a>
Plaintiffs &ndash; Gambians living at home and others abroad &ndash; as well as a few Gambian journalists and others
met in the Swiss court every day for three weeks of evidence hearings
The fate of one of the highest-ranking alleged perpetrators in Gambia
is being determined in a country thousands of kilometres away
yet there is very little trace of the Gambian people and very little effort being made to include them
including Justice Info&rsquo;s correspondent
who have received financial support from a self-organized
Although the Gambian community struggled with the language barrier <a href="https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/126731-sonko-trial-starts-switzerland-crimes-against-humanity.html">from the start</a>
this month&rsquo;s proceedings seem to exclude them even more than in January
"My experience this time is totally different from the January sessions
When plaintiffs and witnesses had to speak in languages
making it extra hard for me to make sense of what is going on
I have to rely on online translation of the documents shared with me after the session to make sense of it
time consuming and information is not timely delivered to us when our readers need real time updates about the proceedings," Sanna Camara
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time
If there’s one thing you can safely say about Hotel Bellinzona it’s that you can’t miss it - at least in daylight
Ninety minutes north-west from Melbourne (quicker from the airport)
head straight down Main Road to Hepburn Springs
all-black timber building with the large sign in white lettering emblazoned with “Hotel Bellinzona” on its facade
(Don’t be disturbed by the other sign with the word “Virgin” on it as it’s merely the name of the top-notch in-house cafe)
which is just as well: based on its manifold charms
you wouldn’t want to miss out on a stay here
The Oxford Dining Room at Hotel Bellinzona
the couple behind The Houses Daylesford group with its portfolio of 70-plus upscale holiday rental properties
formerly the Grange Bellinzona dating to 1903
which may explain why the sale went somewhat unnoticed for a while
has been given the complete gilded designer treatment - and then some
manicured gardens and backed by the dense bushland of the Wombat State Forest
a surprise feature is the hotel’s large indoor swimming pool featuring a black and white mural
festooned with a profusion of pot plants and figurines
there is a welcome bar surrounded by leather armchairs that draw guests away from their rooms to commune in the bosom of the hotel
Our comfortable and commodious room overlooks a charming courtyard garden
the room could benefit from a few luxury accoutrements
And it seems that when it comes to hotel renovations it can be difficult to stretch the funds to what would seem one of the most costly aspects of any revamp - the in-suite bathrooms
which appear to have missed out on the latest revamp
But with so much to entertain you within and without the hotel
shame on you if you’re lounging around your room for any longer than absolutely necessary
Hotel Bellinzona’s best attributes are its two food outlets
namely the 60-seat Oxford Dining Room and The Virgin Kitchen cafe tucked away at street level below it
floridly decorated like the rest of the hotel and in similar dark tonings
deservedly features in the 2023 edition of The Age Good Food Guide
On the night we visit we’re impressed by not only the quality of the food - including a stunning dessert - but also the polished service
it’s a bonus to have a proper working cafe - and one embraced by locals - within the hotel itself
especially for those who’d rather eschew the traditional hotel breakfast buffet bunfight
You’re slapbang in the middle of Victoria’s premier spa country here with the Hepburn Bathhouse &amp; Spa complex at the end of Main Road
The popular - sometimes too popular - town of Daylesford
with its array of superior eateries and shops is a short drive
This delightful spa country corner is one of the prettiest regions in Victoria so make some time to explore the nearby towns such as Kyneton
which rivals Daylesford in scope for its upscale food and retail attractions
There’s no shortage of decent accommodation in and around this Victorian regional tourism hotspot but Hotel Bellinzona’s impressive combination of regional cuisine and country comforts makes it too good to miss
Rooms from $249 a night mid-week. Hotel Bellinzona, 77 Main Road, Hepburn Springs, Vic. Ph: 03 5348 2271. See <a href="http://bellinzona.com.au">bellinzona.com.au</a>; <a href="http://thehousesdaylesford.com">thehousesdaylesford.com</a>
Anthony Dennis stayed as a guest of Hotel Bellinzona
