This is Beirut - switzerland

Napoleon’s Diamond Brooch to Shine at Sotheby’s Geneva Auction

This is Beirut, 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Jewelry Auction Napoleon History Switzerland Culture

Spectacular diamonds valued at tens of millions of dollars will go under the hammer in Geneva next week, alongside a brooch seized from Napoleon as he fled the Battle of Waterloo. The unique brooch laden with old mine-cut diamonds, which has been valued at $150,000 to $250,000, will be the star piece at Sotheby's annual Royal & Noble Jewels sale ...

Swiss Town Returns Sacred Artefacts to South Africa

This is Beirut, 29/10 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Culture Art Artefacts Switzerland Africa Neuchâtel

The Swiss town of Neuchâtel on Tuesday handed over to South Africa three artefacts that had spent more than a century in one of its museums. The set of 30 divining bones in a woven basket, a bull's foot bone used as an amulet, and a walking staff were purchased by Swiss missionary and ethnographer Henri-Alexandre Junod. The items came from the ...

Swiss Seek Mini-Drone Defense System

This is Beirut, 03/10 20:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

European Union Switzerland Drone Russia Defense

Switzerland's military said Friday it plans to acquire a defense system against "mini-drones", after several European countries recently reported incursions into their airspace, pointing the finger at Russia. Following multiple incursions, European leaders are seeking to build an anti-drone "wall" for ...

Natural Disasters Caused $135 BN in Economic Losses in First Half of 2025

This is Beirut, 06/08 13:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

switzerland insurance climate Economy

Natural disasters caused $135 billion in economic losses globally in the first half of 2025, fuelled by the Los Angeles wildfires, Swiss Re said Wednesday. Swiss Re, which serves as an insurer of insurance companies, said first half losses were up from the $123 billion in the first half of 2024. The Zurich-based reinsurance giant estimated that ...

Rodin’s "Thinker" Submerged in Plastic as UN Talks on Pollution Open

This is Beirut, 05/08 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Arts Environment Plastic UN Switzerland Culture

A replica of Auguste Rodin's famous sculpture The Thinker outside the United Nations headquarters was slowly submerged in plastic rubbish Monday as countries gathered in a bid to finalize a global treaty on plastic pollution. The sculpture will slowly disappear under layer upon layer of bottles, toys, fishing nets and other garbage during the 10 ...

Kechiche Returns: Final ‘Mektoub My Love’ Film Set for Locarno Premiere

This is Beirut, 08/07 16:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Cinema Locarno Festival Abdellatif Kechiche Tunisia France Switzerland Culture

A new film by award-winning but scandal-prone French director Abdellatif Kechiche has been selected by a Swiss film festival, marking a comeback six years after his last widely panned feature, organizers said Tuesday. The third film of his Mektoub My Love trilogy - titled Mektoub My Love: Canto Due - is to show in competition at the Locarno ...

Art Market Banking on New Generation of Collectors

This is Beirut, 23/06 12:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Art Basel 2025 Switzerland Market Luxury Art Culture

The global art market is not immune to current economic and geopolitical tensions and is counting on a new generation of collectors to revitalize the momentum. Some big transactions were concluded last week during Art Basel, the world's top contemporary art fair, notably by London's Annely Juda Fine Art gallery, which sold a David Hockney ...

Art Basel 2025 Opens Thursday With Eyes on the Market

This is Beirut, 17/06 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Switzerland Art Basel Painting Sculpture Art Culture

The Art Basel fair will open its doors to the public on Thursday, after two and a half days reserved for collectors. The event will serve as a barometer for the contemporary art market, which has cooled in recent months due to economic and geopolitical uncertainties. Even before the fair officially kicked off, big numbers were already ...

Eurovision Returns to Switzerland: A Legacy of Song Evolution

This is Beirut, 16/05 15:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Eurovision Switzerland Europe Music Culture Art

Switzerland is hosting Eurovision for the third time, with the extravaganza a world away from when it staged the inaugural competition in 1956—and also from 1989 when Celine Dion starred. The 2025 edition on May 17 in Basel will draw an expected TV audience of around 160 million, with viewers worldwide casting their votes. Here is a look back ...

Eurovision 2025: Spotlight on the Second Semifinal’s 16 Competitors

This is Beirut, 15/05 14:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Eurovision 2025 Music Semi-Final 2 Switzerland Culture

Sixteen countries are competing in the Eurovision Song Contest's second semifinal on Thursday, with viewers deciding which 10 go through to the grand final. Saturday's showpiece event takes place at the St Jakobshalle in the Swiss city of Basel. Ten countries have already qualified from Tuesday's first semifinal. The so-called ...

Eurovision 2025 Kicks Off in Basel With Parade and High Hopes

This is Beirut, 09/05 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Eurovision 2025 Music Television Parade Switzerland Culture

The Eurovision Song Contest comes shimmering into Basel on Sunday with a glitzy parade kicking off a week of high-octane revelry building up to the May 17 grand final. The Swiss city is pulling out the stops as it hosts the 69th edition of the light-hearted TV spectacular that celebrates kitsch and pushes the boundaries of taste. While Europop ...

Swiss Ban on Hamas Comes Into Force May 15

This is Beirut, 30/04 12:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Palestine Switzerland

A Swiss ban on the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas will come into force on May 15, the federal government said Wednesday following a parliamentary vote at the end of 2024. The government's political and security committees submitted a motion to ban Hamas in October 2023, after the group's deadly attack on Israel that month, said a government ...

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