GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Jean Musy’s polite open letter, as the director of Radio Zones (93.8FM), asking for help from his new neighbour the Dalai Lama, holds some surprising details, including the information that the land and building that is home to the new Shedrub Choekhor Ling in Monnetier-Mornex, Haute Savoie, was purchased for the centre by a Russian politician whose is a major arms and petroleum investor and his wife. The couple recently converted to Buddhism, according to Geneva newspaper Le Temps.
Radio Zones is a non-profit public service community radio station in neighbouring France which began to have problems transmitting in 2010 after a Russian couple, Svetlana Kapusta and her husband, Rafael Gimalov, bought the property where the station’s antennas, next door to the then-future Dalai Lama centre, for their own use. Some of the radio equipment is on rooftops on the property the couple bought.
According to Musy, the couple put one emitter out of commission and seriously damaged a second when they began work on the buildings, and he has had no luck in trying to discuss the problems with the owners.
Musy is now taking the couple to court to recover euros 40,000 plus interest in damages. Le Temps reports that the Russian couple are taking Musy to court as well, to get him to move the radio equipment rapidly despite a tenant’s contract that is valid until October 2011. Musy told a group of reporters that the efforts to evict overlook French legal requirements for broadcasters, which prevent any quick moves.
The new Buddhist centre opened in September 2010 and the Dalai Lama visited Friday 12 August to consecrate the new buildings.
Rafael Gimalov, as the owner of Motovilikhino factories, in turn owned by Russian investment company Rus, has made his money in arms manufacturing from a base in Perm.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – French and French-language Swiss media are caught up in a game of we-know-something-you-don’t over former French minister Luc Ferry’s strong hints on TV at the end of May that a well-known politician and government minister is a pedophile. Swiss media, by law, cannot name the unnamed would-be pedophile and French media are being cautious as part of a long tradition of not talking about the private lives of their political leaders. Meanwhile, Luc Ferry is expected to be questioned by police responsible for the protection of minors, to tell them what he knows. Details, Switzerland’s Tribune de Geneve, France’s Figaro (Fr)
Ed. note: GenevaLunch, like most businesses in Switzerland, is taking a four-day weekend. Our news today is brief headline stories.
Besancon, France (GenevaLunch) – The French town of Besancon, near the Swiss border, is breathing more easily early Tuesday after 20 young children and their teacher, taken hostage at 08:30 at their school, returned home safely, with no one injured. A 17-year-old was arrested after holding a small group of the four- to six-year-olds hostage. He is described by police as psychologically fragile and known for having a history of mental illness and depression but no police record. He lives with his mother, near the school and was carrying two swords, but the teacher who was held hostage said she never felt in danger. Police cordoned off the school during the standoff. The youth reportedly had not been taking medication prescribed to him.
The 23rd annual fair takes place in Annecy, neighbouring France.
Location: place Annapurna, Annecy, France
Link out: http://www.annecy.fr/index.php?idtf=367&TP…
Date: 6 Nov 2010
A very French tradition the huge flower market in Annecy begins on 30 October and ends on 1 November.
Location: Annecy, France
Link out: http://www.annecy.fr/index.php?idtf=366&TP…
Start date: 30 Oct 2010
End date: 1 Nov 2010
Unemployment and population growth in the Haute Savoie-Ain-Geneva-Vaud region
View of the Vaud-France border from Geneva
France and Lake Geneva region (GenevaLunch) - Although unemployment is growing in the France-Vaud-Geneva region, the most affected areas are the French border departments, says a new study published 5 October by the Cross-border Observatory.
According to the report, unemployment in the France-Vaud-Geneva region jumped from 5.6% to 7.5%; during the same period the rate reached 8.5% in the French region that borders Geneva.
The number of unemployment claims presented by workers whose last job was in Switzerland, in the French departments of Ain and Haute-Savoie, reached 6,000 in 2009; that is twice as many as the number of claims presented in 2008.
Title: Dance festival
Location: Annemasse, neighboring France
Link out: Click here
Description: At the Casino d’Annemasse in neighboring France, a week of concerts, dance and performance arts.
Start Date: 2010-05-26
End Date: 2010-06-05
Title: Lecture: Music & social networks
Location: Divonne-les-bains
Link out: Click here
Description: Discover how Danish entrepreneur, Lars Färnström and Museeka, have taken up the challenge to target music to the taste of individual consumers at a fraction of the traditional marketing and distribution costs.
Date: 2010-05-11
Lyons, France (GenevaLunch) – If it rains in Geneva, it snows in France. The French meteorological service reports snow is still falling in neighbouring France, making this one of the longest snow-seasons in years.
Due to the heavy snow yesterday 5 May in the southern Alps, the Arche and Montgenevre Passes had to be closed.
There was more snow this winter in the south of France than the previous season, a meteo spokesperson told Dauphine Libéré. And there was less sun too. “About a month less,” says the expert.
Although the French meteorological service stops producing avalanche alerts once the ski season ends, it is cautioning that the risk of avalanches is high.