The standout in-house restaurant and cafe make for a complete and pleasurable country getaway
The repetition of some contemporary artwork throughout the hotel by the seemingly same artist can feel
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If there\\u2019s one thing you can safely say about Hotel Bellinzona it\\u2019s that you can\\u2019t miss it - at least in daylight
all-black timber building with the large sign in white lettering emblazoned with \\u201CHotel Bellinzona\\u201D on its facade
(Don\\u2019t be disturbed by the other sign with the word \\u201CVirgin\\u201D on it as it\\u2019s merely the name of the top-notch in-house cafe)
you wouldn\\u2019t want to miss out on a stay here
a surprise feature is the hotel\\u2019s large indoor swimming pool featuring a black and white mural
shame on you if you\\u2019re lounging around your room for any longer than absolutely necessary
Hotel Bellinzona\\u2019s best attributes are its two food outlets
On the night we visit we\\u2019re impressed by not only the quality of the food - including a stunning dessert - but also the polished service
it\\u2019s a bonus to have a proper working cafe - and one embraced by locals - within the hotel itself
especially for those who\\u2019d rather eschew the traditional hotel breakfast buffet bunfight
You\\u2019re slapbang in the middle of Victoria\\u2019s premier spa country here with the Hepburn Bathhouse &amp; Spa complex at the end of Main Road
There\\u2019s no shortage of decent accommodation in and around this Victorian regional tourism hotspot but Hotel Bellinzona\\u2019s impressive combination of regional cuisine and country comforts makes it too good to miss
10:49 AM  | Article By:  Sanna Camara in Zurich
the Federal Criminal Court convicted Ousman Sonko of crimes against humanity
The defendant lodged an appeal against the judgment,” he wrote on his wall on the professional social media site
Currat said the court has a period of 90 days to notify the parties of its judgment with its fully reasoned judgment and to forward the case to the Court of Appeal
The parties will then have a period of 20 days to file their statement of appeal
specify which parts of the judgment they are contesting
and what their submission and evidence are
The court of appeal must then rule on the appeal within 12 months
When we reached out to Sonko’s lawyer by 11pm on Friday to make comments on the post
the Tribunal has 90days for notifying the complete judgment after which we will have 20 days to declare what parts of the judgment is contested
Currat also saw the decision of the Federal Court as a small win for Sonko
as it compels the state of Bern to examine Ousman Sonko’s complaint about his prison conditions
In a <a href="https://www.tdg.ch/ousman-sonko-plainte-de-lex-ministre-gambien-examinee-906892654164">news publication</a> yesterday
Ousman Sonko obtained what is described as “a small victory” before the Federal Court
inviting the Bernese justice system to finally examine the complaints of the former Gambian Minister for the Interior against his conditions of detention in the prisons
Born on the 9th of January 1969 in Kanifing
has currently spent a total of 2670 days in preventive detention in various prisons in Switzerland
had complained about his conditions of detention
He claimed he was locked there for 23 hours a day
in a cell equipped with an opaque window which only opened partially
so that he could see neither daylight nor the outside world
Sonko also claimed he was denied basic hygiene products
and no access to family except for his lawyer
The Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona had denied Ousman Sonko all requests for compensation because of these conditions
which his lawyer argued violated his rights
“Ousman Sonko is not granted neither damages nor compensation for pain and suffering
the verdict read at the Federal Criminal Court on Wednesday
talking to journalists at the Federal Criminal Court premises following the outcome of the trial process that began in January 2024
argued that “Compensation is not just monetary.”
“It could be in the form of a reduced sentence
and I believe my client is entitled to this due to his conditions of imprisonment,” Currat said
The case of conditions of detention referred to the Federal Court for consideration considers that “the practice of the Bernese authorities prevented the appellant from asserting his rights in terms of establishing the unlawfulness of the conditions of detention”
“The judges emphasised that the person concerned had a right to have the actions he considers to be contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights subject to an immediate and serious investigation,” the publication stated
