24 Heures. Last week, Switzerland’s Federal Council confirmed parliament’s decision to end the requirement for dog owners to undergo training. However, cantons will be able to pass their own laws if they wish. The Zurich politician Ruedi Noser (PLR/FDP) started the move to change the rules. According to him, the courses were expensive, administratively burdensome […]
Geneva and Vaud vote for early shutdown of Switzerland’s nuclear reactors
Today, Swiss voted on whether to accelerate the closure of the nation’s five nuclear reactors. The government’s existing plan to exit nuclear power generation involves initiating the shutdown of all five reactors between 2019 and 2034. Under the nuclear initiative, voted on today, shutdown would be accelerated, starting in 2017 with the last closure starting […]
Steep price increases for Swiss Rail passengers despite deflation
Today, Swiss Rail announced big price increases on some tickets and passes. The new prices will apply from 11 December 20161. According to the Swiss government consumer price index, average prices declined by 2.1% between October 2010 and October 20162. Over the same six years, from December 20103 to December 2016, the price of a […]
Solar Impulse arrives back in Switzerland
This afternoon the solar powered plane, Solar Impulse 2, touched down in Dübendorf near Zurich inside a 747, completing its trip back home to Switzerland where it was born. In 2 hours @solarimpulse will be back in the hangar where it was built in #Switzerland pic.twitter.com/5eWDMSynxe — SOLAR IMPULSE (@solarimpulse) 22 novembre 2016 In July, […]
Temperatures as high as 20 degrees predicted for parts of Switzerland today
After a cold snap brought early skiing to the Alps, temperatures have swung back the other way. The warm wind from the south, known as the foehn, has brought high winds and warmer temperatures. According to Vincent Devantay of Meteo News, the weather phenomenon brought 163 km/h wind to the top of the 3,500m Jungfraujoch, and […]
Swiss eat poorly and excessively, according to government survey
A recent study by Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) found that 43% of Switzerland’s population was overweight or obese. Of these 30% were overweight and 13% obese. This rate of obesity was the same as the global average in a 2014 study. The research, which used the Body Mass Index (BMI) to measure levels of obesity […]
Birds confined as avian flu arrives in Switzerland
The Swiss federal office of food security and veterinary affairs (OSAV) announced that from tomorrow, all of Switzerland will become a controlled zone. The agency aims to avoid all contact between wild birds and domestic ones. Adding that nothing so far indicates Swiss bird farms have been affected or that the virus has been transmitted […]
New Zealand earthquake leads to tsunami alert
Those, with friends or family in New Zealand, living in Switzerland, may be unaware of the recent earthquakes that hit New Zealand, or may have been confused by some reports. According to GeoNet, New Zealand’s official source of geological hazard information, six severe1 earthquakes have been recorded since midnight New Zealand time. The most severe […]
Geneva hits cyclists with fines
Tribune de Genève. Running a red light on a bicycle in Geneva will cost you CHF 60. Riding on the footpath brings a fine of CHF 40. Last week teams of police took to the city’s streets to issue fines. “We publicised our plan. We don’t want to surprise people”, officer Yann Oppeliguer, told the teams before they took […]
The new 12,200 franc Swiss Rail pass
From the beginning of next year, Swiss Rail will test a new CHF 12,200 annual pass. Called Green Class, the pass includes unlimited first class train travel, unlimited use of Swiss Rail city bikes, Mobility Car sharing (2,900 cars) and an electric BMW car, which comes with a station car park and a charge point […]
