Loom bands, those colourful American fripperies much beloved by young people around the world have been identified as a serious potential health risk. Birmingham Assay Office, an independent laboratory in the UK, has tested Loom bands and found them to contain over 500 times the recommended safe level of phthalates, a known hormone inhibitor. The […]
Uber ignores edict and comes to Geneva
Uber, a licensed taxi substitute operating in more than 200 cities worldwide launched in Geneva this week. The controversial service connects people with a “private driver” at the tap of a button, boasting “Anytime! Anywhere! Without cash!” But all is not as it seems: the company ignores local licensing rules. Recently, licensed cabbies in London […]
Michael Schumacher moves home to continue recovery
Michael Schumacher has returned to his home near Gland from the cantonal hospital in Lausanne to continue his rehabilitation after suffering serious head injuries in a skiing accident last year. No further details have been issued regarding his condition, although a statement issued by his manager Sabine Kehm did say that he has been making […]
Courage and company – dealing with cancer
On a rather cold and windy lakeside, a dozen or so corporate teams prepared to take each other on in the English Speaking Cancer Association’s (esca) annual dragon boat race at the Lac de Joux. All great fun and for a good cause – the event is esca’s major fund-raising event of the year. Hundreds […]
Ronald McDonald House overnight stays up by 10%
The Ronald McDonald House Charity provides families of seriously ill children with heavily subsidised accommodation close to the major hospitals in seven Swiss cities including Geneva, Bern and Basel. The service greatly assists families that have other young children and those that live far away. It allows parents and siblings to be together close to […]
Spotlight – Caveman
Le News is the media partner for Caveman’s performances throughout its current tour of Switzerland. Two of our team had already seen it and so we jumped at the opportunity to get involved. It is a brilliant play that explores with humour, wit and glorious perception the differences between men and women. With a primal […]
Geneva University submarine exploration
Geneva University and its partners have completed a two-week expedition – Terra Submersa – to explore Greece’s underwater past and the prehistoric landscapes in the Gulf of Nauplio. Operating from the MS Tûranor Planet Solar, the world’s largest solar catamaran, archeologists mapped the sea floor and uncovered Paleolithic and Neolithic remains dating back 36,000 years.
Pictet unveiled
Geneva-based private bank Pictet has for the first time in its 290-year history published its financial results. The move to transparency is a result of the Swiss group’s re-structuring and transformation into a Société Anonyme – the equivalent of a UK public limited company or US public traded company. The bank reports that it has […]
Lausanne launches integration fund
With 42% of its population coming from 160 countries and carrying a passport other than Swiss, promoting integration is a key objective for Lausanne. The city announced that it is launching an integration fund of CHF 100,000 to give associations and not-for-profit groups the means to run projects that prevent racism and promote social cohesion. […]
Air 14 Payerne
The Payerne air show between Yverdon and Bern is a definite must-see. Both noisy and awesome, it literally makes the ground tremble as fast-manoeuvring jets show off the world’s latest technology. Operated by exceptionally courageous and spatially aware pilots, these planes are doing the real thing. Nothing like those imitation video games where you can […]
