Basel Bling Fair Begins; Objections To Zoo Oceanarium Filed; Natural History Museum Hosts Special Amateur Photo Exhibit; Swiss E-Voting Pilot Project Set To Start In Basel

News For 15 March 2016

    The BaselWorld Jewelry Show is set to begin this Thursday, where representatives of the world's elite Timepiece and Jewelry manufacturers will tempt conference-goers with their baubles.  Missing from the fair this year, however, will be the Diamond Show, which since 2013 had been housed at the Markthalle.  The organizers cited overall difficulties in the diamond industry which likely affected interest by exhibitors from previous shows.  Due to overproduction and falling demand, average prices for diamonds have fallen by 25% since mid-2015.  Not to worry, if your intent was to find that perfect diamond encrusted tiara this year at the exhibition, many of the vendors displaced by the cancellation have made arrangements with Baselworld organizers to exhibit their goods at the main Baselworld Fair exposition at the new Messehalle.   ******************************

The 100 Million Franc Oceanarium planned for the Basel Zoo has met with some objections from community groups.  Although ground has yet to be broken on the construction project, the buildings department has received two separate filings.  One led by a group calling itself Helvetia Nostra, claims the building as planned, is not consistent with the Natural and Cultural heritage of its surroundings.  The other group, representing the citizens of the Zoo's neighborhood, is concerned that the new building will draw unexpected amounts of auto traffic seeking parking to visit the new attraction.  Basel's Great Council will consider the objections before the end of the year and notify the buildings department if construction will need to be modified and halted all-together.

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The Natural History Museum of Basel is hosting a special exhibition of amateur photographs which runs until April 3, 2016.  The exhibition was collected as part of a nature photography contest entitled "Snapshot", whose winners were announced last Thursday.  More than 1000 amateur photographers took part in the competition, submitting over 42000 images, from which 100 were selected.  The winning photographs were divided into 18 categories in such themes as "children see nature". The competition is part of this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year program at the museum.  The judging panel was comprised of Melody Gygax, picture editor of the collection, nature photographer Thomas Marent and the Basel based photographer Christian Flierl.  

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Starting this June, disabled citizens of the Canton of Basel Stadt will be able to vote, and register to vote electronically.  The approximately 400 men and women affected by the measure will no longer find the challenges of registering in-person or by mail, where such obstacles would make it difficult or impossible to participate in upcoming elections and referendums.  The Federal Council's agreement to allow the electronic polling will also serve as a pilot project to ultimately expand electronic voting participation to the general public.  Basel-Stadt is the first Canton in Switzerland with such a system for voting, and its success..or failure..will be closely watched.  Approximately 10% of Swiss citizens live abroad, and a system that would simplify and reliably allow for their political participation is needed.