Passengers face new rules for taking power banks on board Swiss airplanes from today; Switzerland has more than 200,000 job openings; and other news in our Thursday roundup.
New rules for power banks on board Swiss airplanes begin today
To enhance safety, SWISS and Edelweiss are introducing, from January 15th, new regulations on the carriage and use of power banks on board their planes.
Concretely, power banks may no longer be used or charged during the flight, and there is a limit of two per passenger maximum.
Charging the power bank itself from the aircraft’s electrical power supply is also prohibited.
Power banks may also no longer be placed in the overhead baggage bins: they must be kept on the passenger’s person, stowed in the seat pocket. or in carry-on baggage under the seat in front.
These devices remain prohibited in checked baggage as well.
More information about this ban can be found on the SWISS website.
There are more than 220,000 job vacancies in Switzerland
Even though the unemployment rate is expected to rise slightly in 2026, there are currently a total of 225,358 job vacancies advertised across the country, according to personnel service provider X28.
However, not all regions or sectors have the same demand level.
The cantons of Zurich and Bern, for instance, have the highest number of vacancies – 46,657 and 29,697, respectively.
In terms of industries, the highest demand by far is in healthcare: 22,500 professionals are sought.
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Five Swiss cities will help fund night trains
After the Parliament’s refusal to pay for the Basel to Malmö night train, Switzerland’s five largest cities are launching an effort to collectively finance international night train lines on their own.
Elected officials in Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich, Basel, and Bern are joining forces to provide funding for overnight lines that the federal government refuses to subsidise.
“We are seeking financing solutions for both night trains and daytime international lines,” said Lausanne City Councillor Louis Dana,
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Online platform launched for evidence relating to bar fire
A lawyer representing families of the victims of the Crans-Montana bar fire said on Wednesday that he has launched an online platform to collect eyewitness pictures, videos, and testimony from the devastating New Year’s blaze that claimed 40 lives and injured 116 others.
“We have been contacted by many people who wanted to give us information. This [platform] addresses that need,” Romain Jordan, who represents several families, told AFP.
“This initiative aims to facilitate the investigation for the victims. But we are not trying to replace official the investigation,” he added.
In related news, Valais authorities decided to grant urgent financial aid to families of those killed and injured in the blaze.
“A lump sum of 10,000 francs will be made available for each victim hospitalised or deceased,” the canton said. (AFP)
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