Bitesize News
The news stories here are written for radio and designed to be read in under a minute.
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Man jailed for 20 years for killing wife
A man has been jailed for 20 years for killing his wife by stabbing her 165 times in front of their five children.
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Servette hold mighty Roma to draw
Servette is celebrating as it held Roma to a 1-all draw in front of a packed stadium in Geneva last night.
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Sunday trading rules slammed as 'confusing'
The latest plans from the federal government on allowing some shops to open on Sunday seems to have upset everyone.
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Transport police could get tasers
The government is considering issuing tasers to the transport police.
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Escalade races this weekend. Road closures.
The Escalade races are on in Geneva this weekend.
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Work permit quotas remain unchanged
After speculation the government would cut the numbers of work permits for non-EU nationals, it has decided to leave the figure unchanged for next year.
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Doctor limit rules in Geneva lifted
There’s a shortage of doctors, pediatricians and child psychiatrists in Geneva.
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Zurich is most expensive city
Zurich is the most expensive city in the world – together with Singapore.
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Switzerland on fast track for 2038 Winter Games
Hopes Switzerland will host the 2030 Winter Olympics have been dashed.
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Vaud kids to be taught Schwyzerdütsch
School children in French speaking canton Vaud will be taught Swiss German after a narrow vote in the cantonal Grand Council.
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Nice smelling rooms could be toxic
Essential oils and room fragrances can be dangerous.
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Hospitals bring back mask rules
As covid numbers continue to climb, some hospitals are bringing back compulsory mask requirements.
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Hundreds leave nursing every month
Hundreds of nurses are leaving the profession every month, complaining about over work and under pay.
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Bld Pont-d'Arve reopens Friday
After five months of work, the Boulevard du Pont-d’Arve in Geneva will reopen on Friday.
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Cornavin development delayed again
The large-scale redevelopment of Cornavin Station has been pushed back again. It won’t be completed until 2038.
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E-vignette big bang launch Friday
It will be the big bang launch of the e-vignettes this Friday.
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More rent rises possible
Rents could be going up again.
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Unions lose at the ECHR
Unions have lost their case at the European Court of Human Rights. On a technicality.
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Call to expand Bardonnex border
Recent efforts to cut rush hour traffic through the smaller border posts around Geneva are not working, according to locals.
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Thousands flashed incorrectly in Bern
Nearly 6,000 drivers in the City of Bern were flashed by incorrectly configured speed cameras.
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Changes to public transport next month
There are some changes to the public transport system in Geneva over the next few weeks.
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Man considers jail by not paying 'unfair' parking fine
How far would you go not to pay a parking ticket?
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Geneva domestic violence soars
A study from Canton Geneva shows the number of domestic violence cases are the highest they’ve been since 2010.
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Is the opioid crises coming here?
There are fears the opioid crises which has gripped the United States could be coming to Switzerland.
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Switzerland waits for Human Rights ruling
The European Court of Human Rights will rule later today if Switzerland’s ban on demonstrations at the start of the pandemic was too strict.
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Berset has to take cover in Kiev
The Swiss president, Alain Berset, was forced to take cover while on a visit to Ukraine.
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Hopes on EU talks
There’s optimism from the EU on talks with Switzerland on a new framework agreement.
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Experts back cold water health benefits
Advocates of cold-water swimming swear by its health benefits – and the opinion of local doctors seem to back up the fans.
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Child pneumonia rises in Switerland
Mysterious pneumonia cases in children in China are making headlines around the world - but doctors in Switzerland say there’s an increase in pneumonia here.
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New express asylum plan
The government is trialling an express asylum procedure in Zurich in an effort to cut the back log of claimants.
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Warning of fake train ticket machines
Police in Basel are warning public transport users that they know of at least one ticket machine which had been rigged by scammers to collect credit cards.
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Referendum lauched against acquatic centre
As soon as it’s been passed by the Carouge Municipal Council, the Swiss People’s Party has launched a referendum against the proposed new aquatic centre.
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Woman detained at Zurich airport with cocaine
Zurich police arrested a Brazilian woman at the airport with more than 8 kilos of cocaine.
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Early Christmas train for plane passengers
Swiss Federal Railways and Geneva Airport are experimenting with a very early train for those on very early flights this Christmas.
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What worries us?
What are the main issues which worry people?
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Covid cases up
Covid cases are climbing – and the Federal Health Office says if you’re sick with a respiratory illness, it’s most likely covid.
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New airport design announced
The new look for Geneva Airport has been unveiled.
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Burglar cooked pasta and took a bath
A woman in Lachen in canton Schwyz told a court how a neighbour called her while she was at work to tell her someone was in her kitchen one evening.
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Non EU work permits could be cut
The government will discuss if the amount of work permits issued to third country nationals should be cut.
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Police on alert after child abduction reports
Police in canton Sankt Gallen are on alert after several reports of children being lured into a car on Monday afternoon.
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Carouge to build new aquatic centre
The Carouge municipal council have given the go ahead for a new aquatic centre at La Fontenette.
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Still too much food waste
We’re still throwing away too much food.
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Rare duck excites twitchers
Bird watchers are excited as a North American duck has appeared for the first time in Switzerland.
