Major police operation launched following shooting at Steinentorstrasse
The police launched a major operation on Tuesday after a man was seriously injured in a shooting incident at Steinentorstrasse. The man was shot following an argument in a house at Steinenvorstadt at 11.45am, according to police. A suspect has been arrested. The course of events and the reason for the argument are not yet clear and are subject to an investigation by the criminal police and the Institute for Forensic Medicine.
Further details about the crime and the people involved will be released as long the information does not hinder the ongoing investigation, a police spokesperson said.
The police are looking for witnesses who may have seen the incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact the criminal police of the prosecution Basel-Stadt on the telephone number 061 267 71 11 or go to their nearest police station.
Housing cost initiative in Baselland is “partially invalid”
The Baselland government has called on the parliament to declare an initiative “for fair housing costs in relation to taxes” to be declared partially invalid.
The initiative, which received 21,000 signatures, was submitted by a centre-right committee. Parts of the initiative however contradict constitutional and federal law, the government said on Tuesday. They said they found evidence to back up their claim in an external report after examining the legality of the initiative.
The government said that a paragraph about the “election of an advisory committee” in particular contradicts the principle of legal equality since the landlords' association was considered “one-sided”. The intended deduction of an office room contradicts the federal jurisdiction concerning the tax harmonisation law, the Baselland government said.
Further statements made in the initiative are in accordance with law, according to the report. The report found the lump sum payments demanded for property maintenance were “critically high” but are not illegal under federal and constitutional law. The back-dated implementation of the adjusted tax law to 1st January 2016 was also seen as legal.
Counter-proposal expected
The housing cost initiative calls for an increase in lump sum deductions for property maintenance costs and a reduction of a properties‘ imputed rental value in order to avoid a majority of those who use their own property being classified as being above the 60 per cent rental value limit. The initiative followed a similar federal court decision.
According to federal law, imputed rental values cannot, according to cantonal tax regulations, exceed 60 per cent of the current market rent. According to a federal court decision, the values are often too low, from which house owners would benefit in comparison to tenants.
The federal judges had decided that the calculation of the imputed rental value was too low in Baselland. According to the initiative committee, this leads to a massive increase in tax for homeowners who use their own properties.
The government announced on Tuesday that it would present a counter-proposal to the cantonal parliament, with the aim of rearranging the taxation of properties.
Students criticise austerity measures at the University of Basel
The students' general assembly at the university of Basel plans to protest against cuts of 42 million Swiss francs earmarked to take place over the next four years.
The assembly fears the cuts could mean that professorial head of subject positions are merged, professors are not elected, professorships are converted into assistant professorships, and there is a reduction of assistants.
The students are also concerned that cuts could also be made at lower levels, including students' fees being raised. A symbolic protest organised by the general students' assembly will on Friday join a protest march of professors and dignitaries at the academic festival “Dies Academicus”. The participants will be dressed in mourning suits, to symbolise that the university will be buried if the cuts take place. The students are calling for solidarity from professors, academic leaders, and a clear position against the raising of students' fees and the cost-cutting measures.
The students claim that the savings are an assault on all participants at the university, and say it “strikes the core of the University of Basel, critical research and teaching in the region”. The protesters will gather at 9.30am in front of the Martinskirche near Rheinsprung.