The rules regarding the importation of agricultural products, specifically meat - were modified this past summer, limiting any single person to the duty-free import limit of 1 kilo. This however did not dissuade a 27 year old spanish woman from attempting to cross the border with at least 70 kilos and 24 litres of cooking oil last Thursday. Needless to say, this had authorities crying "foul" when they noticed the woman on the commuter bus from Weil am Rhein into Basel with two shopping trolleys heaving with goods. As the overage is taxed at 17 francs per kilo, the woman is not only looking at a 1200 franc duty but having to explain to the now-alerted Basel Customs fraud squad what she intended to do with the food. No word on what happened to the confiscated pork and poultry.
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Ever wonder what happens to your old used electronic equipment, especially cell phones? Well Dieter Leutwyler spokesman for the Civil and Environmental Protection Department has an answer for our consideration: Because of the precious metals that most devices contains, the mountains of the stuff that Baselers dispose of every year represent an opportunity to build a new recycling facility that will specialize in the recovery of gold and silver embedded in phones, while disposing of the other remains in an environmentally friendly way - rather than the current method of silly burning the waste. Just how much of an opportunity is this you might ask...Rainer Bunge professor of environmental engineering at the Hochschule Rapperswil estimates that a typical ton of ore from a gold or silver mine contains roughly 1/10 the metals that a ton of discarded cell phones does! The IWB , basel's power and waste utility has also taken note of the idea, and has suggested that the proceeds from such a scheme might be used to offset the cost of bebbi sags, the ubiquitous and expensive disposal bags, required in Basel to dispose of household waste.
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Basel Police are investigating a shocking hit and run accident – thankfully not between a car and a pedestrian, but a car and an electricity box. The accident took place at 1.30am Monday on the A2 near Muttenz. The driver apparently lost control of his vehicle at the Birsfelden intersection, and left the road before ploughing into the electricity box. The startled driver then fled the scene on foot. Anyone with any information about the accident should contact the police command centre in Liestal.
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Tatjana Basevic, a 19 year old from Basel will represent the canton in October 11th Miss Switzerland Pageant. This year, all 12 finalists coincidentally are brunettes, despite the Swiss blonde stereotype. Miss Basevic expressed confidence despite pre-pageant jitters saying "I'm known to be the bombshell among the finalists, which has advantages". The contender will spend this week in preparation for the finale undergoing a strict regimen of diet, exercise, posing, recitation and of course, beauty rest.
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Switzerland is rejoicing as the unseasonal stretch of warm weather continues into October. After enduring a cool and wet Summer, the weather this week will climb to 30 degrees in some parts of the country, encouraging outdoor enthusiasts to make the most of this late Summer. And kite flying enthusiasts have never had it so good, with warm weather mixing with strong winds for the optimum flying conditions. All good things must come to an end though, with Meteo News warning of a wet weekend ahead.
If you're a fan of musicals, then the 