Switzerland condemned for lack of vegan meals in prisons; thieves repeatedly steal luggage on SWISS flights between Hong Kong and Zurich; and more news in our roundup this Monday.
Switzerland condemned for lack of vegan meals in prisons
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has condemned Switzerland for failing to provide vegan food to two prisoners.
One of them spent nearly a year in pre-trial detention in a Geneva prison and the other was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital in Vaud, where they were denied the fully vegan diets they had requested.
The ECHR ruled that the institutions in question had failed to provide food that “complied with the ethical convictions of the two individuals.”
Swiss government will therefore have to pay €16,000, or approximately 14,800 francs, in moral damages to the two plaintiffs.
Thieves repeatedly steal luggage on SWISS flights between Hong Kong and Zurich
As odd as this may sound, since there is no way to escape in mid-air, thieves have repeatedly targeted flights between Zurich and Hong Kong in recent months, stealing the carry-on luggage of fellow passengers from overhead compartments – mostly at night, when everyone is asleep.
But even though the airline has not disclosed the exact number of thefts or why they happen on just this one route, an internal communication that the management sent to the cabin crew mentions the recent increase in reported thefts on this particular flight.
Crew members are requested to store their personal luggage and valuables in lockable storage areas if possible, and be on the lookout for suspicious activity on board.
“If cases are reported, we inform the authorities at the destination so that this can be checked upon arrival and, if necessary, suspects can be detained,” the airline’s spokesperson said.
Switzerland harmonises all mountain bike trail signs with five difficulty levels
Uniform signage for mountain bike trails is to be introduced in Switzerland to reduce the number of accidents.
The new system includes five colours indicating difficulty, the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BPA) announced.
Symbols also distinguish three types of trails, such as shared single trails and trails reserved for mountain biking, divided into tech trails (narrow and close to the natural state) and style trails (wider and artificially created).
(Green signifies ‘very easy’ trails, blue is for ‘easy’, red for ‘medium’, black ‘difficult, and purple ‘very difficult.’)
Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BPA)
Survey reveals the best and worst of Switzerland
As usual, Switzerland performed well in the 2026 edition of the “Mapping the World’s Prices” ranking carried out by the Deutsche Bank Research Institute.
Geneva and Zurich dominate the top-10 in numerous categories, including wages, quality of life, safety, and healthcare system.
However, the country’s ranking is lower when cost of living, real estate prices, and traffic are assessed.
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 news@thelocal.ch
