Flu is expected to hit Switzerland from mid-December; more than 80 percent of convicted thieves are foreigners, new data reveals; plus other news in our roundup this Friday.
Flu is expected to hit Switzerland from mid-December
The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) said on Thursday that it is anticipating the flu season to start in mid-December.
The scale of this wave remains, however, difficult to predict at this time, as it will depend on the population’s immunity, circulating virus variants, and weather.
It will also depend on whether Switzerland will get enough flu vaccines early enough in the season, as they are facing delivery delays.
READ: Will delays mean Switzerland lacks enough flu vaccines this winter?
Meanwhile, FOPH also reported that Covid cases, as well as incidents of respiratory viruses, are already on the rise.
Don’t miss our journalists’ daily news roundup from Switzerland
More than 80 percent of thieves convicted in Switzerland are foreigners, new data reveals
Criminal statistics for 2025 show a high proportion of non-permanent residents among the 7,956 theft convictions – a category that encompasses everything from stolen bicycles to ATM blow-ups.
According to criminologist Dirk Baier, two groups for non-resident foreign nationals feature prominently in the statistics: asylum seekers and so-called “crime tourists”.
“People seeking asylum are sometimes in a situation where they have no prospects and little money. Crime tourists come to Switzerland because they know that things are not well secured and people are not vigilant,” he said.
READ MORE: Calls in Switzerland to boost border controls with France after spike in crime
Demand for artificial intelligence professionals soars
Over the past 12 months, nearly 5,000 AI-related job advertisements were posted in Switzerland – a 32-percent increase compared to the same period the previous year.
This is what emerges from the new Swiss AI Jobs Report published by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences.
According to the report, this growth is not limited to the IT sector—historically, the primary source of such roles.
Instead, the demand has risen across other industries as well, including finance and insurance, education and research, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, trade and logistics, engineering, industry, legal and business consulting, as well as healthcare.
Fribourg adopts a new ‘Official Languages Law’
After a close vote on Thursday, the French-speaking canton has adopted its first law of this kind, which defines conditions under which a municipality may designate its official language(s).
Concretely, the legislation states that a community with a linguistic minority of 10 percent for 25 years will be able to have both French and German as official languages following a public vote on this matter.
Swiss captain Xhaka gets suspended fine for fake Covid cert
Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka has been fined 150,000 francs after admitting using a forged Covid vaccine certificate during the pandemic when he played for Arsenal.
The 34-year-old Sunderland skipper will not have to pay the fine provided he commits no further offences during a two-year probationary period.
“I was sentenced by summary judgment for obtaining a false certification to a suspended fine of 50 daily rates of 3,000 francs each with a two-year probationary period,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I accept the decision and take responsibility for my actions. Thank you for the many messages of support over the past few weeks. They mean a lot to me.”
Xhaka was playing for Arsenal at the time in 2022 before moving to Bayern Leverkusen the following year and joining Sunderland in 2025.
Switzerland’s most capped player with 152 appearances, Xhaka withdrew from their Nations League matches against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia in the recent international break.
On Monday, Xhaka admitted that he had presented a forged certificate to avoid mandatory vaccination during the Covid crisis.
“At the time, I was very worried about the issue of Covid-19 vaccination… I felt deep mistrust regarding the vaccine and was gripped by anxiety and doubt,” he said on Instagram. (AFP)
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