News

Researchers at Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have developed the world’s first achromatic lens for neutron imaging. The lens overcomes a longstanding obstacle in the field: focusing neutrons of different wavelengths well enough to form a sharp, magnified image. With the lens, researchers can now image thick samples and follow processes inside bulky equipment such as furnaces, cryostats or pressure cells.

National Armaments Director Urs Loher visited Israel on 13–14 July 2026 for official meetings with representatives of the Israeli Ministry of Defence's Directorate for International Defence Cooperation (SIBAT) and the defence industry

A new notification of cessation of the investigation (railways) is available on the website of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB).

The Producer and Import Price Index fell in June 2026 by 0.3% compared with the previous month, reaching 99.8 points (December 2025 = 100). In particular, petroleum products as well as petroleum and natural gas saw falling prices. Compared with June 2025, the price level of the whole range of domestic and imported products fell by 2.1%. These are the results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

The Secretariat of the Competition Commission (COMCO) has opened a preliminary investigation to examine Google’s removal of the “Choice Screen” feature on Android devices in Switzerland.

At their meeting in Bern on 13 July, President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin and the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Peter Kyle, announced that negotiations had concluded on a modernised free trade agreement between Switzerland and the United Kingdom (UK).

At this year’s High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), taking place from 7 to 16 July 2026 at the UN headquarters in New York, Switzerland will present its fourth voluntary national review (VNR) on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Local authorities can provide good examples of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) being pursued with a focus on impact. For this reason, the cities of Basel, Bern and Geneva will also be represented at a high level in the Swiss HLPF delegation.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will travel to Qatar on 13 and 14 July 2026 to attend the official funeral of the former emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. As head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and Vice-President of the Swiss Confederation, Mr Cassis will represent Switzerland at the condolence ceremony in the presence of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Tuesday in Doha.

The Federal Tax Administration has updated the course listings and bonus shares 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Climate change, resource consumption, and the energy crisis pose major challenges for our society. Robotics could make a significant contribution to addressing these challenges – but researchers believe this will require a shift in thinking. In a manifesto published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence, they propose a new scientific discipline: Sustainability Robotics. In future, robots should not only become more efficient and intelligent but also be specifically designed and deployed to contribute to environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

On 10.07.2026, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER updated the notification and authorisation forms for money transfers pursuant to Art. 21 of the Ordinance on Measures against the Islamic Republic of Iran. From August onwards, only the new forms will be accepted. The new forms can be accessed here.

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 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.