Bitesize News
The news stories here are written for radio and designed to be read in under a minute.
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Husband and wife found dead in Germany and Switzerland
A joint police operation between German and Aargau police has been launched as a husband and wife have both been found dead.
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Swisscom fined for competition law violation.
Swisscom has been fined CHF 18m for breaking the cartel law and unfair competition.
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Speeders found after social media videos
Two drivers posted themselves driving at high-speed on social media and have been tracked down by police.
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One idea unites all political parties
One idea has united all parties in the Geneva Grand Council – from the Greens to the Swiss People’s Party.
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Elderly woman swipes unclaimed cash
An elderly woman who took a CHF 1,000 that had not been collected by an ATM user has been ordered to pay it back - plus CHF 400.
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Govt to delay funding decision for UNRWA
The Swiss government is putting off a decision on whether to re-start funding to the UN Palestinian relief organisation UNRWA.
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Potential terrorist arrested in neighbouring France
A teenager threatening to attack the Paris Olympics has been arrested in neighbouring France.
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New plan to pay for P+R in France
The canton of Geneva is proposing a new plan on how to finance Park and Ride schemes in neighbouring France.
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Nestlé throws mineral water away
The Swiss food giant Nestlé has been forced to destroy several batches of its mineral water brand, Perrier, due to a bacterial contamination.
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Sheep head prankster found
The person responsible for placing two sheep heads in the toilets in a Geneva school has been identified – and the investigation has been closed, according to the police.
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Former president says Switzerland should join EU
A former member of the Federal Council says the only way Switzerland will achieve its European goals is by becoming a full member of the European Union.
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Soldier killed in shooting accident
A soldier was killed in a shooting accident at a firing range in canton Aargau yesterday morning.
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When will tram 15 be finished?
The Geneva minister of transport, Pierre Maudet, will be at a meeting in neighbouring France today to answer questions as why the tram 15 extension is taking so long.
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Widow will have to pay maintenance to ex-wife
The Federal Court has ruled a widow still has to pay maintenance to her late husband’s ex-wife.
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Amnesty International criticise Switzerland
The international human rights group, Amnesty International, which is dealing with the Ukraine war and the situation in Gaza – has time to also criticise Switzerland.
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More trains for the long weekends
Swiss Federal Railways will be putting on extra trains over the Ascension weekend to handle the expected increased demand for those wanting to take a long weekend break.
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Pensioners flee Switzerland
More and more pensioners are deciding to live outside Switzerland as this county is just too expensive – especially for healthcare.
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Weather switch worries bee keepers
Following the worries the wine makers are having with the cold weather – bee keepers also say the spring harvest of honey is under threat as bees are not foraging in the low temperatures.
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Man injured in snow grooming accident
A man is in critical condition after the snow grooming machine he was driving fell 400 meters down a slope.
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Lack of oxygen in lake
There are worries the winter wasn’t cold enough to allow for the mixing of the waters of Lake Geneva.
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Restaurant owner claimed CHF250k in covid loans
A restaurant owner in canton Lucerne is in court accused of fraud. During the pandemic, he claimed CHF 250,000 in emergency loans.
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Waves of job cuts at UBS
A leak suggests waves of job cuts are coming at UBS.
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Weather damages vineyards
The topsy-turvey weather is wreaking havoc with vineyards.
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Servette wins Swiss Cup
Servette Women won the final of the Swiss Cup on Saturday against the Bern team YB, 2-3.
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High avalanche warnings in place
Heavy snow over the weekend means there are several avalanche warnings across the country.
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Hail causes pile up
A sudden hail storm caused a major pile up on the A18 in canton Basel Country injuring 5 and closing the road for several hours.
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Sheep heads found in school toilets
Geneva police are investigating after two sheep heads were found in the toilets in a school in Chêne-Bougeries.
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Too many demos in Geneva?
Geneva is examining the issue of demonstrations and the impact they’re having on local businesses.
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City of Geneva makes more money
The City of Geneva has revealed its accounts will show a CHF 200m surplus for last year.
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Yes, cars are bigger
New figures show something we’ve all suspected for the last few years – cars are getting bigger, but parking spaces stay the same.
