June heatwave caused 200 deaths in Switzerland; SWISS airline introduces a new fee on long-haul flights; and more news in our Wednesday roundup.
June heatwave caused a disproportionately high number of deaths in Switzerland
The latest federal mortality figures show that the 13 days of intense heat during the second half of June claimed around 200 additional lives among people over 65.
Mortality among the older population during that heatwave was therefore 15 percent above the ‘normal’ level expected for this time of year.
For comparison, in the summer of 2025, it was 5 percent.
SWISS adds a new surcharge on its long-haul flights
Acting on the instructions of its mother company, Lufthansa, Switzerland’s national airline has introduced fees for changing seats on long-haul flights.
The measure is in effect since June 30th.
This means that passengers can no longer change their assigned seat free of charge. The new policy does not , however, concern passengers flying in business or first class, or those who have Senator or Hon status.
The amount of surcharge depends on the itinerary, departure airport. and booking date.
Zurich and Geneva have lost ground in the quality of life rankings
Switzerland’s two largest cities have slipped in the latest Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ‘Global Liveability Index‘ for 2026.
Zurich, which was still second in the world last year, has now fallen to 5th place, with Geneva close behind, in 6th.
On the positive side, however, Switzerland is the only European country with two cities ranked in the top-10.
Zurich is investigating ‘abusive’ Airbnb practices
Living space in the city of Zurich is scarce and every habitable square metre is a potential goldmine.
Enterprising property owners exploit this housing crisis by, for instance, renting out attics and basements, which they falsely advertise as “spacious and charming studios,” and charge exorbitant prices for them.
However, the conversion of attics and basements into habitable rooms is risky from a building code perspective, because these premises often lack required safety features such as escape and rescue routes in the event of a fire.
Now, faced with complaints about these practices, city officials are taking a closer look at whether the dwellings in question violate these, or any other, rules.
Swiss teen avoids jail for antisemitic attack
A teenager who stabbed a Jewish man in March 2024 in Zurich was sentenced on Tuesday to one year in prison – the maximum for someone of his age – but his punishment was commuted to compulsory mental care.
Aged 15 at the time of the incident, he had stabbed a 50-year-old man 17 times in the street near a synagogue. The man survived his injuries but was seriously wounded.
The district court near Zurich convicted him of “attempted murder”, emphasising that it had deemed his act to be “particularly unscrupulous”.
The teenager, who had become radicalised online, was also found guilty of “supporting a criminal and terrorist organisation”, “repeatedly disseminating depictions of violence” and “repeatedly” inciting hatred or discrimination based “on ethnic origin or religion”.
The teenager, who is of Tunisian descent and became a naturalised citizen in 2011, announced his plans to kill Jews at a synagogue in a video posted on social media and claimed responsibility for the attack on behalf of the jihadist group Islamic State (AFP).
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