Safety and Health: Hand Grenade Detonated in Basel, New Cancer Screening
In Basel, a hand grenade in the Rhine triggered a major operation, while the Canton of Lucerne announces new health prevention measures. Additionally, there are significant changes for winter tourism in the Canton of Glarus. Meanwhile, the Art Basel art fair recorded a high number of visitors from both Switzerland and abroad.
On Sunday evening, Swiss Army specialists detonated a hand grenade in the Rhine in Basel. A diver had discovered the unexploded ordnance—a term for ammunition that failed to explode as intended—in the afternoon. Police, fire services, and the army secured the area around an event ship before the controlled explosion was successfully carried out around 9 p.m.
The Canton of Lucerne is improving medical prevention for women. Starting in July 2026, the canton will introduce systematic breast cancer screening. In this early detection program, women will be regularly invited for tests. With this move, Lucerne is responding to the fact that Central Switzerland has previously lagged behind in a national comparison regarding prevention.
The Glarus mountain village of Braunwald is permanently ceasing traditional skiing operations. From the 2026/27 winter season, the four ski and chair lifts will no longer be put into operation. Those responsible justify this step with high operating costs, the increasing lack of snow, and falling revenues, which make economic operation impossible.
The international art fair Art Basel looks back on a successful 2026 edition. A total of around 90,000 people from 103 countries visited the event in Basel.
Visit the news section of our app for full coverage. There you will also find details on the Swiss Solidarity fundraising campaign for aid to Ukraine, the latest results from the Football World Cup, and information on the political change of power in Colombia.