Fri, Oct 14th 2022
The latest in Swiss sanctions on Russia, why the Swiss Post is ranked the best in the world, and more in our roundup of news from October 11 – 14.
“Stop extremism!” reads one of the posters in favor of the burqa ban before it was passed in a voter referendum in 2021 (Credit: DPA).
The controversial ‘burqa ban’ goes to Parliament
Those who violate a national ban on face coverings may face a fine of up to CHF 1,000, under a draft law which was sent to Parliament this week. The proposed ban was passed in a 2021 voter referendum by 51.2 percent of voters. The ban was proposed “to ensure public safety and order” and was created by the Egerkinger Komitee which seeks “resistance against the claims to power of political Islam in Switzerland.” While head coverings are allowed under the ban, garments which only show eyes over cover the entire face are not allowed in public. There are exceptions; they are allowed in places of worship and people can wear face coverings for health reasons, such as Covid-19. “Anchoring dress codes in the constitution is not a liberation struggle for women but a step back into the past,” the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Switzerland said in a press release, adding that Switzerland’s values of neutrality and tolerance have suffered. Read more.
The Swiss Post is the best in the world
For the sixth consecutive year, Switzerland’s postal service ranked number one in the world, according to the Postal Development Report. Under the report, the Universal Postal Union studies the national postal services of 169 countries, and then ranks them based on reach, reliability, relevance and resilience. The Swiss Post scored a perfect 100, while the second ranked country, Germany, scored 93. The U.S. ranked 7th with 81 points and the U.K. 8th with 80 points. Aside from Switzerland and France (5th), all countries saw a decrease in their points. “Logistical bottlenecks experienced in 2020 have severely affected the reliability of postal operations, with average domestic delivery times increasing by 13% in 2020 with respect to 2019.” Read more.
The Swiss hedgehog population has decreased by more than 40 percent in Zürich.
WWF: Swiss hedgehog numbers declining rapidly
The population of Swiss hedgehogs, brown hares and capercaillies (a kind of pheasant) have declined by 30 to 40 percent in the last 50 years, according to the WWF’s Living Planet report. Overall, Earth has lost 69 percent of its wild animal populations since 1970. Switzerland’s main concern should be the hedgehog, whose populations “have declined sharply” since 1996. The good news is that the trend could be reversible if Switzerland, according to WWF Switzerland chief executive officer Thomas Vellacott. The country has been able to increase the number of bearded vultures since the 1990s, and has been able to double the numbers of beavers since 2008. “With more protected areas, a change in land management and more sustainable consumption, we can stop the loss of biodiversity,” said Vellacott in a press release. Read more.
Switzerland’s list of Russian sanctions grows
The Swiss government has added seven organization and 30 people to its growing list of those sanctioned for aiding in Russia’s occupation of four Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia. The regions were seized under a voter referendum that many countries, including Switzerland, say was illegal. Those involved, including high-ranking government and military officials, have had their assets in Switzerland frozen, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. Moreover, Switzerland will enact trade restrictions on the sale and export of raw materials from those regions, unless they are accompanied by a certificate of origin issued by the Ukrainian authorities. Read more.
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