Bitesize News

Geneva is reactivating its heatwave plan from today as another spell of high temperatures is forecast to last until at least next Monday.

Retailers are warning of a nationwide shortage of air conditioners and fans, as households race to buy cooling gear before the next heatwave.

A record number of children were treated for abuse last year, according to figures released by the Swiss Society of Paediatrics.

Geneva Airport is at the heart of a multi-billion-franc takeover battle for EasyJet.

French investigators have charged five people over the violent home robbery of Formula One champion Alain Prost at his Nyon villa in May.

A Vaud jobseeker who volunteered at the Caribana festival last month has been docked CHF 660.- in unemployment benefits, after his fund ruled the work did not count as real volunteering.

Switzerland is emerging as one of the countries hardest hit by the June heatwave.

Valais police have arrested seven French nationals after an overnight raid on a gun shop in Sion.

The Jassbach military barracks in the canton of Bern has been overflown at night by drones in what looks like an espionage attempt.

The City of Geneva will allow bar terraces to stay open until 2am on Wednesday morning to make sure fans can watch all of the next World Cup game against Colombia.

Geneva doctors are pushing back against viral claims that sleeping with a fan on is dangerous.

Thousands of athletes and spectators turned out for the Geneva Triathlon over the weekend, with organisers hailing another successful edition of the lakeside event.

Switzerland has reached the last 16 of the World Cup after beating Algeria 2-0 in Vancouver — the team's first knockout-stage win at a World Cup since 1954.

The Environment Minister Albert Rösti says the current heatwave is a clear sign of climate change, calling it a major risk to people and the environment.

Heatwave temperatures are expected early next week.

This week's violent storms have done little to ease the drought, with fire-risk warnings at level four out of five across most cantons.

Inflation stood at half a percent in the year to June, down from 0.6% in May, according to the Federal Statistics Office.

Drivers in Geneva are being warned to expect major disruption on the Left Bank this weekend because of the triathlon.

A new nationwide trail grading system is being introduced to make mountain biking safer.

Switzerland has agreed to lift customs barriers for American products without winning any concessions from Washington in return.

Switzerland will not know its heatwave death toll for another year, even as figures for the rest of Europe start to land.

The head of the Swiss army has confirmed that a formation of unidentified drones flew over a military installation.

A coalition of trade unions and political parties is preparing a referendum to stop industry-wide labour agreements from overriding cantonal and municipal minimum wages.

Bern has delayed the launch of its long-awaited electronic ID over fears artificial intelligence could compromise its security.

Geneva's bird rescue centre has taken in around forty young swifts in three days as temperatures under the roofs where they nest climb toward 60 degrees.

Geneva has ruled out generalising air conditioning in its public buildings despite the recent heatwave, opting instead for a CHF 1.25 billion renovation of 300 sites by 2037.

Switzerland has just lived through its third-hottest June since records began in 1864.

Severe storms swept across central parts of the country last night, forcing Linkin Park to pause their Letzigrund stadium concert in Zurich for about 50 minutes.

Emergency calls to Geneva's 144 medical hotline rose about 60% over four days as last week's heatwave pushed temperatures to 37.

The damage caused by the storm on Monday evening in Geneva is becoming clear.

Physical punishment of children is banned from today.

The gap between Switzerland's wealthy and its middle class widened again last year, according to UBS's annual global wealth report.

A key route for the future double-track expansion of the Geneva-Lausanne rail line has been approved.

For the first time ever, an autoroute is to be closed - and downgraded to an ordinary road.

We need to brace ourselves - the heat wave will continue.

Geneva's autoroute tunnels south of the city were flooded last night after a violent storm struck just after 6pm.

Switzerland has yet to sign a binding economic agreement with the United States, despite ongoing efforts to lock in the lower 15% tariff floor agreed in November.

The Federal Council wants to make it easier to test recreational drugs for impurities and overdose risks.

CERN is bidding to host a stage of the Tour de France in July 2029, with the candidacy due to be signed today at its Science Gateway in Meyrin.

It'll be busy on the roads this summer

A local footballer may be facing Switzerland when they play Algeria on Friday.

Switzerland is set to break free of its record-breaking heatwave today, as a cooler front moves in after Saturday's 39°C in Basel — a national June record broken three days running.

A Green-Liberal MP is pushing to break its taboo around air conditioning in hospitals and care homes, as the current heatwave strains nursing staff.

The Chateau in the French town of Divonne les Bains has been ravaged by fire - again.

Six months after the New Year's fire that killed 41 people at the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Valais cantonal president Christophe Darbellay says the site will never reopen as a bar.

Around 20,000 marched through Lausanne on Saturday for the Pride parade, the first Pride event in the city for 20 years.

Police in Marin, canton Neuchâtel, used drones to warn residents to stay indoors yesterday afternoon, after a hydrochloric-acid leak at an EM Microelectronics plant.

The record-breaking heatwave is forcing authorities to take emergency measures.

The glaciers are losing water at an alarming rate as the heatwave drags on.

The Beznau nuclear plant will be shut down today, as the Aare river has reached the 25-degree threshold.

