WRS | News | Archives

News Archives

Ticino feels abandoned by Bern as coronavirus hits

Thu 27 Feb 2020

Doctors and politicians in canton Ticino say they feel abandoned by Bern as they try to prepare f...

First Covid-19 case reported in Geneva

Thu 27 Feb 2020

Geneva has reported its first case of Covid-19.

Coop gives out bonuses to those drawing on pension

Thu 27 Feb 2020

The retailer Coop is paying bonus to those who are drawing on the company’s pension.

Tinned food and disinfectant sales soar

Thu 27 Feb 2020

Demand for tinned goods, pasta and disinfectant is reported high across the country.

Bernese villagers could be forced to leave homes for 10 years

Wed 26 Feb 2020

Residents in a small Bernese village could be forced to leave their homes for 10 years as the gov...

Switzerland confirms first Covid-19 case

Wed 26 Feb 2020

Switzerland has confirmed its first case of Covid-19.

Online retailers not shipping to Switzerland costs Swiss consumers CHF 2bn a year

Wed 26 Feb 2020

Consumers in Switzerland are being ripped off to the tune of billions of francs a year due to the...

Paraglider dies after crashing into building in Jura

Tue 25 Feb 2020

A paraglider has died after crashing into a building in the Bernese Jura.

Léman Express experiences 'teething problems' with string of cancelled services

Tue 25 Feb 2020

The new Léman Express train network cancelled 95 services last week – about 6% of th...

Geneva health committee to vote on restricting sugar in food

Tue 25 Feb 2020

The Geneva cantonal health committee has voted to bring in restrictions on the amount of sugar ad...

European health ministers to discuss Covid-19 crisis in Rome

Tue 25 Feb 2020

Several European health ministers will be meeting in Rome later today to discuss the Covid-19 cri...

We must tackle online hate speech, says Swiss foreign minister

Tue 25 Feb 2020

In a speech to UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis says ...

Last year sees sharp rise in unhygienic restaurants

Mon 24 Feb 2020

There’s been a sharp rise in the number of restaurants being reported for unhygienic practi...

Switzerland enjoys unusually warm weather

Mon 24 Feb 2020

The country basked in warm weather over the weekend with Geneva reaching 20 degrees and in canton...

Swiss politicians pressure country to protect citizens against Covid-19

Mon 24 Feb 2020

Politicians in canton Ticino are calling on Bern to take stronger action to protect the country f...

Drunk man's decision to walk 20km Simplon train tunnel costs him thousands

Mon 24 Feb 2020

A young man is paying the cost of a bad drunken decision.

Retired physicist plans to prove he didn't cause accident with maths

Fri 21 Feb 2020

A retired physicist in canton Zurich is planning to use mathematics to show he was not to blame f...

Government to reassess how it distributes international aid

Fri 21 Feb 2020

The government is looking to reassess the amount of money it spends on development aid – an...

Elderly man dies snow-shoeing

Fri 21 Feb 2020

An elderly man has died while snow-shoeing in Graubünden.

More than half of cocaine smugglers on flight from Sao Paulo to Zurich

Fri 21 Feb 2020

Figures from the Federal Customs Office show more cocaine is being seized at Zurich airport than ...

Coronavirus: Quarantined child in Neuchâtel can return to school

Fri 21 Feb 2020

A school child who’s been in quarantine for the last 14 days in canton Neuchatel, as he cam...

Ski resorts under fire for flying in snow by helicopter

Thu 20 Feb 2020

A French ski resort is being castigated in the press for bringing in tons of snow by helicopter o...

Government reports budget surplus exceeding forecast

Thu 20 Feb 2020

The government has beaten its own forecast and is reporting a budget surplus of over CHF 3bn.

Fasnacht celebrations begin

Thu 20 Feb 2020

Fasnacht season is now underway - and one of the biggest kicked off today at 5am.

