Switzerland

Solar Impulse 2, a sun-powered plane that has completed half of its intended round-the-world trip without a drop of fuel, is almost ready to tackle the second half of the trip. The Swiss-built plane which uses solar energy to fill its batteries and power the engine, has been grounded in Hawaii by battery damage suffered during a 5-day flight from Japan to Hawaii. Yes, it doesn't fly very fast! Project staff say that they've raised enough money for the repairs, and can be in the air again by...

If Google's self-driving cars seem a bit futuristic (even if one got pulled over by a cop for going too slow), consider this: starting next spring, Switzerland will actually put passengers on driverless buses for a two-year test.   The buses will...

Rebirth, the sculpture that will be unveiled for the anniversary.        UN Photo   The UN, whose Palais des Nations Geneva home was originally home to the League of Nations, will open the historic building for a day on...

Euope's hotter than usual summer took its toll on visitors, residents, tempers, zoo animals and even on gigantic pumpkins. This year;s winner of the annual Swiss pumpkin-growing competition weighed in at a mere 3/4 of a ton (750kg or 1653 lbs).  ...

Swiss authorities have warned travelers against a scam that's been pulled at several automatic ticket machines at Zurich's rail station, and has been reported in other cities as well.   Scammers have figured out how to tamper with the machines so...

Switzerland's A1 motorway, the main route connecting the country's east and west, was closed for several hours yesterday near  Courgevaux in Fribourg Canton by a major landslide caused by a beaver.   The rodent wasn't actually on the scene...

Zurich throws a "Techno Street Parade" every year near the end of August, and it's become an incredibly big draw, with an estimated million participants from all over Europe dancing through the streets to the electronic beat, despite temperatures in...

Swiss vineyards near Sion           Photo: Valery Heritier / Wikimedia   A Swiss federal agriculture expert says that climate change  is “positive overall for Swiss wine growers because it guarantees better...

Well, actually, the owner has been ordered to keep the cows quiet by removing their bells at night. Neighbors in his small town in the Zurich-Oberland area complained that the 27 cows were keeping them from sleeping at night.   The conflict has...

Ice hockey at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics, Innsbruck      Photo: Rolf Roletschek / Wikimedia   The Winter Youth Oympics—a relative youth itself, since the first was only held in 2012—will hold its 2020 games in...

Most of Europe has been experiencing a heatwave so far this summer, with sustained temperatures in the high 90s(F, high 30s C), causing discomfort and health issues across the continent. And yet, one village in Switzerland closed out August by falling...

If cruisers are dreaming of Caribbean warmth for the coming winter (see item above), skiiers are already thinking of freshly-packed powder and warm drinks after...so now, in the heat of summer, we are seeing the winter services being announced.  ...