GenevaLunch

La Cote, Fre - The number of cars in Nyon has risen 40% in 15 years and the town, with its narrow winding city-centre streets has struggled to cope. Beginning Friday and until 8 May Nyon is counting cars and interviewing drivers to obtain a precise traffic picture. Tuesday 17 April drivers going uphill on three routes (Clémenty, Morâche, route de l’Etraz) will be stopped to answer questionnaires, and on Thursday coming down the same three routes. Surveys will be done on other roads in following weeks.

Nyon voters in September 2006 voted against municipal plans for an inner ring road to relieve congestion. (continue reading)→

Tribune de Geneve, Infos générales, Fre - A Geneva-based company, Agence Virtuelle, has been measuring the presence of French presidential candidates on the Internet for the past year to determine if Internet buzz is as good an indicator of voting trends as opinion polls. It is, says the company's president, Stéphane Périno. He notes that with 14 million French people online, the population base for the study is good, although there are limitations, such as not knowing who is under 18. Pre-election events such as the rapid rise of François (continue reading)→

RSR, Fre - Energy consumption in Switzerland increased by 0.8% in 2006, despite growing concerns about global warming and politician's efforts to keep consumption in line with a possible electricity shortage in the country from 2015 to 2020. Electricity use rose, according to the federal energy office, because of a higher gross domestic product (GDP), up 2.7% and a population increase of 56,000. (continue reading)→

swissinfo - The unemployment rate in Switzerland hit a 4.5 year low in March, with 3% of the population unemployed. The government attributes the downward trend to the continuing strength of the economy.

RSR, Fre - The Swiss Federal Justice and Police Department has refused to accept remarks made by right-wing French presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen, that his immigration policies are based on those of Switzerland. Spokesman Livio Zanolari told RSR that Le Pen and Christophe Blocher, minister for justice and police, "don't have the same goals or the same principles." Le Pen, contacted later, insists that his policies are identical to Switzerland's current policy of favouring some countries' (European Union) workers and allowing in only refugees that have identity papers. (continue reading)→