Delayed talks about Chinese sanctions, grievances in a Catholic brotherhood and the demand for cheaper housing: this and more is in the Sunday papers. The headlines in unverified reports:
The Federal Council has waited a year and a half to discuss EU sanctions against China. Most recently, and for the second time, the state government discussed how the “NZZ am Sonntag” wrote in early December. The Federal Council decided to examine the existing legal bases even more closely, writes the Department of Economic Affairs at the request of “NZZ am Sonntag”.
According to the newspaper, the first meeting took place on September 7, 2022. The EU imposed sanctions in the spring of 2021. In the summer of 2021, the federal coordination group on sanctions policy finalized a basic memorandum for the attention of the Federal Council. The aim was to provide the Bundesrat with a legal assessment.
Serious abuses have come to light in the Catholic brotherhood Eucharistein in Valais. Several witnesses and an audit reported influence, health problems and frequent – sometimes “wild” – exorcisms in the fraternity founded in 1996, as the French-language Swiss newspaper “Le Matin Dimanche” wrote in an extensive investigation.
The founder of the community, Nicolas Buttet, the now-suspended secretary of the then French-speaking Swiss CVP, denied these allegations. He has filed an appeal for annulment against the conclusions of the audit.
Economy Minister Guy Parmelin has called for more and cheaper housing. He is currently studying various measures with the Federal Housing Office, for example with regard to tenancy law and spatial planning, as the “SonntagsZeitung” wrote.
Parmelin warned that an insufficient supply of housing is holding back the development of the economy. In addition, socio-political tensions are possible. “We need to find ways to improve the framework conditions,” Parmelin told the paper. He estimated that some 50,000 new homes would be needed each year. The trend has been downwards lately: 46,000 apartments will be built in 2021. According to forecasts, there will be fewer in 2022.
Despite the ban on women in aid organizations, Switzerland remains committed to humanitarian work in Afghanistan. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (Deza) is currently clarifying how to use the CHF 30 million budget most efficiently.
“Now that it’s the hardest, they need us the most,” said Deza boss Patricia Danzi in an interview with “NZZ am Sonntag”. The key is that women can continue to work for aid organizations. So it is possible that some of the money will be used more in regions where Afghans have fled, such as Pakistan.
The Swiss Bar Association supported the Geneva Bar Association in its criticism of Switzerland’s eighth package of sanctions against Russia. Accordingly, lawyers are no longer allowed to advise Russian companies. According to the “NZZ am Sonntag”, the associations criticized this as it hinders fundamental rights to access the judiciary.
The Geneva Association sent a letter of protest to Economy Minister Guy Parmelin and Federal President Alain Berset. The foundations of the Swiss rule of law would be undermined, it said. According to the Swiss Bar Association, the fact that the responsible State Secretariat for Economic Affairs has not yet responded to many outstanding points is not conducive to legal certainty.
The Association of Swiss Police Officers has opposed the increasing use of private security companies for police duties. The monopoly on the use of force rests with the state, the association’s president, Johanna Bundi Ryser, told “SonntagsBlick”.
According to statements by the authorities, the activities of the security service do not go beyond what a private person is allowed to do. Security services are also deployed in prisons, according to the newspaper. The profile of requirements includes knowledge of self-defense and, in some cases, handcuffs and ankle cuffs are available for personnel.
The Prosecutor’s Office of the Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden has closed the criminal proceedings for blackfacing. According to the hiring decision, a black face does not “per se constitute racial discrimination”, as the “SonntagsZeitung” wrote.
Rather, the blackfacing should be seen in the context of the presentation. Criminal proceedings came after a member of the Walzenhausen AR yodel choir sang a song wearing a black face, curly-haired wig and bass skirt.
The applicant did not accept the ruling of the Federal Supreme Court on the license fee for radio and TV for single persons. He is moving the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, as the “SonntagsZeitung” wrote.
The complainant considers it “a strong point” that, according to the judgment, 1.3 million Swiss single persons are considered isolated cases. In the ruling published Thursday, the Federal Supreme Court found no discrimination against single people.
The fee charged by Serafe AG applies per household, regardless of how many people live in a household. According to the judgment, the legislator stipulated this in favor of administrative proportionality. It would not entail any extra effort for the complainant to determine the persons per household. The number is available at the Residents Registration Office.
Kuwaiti state-related organizations have provided financial support to mosques in Switzerland. The Wafek Foundation, based in Prilly VD, used the money to expand mosques in Biel BE, Le Locle NE and Freiburg, as “SonntagsBlick” wrote. The chairman of the Wakef Foundation is Mohamed Karmous.
According to “SonntagsBlick”, in 2007 the French secret service classified him as a militant Islamist. According to the newspaper, it remains unclear how much money has flowed from Kuwait to Swiss mosques. It has long been known that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey also support Swiss mosques. (jam/sda)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
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