The night train operator Newrest plans to cut jobs in Zurich; Trump admits imposeing punitive tariffs on Switzerland because he didn’t like its president; and more news in our Thursday roundup.
The night train operator Newrest to cut jobs in Zurich
A partner of Austrian railway company ÖBB, Newrest wants to cut all jobs – up to 30 employees – at its Zurich location.
According to a Swiss media report, the Zurich personnel is to be replaced by cheaper staff from Austria.
READ MORE: All the job cuts announced in Switzerland for 2026
Trump imposed punitive tariffs on Switzerland because he didn’t like its president
In an interview with Fox TV in the United States this week, Donald Trump admitted that he levied high import taxes on Switzerland because of his dislike for Karin Keller-Sutter, who was president in 2025.
Referring to her as ‘prime minister’ – a position that does not exist in Switzerland – Trump admitted that he didn’t appreciate the way Keller-Sutter ‘was aggressive’ in trying to persuade him to lower the tariffs.
He said that his dislike of the Swiss president made him impose even higher import duties on Switzerland than he originally planned.
“So instead of granting a discount, I increased taxes to 39 percent,” he boasted.
Advertisement
Motorists warned of heavy traffic and delays on Swiss motorways in coming days
The combination of school holidays in several cantons and the peak winter sports season will cause a significant increase in traffic, especially on February 14th and 21st, according to TCS motoring organisation.
The main areas where drivers should expect bottlenecks and delays are north-south routes (Gotthard Pass), access roads to the Bernese Oberland, Central Switzerland, as well as routes around Zurich/Eastern Switzerland.
To avoid being stuck in a traffic jams on this days, the TCS recommends travel outside of peak hour times of 7 to 9 am, and 4 to 6 pm.
Advertisement
Emirates airline announces upgrade on its flights to and from Zurich
Since February 1st, 2026, the carrier airline of the United Arab Emirates has been connecting Zurich and Dubai on two daily flights using the Airbus A380.
Until now, however, only the afternoon flight featured the new 56-seat Premium Economy Class, while the evening flight operated without it.
But starting on Match 1st, the second daily flight will also offer the new travel class, the airline said.
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