Swiss BMW steering wheels targeted by thieves in Italy

Thu 20 Feb 2020

Swiss registered BMW’s are being targeted by thieves in Italy.

US family implicated in opioid crises comes to Switzerland

Thu 20 Feb 2020

The family which is described as the most hated in the United States is in canton Bern.

Zurich police arrest teen suspected of groping women

Thu 20 Feb 2020

Zurich police have finally arrested a young man they suspect of being responsible for groping sev...

Over 80kg of marijuana seized at Zurich airport

Wed 19 Feb 2020

Customs officers at Zurich airport have seized 83 kg of marijuana.

Mother holds on as child slips through chairlift bar

Wed 19 Feb 2020

A mother desperately held onto her 6-year-old child after it slipped through the bar on a chairli...

London train station beats Zurich as Europe's best

Wed 19 Feb 2020

In what maybe thought a surprising result for British train users – in one survey at least,...

Rising number of SUVs blamed for Switzerland missing CO2 targets

Wed 19 Feb 2020

Half of the cars on Swiss roads are now 4-wheel drive SUVs.

Covid-19 causes Geneva International Inventions Fair to change date

Tue 18 Feb 2020

The Geneva International Inventions Fair has been pushed back to September due to the Covid-19 ou...

Truck drivers reversing on autoroute face steep fines

Tue 18 Feb 2020

The drivers of three car transporters are facing fines in the thousands of francs after reversing...

Girl, 13, dies after severe head injury at trampoline park

Tue 18 Feb 2020

Doctors in Bern have switched off the life support of a 13-year-old girl who suffered a severe he...

Jägermeister logo ruled not offensive to religions

Tue 18 Feb 2020

A court has ruled the logo for the alcoholic drink Jägermeister is not offensive and can con...

Warm winter boosts survival rate for rats

Mon 17 Feb 2020

The warm winter is proving to be a boon for rats.

Suspected Russian spy given suspiciously short jail sentence

Mon 17 Feb 2020

Questions are being asked after a suspected Russian spy was given a very short sentence after a p...

Antigel festival celebrates best year yet

Mon 17 Feb 2020

Geneva’s Antigel festival is celebrating its best year yet.

Man driving wrong way on autoroute raises questions about elderly drivers

Mon 17 Feb 2020

An elderly driver has been killed after causing several accidents on the A6 near Bern on Saturday...

Two skiers killed in avalanche near Simplon Pass

Fri 14 Feb 2020

Two skiers have been killed in an avalanche near the Simplon Pass.

Switzerland debates lowering autoroute speed limit

Fri 14 Feb 2020

There are calls for Switzerland to follow the lead of the Netherlands and bring in a day time spe...

City of Geneva to officially oppose French autoroute plan

Fri 14 Feb 2020

The City of Geneva is moving ahead with its official opposition of French plans to build a new au...

Vaud schools to trial gender neutral toilets

Fri 14 Feb 2020

The canton of Vaud is go ahead trialing gender neutral toilets in two schools.

Illegal creche in Geneva closed down

Fri 14 Feb 2020

A private creche has been closed down in Geneva after authorities discovered the staff were not q...

Shocked residents told to leave building not 'earthquake proof'

Thu 13 Feb 2020

The residents of an apartment block in canton Lucerne have reacted with incredulity after they we...

Swiss Post to stop delivering items to China

Thu 13 Feb 2020

Swiss Post says it can no longer deliver items to China as many airlines are no longer serving th...

Government considers increasing Swiss contribution to IMF

Thu 13 Feb 2020

Parliament is to debate doubling the amount of money Switzerland pays into the IMF emergency bail...

Man admits to killing ex-wife's lover

Thu 13 Feb 2020

A man has admitted to police he killed his ex-wife’s lover in Bern.

School teacher fired for watching porn in class

Thu 13 Feb 2020

A high school teacher in canton Bern has been fired for watching pornography in class. He was app...

Emergency calls disrupted after Swisscom network goes down

Wed 12 Feb 2020

The telecom firm Swisscom says much of its network was disrupted last night – including cal...

