Assisted euthanasia to become possible in Lucerne hospitals
Keystone-SDA
Terminally ill residents in Swiss canton Lucerne should no longer have to leave hospital for assisted euthanasia. On Monday the cantonal parliament voted in favour of assisted dying being regulated by law in both retirement homes and hospitals.
On Monday, parliament passed a motion by Sara Muff from the centre-left Social Democratic Party by 81 votes to 27. The question of whether – as proposed by the cantonal government – hospitals should be exempted from assisted dying was particularly contentious among the centre-right and conservative groups.
In her motion, Muff called for a legal framework for external assisted suicide in all public health and social care institutions. Self-determination over one’s own life should apply until the end of life and for everyone, regardless of where they are, she said.
Today, many care homes have their own guidelines on assisted dying. Residents of nursing homes or social care facilities do not have the same access to this everywhere as people living at home, said Health Director Michaela Tschuor (Centre Party) in the cantonal parliament.
Tschuor therefore advocated for equal access to external assisted dying support in care and support facilities to be regulated by law. She wanted to exclude hospitals from this. Their remit lies in healing, care and the alleviation of suffering, she said.
Muff did not agree with this. Hospitals are also places where people die, said Muff. That is why self-determination at the end of life should apply there too. It should not be the case that someone who is at the end of their life has to leave hospital to die.
Thomas Gfeller from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party agreed with Muff. The path outlined by the government was not a compromise, but rather cemented the problem, he said.
Mario Cozzio from the centrist Liberal Green Party also spoke in favour of referring the entire motion. However, freedom should apply to both sides, he said. People at the end of life should be able to decide for themselves, but the same should also apply to staff in the institutions.
For Karin Andrea Stadelmann (Centre Party), assisted dying in hospital also has its place. In palliative care, she said, the focus is no longer on healing but on care.
Lisa Zanolla (People’s Party) and Hannes Koch from the left-wing Green Party also stated that there are situations in hospitals where assisted dying should be possible on site. Priska Fleischlin (Social Democratic Party) said that for people who are suffering, dying is a relief and a beautiful thing.
Fleischlin explained that “wishing to die” is already possible in hospitals today, for example by forgoing life-prolonging measures. In hospitals, however, unlike in assisted dying, the focus is on alleviating suffering, not on shortening life.
Stephan Schärli (Centre Party) and Sibylle Boos-Braun (centre-right Radical Liberal Party) supported the government’s stance. Schärli said hospitals should not be forced to offer something that contradicts their fundamental mission. Boos feared that assisted dying could also create difficult situations for hospital staff.
Gerda Jung (Centre Party) and Jasmin Ursprung (People’s Party) argued in favour of rejecting the motion entirely. Care homes should be able to decide for themselves on the issue of assisted dying, said Ursprung. A uniform cantonal regulation would add no value.
Adapted from German by AI/ts
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Power outages take place in parts of Tehran: Iranian media
Israel military says air defences responding to Iranian missiles
Israel’s military said its air defences were responding to Iranian missiles on Tuesday as sirens rang out in Jerusalem.
“A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel,” the Israeli military posted on Telegram.
Sirens sounded and several blasts were heard over Jerusalem, an AFP witness said.
Explosions heard in Tehran: local media
Young Iranian says Trump’s threats to destroy civilian infrastructure are ‘terrifying’
A 22-year-old resident of Karaj, a city just west of Iran’s capital, said his area lost power for several hours overnight following nearby strikes.
“I was really scared. I thought that they’d hit the power plants and that we are not going to have power anymore,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of security fears.
He said he’d already packed a go-bag with documents, chargers, a laptop and wads of cash in case “bank servers go down.” Power returned around 1 am Monday.
He and his friends have scant information about the war, he said, amid Iran’s blanket internet shutdown. “I am really confused. I don’t know what to feel or what to think.”
He added that security checkpoints are common in his area. “They search the car, they check the trunk, they ask for your ID, and they send you on your way.”
Rising gasoline prices are a double blow for drivers who use their own vehicles for work
Millions of people have jobs that require using personal vehicles for work, like delivery drivers and ride-share providers, as well as self-employed electricians, nannies, home health care aides and real estate agents.
The Iran war has pushed up the average US price for a gallon of regular gas by $1.
Some companies compensate employees for using their own vehicles, including the cost of gas. Ride-hailing and food delivery platforms like Uber and Instacart don’t reimburse drivers for gas, but some are offering temporary incentives in response to rising gas prices.
Leslie Sherman-Shafer, an Uber driver in the San Francisco Bay Area, said she’s putting in extra hours to cover the difference.
“With everything going up, it’s impossible to save a dime,” said Sherman-Shafer, a retired dental office assistant.
