Bitesize News from Thursday, June 18th, 2026
The news stories here are written for radio and designed to be read in under a minute.
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Parliament rejects trade agreement
In a surprise reversal, the parliament has rejected a major free trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc of South American nations.
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Sperm donation laws hit setback
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.
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Migros upsets locals with wrong number
Migros has sparked an outcry after using the French number form "soixante-dix" instead of the local "septante" in a recent YouTube advert.
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AI hits travel agent
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.
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Parliament backs VAT hike for pension payments
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.
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Emergency heatwave plans active
Geneva and Vaud are activating their heatwave plans from today as temperatures could climb to 37 over the next couple of days.