Swiss tech company accused of enabling 'intelligence coup of the century'

Wed 12 Feb 2020

The reputation of a Swiss technology company is being crushed after allegations it allowed the US...

Government urges 'no' to upcoming "Swiss Brexit" vote

Wed 12 Feb 2020

The government is urging a ‘no’ in the upcoming vote on ending free movement of EU ci...

Boy, 13, dies during skiing trip

Wed 12 Feb 2020

A schoolboy has died while on a skiing trip in canton Vaud.

Switzerland to help more in Greece migrant crisis

Tue 11 Feb 2020

Switzerland says it will work closely with Greece to help with the migrants currently in the coun...

British reality TV star on Geneva plane diverted due to high winds

Tue 11 Feb 2020

Passengers on a British Airways Flight from Geneva ended up in Lyon after declaring an emergency ...

Storm batters country but expected to weaken

Tue 11 Feb 2020

High winds are expected again this morning – but forecasters say the storm will start to we...

Coronavirus: Geneva airport tracking down passengers who flew with infected man

Tue 11 Feb 2020

Geneva airport is trying to track down everyone who was on an easyJet flight to Gatwick on Tuesda...

Dash cam leads to police driver fine

Tue 11 Feb 2020

Footage from a 19-year-old’s car dash cam means a Lucerne police driver is getting fined.

Voters agree to gay rights and say no to social housing

Mon 10 Feb 2020

Swiss voters have roundly supported a new law to protect the rights of the LGBT community. 63%...

Cantonal vote results

Mon 10 Feb 2020

In cantonal votes, Geneva turned down plans to build high density housing in Meyrin and Vernier. ...

Skiers urged not to cancel trips to Les Contamines

Mon 10 Feb 2020

Locals in the French ski resort of Les Contamines are urging skiers to come for their vacations. ...

Basel police hunt rapists

Mon 03 Feb 2020

Basel police are hunting for two men after a woman was raped on Saturday morning.

Police open fire after being threatened

Mon 03 Feb 2020

A police officer in canton Thurgau opened fire after he was threatened by an armed man.

US uges Switzerland to ditch Chinese 5G maker

Mon 03 Feb 2020

The United States is urging Switzerland to stop using Chinese technology in its 5G telephone netw...

Body found in Lake Geneva

Mon 03 Feb 2020

A body has been found in Lake Geneva. The female corpse was discovered by the shore near the Fren...

Geneva warns of forged pollution stickers

Mon 03 Feb 2020

Geneva’s troubled anti-pollution initiative has run into further problems due to a shortage...

Partiers poisoned at BBQ

Mon 03 Feb 2020

It seems to be the wrong time of year for a barbeque – and you’d be right. Eight p...

Switzerland joins open exchange of health threat info

Fri 31 Jan 2020

Switzerland has joined the EU’s Early Warning and Response System which allows an exchange ...

Swiss company defends offering chance to hunt big game

Fri 31 Jan 2020

A Swiss company which offers the chance to kill big game – such as lions and elephants - is...

Alarm raised after man tries to lure children with sweets

Fri 31 Jan 2020

Two schools in canton Bern are warning parents after a man in a black car tried to lure children ...

Léman Express passengers complain about service

Fri 31 Jan 2020

Users of the new Léman Express train network are complaining of late and cancelled service...

'Swiss Brexit' to be voted on in May

Fri 31 Jan 2020

Switzerland is looking at its own Brexit moment in May.

Coop robbers sentenced to jail

Thu 30 Jan 2020

Two men have been sentenced to 8 and 9 years in jail after robbing a Coop store in Geneva.

Voters likely to approve anti-discrimination laws

Thu 30 Jan 2020

The latest polls ahead of nationwide votes next month show voters are likely to approve tougher l...

Sophisticated UN hack raises suspicions of state backing

Thu 30 Jan 2020

It’s emerged the UN’s IT system was hacked last summer – but the organization d...

