ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – The pilot of a Swiss flight from Zurich to Brazil (date unknown) was temporarily blinded recently by a laser, shot from the ground, when his plane was already at high altitude over Lucerne, 20 Minutes reported, with the information confirmed by Lucerne police. A man with a laser pointer was arrested, then […]
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Swiss absinthe wins round 1 of name fight
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / AMONG THE VINES – Switzerland’s largest court has rejected three appeals from French groups who object to absinthe being a registered Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). The Federal Administrative Tribunal in St Gallen has left the door open for the three to appeal to the Federal Tribunal, the country’s highest court. Absinthe spent […]
Airline Swiss profitable, parent profits halved
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – Airline Swiss had a strong first six months in 2013, ending the period with profits of CHF72 million, an 18 percent increase over the first half of 2012. Turnover increased by 3 percent to CHF2.52 billion. Parent company Lufthansa showed profits halved during the second quarter of 2013, but says its operational […]
Swiss wine consumption on the upswing
5-year world wine consumption forecast shows pick-up GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / AMONG THE VINES – A five-year decline in wine consumption in Switzerland is coming to an end, led by a growing appreciation for sparkling wines. The biggest growth, nearly 15 percent, will be seen in bottles priced over CHF10, while less expensive wines will see slower […]
Nestlé goes wild in the UK
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Multinational food company Nestlé is giving a boost to birds, bees and other critters in Britain by creating wildflower spaces to help offset the fall in their numbers. The company announced 24 July that will plant wildflower meadows at all of its factories in the UK by 2015. It has already created […]