BERN, SWITZERLAND – The summer of 2014 didn’t feel much like summer to many people, and it turns out there was a reason: we had one-third fewer summer days than on average for the past 20 years. MeteoSwiss, in its 2014 report, issued Thursday, defines a summer day as one where the temperature rose above […]
Euro MPs pushed on shared airline passenger data
BRUSSELS, SWITZERLAND – Pressure is being put on European members of parliament in Brussels this week, to approve a bill that has been blocked since 2013 that would require airlines to share passenger data with security agencies. The European Voice, an offshoot of the Economist, reports that “European Council President Donald Tusk warned MEPs on […]
News roundup, Lake Geneva region
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Back from holidays! Weekend weather forecast Strong winds from the west have pushed away the damp fog that sat over Lake Geneva earlier in the week. They have also brought precipitation to the mountains and warmer temperature to the plains. A wide swath from the Vaud Alps in the west to Lake […]
Swiss will vote on doubling size of Gotthard tunnel
BERN, SWITZERLAND – Swiss voters will be asked, sometime after the politically sensitive parliamentary elections of 2016, to vote on doubling the Gotthard road tunnel. More than 100,000 signatures have been gathered against the proposed addition of a second tunnel for the Gotthard, which has regular tailbacks, especially during peak holiday travel periods. But a […]
It’s the Escalade! Watch out for pedestrians
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The annual Escalade parade, with 1,000 people taking part, is Friday 12 December from 09:00-13:00. Police in Geneva are warning drivers about possible traffic jams and rerouting; they should be on the lookout for traffic wardens giving directions. The Escalade is Geneva’s commemoration of the day in 1602 when citizens pushed back […]