“The mortar shell was found early this afternoon by a diver,” said a spokesman for canton Vaud police on Saturday. “Demining experts arrived and ascertained that it didn’t have a detonator.” The beach and road were closed for about an hour.
Apart from that surprise, the ninth “Clean Lake GenevaExternal link” weekend has so far turned up mostly scrap metal like shopping trolleys, chains, tyres and plastic. “The amount of plastic and cigarette butts is quite outrageous,” said project leader Adrien Bonny.
More salvaged forms of transport
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Bonny said a lot of the plastic debris comprised drinking straws, bottle tops and yoghurt lids.
A depressing haul
Keystone
The clean-up takes place every two years and this year involved 310 divers and 840 volunteers on land. On average between ten and 15 tonnes of rubbish are collected, which are then sorted, recorded and recycled where possible.
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What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
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Sylvain Saudan, ‘skier of the impossible’, dies aged 87
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The Swiss father of extreme skiing pioneered descents from the Alps to the Himalayas – and became the sport’s first star.
Hayek family buys additional Swatch shares for nearly CHF11 million
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Following the acquisition of registered shares worth over CHF20.6 million on Monday, the Hayek family made another purchase on Tuesday.
Suicide capsule to be used in Switzerland this year, says euthanasia organisation
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The organisation “The Last Resort” has confirmed that the suicide capsule Sarco is to be used in Switzerland. This should happen this year, it said.
Ukrainian children flown to Switzerland for cancer treatment
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The Swiss air rescue service Rega flew two Ukrainian children with cancer to Switzerland from a hospital in Kyiv hit by Russian missiles.
Swiss Solidarity raises over CHF10 million for victims of extreme weather
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The money raised will be used to help those affected by the recent storms and flooding in the cantons of Ticino, Graubünden, and Valais.
Swiss giant Roche given green light for lung cancer drug in Canada
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According to a recent study, Roche’s Alecensaro reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 76% compared to chemotherapy alone.
Swiss luxury watch market hit hard by China-led slump
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Sales of Swiss-made luxury watches are in sharp retreat as nervous consumers reconsider splashing out on expensive timepieces and demand slumps.
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Dangerous toxin levels found in Lake Geneva
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Switzerland has an international reputation for cleanliness and pristine landscape, but a team of scientists from the University of Geneva and Britain has revealed that the lake is as susceptible to plastic waste problems as the ocean. The team analysed 3,000 objects, such as toys, pens, cotton swabs, food packaging and fragments of foam and…
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A bio-inspired robot developed by a Swiss research team can be fitted with sensors that allow it to zero in on sources of aquatic contaminants.
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The research, carried out by scientists from Lausanne’s Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) and commissioned by the Federal Office for the Environment, found that the concentrations present in the lakes did not pose a direct threat to the environment and quality of drinking water inside Switzerland. “But these are not natural particles and they don’t…
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Scientists say there is no need to be alarmed but warn of potential long-term risks. Some 15 per cent of Switzerland’s wastewater is discharged, after treatment, directly into lakes. The Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (Eawag) carried out the study, published on the Frontiers in Microbiology website, to learn more about multi-resistant…
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Winter is synonymous with snow sports for most people but, for others, it is the best time of year to scuba dive in Switzerland’s lakes and rivers.
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Since coming together last summer, the 17 divers have amassed an impressive “booty” including bicycles, tyres from cars and tractors, car wheels, stovepipes, fridges, garden benches, ammunition, oil drums, tins of paint, countless glass and plastic bottles and tins. “I’m shocked at the lack of responsibility some people show towards nature,” SAET founder and president…
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