The case has been referred to the Bern courts
which must now ensure that Sonko can exercise his right to have his conditions of detention examined
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                                 Miller Ilario Garbani roasting corn to make Farina Bóna (good flour) © Sarah Gilbert / Lonely Planet 
Italian-speaking canton – is a slow food mecca where travellers can enjoy la dolce vita with a side order of Swiss efficiency
The region encourages visitors to take their time in exploring historic lakeside cities like Lugano and Ascona
and delving into spectacular valleys such as Onsernone and Muggio
Here are the best ways to savour Ticino’s slow food delights first
The year-round Saturday morning market in Bellinzona, <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/switzerland/ticino">Ticino</a>’s capital
is a chance for small producers to showcase their wares
Stalls adorned with the canton’s blue and red flag snake along the historic centre
where you will find an array of the region’s cold cuts
such as mortadella di fegato (pork liver salami)
including aged formaggio d’alpe made from high-altitude cows’ milk
Visitors can also pick up a slab of the perennially popular bread cake (leftover bread soaked in milk and eggs and baked with dried fruit and nuts) as well as pepper mixed with herbs from the Maggia Valley
The smaller market at Lugano sells similar produce on Tuesday and Friday mornings
‘Sa védum al mercàa’ (‘meet you at the market’)
Founded in 1930 on the fertile River Maggia delta, the lowest area of Switzerland, <a href="https://www.terreniallamaggia.ch/en">Terreni alla Maggia</a> grows a wealth of produce
the farm is also home to Switzerland’s only rice paddy
yielding Riso Nostrano Ticinese used in risotto and beer
an indigenous red grape that dates back to the 18th century
The winery also produces award-winning wines like La Lepre
a fruity white merlot that’s a speciality of Ticino
A host of regional specialities are on sale at their one-stop farm shop where a wine tasting with nibbles costs Sfr20 per person
The delicious smell of popcorn wafts from the mill in the village of Vergeletto in the spectacular Onsernone Valley
flanked by thickly forested slopes dotted with stone cottages
Former teacher Ilario Garbani has not only got the mill working again
he’s also behind the renaissance of Farina Bóna
this finely milled toasted corn used to be an indispensable part of the diet for this once poor and inaccessible valley
but by the end of the 1960s production had stopped
After researching the recipe, Garbani installed a coffee roaster – the secret to its unique flavour – and mills once a week with an ancient stone. Now it’s used in everything from Valona craft beer, to pasta, amaretti and even ice cream. There are <a href="https://www.ticino.ch/en/commons/details/Guided-tour-of-the-farina-b%C3%B3na-mills/136103.html">tours of the mill</a> every Tuesday for Sfr15 per person
A speciality of the Valle di Muggio is the intense-flavoured zincarlin cheese
Crafted from cow’s milk and kneaded into shape by hand
each bell-shaped cheese is bathed in white wine daily for two months to keep the rind soft
The age-old cheese had almost died out when Valtulini began to revive it using a recipe handed down by her mother
using Gin Bisbino instead of white wine to create Gincarlin
the canton’s first gin was the brainchild of four friends
After wrestling with the recipe they settled on seven herbs
all plucked from their terraced garden in the village of Sagno on the slopes of Mount Bisbino
Grotto restaurants are another unique aspect of Ticinese food culture
dry natural caves were used to store perishable foods
and over time morphed into simple eateries where farmers would take a break and share their produce
At the convivial <a href="http://grottino-ticinese.ch/it/">Grottino Ticenese</a> in Losone
people sit around alfresco granite tables while they serve up local meats and cheeses
and there’s always a big pot of polenta cooking in a copper pot over the open fire – although these days it is stirred by a machine
such as soft and creamy cylinders of büsción cheese
visitors should try the gnocchi pan salam (bread gnocchi in a rich salami ragù)
The fizz should be accompanied by strudel Luganighetta
Let a white merlot from Bottegone del Vino act as an aperitivi, before trying the catch-of-the-day at a lakeside restaurant like Arté al Lago or Metamorphosis. Finish with a nocino – a bittersweet liqueur made from green walnuts. If there’s any room left, round off with a top-notch gelato from <a href="http://www.vanini-dolce-caffe.ch/">Vanini</a>.