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Bike thefts up - rarely solved
Bike thefts in Geneva are on the rise and very rarely solved.
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Man tried to open door on SWISS flight
A man was arrested at Zurich airport after a SWISS International Airlines flight arrived back from Bangkok.
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Zurich fans caused CHF 100,000 of damage
Zurich football fans caused CHF 100,000 worth of damage to the Stade de Genève during a match on April 6th.
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Football fans left with blank screens
Some football fans were left with blank screens during last night’s big game between ManCity and Real Madrid.
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Paraglider attacked by eagle
A paraglider in Haute Savoie was seriously injured by a golden eagle.
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Woman rescued after jumping off Mont-Blanc Bridge
Rescue services had to pluck a woman from the water in Geneva after she leapt off the Mont-Blanc bridge yesterday evening at about 11pm.
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Basel fights invasive mosquito
Basel is fighting the spread of the Asian tiger mosquito by issuing larvicide.
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Geneva group backs votes for foreigners
Voters in Geneva will be deciding if foreigners should have the right to vote on June 9th.
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Organised crime established in Switzerland
The head of the Federal Police Office says organised crime is well established in Switzerland – and they lack the resources to tackle the problem.
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Geneva auctioning unique licence plates
Canton Geneva is auctioning several unique licence plates, including GE 55555 or GE 500 000.
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Mont-Blanc Tunnel will close for 3 months
The Mont-Blanc Tunnel will be closed for three months from September.
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Geneva researchers help find black hole
Researchers, including those at the University of Geneva, have discovered a giant black hole less than 2,000 light years away.
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Mother pays fine for biting daughter
A mother will have to pay several hundred francs in fines and court costs after being convicted of assault after biting her daughter.
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Chinese student arrested for spying
A Chinese student has been arrested on suspicion of spying for his country in Switzerland.
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Another Geneva church to go
Perhaps a sign of the times, Geneva – the home of the Protestant movement - is losing another protestant church.
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New Geneva building to be heated by servers
A new system to recycle heat created by a data centre will be operational this summer.
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Snus could be damaging teeth
A dentist in canton Aargau is raising concerns about the damage some of his patients may be causing to their teeth and gums by using ‘snus’ or nicotine pouches.
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Pick up after your dog - even in countryside
Dog owners are being warned that’s it’s important to pick up after your pet, even when out in the countryside.
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Self-proclaimed king drives across Bundesplatz in Bern
A man who has declared himself a king caused a stir when he drove his own armoured personnel vehicle across the Bundesplatz in Bern over the weekend.
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Solothurn woman found guilty of killing daughters
A 41-year-old woman was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Friday for killing her two daughters, aged 7 and 8, with a knife in January 2021.
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Death on A1 near La Praille
A 47-year-old motorist died on Friday on the A1a autoroute heading towards La Praille in Geneva.
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Credit Suisse execs will keep their bonus
Former executives of the now defunct bank Credit Suisse will be able to keep their bonuses.
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Swiss embassy in Canberra sends sympathies after Sydney attack
Switzerland has expressed its compassion to the victims and their loved ones after the stabbing attack in a shopping center in Sydney, Australia on Saturday.
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600 march in an anti-transphobia march in Geneva
600 people marched through Geneva on Saturday to protest against transphobia and the rise of the far right.
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Geneva’s new equestrian police are operational
The new equestrian brigade of the Geneva police is operational.
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Lignon apartments' 'beautiful' rebranding
Swiss Tourism is launching a bold new campaign to promote the country's most "beautiful sites".
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Europe keen to join Ukraine peace talks
The European Commission has announced that it will participate "with pleasure" in June’s peace conference on Ukraine that Switzerland will hold in Buergenstock in Canton Nidwalden.
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Some good and bad news for renters
The Federal Council agreed on Wednesday that landlords should have temporary limits on rent increases due to inflation. Rents can still be increased, but less so than over recent years.
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6km panoramic cable car proposed
A feasibility study has been proposed for a panoramic cable car between Adelboden-Lenk in the Bernese Oberland and Crans-Montana in Canton Valais.
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TikTok Racer is in Swiss Court
A 24-year-old man will have to answer to the Lucerne Criminal Court for multiple speeding offenses after he posted clips of himself driving on Tiktok.
