Stories from Switzerland

The Swiss tourism industry experienced a revenue decline of 10 to 20 percent in April. Andre Lyti, President of the travel company Globetrotter, attributed the uncertainty to the crisis in the Middle East. The industry is currently facing instability due to regional conflicts.

SBB has definitively awarded a multi-billion dollar contract to Siemens for 116 new S-Bahn double-decker trains. While Siemens presented promotional images of the new trains, the company did not specify how much of the total value will translate into Swiss jobs. Siemens has secured a contract from SBB to provide new trains for Zurich and Romandie. The company won the bid because its overall offer was cheaper than the competing proposal from Stadler Rail. Manufacturing will take place in Germany rather than by Swiss competitor Stadler Rail. Siemens has received a contract from Swiss bus and rail operators to supply 110 double-decker trains. An option for 40 additional trains has also been included in the agreement. The new trains are expected to begin replacing existing stock in the Zurich S-Bahn network starting in 2026. SBB plans to deploy the vehicles starting in 2031.

The Gassmann Group announced a restructuring plan in early April that includes terminating the workforce at Telebilag by the end of July. A consultation process is currently underway to determine the exact number of employees to be laid off.

Scientists from the University of Bern have successfully reproduced the functioning of a human placenta in a laboratory setting. This model allows researchers to study how various substances, including medications, cholesterol, and lipids, cross the placental barrier.

The Santis Bahn railway in eastern Switzerland will be out of service for approximately six months starting Friday. The closure is scheduled to last from September until mid-May. Local residents noted the need to visit the mountain before the closure begins. Gülünai noted that the company has communicated extensively with tourism organizations in recent months to manage the impact. He expressed hope that the closure will not alienate customers. The service handles an average of 370,000 passengers annually, down from 420,000 last year. Two new, larger cabins will be introduced, each capable of transporting a maximum of 85 passengers. New traction and support cables, weighing 245 tons, will be installed, including a single traction cable approximately 5 km long. The new system will generate twice the pulling force of the previous installation.

Genomics pioneer J. He was a key figure in the publicly funded Human Genome Project. Craig Venter died unexpectedly yesterday in San Diego at the age of 79. Craig Venter Institute reported his death was caused by cancer.

A study published in the journal Science Advances found that AI models are less accurate when predicting very hot weather, very cold weather, and wind storms. While previous tests showed AI effectiveness for everyday weather, these findings suggest limitations for extreme events. The research has implications for how weather agencies apply AI technology to forecasting. The study was conducted in Switzerland. A new study by climate scientists in Germany and Switzerland found that AI weather models misjudge extremely hot and extremely cold weather events. Researchers compared AI models against traditional forecasting models that utilize physics to determine predictive accuracy.

The media group Saint-Paul-Médias is eliminating 18 full-time equivalent positions. The group will merge La Liberté, La Gruyère, and La Broye Hebdo into a single editorial team. This unified newsroom will be distributed across three sites in Fribourg, Bulle, and Payerne. The chairman of the board stated these painful measures are necessary to ensure the viability of the three titles. The group plans to merge the editorial teams of La Liberté, L'Agrière, and Broit-Hebdot. The restructuring is attributed to declining revenue from subscriptions and advertising.

New data centers are being constructed globally to support artificial intelligence requirements. A shortage of transformers is currently being reported, complicating the integration of renewable energy and regional power grids.

Editorial staff at three news outlets in the Neuchâtel region expressed perplexity and concern regarding new editorial projects presented by the Groupe Saint-Paul. In a communiqué, employees stated they fear being required to produce more content with fewer journalists. Staff members are calling on the publisher to minimize the number of layoffs and are demanding a dialogue between employees and the group.