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Le News English-language news and guide to what's happening across Switzerland.
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English-language guide for Switzerland focused on enriching people's time and lives in Switzerland. We aim to provide useful engaging information and news that matters to those living across Switzerland wherever they come from.

Last Sunday, a new Swiss temperature record was broken in Bisaca in the canton of Ticino. At 3:20 pm on 11 August 2024 t...
16/08/2024

Last Sunday, a new Swiss temperature record was broken in Bisaca in the canton of Ticino. At 3:20 pm on 11 August 2024 the temperature reached an annual high of 36.3 degrees Celsius, reported RTS. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com Temperatures reached uncomfortable levels in other parts of Switzerland too. Temperatures hit 35 degrees in parts of the canton of Valais....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/16/new-temperature-record-broken-in-switzerland/

Last Sunday, a new Swiss temperature record was broken in Bisaca in the canton of Ticino. At 3:20 pm on 11 August 2024 the temperature reached an annual high of 36.3 degrees Celsius, reported RTS.

Switzerland's economy grew slightly more than expected in the second quarter of 2024, reported SRF. Photo by ThisIsEngin...
16/08/2024

Switzerland's economy grew slightly more than expected in the second quarter of 2024, reported SRF. Photo by ThisIsEngineering on Pexels.com Between April and June 2024, Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.5%. A survey of economists had expected growth for the quarter to be between 0.2% and 0.4%. The biggest driver of growth during the quarter came from industry, which grew at a faster rate than the service economy....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/16/swiss-economy-grows-more-than-expected-in-second-quarter-of-2024/

Switzerland's economy grew slightly more than expected in the second quarter of 2024, reported SRF. Photo by ThisIsEngineering on Pexels.com Between April and June 2024, Gross domestic product (

This week, Swiss Rail announced that its transport police would wear body cameras from September 2024. The hope is that ...
16/08/2024

This week, Swiss Rail announced that its transport police would wear body cameras from September 2024. The hope is that the cameras will reduce and diffuse conflict in the face of rising violence in certain situations, said the company. Source: CFF Each team will be equipped with at least one of the 100 cameras purchased, which cost around CHF 1,000 each....

This week, Swiss Rail announced that its transport police would wear body cameras from September 2024. The hope is that the cameras will reduce and diffuse conflict in the face of rising violence in c

On Tuesday night, the historic paddle steamer Vevey was struck by lightning during a storm, reported RTS. Lake Geneva © ...
16/08/2024

On Tuesday night, the historic paddle steamer Vevey was struck by lightning during a storm, reported RTS. Lake Geneva © Philip Bird | Dreamstime.com The Belle Epoque boat was struck at night while moored in Bouveret at the far end of Lake Geneva. There were no people on board the boat so no one was hurt. The rear mast was broken and will need to be repaired....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/16/historic-boat-struck-by-lightning-on-lake-geneva/

On Tuesday night, the historic paddle steamer Vevey was struck by lightning during a storm, reported RTS. Lake Geneva © Philip Bird | Dreamstime.com The Belle Epoque boat was struck at night whi

This week, a group in the Lake Geneva region against the federal government's plan to expand key stretches of the A1 mot...
16/08/2024

This week, a group in the Lake Geneva region against the federal government's plan to expand key stretches of the A1 motorway in Switzerland, launched its campaign against the idea ahead of a vote on 24 November, reported RTS. Photo by Aayush Srivastava on Pexels.com The federal government recently announced a plan to add lanes to six stretches of Switzerland's A1 motorway....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/16/group-against-swiss-motorway-enlargement-launches-its-campaign/

This week, a group in the Lake Geneva region against the federal government's plan to expand key stretches of the A1 motorway in Switzerland, launched its campaign against the idea ahead of a vote on

In March 2024, 58% of voters voted in favour of paying an additional 13th month of state pension. That triggered a fierc...
16/08/2024

In March 2024, 58% of voters voted in favour of paying an additional 13th month of state pension. That triggered a fierce debate on how to fund it. This week, Switzerland's Federal Council said it planned to fund the increase with higher VAT with no rise in salary taxes. Photo by Centre for Ageing Better on Pexels.com The news was delivered by Elisabeth Baume-Schneide, Switzerland's minister of internal affairs, a role that covers pensions....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/16/swiss-government-plans-to-fund-higher-pensions-with-higher-vat/

In March 2024, 58% of voters voted in favour of paying an additional 13th month of state pension. That triggered a fierce debate on how to fund it. This week, Switzerland's Federal Council said it pla

