Nightclub fires, like the recent tragedy at Le Constellation in Switzerland, have once again highlighted a grim reality: indoor pyrotechnic devices and combustible acoustic insulation dramatically increase the lethality of fires in entertainment venues. An examination of the 15 deadliest nightclub fires since 2000 shows how frequently these two factors recur. In 80% of cases, […]
Swiss Green Liberals target fuel-tax break for piste groomers
In Switzerland the fuel used by piste groomers to prepare ski slopes is cheaper than that used by most other vehicles. The reason is a refund of the mineral oil tax—a levy that, in practice, does not apply to machines that operate off public roads. The arrangement has drawn the ire of the Green Liberal […]
Switzerland’s flu season set to intensify
Influenza activity in Switzerland is set to intensify further. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) says the 2025–26 flu season is shaping up to be a severe one, with the viral peak yet to be reached.Last week, 33.5 laboratory-confirmed flu cases per 100,000 inhabitants were reported. That figure is 4.6% lower than the previous […]
Federal Council freezes any assets held in Switzerland by Maduro
Bern, 5 January 2026 — The Swiss Federal Council has ordered a precautionary freeze on any assets held in Switzerland by Nicolas Maduro and people associated with him, effective immediately. The move, intended to prevent a flight of capital amid political upheaval in Venezuela, does not apply to members of the current Venezuelan government. Should […]
Nestlé recalls contaminated infant formula
Nestlé has launched a large recall of infant formula after detecting a potential contamination with a toxin. The move affects products sold in several countries, including Switzerland, Germany and Austria, and ranks among the biggest recalls in the company’s history. The products concerned are marketed mainly under the Beba brand, as well as specialist formulas […]
Swiss canton bans pyrotechnics in public venues
On January 8th 2026 the canton of Vaud announced a ban on pyrotechnic devices inside public venues. The decision follows the fatal New Year’s Eve fire in Crans-Montana and is part of a broader effort to tighten fire safety standards. Deeply affected by the tragedy, the cantonal government has ordered urgent measures to review and […]
Crans-Montana fire: criminal case opened against bar managers
Prosecutors in the Swiss canton of Valais have opened a criminal investigation into the managers of a bar in Crans-Montana where a fire killed 40 people and injured 119 others. The two suspects, a French couple, are being investigated on suspicion of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence, the prosecutor’s […]
Switzerland: changes taking effect in 2026
Several new laws and regulations come into force in Switzerland on January 1st 2026, along with a number of other policy changes. Fewer scam callsCalls from fraudsters posing as police officers, bank employees or officials—often made from abroad using spoofed Swiss numbers—should become less frequent. From January 1st, calls from abroad displaying a Swiss landline […]
Crans-Montana fire: latest from press conference
On 2 January 2026, following the New Year’s Eve fire at the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, the Valais cantonal police and public prosecutor provided an update on the identification of victims, the progress of the investigation and the work being done. The inquiry continues with the aim of establishing the causes of what authorities describe […]
Geneva becomes Switzerland’s biggest fiscal equalisation donor in 2026
For the first time, Geneva has become the largest contributor to Switzerland’s national fiscal-equalisation scheme, which moves funds from wealthy to poorer cantons. Next year Geneva will pay CHF 543m, more than Zurich and Zug, the former leaders. Nathalie Fontanet, the canton’s finance director, told SRF she is both proud and uneasy: proud that Geneva […]