A torrential mudslide swept through the Haute-Savoie hamlet of Chéron Wednesday night, hitting five of its eleven houses and forcing the evacuation of 21 residents.

The Swiss Tenants' Association has secured the 140,000 signatures it needed to force a national vote on abusive rents.

A new study has put a number on what most diners only guess at — 5 to 10% is the going rate for a tip in a Swiss restaurant.

Releasing pet goldfish into a pond or lake before the summer break may seem kind, but it is illegal and devastating for native wildlife.

Lausanne is opening one of Europe's most significant Roman digs to the public this weekend.

The cross-border town of Divonne-les-Bains is reeling after a 20-year-old daycare worker was charged with raping a four-year-old girl in his care.

The fallout from recent Administrative Court rulings on Geneva's vehicle tax system could have major financial consequences for the canton.

Geneva's State Council says security measures put in place during the G7 summit were effective in preventing violence and damage.

Swiss men could soon lose the choice between military service and the civilian alternative.

Geneva's heatwave is causing disruption on the public transport network.

Geneva has formally pulled out of the running to host the 2031 Federal Wrestling Festival, despite cantonal backing.

Switzerland has qualified for the World Cup knockout stage as group winners after beating Canada 2-1 in Vancouver.

SWISS International Airlines has extended the suspension of its Dubai flights until 24 October, citing continuing political tensions in Iran and around the Gulf.

Geneva recorded its hottest 23 June on record yesterday, hitting 36, shattering the previous mark of 35.6 set in 2003.

Tenants’ associations in French speaking areas say renters can demand rent reductions when their flats become unliveable in the heat.

A Geneva gynaecologist has been sentenced to five years in prison for sexually abusing five patients and a young girl.

Switzerland's plan to lift the minimum health-insurance deductible from CHF 300.- to CHF 400.- has split the country.

A senior official at canton Basel-Country's migration office is on trial for illegally denying hundreds of EU citizens the right to live in Switzerland.

Switzerland's armed forces say five aircraft breached the restricted airspace over the Bürgenstock during this weekend's US-Iran talks.

It’s not scabies - mainly.

Geneva car owners may be getting a rebate after a court ruling.

The country’s heatwave has intensified, with temperatures topping 36 for the first time this year.

Farmers are bracing for the heatwave peak, probably tomorrow.

Canton Vaud has set out exactly what schools should do as the heatwave peaks midweek, leaving the final call to each headteacher.

A new movement launched in French-speaking Switzerland is urging families to delay children's access to screens and smartphones.

Switzerland's border-security agency is sounding the alarm over a sharp rise in forged work permits used by non-EU nationals to get jobs.

The heatwave is set to intensify today, with temperatures expected to climb even higher than over the weekend.

Traffic congestion on the autoroutes has reached a new record.

The military is set for a major overhaul, with plans to create a dedicated drone and robotics battalion by 2028.

Preparations for expected U.S.-Iran talks at the Bürgenstock have caused major disruption at Zurich' Kloten Airport.

Traffic congestion on the autoroutes has reached a new record.

The government wants to ban the public display of Nazi symbols, including swastikas, Hitler salutes and SS insignia.

The pressure on Geneva authorities over Sunday's anti-G7 protest is growing, with the No-G7 coalition now formally calling for the resignations of cantonal minister Carole-Anne Kast and prosecutor general Olivier Jornot.

Parliament has reversed course on new nuclear power plants.

The Swiss National Bank has kept its key interest rate at 0% for the fourth time in a row.

Geneva is taking exceptional measures as a heatwave pushes temperatures towards 37 this weekend.

Switzerland is on the brink of the knockout stage of the World Cup after a convincing 4-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Geneva and Vaud are activating their heatwave plans from today as temperatures could climb to 37 over the next couple of days.

The lower house of parliament, the National Council, has rejected the mixed-financing plan and voted only to raise VAT to fund the 13th old-age pension.

In a surprise reversal, the parliament has rejected a major free trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc of South American nations.

A proposal to make it easier for same-sex couples and other intended parents to adopt children born through sperm donation has hit a setback in Parliament.

The online travel agent Lastminute.com is cutting a quarter of its workforce — around 400 jobs — by the end of 2026 to restructure around artificial intelligence.

Migros has sparked an outcry after using the French number form "soixante-dix" instead of the local "septante" in a recent YouTube advert.

Geneva won’t be the venue for the signing of the US-Iran peace deal.

The council of Crans-Montana says it will not resign despite growing pressure following the New Year's night club fire that killed 40 and injured more than 100.

The battle on whether to build new nuclear power plants is hotting up - the upper house of parliament has voted to go ahead despite the lower house asking the Federal Council for more financial details.

We’re set to have a punishing heatwave this week, with temperatures forecast to reach 38 degrees in some areas.

Vaud police are warning of a wave of fake parking tickets and delivery notices using QR codes to steal bank details.

Art Basel has opened, with 290 galleries from across the world arriving in the Rhine city.

The Valais Tourist office is delighted after the American singer Olivia Rodrigo was pictured wearing a ‘I Love Valais’ tee-shirt.