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Switzerland

E-ID marching through. Supposedly, it has nothing but advantages.

What risks need to be considered?

by Philipp Kruse, attorney-at-Law, LL.M., ABF Schweiz

(25 October 2024) “Switzerland wants and needs an E-ID card”. That was the general consensus in the Federal Palace. On 10 September 2024, the Council of States almost unanimously approved the E-ID law. “The E-ID enables people to prove their identity in the virtual world. It will be comparable to an ID card or passport in the physical world. However, the E-ID will not replace either of these two documents.” [...] It will “meet the highest data protection requirements.” This is what Federal Councillor Beat Jans said on 10 September 2024 in the Council of States. Critical dissenting voices are currently few and far between. Reason enough for “ABF Schweiz” to take a closer look.
Nobel Peace Prize 2024

It goes to qualified recipient for first time in at least six years

by David Swanson, World BEYOND War*

(25 October 2024) Congratulations are in order for “Nihon Hidankyo”, the Japan “Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations”. The Nobel Peace Prize has for the first time in at least six years gone to a group of people who work to reduce warmaking, people who in fact seek to abolish nuclear weapons. Nihon Hidankyo has relentlessly done the work of educating the world, thanklessly, for many years. This prize should be celebrated far and wide.

The Arabs are transparently displaying their crossover to multi-alignment in a US-led Middle Eastern war

by M. K. Bhadrakumar,* India

(25 October 2024) Reuters reported on Friday quoting three sources in the Persian Gulf that the regional states are lobbying Washington to stop Israel from attacking Iran’s oil sites as “part of their attempts to avoid being caught in the crossfire”. The exclusive Reuters report singled out Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as also refusing to let Israel fly over their airspace for any attack on Iran.

The EU must change course on Ukraine, or risk breaking itself apart

by Michael von der Schulenburg* and Ruth Firmenich**

(18 October 2024) The EU seems convinced to not only continue, but to increase its effort to escalate the war in Ukraine. No one seems to be able to understand the consequences.

On the humanitarian situation in Somalia

by Heinrich Frei*

Somalia has a population of 18.7 million, with around three million living in the capital Mogadishu. Somalia is more than 15 times larger than Switzerland and about 1.8 times the size of Germany. More than 3.8 million people in Somalia have been forced to flee their region due to the war, which has been raging for more than 30 years, and natural disasters. They live in camps on the outskirts of the major cities under catastrophic conditions. Women and children make up 80 per cent of the internally displaced persons and are exposed to great risks.

Council of States rejects UN migration pact

by Ralph Studer*

(18 October 2024) (CH-S) Ralph Studer presents the decision of the Council of States from the end of September on migration for the organisation “Zukunft CH”. We would like to reproduce the summary of the council debate here because of its importance for the country.