Security Council to hold emergency meeting on killings of UN peacekeepers
The United Nations’ most powerful body will convene an emergency session Tuesday after officials announced that three peacekeepers in southern Lebanon had been killed in the last 24 hours. The meeting was scheduled after a request from France.
It was unclear who was behind the projectile and explosion that killed the three peacekeepers, as the UN says the incidents remain under investigation.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, under-secretary-general for peace operations, said Monday that all three peacekeepers who were killed were from the Indonesian army. That makes 97 fatalities of UNIFIL peacekeepers due to malicious acts since the mission began in March 1978 and a total of more than 330 fatalities — the most of any UN peacekeeping operation.
UN envoy says ‘Lebanon is a shadow of its former self’ since Israeli invasion
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaer, the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, issued a scathing statement Monday, saying that the humanitarian impact in southern Lebanon as Israel trades fire with Hezbollah has reached devastating levels.
The envoy detailed the three UN peacekeepers and nine Lebanese paramedics killed in just the last few days as a snapshot of the death toll that now stands at more than 1,240.
“One thing is clear: the longer this goes on, the harder it will be to come back from,” Hennis-Plasschaer said. “As maximalist rhetoric abounds, the prospect of a negotiated settlement is a daunting one. But we must start somewhere.”
She added that while “tactical military gains may produce short-term wins, on and off the battlefield,” they do risk “long-term damage to the stability and prosperity both Lebanese and Israelis deserve.”
Gulf allies privately make the case to Trump to keep fighting until Iran is decisively defeated
Gulf allies of the United States are arguing that Tehran hasn’t been weakened enough by the monthlong US-led bombing campaign, according to US, Gulf and Israeli officials.
Officials from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain have conveyed in private conversations that they do not want the military operation to end until there are significant changes in the Iranian leadership or there’s a dramatic shift in Iranian behaviour, according to the officials, who were not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
While regional leaders are broadly supportive now of the US efforts, one Gulf diplomat described some division, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE leading the calls for increasing military pressure on Tehran.
The UAE has emerged as perhaps the most hawkish of the Gulf countries and is pushing hard for Trump to order a ground invasion, the diplomat said.
Trump says US is negotiating with Iran’s parliamentary speaker, who denies talks
US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital infrastructure, including desalination plants, if a deal to end the war with Tehran is not reached “shortly.”
Trump said the US is negotiating with Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, in an interview with the New York Post published Monday. The former Revolutionary Guard commander was previously floated as Washington’s negotiating partner, but has denied Iran is talking to the US and said Pakistan-facilitated discussions were merely a cover for American troop deployments.
Iranian attack sparks fire on Kuwaiti oil tanker at Dubai Port: state media
An Iranian attack sparked a fire on a Kuwaiti oil tanker at Dubai Port, state media reported on Tuesday, as Tehran continues its campaign in the Gulf in response to US-Israeli strikes.
“The Kuwaiti giant crude oil tanker was subjected to a direct and malicious Iranian attack while in the anchorage area of Dubai Port in the UAE,” official news agency KUNA reported, citing Kuwait’s state-owned oil company.
There were no injuries, according to the report, and Dubai authorities later said firefighters had extinguished the blaze.
KUNA reported the tanker was fully laden at the time of the attack, which had caused “material damage to the ship’s hull” and “the possibility of an oil spill in the surrounding waters.”
Kuwait’s military also said on Tuesday its air defences were responding to “hostile missile and drone attacks”, according to an X post.
Israel military launches investigation after peacekeeper deaths in Lebanon
Israel’s military said on Tuesday that it had launched an investigation into separate incidents that killed three UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.
“The incidents are being thoroughly reviewed in order to clarify the circumstances and determine whether they resulted from Hezbollah activity or from IDF activity,” the Israeli military posted on Telegram.
“It should be noted these incidents occurred in an active combat area,” where it was operating against Iran-backed group Hezbollah, the post added.
“Therefore, it should not be assumed that incidents in which UNIFIL soldiers were harmed were caused by the IDF,” it said, referring to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said two of its personnel were killed Monday in an explosion and another had died late Sunday when a projectile hit their position.
Iran panel approves Hormuz toll plan
Iranian state media reported that a parliamentary commission had approved plans to impose tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway vital to oil and gas shipments that has been effectively closed due to the Middle East war.
Citing a member of the parliament’s security commission, state TV said the plan involved, among other things, “financial arrangements and rial toll systems” and “implementing the sovereign role of Iran”, as well as cooperation with Oman on the other side of the strait.
NATO intercepts Turkey-bound missile
NATO forces intercepted a new missile fired from Iran towards Turkey — the fourth since the start of the Middle East war.
None of the four projectiles managed to hit Turkish soil, according to the authorities.