This week, Switzerland's Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced it had fined and closed its criminal investigati...
09/08/2024

This week, Switzerland's Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced it had fined and closed its criminal investigation against the mining company Glencore International AG. Glencore © Marlon Trottmann | Dreamstime.com After a four year investigation, OAG closed its criminal investigation against the Swiss-based company and imposed a CHF 2 million fine for failing to take all necessary and reasonable organisational measures with regard to the bribery of foreign public officials in connection with the acquisition of stakes in two mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2011....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/09/swiss-attorney-general-fines-miner-glencore/

This week, Switzerland's Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced it had fined and closed its criminal investigation against the mining company Glencore International AG. Glencore © Marlon Tr

Switzerland is no stranger to violent storms, which sometime come out of nowhere when hiking in the mountains. According...
08/08/2024

Switzerland is no stranger to violent storms, which sometime come out of nowhere when hiking in the mountains. According to experts, most people struck by lightning survive. But the risks of suffering long term damage are high, reported SRF. Photo by Hector Perez on Pexels.com The electricity discharged by lightning can be as high as 100,000 amperes, according to Christian Franck, a physicist at ETH Zurich....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/09/how-to-avoid-death-and-injury-from-lightning/

Switzerland is no stranger to violent storms, which sometime come out of nowhere when hiking in the mountains. According to experts, most people struck by lightning survive. But the risks of suffering

Currently, payments between Swiss bank accounts are typically processed the following day. From 20 August 2024, Swiss ba...
08/08/2024

Currently, payments between Swiss bank accounts are typically processed the following day. From 20 August 2024, Swiss banks will start to roll out instant payments within Switzerland, reported RTS. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com The new instant payment system will move money within 10 seconds and will operate around the clock seven days a week. In addition to speed, the payments will be cheaper than paying by card - cards typically charge merchants interchange fees, something created by card companies to incentivise banks to issue cards....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/08/instant-payments-to-start-soon-in-switzerland/

Currently, payments between Swiss bank accounts are typically processed the following day. From 20 August 2024, Swiss banks will start to roll out instant payments within Switzerland, reported RTS.

This week, an error was found in the government's calculation of the future hole in state pension funding. While an erro...
08/08/2024

This week, an error was found in the government's calculation of the future hole in state pension funding. While an error, which overstates the shortfall by CHF 4 billion, is substantial, it does not change the trend, according to Stéphane Rossini, head of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), reported RTS. Swiss Francs © Boris Bascarevic | Dreamstime.com The CHF 4 billion error, is highly embarrassing for the government, which has used to figures to argue in favour of pension reform, including a successful referendum on lifting the state retirement age for women to 65, in line with that of men....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/08/swiss-pension-hole-calculation-error-does-not-change-future-argues-statistician/

This week, an error was found in the government's calculation of the future hole in state pension funding. While an error, which overstates the shortfall by CHF 4 billion, is substantial, it does not

Thirty years ago, Switzerland introduced rules making it compulsory to wear seatbelts in any seat where seatbelts are fi...
08/08/2024

Thirty years ago, Switzerland introduced rules making it compulsory to wear seatbelts in any seat where seatbelts are fitted. This made wearing seatbelts in rear seats compulsory for the first time, reported RTS. Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com Adding a requirement to wear rear seatbelts was met with little resistance. However, in 1980 when a referendum was run on whether to make wearing seat belts compulsory in Switzerland, 48.4% of voters were against the idea....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/08/a-look-back-at-swiss-resistance-to-seat-belt-laws/

Thirty years ago, Switzerland introduced rules making it compulsory to wear seatbelts in any seat where seatbelts are fitted. This made wearing seatbelts in rear seats compulsory for the first time, r

Switzerland's health system is under strain. New drugs and treatments combined with an ageing population, along with cos...
03/08/2024

Switzerland's health system is under strain. New drugs and treatments combined with an ageing population, along with cost inflation are the main drivers. This week, KPMG published a report quantifying the hole in Switzerland's hospital finances. Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com Only 30% (14) of the 48 hospitals and clinics surveyed reported generating a profit. The other 70% were running at a loss....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/03/swiss-hospitals-lost-a-billion-francs-in-2023/

Switzerland's health system is under strain. New drugs and treatments combined with an ageing population, along with cost inflation are the main drivers. This week, KPMG published a report quantifying

A popular criticism of electric cars is the toxic battery waste they create. In response to this criticism and for the b...
02/08/2024

A popular criticism of electric cars is the toxic battery waste they create. In response to this criticism and for the benefit of the environment a new factory in the Swiss town of Biberist in the canton of Solothurn is aiming to recycle 97% of the components of a range of car batteries, reported SRF. The company Librec AG, aims to eventually process 10,000 tons of used batteries a year....