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Dead body in Lausanne had self inflicted wounds
More information has been released regarding the body found in the early hours of Sunday morning near Lausanne train station in Avenue Ruchonnet.
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Ukraine Peace Conference to be held in June
The Federal Council announced yesterday that a Ukraine Peace Conference will be held on June 15 and 16 in Buergenstock in Canton Nidwalden.
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Higher education institutions: Switzerland in the top 10
Switzerland offers the highest concentration of cutting-edge study programmes in the world - according to the recent report published by higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds.
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Laughing gas ban upheld in Basel-City
The Federal Court backed Basel-City’s ban on nitrous oxide a.k.a. “laughing gas” - in public establishments.
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Novartis to cut 400 jobs
Novartis announced a restructuring plan yesterday which involves cutting between 400 - 440 development jobs in Switzerland over the next few years.
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Peter Higgs, physicist behind Higgs boson, dies aged 94
Peter Higgs, the physicist who theorised the Higgs boson, has died at age 94 in Ediburgh, Scotland.
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Politicians and environmental organisations speak out after ECHR ruling
Environmental organizations are welcoming the historic judgment of the European Court of Human Rights on Switzerland regarding climate action.
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City Department Director suspended
Frédérique Perler, Director of the Department of Planning, Construction and Mobility, has been suspended after her recent hiring decisions have come under scrutiny.
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Increase in food aid needed in Switzerland
The association Partage distributed a total of 3.9 million meals in 2023. That’s 400,000 more than the year before.
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Watches and Wonders begins today in Geneva
There are two parts to the event open to the public: “Au salon” refers to the events that will take place at Geneva’s exhibition centre, Palexpo, from 13 - 15 April, where over 50 watchmakers will unveil their new pieces.
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Knife-fight in Lausanne
An altercation between two men on the Place de la Riponne in Lausanne yesterday afternoon, has left one injured.
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Geneva’s Servette FC sues Zurich FC fans over violence at stadium
Geneva’s football club Servette FC has filed a legal complaint against Zurich FC supporters after violence broke out during and after the home game on Saturday.
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No sexual abuse by Champittet College canons
There were zero cases of sexual abuse by canons of the Great Saint Bernard at the Champittet college in Pully, in Canton Vaud - that’s the report by a lawyer in Lausanne.
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The Liberal party’s solution for more housing; build up
The Liberal party has made a proposal to deal with the housing crisis in many Swiss cities; build up.
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Excavation continues on the A9 in Canton Valais
Archaeological excavations continue on the section of A9 autoroute through Finges Forest in Canton Valais, around 20km east of Sion.
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Pro-Palestinian protests in Geneva and Bern
Over 1000 people gathered in Bern on Saturday afternoon calling for an end to hostilities in Gaza. In a separate protest, 200 people gathered in Geneva on Sunday calling the Israeli army’s actions a “massacre of the population of Gaza”.
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Body Found in Lausanne
A body was found in the early hours of Sunday morning on avenue Ruchonnet, near Lausanne train station.
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Aigle says no to a new pedestrianised market square
Following a referendum launched earlier this year, the population of Aigle voted ‘no’ this weekend to a loan for a pedestrianised market-square.
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Fire in Aargau caused by scooter battery
An apartment in Zurzach in Canton Argau has been declared inhabitable after an electric scooter battery caught fire in the early hours of yesterday morning.
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Electronic payments up. Tipping down.
An increase in card payments and other electronic payment systems is leading to a decrease in tipping.
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Sheep carcasses left outside Lausanne parliament
Farmers in Vaud are calling for greater controls on the wolf population in the region and did so over the weekend with some gruesome visual aids.
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Campaign to keep train ticket stamping machines
Transport campaigners are calling on Swiss Federal Railways not to get rid of the ticket validation machines.
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Rockfall alert could last for weeks
Residents in the threatened village of Brienz in Graubünden were allowed to visit their homes briefly yesterday.
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Win a weekend away in Interlaken
Courtesy of the Interlaken tourist office, you can win 2 nights for two people at the Hotel Metropole in Interlaken with fantastic views of the Jungfrau.
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Merry Christmas - we're taking a break
WRS normal programming back in January