GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Summertime news roundup:

Storms sweep Lake Geneva region

The air was heavy with promised thunderstorms by 15:00 Friday and shortly after the black clouds formed in the region, bringing high winds and heavy rain. Trees were uprooted in Morges and Préverenges and in Lausanne the Bellerive fan zone was evacuated, with stands damaged by the wind shortly after. Worst hit was the Broye area further north in Fribourg.

Stricter green standards for new cars

The Swiss federal government has revised the labels for energy efficiency for new cars, effective 1 August 2014. New stickers on cars show the best car performances of the previous year, ending 31 May. Thanks to better standards in cars in the past two years, the average has come down by 4 g to 144 g CO2/km. Only one in 7 new cars are allowed into the top category A, for best efficiency.

UNHCR and WFP make joint appeal for increased food ratins

The UN refugee organization in Geneva, the UNHCR, with the World Food Programme, appealed earlier in the week for urgent funds, $186 million, to increase rations for refugees. The food rations have had to be cut for 800,000 refugees in Africa due to shortfalls in funds.

Basel man dies in his errant car

A man from Bettingen in Basel died when his car crashed into a tree after he jumped into it when it began to roll. He had asked for help from a passerby to push his car which wouldn’t start; when it began to roll too quickly he tried to climb into the car but wasn’t able to completely manage the move. The car rolled 800 metres before crashing into the tree. The passerby and another man he flagged down tried but failed to slow down the car.