A popular criticism of electric cars is the toxic battery waste they create. In response to this criticism and for the benefit of the environment a new factory in the Swiss town of Biberist in the can

Under Swiss law, divorcees can demand spousal payments from their former partner up until the age of retirement. This we...
02/08/2024

Under Swiss law, divorcees can demand spousal payments from their former partner up until the age of retirement. This week, a federal court decided against these payments, setting a new precedent that could potentially affect all women negotiating a divorce settlement, reported SRF. Photo by Oleksandr P on Pexels.com Historically, spousal maintenance payments were designed to support mothers who had decided to forego a career to raise a family....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/03/swiss-court-sets-new-precedent-on-divorce-payments/

Under Swiss law, divorcees can demand spousal payments from their former partner up until the age of retirement. This week, a federal court decided against these payments, setting a new precedent that

Under international pressure, Switzerland removed banking secrecy for foreign residents in 2009. However, laws ensuring ...
02/08/2024

Under international pressure, Switzerland removed banking secrecy for foreign residents in 2009. However, laws ensuring bank secrecy for residents of Switzerland remain. Some politicians are now calling for the removal of all banking secrecy laws in the hope that it will increase tax revenue, reported RTS. © Denis Linine | Dreamstime.com With Switzerland's federal government budget in the red politicians are looking for ways to improve the bottom line....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/02/calls-to-end-bank-secrecy-for-swiss/

Under international pressure, Switzerland removed banking secrecy for foreign residents in 2009. However, laws ensuring bank secrecy for residents of Switzerland remain. Some politicians are now calli

On 31 July 2024, Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) advised all Swiss nationals to leave Lebanon...
02/08/2024

On 31 July 2024, Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) advised all Swiss nationals to leave Lebanon. In addition, it advised against travel to the country. Photo by Jo Kassis on Pexels.com Middle eastern conflict, which has been highly volatile since 7 October 2023, has had a significant impact on the security situation in Lebanon, wrote the agency. There have been daily exchanges of fire along the southern border of Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah and other armed groups....

https://lenews.ch/2024/08/02/government-advises-swiss-to-leave-lebanon/

On 31 July 2024, Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) advised all Swiss nationals to leave Lebanon. In addition, it advised against travel to the country. Photo by Jo Kassis o

Switzerland will reopen its humanitarian office in Afghanistan in autumn 2024 instead of summer as initially announced, ...
27/07/2024

Switzerland will reopen its humanitarian office in Afghanistan in autumn 2024 instead of summer as initially announced, reported SRF. Afghanistan © Tim Gurney | Dreamstime.com Four employees will be sent from Switzerland to oversee humanitarian projects financed by the Swiss federal government in the Afghan capital Kabul. According to the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag, a spokesperson for Switzerland's Foreign Ministry confirmed the information....

https://lenews.ch/2024/07/27/switzerland-to-return-to-afghanistan/

Switzerland will reopen its humanitarian office in Afghanistan in autumn 2024 instead of summer as initially announced, reported SRF. Afghanistan © Tim Gurney | Dreamstime.com Four employees wil

This week, Switzerland's federal court rejected a man's case against his ex-girlfriend, who had undergone a late stage a...
27/07/2024

This week, Switzerland's federal court rejected a man's case against his ex-girlfriend, who had undergone a late stage abortion, reported SRF. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com Abortions are legal in Switzerland if they take place in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. If a woman has an abortion later, except in cases where her health is at risk, she faces punishment of up to three years in prison....

https://lenews.ch/2024/07/27/swiss-court-decides-fathers-have-no-say-in-abortion/

This week, Switzerland's federal court rejected a man's case against his ex-girlfriend, who had undergone a late stage abortion, reported SRF. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com Abortion

Switzerland, has a population of around 9 million people and roughly 560,000 dogs. These high numbers are one reason beh...
27/07/2024

Switzerland, has a population of around 9 million people and roughly 560,000 dogs. These high numbers are one reason behind a rise in the number of dog bites. Photo by Blue Bird on Pexels.com The number of reported incidents of dog biting has risen across German-speaking Switzerland. In 2023, 840 incidents (+27%) were recorded in the canton of Zurich alone, up from 660 cases the year before....