US ‘hopeful’ in private Iran talks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope for working with elements within Iran’s government, saying the United States privately had received positive messages.
Rubio said there were internal “fractures” inside the Islamic republic and that the United States hopes figures with “power to deliver” take charge.
Israel strikes Iran university
Israel’s military said it had struck the Imam Hossein University in Tehran run by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, claiming the institution was used for advanced weapons research.
Israel kills three Hezbollah members
An Israeli airstrike on a residential building near Beirut’s southern suburbs killed at least three Hezbollah members, a security source told AFP.
The strike “targeted an office used by Hezbollah, killing three members and seriously wounding three others”, while the Israeli army, for its part, announced it had “begun striking Hezbollah terrorist infrastructures in Beirut”.
Trump threatens Iran oil hub
Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s oil export hub of Kharg Island, oil wells and power plants if it does not agree soon to a deal to end the war.
The US president wrote on his Truth Social network that while the United States is in “serious discussions” with “a more reasonable regime” in Tehran, if an agreement was not forthcoming Washington would set about “completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!)”.
The hottest hitter to start the 2026 MLB season has come out of nowhere.
Washington Nationals outfielder Joey Wiemer reached base on each of his first 12 plate appearances. He went 3-for-3 on Opening Day with a home run and a walk, and followed that up with the same statline on Sunday, helping the Nationals to two wins over the Chicago Cubs. He continued that hot start on Monday, when he went 2-for-4 with a run in Washington’s 13-2 win against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Wiemer has batted all around the lineup, hitting fifth on Opening Day and on Sunday, and batting ninth on Monday. He’s made the most of his opportunity as Wiemer wasn’t expected to be on Washington’s major league roster to start the season.
Wiemer tied a major-league record by reaching base in 10 straight at-bats to start the season. The previous player to do so was former first baseman Carlos Delgado, who did it in 2002.
A former fourth-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020, Wiemer struggled to start his career. During his rookie season in 2023, he slashed .204/.283/.362 for the Brewers with 13 home runs and 42 RBIs across 410 plate appearances. Then, during his second MLB season, Milwaukee optioned him back down to Triple-A before trading him to the Cincinnati Reds for starter Frankie Montas, who kept him in the minors after the move.
Following the 2024 season, Wiemer was moved in another trade — to the Kansas City Royals, but he was waived and didn’t appear in a single game for the organization. The Miami Marlins picked up his contract, where he had a .236 batting average over 61 plate appearances. The same saga ensued — the Marlins moved on from Weimer, trading him to the San Francisco Giants for cash considerations, but he never appeared in a game.
So, he moved onto his sixth team in four seasons, as the Nationals picked up his contract before this season, and he found himself in a battle for an outfield spot with Washington’s top prospect, Dylan Crews. But Crews struggled in Spring Training, hitting .103 in 29 at-bats, and Weimer won the battle for an outfield position.
“I lived between despair and hope that my daughter might still be alive,” she explained. “Months later, we heard in the news that premature infants had died in Shifa. I would look at the photos, trying to feel, as a mother, whether this could be my child or not.”
Mumbai: The rupee on Monday slumped to breach the psychologically crucial barrier of 95/$, upending market expectations of a stronger year-end showing, as it finished FY26 by retreating the most in 14 years – nearly 11%.
The last month, coinciding with the Iran war, was particularly brutal and accounted for a 4% decline. The currency, which touched an all-time low of 95.21/$, had briefly advanced to 93.59/$ in the early hours, its strongest level on Monday. The trading amplitude for the unit was one of the widest Monday.
Intervention from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the last 15 minutes of trading lifted the local currency to close at 94.83/$ on the last trading day of the year. It closed at 94.81/$ on Friday.
The rupee was widely expected to strengthen on Monday.
Agencies
Rupee Seen Staying at 94-95 per Dollar
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This was following Friday’s central bank directives to curb lenders’ open positions in FX to $100 million. However, high dollar demand from oil companies, importers and hedge funds caused the rupee to retrace its steps and trade at record lows, traders said.
“The curbs by RBI created an arbitrage between NDF and onshore rates. With simultaneous buying in the NDF market and selling in the domestic market, along with year-end dollar demand from oil companies and corporates, the rupee came under pressure,” said Anil Bhansali, head of treasury, Finrex Treasury Advisors.
The rupee is expected to remain between 94/$ and 95/$ on April 2, when the market opens after a 2-day holiday.
Currency markets are closed on March 31, April 1, and April 3, making this a short trading week.
The currency opened at 93.59/$ on Monday and depreciated continuously till about 3:15 PM to a low of 95.22/$. At these levels, dollar sales by the RBI helped trim losses, allowing the rupee to close slightly stronger.