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Geneva returns 900 year old mummies
The Geneva Museum of Ethnography has retuned three 900 years old mummified bodies to Bolivia.
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Geneva civil servants to strike Thursday
Geneva civil servants will be striking on Thursday. Unions are calling for a 5% pay rise and no further job cuts.
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Nyon against A1 third lane
The town of Nyon has come out against the plans to widen the A1 autoroute between it and Geneva.
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Uber drivers call for better deal
Uber drivers in Geneva protested outside the Department of the Economy yesterday afternoon – demanding the company follows recent court rulings that determined Uber must treat drivers as employees.
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SSR warns of hundreds of job losses
The public broadcaster, SSR, says if the licence fee is cut to CHF 200 from the current CHF 335, it will lead to hundreds of job losses.
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Centre Party solidifies position in Council of States
Results from the second round of elections yesterday for the Upper House, the Council of States, shows the Centre Party consolidating its position.
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Storms are more intense
Storms are getting more intense and occurring at shorter notice. That’s the conclusion of a survey of insurers by the SonntagsBlick newspaper.
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Geneva workers plan new strike
Geneva workers are planning a new strike tomorrow.
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Physiotherapists fight new pricing plan
A group not known for its militancy took to the streets Friday evening in Bern.
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Crashed driver found by luck
A driver was only found by luck after he crashed his car down a 10-meter slope near Sternenberg in canton Zurich.
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French autoroute section to stay free
The section of the French A40 autoroute which runs from Annemasse to Saint-Julien-en-Genevois should remain free for the next few years.
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Macron visit ends - call for Paris to recognise Greater Geneva
The two-day state visit by the French president Emmanual Macron ended yesterday with a visit to the French speaking region.
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Palestinian conflict divides Switzerland
The war in the Middle East is dividing the country.
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Elderly driver dies in Geneva
An elderly motorist died in Geneva yesterday afternoon – and police are asking for witnesses.
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Greenpeace calls for more electronic recycling
A study by the environmental organisation Greenpeace says 300 tonnes of electronic equipment is simply thrown away unused.
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Geneva Christmas Market opens
The Geneva Christmas Market is up and running – in a new location.
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Arve flow slows
The flow of the Arve River is abating after breaking records yesterday.
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Macron heads to Lausanne and Geneva
The French president Emmanuel Macron continues his state visit to Switzerland today.
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easyJet plane emergency
An easyJet aircraft flying from Nice to Geneva had to make an emergency landing in Zurich due to a lack of fuel.
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Green laws blamed for lack of rental homes
New French environmental standards are being blamed for a lack of properties to rent in the neighbouring French departments – driving up prices for those which are available.
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Kitten found in compost
A woman in canton Sankt Gallen rescued an eight-week-old kitten from a compost heap. Police believe it couldn’t have accidently ended up there - and have launched an investigation.
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Flood alerts in Geneva
Flood alerts are in place along the Arve River in Geneva as the flow reaches exceptional levels.
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Covid cases up
Covid cases are climbing.
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Macron starts state visit today
The French president Emmanuel Macron will be in Switzerland today for two-day state visit.
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Rights group says don't track kids
The children’s rights group, Pro Juventute, says a growing trend of parents having their kids carry tracking devices is a problem and children also have a right to privacy.
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Ticks are worse than you think
Ticks are far more dangerous than previously thought – according to a new study from the University of Zurich.
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New project to open lakeside to Geneva residents
The City of Geneva has unveiled the winning bid to redevelop a part of the Quai Wilson.
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Mask wearing compulsory at HUG again
Mask wearing at the University Hospital in Geneva is compulsory once again – but it’s not because of covid.
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Ticino glaciers threatened
Experts say the glaciers in canton Ticino could be gone in under ten years.
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Police anger at summer tyres
Police in mountain areas are increasingly frustrated by drivers heading up to the slopes still with their summer tyres.
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Some ski stations open - but check first
While some ski stations are opening early, taking advantage of the new snow, operators are cautioning that not all runs will be available – nor for the full length.
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Shopping duty-free limit could be cut
Under pressure from Swiss retailers, the government looks set to cut the duty-free limit for items brought into the country after being purchased abroad.
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Man forges death certificate to get off work
A man who worked as a manager in Zurich has been fined for his excuse for not coming into work.
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Mauro Poggia is the new Geneva senator
Voters in Geneva chose their new senators in the second round of the federal elections on Sunday.
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Vaud brings back “dream-team” to the senate
In the canton of Vaud, Pascal Broulis of the Liberal Party was elected to the senate, where he will form a team with Pierre-Yves Maillard of the Social Democrats.
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Voters approve a new industrial zone in Bernex
In other votes, the Geneva municipality of Bernex has said "yes" to the creation of an industrial zone which is to house the new factory of pencil manufacturer Caran d’Ache.
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Swiss Government wants to regulate AI
Switzerland needs regulation in the field of Artificial Intelligence, - says Federal Councillor Albert Rösti in an interview given to NZZ am Sonntag.
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120,000 signatures collected to relaunch nuclear power
The Club Energie Suisse has collected 120,000 signatures for its "Stop the blackout" initiative, far surpassing the 100,000 signatures necessary to prompt a vote.
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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