Lausanne is bidding to host the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will announce its decision in July 2015 on whether the Games will take place in Lausanne or Brasov in Romania. The Youth Olympics are much like the Olympics but with one small exception, the Olympians are between 14 and […]
Archives for June 2014
The honey bee controversy
Europe and the US have lost 45% of their bees. Given that 80% of Switzerland’s crops and wild plants rely on bee pollination, there is growing concern about the continued decline of Europe’s bee populations. Greenpeace and the European Alliance to Save Bees and Agriculture maintain that excessive use of highly toxic pesticides is largely […]
Schumacher moved to CHUV
Formula One champion Michael Schumacher has been transferred from hospital in Grenoble to the CHUV in Lausanne. His family report that the 45-year-old is no longer in a coma and they have commended the care and treatment provided by medical staff at the hospital in Grenoble. The German champion driver was placed in a medically […]
Tax on “dirty” power?
World Wildlife Fund-Switzerland (WWF) and Pro Solar, an initiative of Swissolar, have launched a joint petition calling for a levy of CHF 0.10 per kWh on electricity produced from non-renewable energy sources. The organizations believe that this would help reduce impact on the environment without putting undue pressure on households and the wider economy. More […]
“Hop Suisse! Hopp Schwiiz! Forza Svizzera!
Le News takes a shot at describing Switzerland’s chances in the World Cup. Switzerland’s 2-1 win over Ecuador last Sunday is an encouraging start, so before discounting the country’s chances of going far in the World Cup, let’s take a look at some of its past and current performances. Noting how well the Swiss are […]
Montreux Jazz Festival
The 48th annual Montreux Jazz Festival is set to start in a couple of weeks, from 4 to 19 July. Although it began as a pure Jazz Festival, other styles of music were quickly integrated. As it is the second largest jazz festival in the world, it needs a killer line-up, which it has once […]
Payot’s best sellers of the week
This week’s top seller is Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton. The book chronicles her four year stint as US Secretary of State in President Obama’s administration. Reviews to date are shamefully polemical and appear to be drawn solely along party political lines rather than on the merits or weaknesses of Mrs Clinton’s narrative.
Bergamo, Italy: Dolce vita around the corner
Need a dolce vita fix? Located 50km away from the hustle and bustle of Milan, Bergamo is a city full of old-world Italian charm. The city’s defining feature is the ancient hilltop Città Alta (Upper Town) surrounded by the Mura, over 5km of well-preserved Venetian walls. A wander through the cobblestone streets leads to several […]
Pet peeve – there is a lot of talk about pets in Robyn’s family this week
So we’re talking a lot about pets again, in our household. It seems the children are not content with four fat goldfish, three layabout guinea pigs, a geriatric cat and a Furby that will not shut up (I’d take the batteries out but what if it goes all Chucky on me and keeps talking?). No. […]
Lausannoises at the extremes of endeavour
While Switzerland is holding its breath for its national team playing in the world cup in Brazil, two Swiss women from Lausanne have made the country proud by establishing two new records – at the top of mountains. A few weeks ago we reported on Sophie Lavaud getting ready to climb the North face of […]