Martin Pfister elected as new Swiss federal council member
ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland's parliament on Wednesday elected Martin Pfister to be the new member of the country's federal council, or cabinet, replacing Viola Amherd, who is stepping down at the end of this month.
Pfister edged out his colleague Markus Ritter, with both men representing the centrist Die Mitte party.
Amherd, the Swiss defence minister, served as the country's president last year within the seven-member federal council.
(Writing by Dave Graham, Editing by Rachel More)

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
8 hours ago
- New York Post
Ukraine says Russia launched the biggest aerial attack since start of the war
Russia launched its biggest aerial attack against Ukraine overnight, a Ukrainian official said Sunday, part of an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the 3-year-old war. Russia fired a total of 537 aerial weapons at Ukraine, including 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles, Ukraine's air force said. Of these, 249 were shot down and 226 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Advertisement 3 A Russian drone hit a residential building in Odesa, Ukraine overnight. Ukrainian State Emergency Service/AFP via Getty Images Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for Ukraine's air force, told the Associated Press that the overnight onslaught was 'the most massive air strike' on the country, taking into account both drones and various types of missiles. The attack targeted regions across Ukraine, including western Ukraine, far from the frontline. Advertisement Poland and allied countries scrambled aircraft to ensure the safety of Polish airspace, the Polish air force said Sunday. Kherson regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said one person died in a drone strike. Six people were wounded in Cherkasy, including a child, according to regional Gov. Ihor Taburets. 3 Ukrainian firefighters worked to put out the flames caused by a Russian drone in the town of Smila. via REUTERS Advertisement In the Lviv region in the far west of Ukraine, a large-scale fire broke out at an industrial facility in the city of Drohobych following a drone attack that also forced parts of the city to lose power. The fresh attacks follow Russian President Vladimir Putin's saying Friday that Moscow is ready for a fresh round of direct peace talks in Istanbul. 3 Russia is accused of firing 537 aerial weapons at Ukraine in the latest attack. via REUTERS However, the war shows no signs of abating as US-led international peace efforts have so far produced no breakthrough. Advertisement Two recent rounds of talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul were brief and yielded no progress on reaching a settlement. Long-range drone strikes have been a hallmark of the war, now in its fourth year. The race by both sides to develop increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones has turned the conflict into a testing ground for new weaponry.


New York Post
14 hours ago
- New York Post
Elon Musk doubles down on criticism of ‘Big Beautiful Bill' calling it ‘utterly insane' and ‘political suicide'
Elon Musk waded back into politics Saturday with a series of sharp social meida criticisms of the Trump-backed 'Big Beautiful Bill,' calling it 'utterly insane' and 'political suicide.' The SpaceX CEO, who turned 54 on Saturday, expressed his frustration and rage at the massive spending bill on social media ahead of the critical vote on which the Trump agenda hinges. Former 'First Buddy' Elon Musk levelled heavy criticism of Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' in a series of social media posts on Saturday. via REUTERS 'The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!,' the former DOGE chief wrote on X ahead of a Senate debate on the legislation. 'Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future,' Musk concluded. In successive posts, Musk had even more strongly worded warnings for the GOP. 'Polls show that this bill is political suicide for the Republican Party,' the birthday boy later wrote on X. Musk further claimed that the bill raised the debt ceiling by $5 trillion dollars and would put 'America in the fast lane to debt slavery!' The billionaire's fallout earlier this month with former ally President Trump was apparently set-off by disagreements about the massive spending bill that was undergoing a procedural vote late Saturday. Musk and the president had an explosive falling out earlier this month that culminated in accusations about late-pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and calls for impeachment. AP That spat culminated with Musk endorsing the impeachment and removal of his former chosen candidate. Musk later apologized to the president who suggested that a reconciliation between the former allies is still in the cards. Trump raged on Truth Social Saturday night as a procedural vote on the 'Big Beautiful Bill' languished on the Senate floor, calling out Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), saying the Tarheel was making a 'BIG MISTAKE for America,' by not voting for the bill.


New York Post
20 hours ago
- New York Post
Russian strikes kill 10, injure 50 Ukrainians, as new EU fails to pass new sanctions package
At least 10 Ukrainians were killed and 50 others wounded by Russian strikes over the past day, just after the EU stalled on a new sanctions package hoping to tighten the pressure on the Kremlin. A drone blasted a residential tower block in the port city of Odesa overnight, causing damage to several floors and trapping residents, according to emergency service workers. 4 Two people were killed in 17 injured in the Odesa strike overnight. via REUTERS Advertisement A teacher and her husband died, their bodies found under the debris. Another 17 people were injured, including three children, according to Ukrainian officials. The offensive in Odesa followed a Russian missile attack that killed at least five people and wounded 25 in the city of Samar in Ukraine's south-east on Friday – the second strike there in three days. 4 A Russian drone blasted a residential tower block in Odesa. via REUTERS Advertisement Another two civilians were also killed in their homes during Moscow's strikes on two villages in the Donetsk region Friday, and another man lost his life in a drone attack on the Kherson region. The pummeling of Ukrainian cities and the climbing death toll in the three-year war comes as Kyiv marked Constitution Day on Saturday — with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky taking time to salute the war dead. 'We honored the memory of our defenders whose lives were taken by Russian aggression,' he posted to X. 4 Children were among the injured in the Odesa strike. via REUTERS Advertisement 'We remember their sacrifice. Eternal gratitude and respect to the fallen heroes.' Meanwhile, the European Union extended existing sanctions against Russia for another six months, but the body failed to adopt a new sanctions package due to Slovak opposition Thursday, sources told the Kyiv Independent. A planned18th sanctions package, which would include new restrictions against the Kremlin's energy and banking sectors, is not expected to be approved until next week as negotiations continue. 4 A residential building was damaged after a Russian drone attack in Odesa in which a married couple was killed. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Slovakia said it was willing to lift its veto once the EU promises to help mitigate the impact of weaning out Russian energy sources, which the country depends on. Last week, the UK and Canada escalated sanctions against Russia's financial, military and energy sectors, following the G7 meeting. 'We are coordinating on sanctions with all G7 nations, as well as with other key global jurisdictions,' Zelensky posted on X Saturday. 'Russia's accountability for this war and our sanctions pressure must be operating at full capacity. They must leave no room for Russia or its cronies to adapt.'