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[Update: canton Valais Thursday became the first Swiss canton to pass a law covering high-risk tourism activities, notably extreme sports, but also including, for example, mountain hiking. The law covers training requirements and information for tourists about companies' and their own responsibility. The law has been welcomed by mountain guides as clarifying the situation following the rapid growth of companies offering new products, such as extreme sports, according to an interview run by TSR.]

Switzerland (Le Matin, Fre) – Is Switzerland becoming Europe’s base jumping cemetery, asks Le Matin in a lengthy article about the extreme sport. Recent deaths, including two since October began, and a Swiss base jump video published on the web, are raising questions. The sport involves freefall jumping from a fixed point, such as a cliff or ledge, with a parachute which that opens after some seconds. According to Le Matin, base jumping is tolerated by Swiss authorities as long as no other laws are broken, for example trespassing or endangering the lives of others.

Lauterbrunnen, which has two high cliffs, has become a world centre for the sport, but 12 people have died basejumping there since 2001.