Earlier this month, Swiss President Didier Burkhalter joined 11 foreign ministers around the world in a joint declaration in favour of abolishing the death penalty. “The death penalty is incompatible with human rights,” the Swiss government said in a statement last week. While Switzerland abolished the death penalty from its federal criminal law in 1942, […]
Archives for October 2014
Federer masters China
Swiss tennis player Roger Federer (33) won his first Shanghai Masters title in China on 12 October, with a straight set of victories over 29-year-old French player Gilles Simon. Federer, a 17-time Gland Slam winner, won the game after Simon hit a forehand into the net, giving him a 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-2) victory. “To […]
Apple’s game-changer: iPad Air2 for a cheaper connection
It’s either good news for consumers as the mobile networks’ throttlehold is broken, or bad news if consumers’ choice of network operators is restricted. Apple announced this week that its new iPad Air will contain a “soft sim” which allows the user to choose their preferred mobile operator based on service and price, and indeed […]
Cause Direct: Not your average crowd-funding site
Dozens of people gathered last week at Geneva’s Impact Hub to celebrate the launch of one of Switzerland’s newest non-profit organizations: Cause Direct, an online platform that serves to connect certified NGOs worldwide with interested funders and investors. The concept behind the site isn’t a novelty. Thousands of people around the globe use websites such […]
The Salt of the Earth; Gone Girl
THE SALT OF THE EARTH **** Wim Wenders has a definite knack with documentaries. He brings them to life with both charm and intelligence, like his inimitable classic, The Buena Vista Social Club. Here, he retraces the steps of the renowned Brazilian photojournalist, Sebastiao Salgado, who has witnessed all forms of international conflicts and isolated […]
Montreux Art: Uncovering artistic talent
Montreux Art Gallery, now in its tenth year, is a contemporary art fair with a juried selection of more than 150 exhibitors. The fair takes place in the Montreux Convention Centre, situated in the heart of Montreux. “We chose the right place,” says Jean-François Gailloud, director of MAG. “The Centre des Congrès is a very […]
La Nuit de la Guitare: Acoustic guitar virtuoso concert
It is rare to have world-class musical talents come together to give performances in lesser known venues in the region. But this is exactly what is happening in Versonnex on 31 October. For fans of the acoustic guitar, this event promises to be memorable with three highly respected masters coming together for just one evening. […]
Payot’s best sellers of the week
Gone Girl is a thriller by American writer Gillian Flynn. Published by Crown Publishing Group in June 2012, it soon made the New York Times best seller list. The novel’s sense of suspense comes from uncertainty about the main character, Nick Dunne, and whether he is involved in the disappearance of his wife. Reviewers have […]
The Geneva International Film Festival: Tous Écrans
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the international ‘Tous Écrans’ festival will feature 131 film and TV shows from 6-13November. The gathering will take over the heart of Geneva in Plainpalais’s art nouveau Pitoëff community hall, where two projection rooms will promote 44 Swiss and two European premieres, plus eight international and 10 World premieres. Canada is […]
UDC seeks to block Islamic Centre
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (UDC) of Fribourg is gathering signatures for a referendum to oppose an Islamic studies center at the University of Fribourg. The move comes at a time when reaching out to Muslim communities seems more important than ever. That is certainly the opinion of Antonio Loprieno of the University of Basel, […]