despite the sanctions, Russian gold would still arrive in Switzerland

The Swiss company Open Mineral is said to have repatriated 40 million euros worth of Russian gold by passing it through a branch in the United Arab Emirates. A maneuver denounced by NGOs. “For us, it is clearly a circumvention of the sanctions”, says Robert Bachmann, financial analyst for the NGO Public Eye. But, for the Swiss administration, branches abroad are not affected by these sanctions.

UK deputy prime minister accused of harassment

In the United Kingdom, the Deputy Prime Minister is in turmoil. Dominic Raab is accused of harassment. Eight complaints, involving at least 24 people, were detailed in an independent report delivered to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday 20 April. The latter had chosen Dominic Raab even though his attitude was criticized even in Parliament. Rishi Sunak may be forced to part ways with a stalwart of his government over the embarrassing affair.

In Italy, a freight train fell on a track after tearing down several pylons, near Florence. There were no casualties, but this private company food convoy cut Italy in two. Thousands of travelers had to wait for hours. Many trains have also been cancelled. GTS clarified that it was not responsible for the maintenance of the wagons.