Swiss region imposes £6,500 burka fine

Wearing a burka or niqab in public has been banned in the Swiss region of Ticino, with offenders facing a fine of up to £6,500. The region's parliament approved the law on Monday, which will ban full-face veils in the wake of heightened terrorist alerts across Europe, Swiss news site The Local reports. No exceptions will be made for tourists, but other forms of face coverings such as masks, balaclavas or crash helmets will still be permitted.