https://lenews.ch/2024/07/27/calls-for-compulsory-dog-training-courses-in-switzerland-as-dog-biting-incidents-rise/

Switzerland, has a population of around 9 million people and roughly 560,000 dogs. These high numbers are one reason behind a rise in the number of dog bites. Photo by Blue Bird on Pexels.com

Before 1993, Switzerland's national day was not a public holiday. It took a vote on 26 September 1993 to make it that wa...
26/07/2024

Before 1993, Switzerland's national day was not a public holiday. It took a vote on 26 September 1993 to make it that way. Swiss national day in Vevey © Petr Pohudka | Dreamstime.com Up until 1977, surveys showed that Switzerland's cantons were overwhelmingly against making the day a federal public holiday. However, on 26 September 1993, 83.8% of Switzerland's voters agreed to make the 1st of August a federal public holiday starting in 1994....

https://lenews.ch/2024/07/27/swiss-national-day-holiday-celebrates-30-year-anniversary/

Before 1993, Switzerland's national day was not a public holiday. It took a vote on 26 September 1993 to make it that way. Swiss national day in Vevey © Petr Pohudka | Dreamstime.com Up until 19

Around 600 hiking trails covering 1,300 km of path have been closed across Switzerland after storm damage, reported the ...
20/07/2024

Around 600 hiking trails covering 1,300 km of path have been closed across Switzerland after storm damage, reported the organisation Suisse Rando. Hiking Switzerland © Janoka82 | Dreamstime.com Due to the weather conditions, there are currently many Swiss hiking trails that have been damaged and have been closed or diverted, said the organisation. The most affected regions include Goms, Binntal, Saas Valley, Zermatt, Val d'Anniviers, Misox, Maggia Valley, Val Bavona, Val Lavizzara and Valle di Peccia, in the Leventina and in the Bedretto Valley....

https://lenews.ch/2024/07/20/storms-close-many-swiss-hiking-trails/

Around 600 hiking trails covering 1,300 km of path have been closed across Switzerland after storm damage, reported the organisation Suisse Rando. Hiking Switzerland © Janoka82 | Dreamstime.com

From 1 August 2024, Switzerland will begin contributing to a fund supporting the protection of the borders of the Scheng...
20/07/2024

From 1 August 2024, Switzerland will begin contributing to a fund supporting the protection of the borders of the Schengen zone, a group of European nations with combined land borders of 8,000 km and sea borders of 43,000 km, reported RTS. © Olga Demina | Dreamstime.com A total of CHF 300 million has been budgeted to cover the period between 2021 and 2027....

https://lenews.ch/2024/07/20/switzerland-to-spend-300-million-defending-schengen-borders/

From 1 August 2024, Switzerland will begin contributing to a fund supporting the protection of the borders of the Schengen zone, a group of European nations with combined land borders of 8,000 km and

NATO has signed an agreement with Switzerland to open an office in Geneva, reported RTS. Nato © Stefan Redel | Dreamstim...
19/07/2024

NATO has signed an agreement with Switzerland to open an office in Geneva, reported RTS. Nato © Stefan Redel | Dreamstime.com The new office will be similar to ones in New York and Vienna and is the fruit of discussions that began in 2022. NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization) says it is opening the liaison office to facilitate exchanges with the United Nations, which has a significant presence in Geneva....

https://lenews.ch/2024/07/20/nato-to-open-an-office-in-geneva/

NATO has signed an agreement with Switzerland to open an office in Geneva, reported RTS. Nato © Stefan Redel | Dreamstime.com The new office will be similar to ones in New York and Vienna and i

Vehicle noise is a problem in Switzerland. The authorities receive a numerous and growing number complaints, particularl...
19/07/2024

Vehicle noise is a problem in Switzerland. The authorities receive a numerous and growing number complaints, particularly in cities. Switzerland's Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) placed noise detection radars in Geneva to quantify the problem. This week, they released the results, reported RTS. Noise © Antonio Guillem | Dreamstime.com Radars erected in a number of places in Geneva flashed between 100 and 200 noisy vehicles a day....

https://lenews.ch/2024/07/19/anti-noise-radar-test-completed-in-geneva/

Vehicle noise is a problem in Switzerland. The authorities receive a numerous and growing number complaints, particularly in cities. Switzerland's Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) placed nois

