Switzerland Today
Greetings from Zurich!
The school ski holiday season is well and truly underway in Switzerland. But youngsters in particular have been warned to watch their speeds on the slopes. More on that later, but first the news of the day.
In the news: victims of a flawed drugs trial offered millions in compensation, property prices creep up higher while Swiss Solidarity had a busy year.
- Novartis has agreed to contribute to a CHF12.5 million fund to compensate victims of a damaging drug trial between 1940 and 1980.
- Prices for residential property in Switzerland continued to rise both in the fourth quarter and throughout 2023.
- Swiss Solidarityraised more than CHF54 million in donations last year and supported disaster relief projects to the tune of CHF70 million.
- Geneva is refusing to help fund the new Swiss Guard barracks in the Vatican because it would be subsidising a religious activity.
- Supermarket chain Migros has announced a change of strategy that could cost 1,500 jobs as it tries to sell off unwanted subsidiaries.
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Two French aid workers, members of the Swiss Church Aid organisation HEKS, have been killed by a Russian strike in Ukraine.
Speeding skiers
Schools all over Switzerland are taking it in turns to take a break to allow pupils to visit the ski slopes. They are also being lectured on the dangers of speeding on the pistes.
Earlier this week, accident insurers SUVA issued a plea for skiers and snowboarders to slow down to avoid serious accidents.
Every year, some 60,000 people get hurt skiing, which costs CHF600 million in treatment bills.
It seems hard for skiers to curb their enthusiasm when the wind is in their ears. Three quarters travel at least 50kmph, with some getting up to 70-100kmph. That’s enough to get a hefty fine – or driving ban – for a motorist in a built-up area.
Unsurprisingly, the worst culprits are younger skiers, according to SUVA. “People are often not aware of how fast they are traveling and underestimate their speed,” spokesperson Samuli Aegerter told public broadcaster SRF.
More pistes are being prepared for speed and exhilaration while skiers are lulled into a false sense of security by all their protective gear.
And as the day wears on, accidents are more likely to happen. “People are often tired in the late afternoon and are no longer as resilient,” said Aegerter.
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