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ShareThis is part of the &quot;Melbourne restaurant reviews 2022&quot; collection <a class="sc-cba76dee-0 oQxeF sc-6defa7bd-2 fMNoOE" href="/goodfood/eating-out/melbourne-restaurant-reviews-2022-20220427-h23dp0.html">See all stories.</a>Hotel Bellinzona's restaurant
in all its Belle Epoque glory.Bonnie Savage14/20How we score
the scent of rich lamb stew wafts through my house
It&apos;s the final gift from a night spent at the Hotel Bellinzona in Hepburn Springs
where the lamb for two ($95) could easily feed four or five
we were able to bring home more than half of the falling-from-the-bone lamb shoulder
pop it in a pot with some stock and white beans and a tin of good tomatoes
and continue to enjoy the warming goodness of our meal for days afterwards
just up the street from the town&apos;s famous bathhouse
has undergone an extensive renovation in recent years
reviving its 43-room accommodation and also its two restaurants: The Virgin
referred to now simply as The Dining Room.&nbsp;
the wide lobby is filled with inviting leather chairs and couches
Logs burn in open fireplaces and a lobby bar serves up cocktails and more
this still feels like a hotel in regional Australia rather than a schmick replica of city life
parmesan and pine nuts.Bonnie SavageI was touched
by the plaid carpet that runs through the whole property – a style choice that feels wholly appropriate for a country pub.&nbsp;
The property was bought by Tony DeMarco and Theresa Albioli in 2019
and the couple brought in Theresa&apos;s son
Julian had trained at MoVida before moving to New York
and The Dining Room opened this June with Julian Albioli
manager Tim Foster and a dedicated kitchen team collaborating on the menu
The 60-seat restaurant is fitted out in full Belle Epoque glory
all gilded mirrors and nude statues (there&apos;s so much boob-related art on the property it&apos;s practically a theme)
It&apos;s grand enough to feel worthy of a special occasion
but the vibe and style of service are relaxed enough to make almost anyone feel comfortable
Individual servings of kingfish.Bonnie SavageAdvertisementThe kitchen team has a cooking style that&apos;s perfect for the venue
sitting securely between creativity and comfort
The menu has a selection of bite-sized appetisers
such as a thick sliver of raw kingfish ($5) – firm and sweet and buttery – served with fennel
or croquettes ($10 for 2) made with mushroom and smoked scamorza cheese
grilled – leaving it meaty and tender – and topped with a salsa verde that&apos;s packed with herby vegetal goodness
here rendered as a thoroughly spiced black pudding
comes with a cooling and tangy sauce gribiche and a radish salad for freshness and snap
Kingfish collar covered in salsa verde.Bonnie SavageThe main courses tend to be hearty and rich
Duck breast ($48) comes with sweet potatoes and pickled pine mushrooms – a study of pinks and oranges and reds – while the pork belly ($42) has a vaguely Germanic vibe
served over a creamy almond sauce and with anchovy
parmesan and pine nuts setting off the juicy meat beautifully
to be washed down with buckets of wine and good cheer
and the competent staff know it back to front
Morcilla with sauce gribiche and radish salad.Bonnie SavageI often worry about regional Australia and the change that&apos;s inevitably coming to these small towns
Will every hotel end up feeling like Melbourne
(A look at the boutiques of Daylesford might give you that impression.) This part of the state has long been a destination for moneyed Melburnians
so it&apos;s not exactly gentrification I fret over as much as the region losing its inherent and unique charm in favour of something more global and trendy
The Dining Room at Hotel Bellinzona is a lovely example of the middle ground – a place that has modernised just enough without giving up its integral appeal
I suggest a trek out this way to remind you of the restorative power of a warm country meal in a beautiful and historic room
This review was originally published in&nbsp;<a class="inline-link" href=https://www.theage.com.au/topic/good-weekend-1qq rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Good Weekend</a>&nbsp;magazine
</a><a class="sc-cba76dee-0 oQxeF" href="/goodfood/melbourne-eating-out/henry-sugar-review-20220725-h25a55.html?collection=h23dp0&amp;gb=1">Neighbourhood restaurant Henry Sugar punches well above its weight</a>This inventive, friendly and cosy Carlton North local ought to be beloved by a wider swath of the city, as well.
</a><a class="sc-cba76dee-0 oQxeF" href="/goodfood/melbourne-eating-out/ototo-review-20220720-h256xi.html?collection=h23dp0&amp;gb=1">Dining on the clock at Melbourne izakaya Ototo</a>The room is cool, the food is tasty, but things will need to improve before I spend another fretted-over hour and a half in this basement bar, reviews Besha Rodell.
</a><a class="sc-cba76dee-0 oQxeF" href="/goodfood/melbourne-eating-out/dessous-review-20220801-h25fnp.html?collection=h23dp0&amp;gb=1">Benchmark bar snacks and &#x27;bloody delicious&#x27; doughnuts at Dessous</a>The Flinders Lane basement bar is almost a design genre in its own right, and this place has it down.
