SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

TODAY IN SWITZERLAND

Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

From online scams to avoid to hot weather forecast: find out what's going on on Friday in Switzerland with The Local's short roundup of the news.

Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Be aware of online scammers ready to attack your wallet. Image by Bartek Zakrzewski from Pixabay

Campaign launched against online shopping scams

Swiss police are warning the public against online shopping scams, including  the latest one, involving the activation of an online payment system that allows scammers to make several online purchases at the expense of the victim.

The best way to protect yourself and not fall prey to scammers, police say is to:

  • Always verify the sender and amount when receiving a payment request;
  • Never transmit a confirmation code to third parties;
  • Always check account statements;
  • Immediately report any suspicious transactions;
  • Report any such crime to the police.

All the advice and recommendations can be found on this website.

READ MORE:  How to avoid the most common online scams in Switzerland

Free travel for Ukrainian refugees to end

Since March 21st, refugees from Ukraine have traveled free of charge in on public transportation in Switzerland, a service which was provided by the federal government.

This perk, however, will end from June 1st.

“This free travel saved us from considerable administrative work, as these people would have had to be issued transport cards for each stage of their registration procedure”, according to Anne Césard, spokesperson for the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).

A number of MPs are challenging this decision, however.

 “If these people can no longer travel for free, this will constitute an additional obstacle to their chances of integration, knowing that the financial aid granted to them is very low”, said Pierre-Yves Maillard.

“As long as the majority of these people cannot meet their needs sufficiently, we must continue to help them by extending this free service, even if it is in the form of a subsidy”, said another deputy , Benjamin Roduit.

United States impressed by Swiss sanctions

The US government has praised what Switzerland has done so far in the search for Russian funds to block, according to Scott Miller, the American ambassador to Switzerland.

Bern has made “immense progress” in freezing about  6.3 billion francs, belonging primarily to Russian oligarchs with ties to president Putin.

“This is a package of sanctions of a weight and breadth that, to be honest, have never been seen in the world”, he added.

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why Switzerland is a magnet for Russian money
 

Get ready to be very hot today

If Swiss meteorologists got it right, temperatures will reach the high of 32 degrees today.

“The current heat wave is relatively extreme for a month of May”, said meteorologist Joshua Gehring from official weather service MeteoSwiss.

Screenshot MeteoSwiss

The reason: “What we are currently experiencing, that is to say a relatively early heat wave, is a direct consequence of climate change”, Gehring noted.

READ MORE: Heatwave: Why is it so hot in Switzerland right now?

If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

TODAY IN SWITZERLAND

Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday

Government decides on 13th pension modalities; Switzerland and Germany agree on fining each other's drivers; and more news in our roundup on Thursday.

Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday

Federal Council decides on 13th pension payouts and funding

After a referendum on March 3rd, when Swiss voters accepted the ‘13th pension’ initiative, the executive branch of the government was tasked with figuring out how to best implement the new law, and how to finance it

On Wednesday, the Federal Council decided to pay the 13th pension once a year, rather than spread it out over 12 months. 

In terms of financing the new scheme, the Federal Council is still mulling over two options: either to increase employee contributions by 0.8 percent, or raise them by 0.5 percent, with the rest of the revenue coming from a 0.4-percent hike in the Value-Added Tax.

The new measure will go into effect from 2026.

Switzerland and Germany agree on fining each other’s motorists

German motorists fined in Switzerland for traffic violations will soon be required to pay the fine in Germany — and vice-versa.

This measure is stipulated in a new bilateral police agreement between the two countries, to go into effect on May 1st.

The new regulation applies if the fine imposed exceeds 70 euros or 80 francs.

In Switzerland, these thresholds are reached quickly: exceeding the speed limit by 20 km per hour on the motorway  costs 180 francs (184.30 euros), and is even more expensive on secondary roads. In Germany, this type of offence costs 60 euros (58.75 francs). 
 
READ ALSO: Do I have to pay a fine if I get caught speeding in Switzerland in a foreign car?

Looking ahead at the rest of the week:

Geneva public transport disruption

Major disruptions are expected on lines 15 and 17 of the TPG network during part of the Easter school holidays.

That’s because power supply will be interrupted throughout the Route des Acacias sector for a week due to work related to the cleanup of the Drize. 

The TPG will take advantage of this temporary interruption to carry out maintenance work on the tracks in this section. Consequently, no trams will run on lines 15 and 17 between Plainpalais and Lancy-Piscine from today  at 11 pm until Friday April 5th at 4 am.

A replacement bus on line 15 will be put into service between Plainpalais and Palettes.

The Easter holidays were chosen for these works to “minimise nuisance for users of public transport,” the TPG said in a press release.

Also ahead :

Daylight savings time will begin on Easter Sunday, March 31st, at 2am. Clocks will be set one hour forward.

March 31st is also the deadline for tax declarations in most of Switzerland.

And this what you can expect to be open on Easter:

READ ALSO: What will be open in Switzerland over the Easter holiday weekend?

If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]

SHOW COMMENTS