Bild: Keystone
Bild: Keystone
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Local News Summary of October, 6th

  • Accident in Rheinfelden: two drivers seriously injured
  • Highest annual inflation in Basel since March 2011
  • Greece beyond cliché – Dimitris Papioannou opens Culturescape Festival

 

Accident in Rheinfelden: two drivers seriously injured

Two people were seriously injured in a collision yesterday morning between two cars on the B34 near Rheinfelden on Thursday morning. A BMW driven by a 44-year-old man collided with a Ford on the B34 near the traffic lights in Herten. The BMW was heading towards Grenzach-Wyhlen when, according to latest information, the driver went through a red light. At that moment, a 60-year-old female driver of a Ford car, heading in the other direction, took the next right turn towards the Bahnhofstrasse. The two cars collided heavily at the intersection. The drivers had to be rushed to hospital for treatment while both cars were a complete write-off. The estimated cost of the damage has been put at 35,000 Euros. The police in Freiburg are looking for witnesses who may be able to give details about the course of events leading up to the accident.

Highest annual inflation in Basel since March 2011

Life in Basel became more expensive in September. The Basler index of consumer prices rose by 0.3 per cent to 101.3 points compared to the previous month. The annual inflation rate was 0.9 per cent. According to the Office for Statistics in Basel-Stadt, this was the highest figure since 2011. The annual rise by 0.9 in Basel is higher than the national figure, which saw prices rise by 0.7 per cent.

Wanted Cubans arrested in Pratteln

Two wanted Cuban nationals were caught in the net of the Swiss border guards at the weekend. The two men were arrested by a night patrol at the motorway service station in Pratteln. The duo tried in vain to deceive the authorities by using false documents. The men, aged 31 and 39, had been travelling in a Spanish-registered car when they were caught. They were both handed over to the Baselland police, the border command of Basel said on Thursday. The men are wanted in connection with a number of crimes including traffic and drug offences. Both of them are expected to serve prison terms of several months to which they had previously been sentenced but have not yet served.

Greece beyond cliché – Dimitris Papioannou opens Culturescape Festival

The Culturescapes festival yesterday opened its doors in Basel. The bi-annual festival promises this time round to offer «The other Greece – more than crisis, beach, and Souvlaki».The festival opens with the internationally celebrated production «The Great Tamer», by the Greek director, choreographer, performer, stage/costume designer, and painter Dimitris Papaioannou. Mr Papaioannou, who is famous for his physical imaginary style of stage plays, became world famous after the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Athens 2004, which he produced.Besides musical and artistic performances, the festival's rich programme also offers culinary discoveries such as a cooking course with the inviting title «Traditional Greek pasta from our Grandmother's time» at the Markthalle. Philosophical questions will also be addressed. Participants can ponder the following question: «How much does Greek thinking still play a role in our societal and personal life?» while taking part in the philosophical Sunday walks through Basel. The events at the festival will be held across the city and will also involve twelve other cities as well as nearby in France and Germany. 

Classic versus contemporary

The significance of the antique heritage, the world-renowned myths, tragedies, and ruins are examined artificially in relation to our present time. At the Antikenmuseum Basel, contemporary Greek artists intervene with the permanent exhibition «The Greek and the World». The show «The Declines of Heroes» is also a result of that. The exhibition opening on 19th October will be celebrated together with the Natural History Museum of Basel. Street artist WD (Wild Darling) from Athens has worked there since mid-August filling a room with a wall painting entitled «The Heirs of Fire». The Greek theatre scene is flourishing despite a lack of subsidies. The latest Culturescapes festival will show three Greek-Swiss co-productions, among them «Money Piece I (Comedy)» – which according to the organisers, is about «the personal handling of money and is not another illustration of the financial crisis in which those affected are reduced to their role as victims». Greek cinema, although short of money, is also experiencing strong support, and has become more and more renowned since 2010. Specialists call it a «Greek Weird Wave», e.g. the works of Giorgos Lanthimos; a retrospective will be dedicated to him in Stadtkino Basel and Kino Xenix in Zurich in November.

Only biannual

This year is the 14th ever Culturescapes, with previous festivals being held in Iceland, Tokyo, the Balkans, Moscow, Israel, and China. The cultural festival has since 2015 taken place every two years. «It's not an austerity programme», the organisers emphasise, «but we are convinced that we must put more time and resources into a realising artistically ambitious content and give a more prominent push for the festival.» 

The entire programme can be found here: www.culturescapes.ch