The Swiss town of Neuchâtel wants to ban disposable plastic straws. The plan calls for a ban in all of the town’s bars and eateries between now and the beginning of 2019, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. The initiative, known as operation Papaille – loosely translating to no straw (paille is French for straw) […]
Archives for 2018
CANNES winners – Neptune’s final report – part 3
25 May 2018. So what was the culmination of the 71st edition of this grandest of all film festivals? I would say the satisfying ‘Palmares’ (awards) handed out by the high-caliber jury headed by the elegant and talented Australian actress, Cate Blanchett. It was indeed a competent jury, since four of its members were among […]
Swiss mountain passes to be reserved for cyclists this summer
This summer some of Switzerland’s mountain passes will be temporarily closed to cars. This will allow cyclists to ride more safely and breathe more easily. The passes will be closed to cars over a series of weekends for an event called Coop Ride the Alps. Ten passes will be car free this summer starting with […]
Go-ahead given for new mosque in Schaffhausen
According to the newspaper Blick, the administration of the Swiss town Schaffhausen has given the go-ahead for the construction of a new mosque in the town. Construction of the 12 metre high building, with a creche and separate rooms for men and women, will start this summer. It is expected to cost CHF 1.5 million […]
Majority in Valais opposed to Winter Olympics, according to poll
A poll commissioned by Swiss broadcaster RTS, suggests voters in the canton of Valais, the proposed site of Switzerland’s Winter Olympic bid, will reject the plan in the 10 June 2018 referendum. in the poll, 58% were against or fairly against the 2026 bid, estimated to cost the canton CHF 100 million. A minority of […]
High Swiss drug prices – campaign presents a solution to Swiss government
This week, the Swiss NGO Public Eye, launched a campaign for more affordable medicine in Switzerland under the slogan: protect patients, not patents. The NGO says high prices, of cancer drugs in particular, is not only an issue affecting developing nations but wealthy ones too. It says that cancer treatments in Switzerland often cost over […]
Switzerland second siren test this year
On 23 May 2018, Swiss hills will be alive, not with the sound of music but the sound of sirens. At 13:30 the nation’s emergency sirens will be sounded to ensure they are in full working order. An earlier test on 7 February 2018 revealed a software issue in the command centre. According to the […]
Switzerland’s vote to change its monetary system – sensible or silly?
Sometimes Swiss voters are presented with questions that only specialists are equipped to answer. The vote on 10 June 2018 to change their monetary system appears to be one of these. On the surface it appears simple. Upon closer inspection it contains much complexity and uncertainty, compounded by a widespread misunderstanding of how the financial […]
CANNES – Neptune reports from Cannes – part 2
Where do I begin in this second week? Too many films, too many events, so many encounters. But hey, this is Cannes and it’s like the whole world is happening here – beauty, emotions, anxieties, politics…it’s all here in a microcosm of life on this stretch of the French Riviera. So much to report, but […]
Fribourg – moves to axe government pensions for life
Switzerland’s government is working hard to find ways to fix a looming state pension shortfall. Two politicians in the canton of Fribourg have decided to seek savings by attempting to cut lifetime government pensions granted after short stints in the job, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. In some Swiss cantons, government leaders can work […]