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Nearly 200 days of delay and four false starts
a former Liberian warlord of the first civil war in the 1990s
Delays that have put the federal criminal court of Bellinzona
which only announced this last date one week in advance
Limited by the health restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic but also pressed by the pre-trial detention of the accused
the court decided to deal with the urgency and to split the trial in two parts
it intends to deal with pre-trial legal issues and then to hear the accused himself
The testimonies of witnesses as well as the pleadings will hopefully take place in February 2021
Alieu Kosiah had been in Switzerland for twenty years when he was arrested
Based on the testimonies of victims of the Liberian conflict who filed a complaint in Switzerland
the Swiss Public Prosecutor's Office accuses him of having "committed himself or (...) ordered his troops to commit during the years 1993 to 1995
rape and acts aimed at enslaving and terrorising the population"
It caused the deaths of more than 200,000 people
Persecuted by the forces of the main rebel leader Charles Taylor
the Mandingo community decided to take up arms to defend itself
They founded a sub-branch of the armed group Ulimo (United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy)
Alieu Kosiah had fled to neighbouring Sierra Leone at the age of 18 after members of his family were brutally murdered
He soon joined the Ulimo-K and rose through the ranks to become one of its commanders
He was in this position when numerous massacres took place between 1993 and 1995 in the Lofa region of northern Liberia on the border with Guinea
Inter-ethnic violence continued until the election of Charles Taylor as president in 1997
which marked the end of the first civil war
It was then that Alieu Kosiah decided to leave his country
he arrived in Switzerland as an asylum seeker
he presented himself as one of the leaders of a former rebel group
This transparency did not convince the Swiss authorities
that enabled him to obtain a residence permit and to do odd jobs
having learned of his presence in the country
collected the testimonies of several Liberian victims and
filed criminal complaints on their behalf with the Federal Prosecutor's Office
His lawyer Dimitri Gianoli does not deny his involvement as commander of Ulimo
nor his position as deputy chief of police in Liberia in 1995
but he excludes any involvement of his client in war crimes
Alieu Kosiah is both the first Liberian suspect to be tried for war crimes in a court outside Liberia
and the first to be tried in a civilian court in Switzerland
these cases were heard by military courts.) Yet he remains very popular within the Mandingo community
the president of the Liberian community in Switzerland
Kosiah's defence is expected to vehemently fight back the lawyers for the civil parties
They want the charges to be qualified not only as war crimes but also as crimes against humanity
The prosecutor's office believes that since the events took place before the entry into force of an amended criminal code in 2011
the charge of crimes against humanity cannot be retained
who have so ardently desired the opening of this trial
also wish to request the postponement of the accused's testimony
The victims' lawyers are very upset by the court's decision to have decided
to cancel the victims' travel from Liberia for the first part of the trial
"We have an ambivalent feeling," said Romain Wavre
one of the lawyers of the NGO Civitas Maxima
"We are torn between satisfaction at the opening of the trial of Alieu Kosiah
whose crimes were denounced many years ago
and frustration that the court did not allow the plaintiffs to take part in the beginning of this trial they have been waiting for so long
The procedure was complicated by the inability of the Swiss authorities to travel to Liberia - unlike other European prosecutors' offices - and by the limited material evidence available
It took five years for the prosecution to hear 25 witnesses and complete the indictment
Switzerland's universal jurisdiction and the dozen or so complaints still pending were never among the priorities of former chief prosecutor Michael Lauber
who considered these cases to be both too complex and unattractive to the general public
"This trial is very important for the victims because no one has ever been convicted in our country for atrocities committed by different military factions during the civil war," says Hassan Bility
director of the Liberian NGO Global Justice and Research Project
"Many parliamentarians running for the December 8 elections in Liberia have made it a campaign issue because of the strong popular demand for the establishment of a war tribunal in Liberia," Bility said
What is taking place in Bellinzona from this December 3 may therefore not stay in Bellinzona
ITALY - MAY 31: Adriano Galliani CEO of AC Monza looks on during the celebrations of the first historic promotion of AC Monza to Serie A in its 110-year history at U-Power Stadium Brianteo on May 31
has spoken about his club's market activities and confirmed once again the desire to sign Lorenzo Colombo from the AC Milan club
Here are the words of the former AC Milan director to the microphones of MonzaNews:
"Our main objective remains Milan's Lorenzo Colombo
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<a href="https://trackalerts.com">Home</a> - <a href="https://trackalerts.com/category/Articles/">Articles</a> - Powell clocks 90th sub-10 seconds in Bellinzona
Asafa Powell took advantage of still conditions to power to his 90th sub 10 clocking
The Jamaican ran 9.87 seconds to easily see off the challenge of his compatriot Nesta Carter (10.05) and <a data-ail="14210" target="_self"  href="https://trackalerts.com/tag/kim-collins/" >Kim Collins</a> of St
Jamaican turned Turkish Jak Ali Harvey ran a quick 10.03 (-0.1) to win the other 100m race
0.4) also posted good times in the earlier heats
Ronnie Ash of the USA sped to a strong 13.13 (0.3m/s)
Lawrence Clarke 13.42 beat Jarret Eaton (13.45)
The women’s 100m hurdles went to Jasmin Stowers in 12.62 (0.4m/s)
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