Long-listed for the prestigious Man Booker Prize, Siri Hustvedt’s The Blazing World has been publicised across the US as her best novel yet. Publisher, Simon & Schuster describes it as “a masterful novel about perception, prejudice, desire, and one woman’s struggle to be seen”. Certainly it is a provocative story. Artist Harriet Burden, who, after […]
Archives for December 2014
Of Horses and Men; Timbuktu
Of Horses and Men **** (vo Icelandic) We are back in the Northern climes (after the brilliant Norwegian Refroidis/Kraftidioten), this time in Iceland, where at times they come up with superb cinema – mostly of the poker-faced, comedic style at which they excel. How can one describe this one by the talented first-time director Benedikt […]
Switzerland continues nuclear power cutback
World-wide, the use of nuclear energy, including new investment, is falling back. The Italians already made the decision in 1987 following the Chernobyl crisis to close nuclear power stations. In Germany, eight stations have been shut since 2011 leaving nine others to continue producing 16 percent of the country’s needs. Over the next decade, Berlin […]
Swiss to crack down on FIFA and sports corruption
ZURICH Amid repeated allegations of corruption and lack of transparency, the Swiss-based International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) may finally be held accountable by the Bern government. In recent years, the organization’s top executives, including Swiss national, Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA, the governing body of world football, have managed to ignore accusations of inappropriate […]
Ripped off by illegal French tax? Claim a refund by end of 2014
In the past year, Le News and specialist publications such as French-Property.com, have highlighted the problems facing Swiss-based (and other) non-residents of France. Taxation of rental income and unequal capital gains of non-residents are now the source of considerable legal controversy in France. Earlier this month, the Avocat General of the European Commission gave an […]
’Tis the season to be greedy
Is anyone else out there feeling a little … I don’t know … besieged … by the seasonal messages to buy everything in sight? No sooner was Halloween over, than I started being propositioned by my inbox every time I opened my computer. “Holiday deals,” it would purr, sidling up to me like a dodgy […]
’Tis the (sweet) season: Christmas markets light up Lake Geneva region
While Christmas may be considered an over-commercialized affair, the Swiss hold true to their roots. Traditional Swiss Christmas typically lasts from the beginning of Advent (30 November 2014) to the end of Epiphany (6 January 2015). While each Swiss home may give the tradition a slight twist, some customs have remained intact: the excitement of […]
New York hotels most expensive in the world; St Moritz lags in 2nd place
According to GoEuro.com, a Berlin-based firm which assesses the European travel industry covering 150 cities, including over 60,000 hotels and other accommodation, New York remains the most expensive destination for Europeans. Tirana in Albania remains the cheapest. St Moritz ranks second in the listings, which take into consideration rail and bus travel, but also facilities […]
Drink smart this season
The holiday season with its flood of party invitations to celebrate is upon us. Think good cheer and parties with those we like and want to catch up with. But parties mean alcohol! And of course who does not enjoy a drink in good company! Often we are not aware of just how much our […]
A drone for Christmas! Beware stiff laws
“Drones are just brilliant!” enthuses 17 year-old David, a student in Vevey. “I’ve asked my parents to give me one for Christmas”. He may be disappointed. With more and more mini-drones being flown throughout the country, the government recently initiated a ban to prevent them from being flown over populated public areas. Events such as […]