News

René Rossi, Co-Head of Empa's Materials meet Life department and the Research Focus Area Health, explains in an interview what is special about research in the health sector at Empa, what this has to do with materials and which topics Empa's research will be tackling.

Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on the occasion of the 2025 Ambassadors and International Network Conference – Check against delivery

Following a two-year pilot phase, the Financial Innovation Desk (FIND), which was established in 2023, will be transferred to the State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF) in an adapted form on 1 September 2025. It will continue to promote innovation in the financial sector, in order to help strengthen Switzerland as a financial centre in international competition.

On 18 August 2025 the Federal Department of Economic Affairs EAER has amended annex 2 of the ordinance imposing measures against the Republic of South Sudan. One entry has been modified. The measures come into force on 20 August 2025.

On 18 August 2025, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research has amended annex 2 of the ordinance on measures against Sudan. Two individuals and two entities have been added to the sanctions list. The measures come into force on 20 August 2025.

On 18 August 2025, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER has amended the annexes 3 and 5 of the ordinance on measures against Libya. The entries concerning one individual have been deleted. The measures come into force on 20 August 2025.

On 18 August 2025 the Federal Department of Economic Affairs EAER has amended annexes 6 and 6a of the ordinance on measures against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The entries of 17 individuals and 31 entities have been modified and the entry of one individual has been deleted. The measures come into force on 20 August 2025.

In the 2nd quarter 2025, the number of employed persons in Switzerland rose by 0.6% compared with the same quarter of the previous year. During the same period, the unemployment rate as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO) rose to 4.6% in Switzerland and fell to 5.8% in the European Union. These are some of the results of the Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS) conducted by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

The Ambassadors and International Network Conference will take place from 18 to 22 August 2025 in Bern. This unique platform enables diplomats to exchange views on the geopolitical context and to engage with one another directly on Swiss domestic policy. The vice-president of Italy's Council of Ministers and minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Antonio Tajani, has been invited by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis to attend the event.

The humanitarian situation in Sudan is deteriorating rapidly, with famine affecting the population of Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, as reported by the World Food Programme (WFP). In response to this crisis, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is allocatig CHF 4 million from its budget to the UN's Sudan Humanitarian Fund.

The annual report 2024 of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board is available on the website of the STSB. It reports on the activities of the STSB of the last year. The STSB’s independent investigations of safety-relevant incidents make an important contribution to safety in public transport, aviation and both inland and maritime navigation.

After Montenegro was hit by violent forest fires threatening the capital Podgorica and several other regions, Switzerland has deployed an emergency mission under the auspices of the FDFA with the support of the Geneva fire and rescue service. The aim of the mission is to support the local authorities in their fight against the blazes and strengthen the resources already mobilised.