Doctor warns youths small cut can kill
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Tribune de Geneve 5 May carries an interview with the doctor who heads the emergency room at the HUG university hospitals in Geneva, about the lethal danger of carrying knives. The interview is a followup to information published earlier by the Tribune about the growing number of youths carrying knives, and calls by lawmakers for tougher legislation.
Knives account for 40 percent of murders and 13 percent of all attacks on people, federal police statistics show, with guns involved in 5 percent of attacks.
Francois Sarrasin told the Tribune that five years ago his department treated one or two knife attack wounds a week and this has now risen to between 5 and 10. The doctor says the increase occurs mainly at the end of the week, from Thursday to Sunday, and that part of the change is linked to alcohol.
But he also points out that while carrying them has gained in popularity, there appears to be little understanding of the real danger knives represent, from pocket to paramilitary knives. Even a very small knife, and a small cut, he points out, can kill a person.
Dry weather: Jura bans fireworks except official ones, other cantons to review
Swiss national day (1 August) official fireworks will still go on
Jura, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) – Canton Jura is the latest Swiss state to ban forest fires because of continuing dry weather, but it has banned private fireworks for the national day, 1 August, it announced Monday 26 July.
Fribourg, Geneva, Vaud and Valais also have forest fire bans but will be reviewing this week whether conditions will allow private fireworks.
Recent rains have eased the dryness problem somewhat, but several days of rain are needed to bring conditions back to a more secure level.
A large part of southern and western Switzerland remains on yellow alert, for a high level of danger from forest fires (map, Meteo Swiss).
Weather and snow outlook for Alps, update on avalanches, non-ski options
Fresh snow in Switzerland's canton Valais: near Visp, 7 January 2010
Update 13:00 Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Snow and cold have been taunting much of northern Europe for the past week, but the Swiss Alps have had only moderate amounts of fresh snow and little of the killer cold that has struck Britain and other regions. The worst snow news in the Swiss Alps in the past week has been several deaths and injuries from avalanches.
Winter in the Lake Geneva region offers more than just downhill skiing and snowboarding. Portable ice-skating rinks (list for Vaud) became popular two years ago and they have allowed a number of small towns to offer this to the public for affordable prices.
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - If you’ve ever been tempted by petanque, a French boules, or balls, game popular in parts of France and southern European countries, carefully check the ones in your cupboard: the Swiss federal government has issued a recall and warning about balls manufactured by Dutch company Nebus BV that have been distributed by Coop Supercard (part of a 2003 offer) and TCS (Touring Club Suisse), which has sent them to new members. The balls can explode when touched.
Do not touch them or take them out of your cupboard or attempt to return them to Coop or TCS. Call the hotline +41 32 321 7111 for information on how to have them picked up at your home.
The balls come in a black holder and are labeled “JEU DE BOULES” and “PÉTANQUE”. Also on the holder is this information: E.H., P.O. Box 4059, 5004 JB Tilburg (NL).
