Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

Switzerland’s media industry is set to receive a financial boost after a last-ditch effort to block federal subsidies failed to gather enough support, reported RTS. A group opposed to the aid package, which was approved by Parliament in March 2025, admitted it could not meet the required 50,000 signatures by the 10 July deadline. A spokesperson for the initiative told RTS that they left their run too late. By the time we realised the law had passed, it was already late—but we felt it was too important not to try, he said. Support from political parties was thin. With Swiss…

This week, SRF reported that Swiss Rail is using fire trucks to water rails to reduce the risk of buckling and derailment. Sun and summer temperatures can push the heat of the rails as high as 60 degrees. Most lengths of track are welded together. This means there are no expansion gaps to release pressure as the heat expands the metal. Rails are clipped tightly to heavy sleepers and set in compacted ballast, typically gravel. This prevents expansion from shifting the track laterally, forcing the rail to absorb thermal stress instead. A track is considered deformed if it shifts more…

In 2025, the future of banking isn’t being built in glass towers or with marble floors. It’s unfolding on smartphones, where billions of users demand instant, intuitive, and intelligent financial experiences. At the forefront of this transformation is Black Banx, a global fintech force that now serves 78 million customers in 180 countries, committed to putting user experience at the core of its strategy. Black Banx isn’t just mobile-friendly—it’s mobile-first. It doesn’t just serve customers—it builds around them. This approach is not only driving record-breaking growth but also redefining what modern banking means in a digitally-native world. Designing for the…

Switzerland’s Beznau nuclear power plant, the oldest in the country, has shut down both its reactors due to rising river temperatures, reported SRF. The plant, located in the canton of Aargau, relies on the nearby Aare river for cooling. With the river’s water already warm, further discharge from the facility risked breaching environmental limits. Axpo, the utility that operates Beznau, began by shutting down one reactor on Tuesday, followed by the second on Wednesday evening. The move, coordinated with the Federal Electricity Commission (Elcom), the nuclear watchdog Ensi, and the national grid operator Swissgrid, aims to protect the river’s ecosystem.…

Switzerland is sweltering under a heatwave, with MétéoSuisse forecasting the second-hottest June since records began. Temperatures reached between 32°C and 35°C across the lowlands on Wednesday, prompting a level-two heat alert across much of the country. In Ticino, Geneva and parts of Vaud and Valais, where conditions are more extreme, the alert level has been raised to three – see warnings here. A brief respite came on Thursday with the passage of a cooler front, but Friday temperatures rose higher. Weekend highs are forecast to exceed 30°C nationwide, with even hotter conditions to follow. In the southern Alps, a heat…

On 24 June 2025, human remains were recovered in Blatten, the Valais mountain village largely destroyed by a catastrophic landslide on 28 May 2025. The discovery was made during a targeted search operation, according to a statement from the Valais Cantonal Police. Then on 26 June 2025, the local police confirmed that the identity of the remains were of a 64-year-old man who went missing on 28 May 2025. An excavator operator discovered the lifeless body on Tuesday during search and cleanup operations. According to police, he was at his stable in the Tennmatten area. On 28 May 2025, around…

This week, Switzerland’s federal government announced it was cutting its savings targets slightly amid pressure from cantons and political opposition, reported RTS. The Federal Council announced revised savings targets, lowering the total volume of planned cuts to CHF 3.1 billion by 2029—down from the CHF 3.6 billion outlined in January. The adjustments follow criticism from cantonal governments and political parties during the consultation process. The core of the federal cost-cutting plan remains intact. But several provisions have been eased, particularly those affecting intergovernmental transfers. Changes include maintaining financial equalisation mechanisms and payments to cantons, which had sparked concern among cantonal…

Hiking in the Jura, cycling in Valais, dining lakeside in Ticino: Switzerland remains a top destination—especially for the Swiss themselves. Once seen primarily as a tourist destination for foreigners, the country has increasingly become a year-round choice for domestic travellers, according to data published the week by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Laura Meyer, chief executive of Hotelplan, a Swiss travel group, told SRF that the shift owes much to the pandemic. Border closures and travel restrictions forced many residents to holiday locally—only to rediscover the appeal of their own backyard. Many continue to want more. The data certainly support…

Switzerland faces rising wildfire risk and authorities are restricting water use as drought grips parts of the country, reported the Natural Hazards Portal. Several regions in Switzerland have raised their forest fire alert to “considerable” danger and “high” danger, the third and fourth levels on a five-point scale, amid increasingly dry conditions and falling water levels. The cantons of Thurgau, Schaffhausen, Basel, Bern, Geneva, Ticino and parts of Valais and Jura are now affected, according to the federal natural hazards portal. Certain regions of Valais are classified as “high” danger – see map below. Authorities are urging extreme caution with…

Torrential summer rainstorms are set to become more common—and more severe—in the Alps. A new study by scientists at the University of Lausanne warns that a 2°C rise in regional temperatures could double the frequency of short, extreme rainfall events in alpine areas. The research, published on nature.com, draws on data from nearly 300 meteorological stations across Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and Italy. It focuses on intense, short-duration precipitation episodes—lasting from 10 minutes to one hour—recorded between 1991 and 2020. By combining this data with physical principles and climate projections, the researchers developed a statistical model linking temperature increases to…