“Push for dollars from oil companies, importers, hedge funds and corporates was very high due to sharp rupee appreciation in the morning,” said Kunal Sodhani, head of treasury at Shinhan Bank India.
The size and features of the hub — the cost of which forms part of the €49 million — suggest it would be designed as a chamber to host theinstitution’s 329 members for their plenary sessions, which are held up to six times a year.
According to the documents, the hub would include booths for interpreters, VIP areas and press facilities. The documents say it would provide “autonomy from European Parliament and European Commission buildings,” as Committee of the Regions plenary sessions are currently held in the Parliament or in the Commission’s Charlemagne building.
Staff and unions say the plans have not been transparent enough. An official at an EU staff union, granted anonymity to speak freely, described the project as “this megalomaniac plan.”
A Committee of the Regions press officer said leadership had prepared and shared details of the hub with the Commission for Financial and Administrative Affairs — which deals with admin and budgets at the Committee — and had discussed it with the staff committee on March 25, the same day that POLITICO contacted the institution for comment.
Renovation plans
On Tuesday, the Committee’s leadership will decide whether to proceed with plans to demolish the two lower floors and the interior courtyard of the Bertha von Suttner building (named after the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize), which is located next to the European Parliament, as well as an adjoining building (Remorqueur, or REM).
A report called Building Strategy suggests the space could generate revenue by being rented out to other EU institutions, at rates of up to €1,400 per half-day. Combined with estimated annual savings of €272,000 as there would no longer be a need to rent out other spaces, total income and savings from the hub are projected to reach €15.47 million over 17 years.
Auch wenn Sie mit Ihrer Frau auf einer Weltreise waren, wird es feststellen, dass Ihr Vermögen geschrumpft ist. Bei Bedarf müssen Sie Auskunft geben, wie es dazu gekommen ist. Es ist besser, die geforderten Informationen zu liefern. Hier nützen Ihnen die Rechnung des Reisebüros oder die Kreditkartenabrechnungen mit den Details.
Alors que des membres du gouvernement ont condamné lundi le racisme subi par l’édile, la ministre chargée de lutter contre les discriminations Aurore Bergé n’a pas eu un mot à son endroit, préférant accuser Bally Bagayoko de faire de la «discrimination politique».
MARIETTA, Georgia — Chris Richards knew the question was coming. And when he heard it, he smiled.
“Tell us about your knee — what’s going on there?” a reporter asked Monday ahead of the U.S. men’s national team’s training session.
The Crystal Palace center back missed Saturday’s 5-2 defeat to Belgium because of a knee issue. USA manager Mauricio Pochettino said in the days beforehand that Richards arrived at training camp early last week with some soreness and wouldn’t play. But his presence at a press conference was a good sign that he’d be good to go for Tuesday’s World Cup tune-up vs. Portugal.
(Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
“I had a bad tackle in my last game with Palace,” Richards said, referring to his club’s 2-1 win over AEK Larnaca in a UEFA Conference League match. “So just a little bit of knee pain, knee soreness. But I’ve been training individually all week and I’m available.”
That’s a relief for a thin back line, which has been dealing with various injuries on and off for a while. There was left back Antonee “Jedi” Robinson, who missed about a year-and-a-half’s worth of matches while recovering from a knee injury. He’s back with the national team now though, and had the assist on Weston McKennie’s goal in the first half Saturday. Right back Sergino Dest was not called up for this roster because of a hamstring injury, and center back Miles Robinson tweaked his groin during training in Atlanta last week and didn’t play against Belgium and won’t suit up against Portugal, either.
Richards wore a wrap and bandage just below his right knee during Monday’s training session, but otherwise appeared loose and ready while warming up alongside Robinson and fellow center back Tim Ream.
(Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
It’s no secret that the team needs Richards to be healthy. The 26-year-old, who was named U.S. Soccer’s Male Player of the Year in 2025, provides experience on the back line where he starts regularly in the Premier League and for the national team. He missed out on the 2022 World Cup because of a hamstring injury, but figures to play an important role for the team at this summer’s tournament on home soil.
Pochettino said Monday that the squad needed to be better “in the defensive phase” against Belgium. In Richards’ absence, Pochettino went with a traditional 4-3-2-1 lineup with Robinson, Ream, Mark McKenzie and Tim Weah in the back.
“If Chris Richards is available, it’s good,” Pochettino said with a chuckle.
The U.S. manager did relay some new injury news, however. Midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who started Saturday and played 45 minutes, is heading back to Atlético Madrid to rehab a minor injury.
“He arrived from Madrid with small issues,” Pochettino said. “The plan was 45 minutes [vs. Belgium]. Afterwards, he [felt] again this type of uncomfortable things in his leg.”
Tuesday’s match against Portugal is the last game the team will play before Pochettino names his 26-man World Cup roster in New York City on May 26.
