Published: 09 Jul 2012 16:00 GMT+02:00 | Print version
Updated: 09 Jul 2012 16:00 GMT+02:00
Switzerland's four nuclear power stations are fit to withstand a major earthquake and pose no threat to the population and the environment, inspectors said on Monday.
"The nuclear power stations can withstand an earthquake of the kind that occurs a maximum of every 10,000 years," said Georg Schwarz from the Federal Inspectorate for Nuclear Safety (IFSN) in a statement.
The central cooling system and the cooling of combustible element stocks would be guaranteed in the event of a quake, said the body, which assessed demonstrations carried out by station operators.
Operators have come under pressure from Swiss authorities to check their ability to cope with quakes following the Japanese Fukushima disaster.
A meltdown at the core of three of the plant's six reactors occurred after the March 11th 2011 earthquake and ensuing massive tsunami shut off the power supply and cooling system.
The Swiss parliament approved a phased exit from nuclear energy six months after what was the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.
Under current plans the country's five reactors will be put out of action by 2034.
An elderly woman is dead after an out-of-control car knocked her down on Sunday in the centre of Lucerne, where she was walking. READ () »
More than 250 people took part in a march in Lausanne on Monday afternoon to protest against the judicial system in the wake of the death of Marie, a 19-year-old woman killed last Wednesday after being kidnapped. READ () »
In a surprise result, Zurich-based football club Grasshopper beat defending champions FC Basel on penalty kicks on Monday to gain the 19th Swiss Cup victory in its history. READ () »
After going undefeated throughout the world ice hockey championship tournament, Switzerland finally succumbed to home town favorite Sweden in the final, losing 5-1 in Stockholm on Sunday. READ () »
Switzerland will play hosts Sweden in the final of the world ice hockey championships on Sunday after each side registered a 3-0 semi-final victory over the United States and Finland respectively. READ () »
Jewellery worth more than $1 million made by Swiss luxury watchmaker and jeweller Chopard and due to be loaned to stars walking the red carpet at the Cannes film festival were stolen from a hotel, French police said on Friday. READ () »
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang embarks this weekend on his first foreign trip since taking office, with a stop in Switzerland on the itinerary and free trade talks between the two countries close to completion. READ () »
The Salvation Army band carrying Switzerland’s hopes into the Eurovision Song Contest was vanquished on Thursday night in Malmö, Sweden. READ () »
More than a third of Geneva’s active working population lives outside the canton, with the majority residing in neighbouring France and the rest largely in the canton of Vaud, according to a report issued on Thursday. READ () »
International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid can count on the support of the Swiss federation in his bid for re-election, the sport's global governing body said on Thursday. READ () »
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