News

Status report HB-JCD (aviation) is available on the website of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board STSB. (Link: "Media").

Swiss app providers have access to the NFC & SE platform on iOS devices. The Secretariat of the Swiss Competition Commission is investigating whether Apple’s terms and conditions for granting access could raise competition law concerns.

Modern materials science combines lab experiments with mathematical modeling. However, when it comes to novel quantum materials such as two-dimensional nanographene, existing models reach their limits. Empa researcher Goncalo Catarina wants to develop a reliable model for these quantum molecules. To this end, he has been awarded the two-year Empa Young Scientist Fellowship.

The UN sanctions committee has amended the list of sanctioned individuals, companies and organizations. The SESAM database has been updated accordingly.On 4 March 2016 the Federal Council has adopted the Ordinance on the automatic application of the UN Security Council’s sanctions lists. Hence, the amendments of the UN Security Council’s sanctions lists enter into force in Switzerland without delay.

The US is applying a tariff ceiling of 15% on imports from Switzerland. This applies retroactively from 14 November 2025. In return, Switzerland will reduce import tariffs on certain fish and agricultural products from the USA. The basis for this is the joint statement published on 14 November between Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the USA.

Discours de M. le Conseiller fédéral Guy Parmelin, Chef du Département fédéral de l’économie, de la formation et de la recherche (DEFR) à l’occasion de l’élection à la présidence de la Confédération 2026

The Swiss Confederation issued a bond by auction on 10.12.2025: 1.25%, maturity 28.06.2043 (reopening). The issuance volume (excluding own holdings) amounts to a total of 195.250 million francs.

Talks are taking place on 11 December in Vienna between the Swiss and Austrian defence ministries. The purpose of this dialogue is to strengthen bilateral cooperation on security policy. The discussions will focus on current developments in Europe and transatlantic relations.

The Federal Tax Administration FTA will be closed on the afternoons of December 24 and 31, 2025 and all day on December 25 and 26, 2025 and January 1 and 2, 2026. Due to planned maintenance work, the FTA services in the ePortal will not be available from December 30, 2025 8.00 pm to January 1, 2026 8.00 am.

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado, have for the first time succeeded in using existing laser technology to continuously vary the magnetic properties of two-dimensional materials. This simple and fast method should make a large number of applications possible, including techniques for data storage and processing.

Microtubules perform an active role in communication within the cell by transmitting received signals to the cell's functional units. Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel have now, for the first time, structurally elucidated how these protein strands of the cytoskeleton accomplish this. Their findings could help make it possible to intervene in this communication and, for example, prevent tumour growth. The study was published in the scientific journal Cell.

Reliable knowledge is an essential public good for science and the future prosperity of our society. Research libraries play a central role here. How can these infrastructures be strengthened in the face of current developments in the fields of automation, big data, and artificial intelligence?