Train makes unscheduled stop for exam-taking student

Thu 30 Jan 2020

A student managed to get an intercity train to make an unscheduled stop so she wouldn’t mis...

Pensioner warns of computerised phone call scam

Thu 30 Jan 2020

A pensioner in Zurich is warning other elderly people not to be tricked into agreeing to pay for ...

Peeping Tom finally jailed despite many previous up-skirting convictions

Wed 29 Jan 2020

Questions are being asked why a Zurich man had not been jailed earlier after being convicted of s...

Zurich hospital patients test negative for coronavirus

Wed 29 Jan 2020

Health officials say the two patients in a Zurich hospital don’t have the coronavirus.

Operation Papyrus immigrants to be reexamined after forgery case

Wed 29 Jan 2020

Geneva authorities are examining more than 100 applications from illegal immigrants to formalize ...

Man arrested in Milan in connection with Geneva death

Wed 29 Jan 2020

A man has been arrested by Italian police in Milan following a request by Geneva after a 55-year-...

Zurich boy reported to have set himself alight

Wed 29 Jan 2020

A boy at a secondary school in Zurich is suffering serious burns after setting himself alight.

Coronavirus to cut Chinese tourism

Tue 28 Jan 2020

Tourism could take a hit due to the coronavirus.

Zurich patients test negative for coronavirus

Tue 28 Jan 2020

The two patients in a Zurich hospital are testing negative for the corona virus but doctors remai...

Philip Morris to cut jobs in Neuchâtel and Lausanne

Tue 28 Jan 2020

The international tobacco company, Philip Morris, is to cut around 260 jobs at its bases in Neuch...

French protesters in Geneva to demonstrate against new autoroute

Tue 28 Jan 2020

Protestors from France gathered in Geneva yesterday urging the canton to fight the decision by th...

Italian man granted Swiss passport despite not knowing about local zoo

Tue 28 Jan 2020

An Italian man will get a Swiss passport after the Federal Court ruled his initial interview with...

Man arrested for firing gun into air whilst drunk

Mon 27 Jan 2020

Thurgau cantonal police have arrested a man suspected of firing a gun into the air near Romanshor...

Two suspected coronavirus cases in Zurich

Mon 27 Jan 2020

There are two suspected cases of coronavirus in Zurich.

Fake Airbnb listing scams woman looking for Zermatt break

Mon 27 Jan 2020

If something seems too good to be true – it’s a good idea to be suspicious.

Geneva continues anti-pollution measures

Mon 27 Jan 2020

Geneva’s anti-pollution measures are still in place and won’t be lifted until the end...

Geneva to make small border crossings less attractive

Mon 27 Jan 2020

Geneva wants to make crossing small borders less attractive in rush hours and will be installing ...

Protesters demonstrate against 5G technology

Mon 27 Jan 2020

Around 2,000 people protested over the weekend in several Swiss cities against the expansion of 5...

Tourist, 66, jailed for falling off bike

Mon 27 Jan 2020

A German tourist had to spend two days in jail for falling off his bike in Schaffhausen.

Test for coronavirus developed in Geneva

Fri 24 Jan 2020

Geneva University Hospital has developed a test for the coronavirus which is spreading in China.&...

Geneva smog alert continues

Fri 24 Jan 2020

The smog alert will continue in Geneva today.

President Sommaruga criticised for environment focus at WEF

Fri 24 Jan 2020

The Swiss foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, is defending the president Simonetta Sommaruga after ...

Light aircraft crash victims identified

Fri 24 Jan 2020

The two occupants of a light aircraft that crashed in canton Vaud have been identified.

World Economic Forum to end today

Fri 24 Jan 2020

The World Economic Forum meeting in Davos ends today – closing remarks are expected at lunc...

Switzerland prepares for coronavirus

Thu 23 Jan 2020

Switzerland is ready in case of a coronavirus outbreak and is willing to help in international ef...