Title: Performing arts on the other side of the border
Location: Geneva and Annecy, France
Link out: Click here
Description: The City of Annecy and of Geneva provide free transportation for those coming, or going to, France or Geneva, to watch theater or concerts. One last date left this season: 14 May.
Date: 2010-05-14
Sorry, can't talk now. We're all chilling at Cern. © Copyright CERN
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The European Centre for Nuclear Research (Cern) straddles the border between Geneva and the neighbouring France department of Ain. It has just launched a site of aimed at the local communities on both sides of the border.
The site recognizes Cern’s importance to the communities it is a neighbour of, and wishes to provide a useful forum shorn of the many technical details. As such, the site is in French only for now.
Title: Dance: Hero, a temporary title
Location: Annemasse, neighbouring France
Link out: Click here
Description: The Compagnie Gambit explores through dance the temporary category of heroes around us.
Free entrance to the dress rehearsal.
Date: 06 Nov 2009
Title: Tiken Jah Fakoly in concert, Annemasse
Location: Annemasse, neighbouring France
Link out: Click here
Description: Reggae for a good cause. Tiken Jah Fakoly, the reggae singer originary from Cote d’Ivoire, will be performing in Annemasse to raise funds to build a school in Burkina Fasso.
Date: 19 Sep 2009
Title: Kids storytelling in French
Location: Divonne les bains, France
Link out: Click here
Description: Storytelling for those under 3 years of age and their parents.
Date: 16 Sep 2009
Title: Photograph exhibit: People’s faces
Location: Thonon, France
Link out: Click here
Description: Olivier Marchetti’s photographs of French actor and director Valère Novarina will be exhibited in Thonon, France until the end of September.
Start Date: 25 Aug 2009
End Date: 25 Sep 2009
Ambilly, Haute Savoie, France (GenevaLunch) - A man was shot in the head once and killed Sunday 16 August while out walking his dog in a hamlet near Annemasse, neighbouring France, just metres away from the French-Geneva border. Two men aged about 20 were arrested hours later and taken in for questioning. The case is under investigation in Annecy. All three men were known to the police. Related: Le Dauphiné Libéré, TdG
Title: Medieval fest
Location: Between Thonon and Morzine
Link out: Click here
Description: Large medieval festival at the Aulps Abby, founded in 1095. The Abby is located in the heart of the Dranse valley of Morzine, in the village of Saint Jean d’Aulps in neighbouring France.
Start Date: 22 Aug 2009
End Date: 23 Aug 2009
Title: Puppet show in neighbouring France
Location: Divonne les bains, France
Link out: Click here
Description: For the whole family, age 3 and up (in French).
Date: 05 Aug 2009
Title: Montjoux music festival
Location: Thonon-les-bains, France
Link out: Click here
Description: A three-day, French modern music festival in neighbouring France.
Start Date: 16 Jul 2009
End Date: 18 Jul 2009
Title: Theatre, music, poetry and more
Location: Annemasse, neighbouring France
Link out: Click here
Description: Phileas Barlaam a resident of neighbouring France is better described as a musician-author-music writer-actor-director-poet and handy man who will be performing in Annemasse.
Start Date: 26 May 2009
End Date: 29 May 2009
Evian, France, viewed from Switzerland, across Lake Geneva
Evian, France (Le Dauphine, Fre) – Evian bottled water company announced it has hired 50 part-time workers and its production lines are working on weekends. The bottling plant in the lake-side town of Evian has seen unexpected demand since April and is boosting production ahead of the summer, says CEO Jean-Baptiste Bachelerie.
Click on image to view larger
Title: Exhibition: La Ruche, city of artists
Location: Evian, France
Link out: Click here
Description: La Ruche, city of artists is an exhibition encompassing 87 years of art at the heart of Montparnasse in Paris.
Start Date: 01 May 2009
End Date: 10 May 2009
Title: Bluegrass concert: Randy Waller & the country gentlemen
Location: La Roche Sur Foron, neighbouring France
Description: A new offer for fans of traditional bluegrass music to catch major US act Randy Waller & the Country Gentlemen.
For further info: Tel: +33 4 50 03 36 68
Or email: direction@larochesurforon.com
Start Time: 17:00
Date: 03 May 2009
Title: Concert: Toots and the Maytals
Location: Annemasse, neighbouring France
Link out: Click here
Description: Jamaican reggae in neighbouring France. Toots and the Maytals will be playing with “Wasulu Selecta”. (No Ben Harper this time around).
Date: 29 Apr 2009
Learning to ski, Jura (photo, S Curran)
Dawn in the Valais Alps
Snowboarding in the Alps, learning to ski in the Jura and more: if you like snow, this is the year you love Switzerland and neighbouring France!
Click on images to view larger
Title: Concert: Celtic heart, Annemasse
Location: Annemasse, neighbouring France
Link out: Click here
Description: An Irish duo that promises an evening of original songs.
Date: 07 Feb 2009
