News

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

The 33rd Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will take place in Lugano on 3 and 4 December 2026. Delegations are expected from the 57 participating States and the 12 Partners for Co-operation to discuss security issues in the OSCE area. At a joint press conference in Bellinzona, the chairman-in-office of the OSCE Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis provided an update on the progress of preparatory work and the political priorities of the conference alongside representatives of the federal government, the Canton of Ticino and the City of Lugano. Earlier, Ignazio Cassis took part in an event with students from the Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano, organised in collaboration with the OSCE.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and chairman-in-office of the OSCE, outlines at a press conference in Bellinzona the key priorities and preparations for the 33rd OSCE Ministerial Council, which will take place in Lugano on 3 and 4 December 2026. Check against delivery.

Speech by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) in Lugano. Check against delivery

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis concluded his visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea on 31 October 2026. In Pyongyang, he officially reopened the Swiss diplomatic office and met with several senior North Korean officials to re-establish political dialogue. He then continued his talks in Seoul. This visit to both Koreas forms part of Switzerland’s long-standing commitment to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

The UN sanctions committee has amended the list of sanctioned individuals, companies and organisations. 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.

On 30 October, President Guy Parmelin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss bilateral relations and current international issues. Switzerland and China are deepening their cooperation particularly in trade and science. Several agreements were signed during the visit, including the optimised bilateral free trade agreement, the associated agreement on cooperation in labour and employment matters, and an agreement governing cooperation in research and development.

On 29 October 2026, FDFA Secretary of State Alexandre Fasel took part in a meeting of Yemeni tribal leaders in Geneva. The meeting was to present a code of honour to strengthen protections for the civilian population in Yemen. Switzerland backs the code, which was drafted on the initiative of the Yemeni people and organised by the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF).

The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) is publishing the prevention bulletin 2026/2 aviation.Prevention bulletins contain useful information in accordance with Art. 56 OSITI for the prevention of accidents and serious incidents. They were obtained as part of preliminary investigations into incidents for which an investigation is not opened for reasons of efficiency. The Prevention Bulletins are compiled in chronological order and include those incidents for which a preliminary investigation was completed by the end of the respective quarter. The information does not claim to be complete, is anonymised and is designed to contribute to the safety awareness of the public concerned.The German versions of the prevention bulletins are the originals and therefore authoritative.

The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has redesigned its web presence around two complementary platforms. The new Federal Statistical Office website provides information on the FSO’s organisation and services, while the “Swiss Statistics” portal makes statistical data more accessible to both people and AI. In this way, the FSO is contributing to a shared foundation of transparent, reliable information for a well-functioning democracy.

National Armaments Director Urs Loher will take part in the meeting of the NATO Committee of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) on 29 October 2026, which will be held with NATO partner states in Brussels. The National Armaments Director will also use the opportunity to meet with his counterparts for bilateral talks at the event. In addition, the National Armaments Director will hold a work meeting with the Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA), Major General André Denk.

For medical imaging, innovative contrast agents are in high demand. Materials scientist Robert Nissler has therefore developed an ultra-bright near-infrared nano-pigment designed to provide high-resolution images of intricate brain structures. In ancient Egypt, the precursor to the copper-based Zurich Blue was already prized for its brilliant blue color.