What makes a three-star restaurant better than a two or one-star, considering the huge difference in price? My answer would be that in a three-star establishment there can be no mediocre dish on the menu, no errors in cooking time or service. Of course one can eat fabulously well in places without stars, but there […]
Archives for 2014
The Human Brain Project: a very expensive headache
On Reflection is an occasional column contributed by a reader. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily shared or supported in any way by Le News. By now, most of us have heard of the Human Brain Project, whose aim is to simulate the complete human brain using supercomputers. The […]
Exploring the intersection of creativity and war. L’Elysée Lausanne
Situated in beautiful gardens next to the Olympic Museum, L’Elysée in Lausanne is a museum dedicated to photography. The museum strives not only to preserve the photographic medium in the traditional sense, but also to explore and stimulate new advancements in the art of image-making. Currently on view are three politically charged exhibitions that explore […]
They grow up so fast these days
The seven-year-old surprised me the other day by hopping into the back seat of the car, with full make-up on: eyeliner, mascara, gold eye-shadow (mostly all over her forehead, but still), blusher and lipstick. And engulfed in a cloud of perfume.We looked at one another in the rear-view mirror for a few moments. I know […]
Neuchâtel blanc – Château d’Auvernier 2010
Neuchâtel blanc – Château d’Auvernier 2010 It’s not often you get the chance to try aged Chasselas, but if you ever do, you must. It transforms into something entirely different from its young original state. It becomes more like a Marsanne (a variety found in Valais also known as Hermitage in the Northern Rhone valley […]
Editorial comment: Can you be a good Swiss?
In an article highlighted last week by SwissInfo, a Swiss government-funded information service, a new survey on what is a Swiss has been issued by a group of artists, historians and sociologists fifty years after a controversially censored ‘Gulliver’ questionnaire was carried out during the Swiss National Exhibition in Lausanne in 1964. Basically, the landmark […]
Payot’s best sellers of the week
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban Hardcover – Published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. In 2012, when she was fifteen, she paid dearly for her beliefs. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while on the bus home from school. Miraculously she recovered after arduous surgery in the UK. Her ordeal failed to silence her and she has become a pre-eminent ambassador for women’s rights and education. In October she was awarded the Nobel Peace prize. This is her story.
UDC open to immigration compromise
Christophe Blocher, vice-president of Switzerland’s right-wing UDC party, has indicated that he is prepared to compromise on the controversial 9 February, 2014, referendum that demands quotas on mass immigration from Europe. In an interview last Sunday with the German-language SonntagsZeitung, the Zurich politician said that he was open to exploring more subtle approaches, such as […]
Lady Godiva pub in Geneva in dispute against Godiva Chocolate
The Lady Godiva pub in the centre of Geneva is being challenged over the use of its name by Turkish-owned Belgian chocolate brand, Godiva. The chocolate company claims the pub is trading off its name and brand and has delivered a 90 day ultimatum to the pub owner to stop using the name and associated […]
Swiss language row continues
A recent poll shows a majority of Switzerland’s politicians want cantons to be required to teach a second Swiss language at primary school, reported swissinfo. Two thirds of the 246 politicians surveyed said national cohesion could be threatened. The canton’s of Thurgau and Nidwalden recently changed the rules to delay French until secondary school and […]