After adjusting for weather conditions, emissions from heating oil and gas fell by 8% 2023, according to data published ...
12/07/2024

After adjusting for weather conditions, emissions from heating oil and gas fell by 8% 2023, according to data published this week by the Federal Office of the Environment (FOEN). © Askoldsb | Dreamstime.com The main driver of the improvement is improved building efficiency from better insulation and more efficient heating technology. The fall in emissions from burning gas (-41.7%) since 1990 is particularly striking....

https://lenews.ch/2024/07/12/swiss-heating-emissions-down-dramatically-in-2023/

After adjusting for weather conditions, emissions from heating oil and gas fell by 8% 2023, according to data published this week by the Federal Office of the Environment (FOEN). © Askoldsb | Dream

The first su***de in the controversial death capsule, dubbed "Sarco", is set to take place in the next few weeks, report...
12/07/2024

The first su***de in the controversial death capsule, dubbed "Sarco", is set to take place in the next few weeks, reported SRF. Sarco device - source Wikipedia Philip Nitschke, the Australian inventor of the device, has chosen Switzerland to launch the use of his invention. The pod, which creates an airtight space, fills with nitrogen upon the push of a button, starving its occupant of oxygen....

The first su***de in the controversial death capsule, dubbed "Sarco", is set to take place in the next few weeks, reported SRF. Sarco device - source Wikipedia Philip Nitschke, the Australian in

Switzerland’s system of compulsory health insurance already requires patients to pay a portion of medical bills in addit...
12/07/2024

Switzerland’s system of compulsory health insurance already requires patients to pay a portion of medical bills in addition to paying premiums. To stem the rise in premiums, an old idea has resurfaced: make patients pay an even greater share of their medical costs. Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com This week, some political parties voiced support for a higher minimum deductible, an idea that has found limited support in the past, reported SRF....

https://lenews.ch/2024/07/12/swiss-politicians-discuss-making-patients-pay-larger-share-of-medical-bills/

Switzerland’s system of compulsory health insurance already requires patients to pay a portion of medical bills in addition to paying premiums. To stem the rise in premiums, an old idea has resurfaced

This week, Vaud Police warned a scam using QR codes has been discovered. The scam is simple and effective. Criminals cov...
11/07/2024

This week, Vaud Police warned a scam using QR codes has been discovered. The scam is simple and effective. Criminals cover the original QR code on parking ticket distributers with another which directs the user to a fake website resembling the original one. From there the user is asked to enter payment details, and the stealing begins. The process is known as phishing, a scam where users are directed to a fake website....

This week, Vaud Police warned a scam using QR codes has been discovered. The scam is simple and effective. Criminals cover the original QR code on parking ticket distributers with another which

At 6pm on Saturday 6 July 2024, Switzerland's football team will face England's in the quarter finals of the Euro 2024. ...
05/07/2024

At 6pm on Saturday 6 July 2024, Switzerland's football team will face England's in the quarter finals of the Euro 2024. The game will be played in Dusseldorf, Germany. © Oleksandr Prykhodko | Dreamstime.com England are the favourites, with one estimate giving them a 43% chance of victory compared to a 25% chance of Switzerland prevailing. In an interview on RTS…...

https://lenews.ch/2024/07/06/switzerland-faces-england-on-saturday-in-euro-quarter-final/

At 6pm on Saturday 6 July 2024, Switzerland's football team will face England's in the quarter finals of the Euro 2024. The game will be played in Dusseldorf, Germany. © Oleksandr Prykhodko | Drea

Currently, Switzerland's mountain regions are suffering badly from flooding following thunderstorms and exceptionally he...
05/07/2024

Currently, Switzerland's mountain regions are suffering badly from flooding following thunderstorms and exceptionally heavy rain. However, Switzerland's plateau is not immune to flooding, reported SRF. New calculations suggest more than half of Switzerland's buildings are at risk of being damaged by storms and floods. Flood © Stefano Ember | Dreamstime.com As the climate changes, devastating thunderstorms are becoming more frequent everywhere, said Olivia Romppainen, co-director of the Mobiliar Lab for Natural Risks at the University of Bern....

https://lenews.ch/2024/07/06/more-than-half-of-buildings-in-switzerland-at-flood-risk/

Currently, Switzerland's mountain regions are suffering badly from flooding following thunderstorms and exceptionally heavy rain. However, Switzerland's plateau is not immune to flooding, reported SRF

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