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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.

On 28 and 29 October 2026, Switzerland hosts the Conference of Directors General of National Statistical Institutes (DGINS). Held annually in a different country within the European statistical system (ESS), the conference brings together 40 national statistical institutes, the heads of Eurostat, and international experts in Bern. The event is organised by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) in close collaboration with Eurostat.

On 28 October, the Federal Council approved the Agreement on the Cross-Border Management of Scientific Data in the Context of Joint Research and Development Activities between Switzerland and China. It will be signed at the end of October during Federal President Guy Parmelin’s mission to China.

Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and OSCE chairman-in-office, on the occasion of Parliamentary Foreign Policy Day 2026. Check against delivery.

The federal government is pressing ahead with steps to implement the Council of Europe Convention on Artificial Intelligence (AI). At its meeting on 28 October, the Federal Council took note of the progress of work to date and the initial results. These include a report on ongoing AI activities within the Federal Administration, as well as guidance on voluntary commitments by associations and companies.

At its meeting in Bern on 27 October 2026, the Switzerland‒EU joint committee updated Annex A of the bilateral agreement on cooperation in the field of statistics to maintain the consistency and comparability of statistics produced by the two parties. The Federal Council approved this amendment at its meeting on 2 September 2026. The updated Annex A takes effect immediately. Keeping Annex A up to date promotes Switzerland’s international visibility, particularly as an economic centre.

The UN sanctions committee has amended the list of sanctioned individuals, companies and organisations on 24 and 26 October 2026. 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.

In the 3rd quarter 2026, the Swiss Residential Property Price Index (IMPI) increased by 1.7% compared with the previous quarter to stand at 129.8 points (4th quarter 2019 = 100). Across Switzerland, single-family house prices rose (+2.1%) as did condominium prices (+1.3%). The biggest rise in residential property prices was observed in urban municipalities of a small or outside agglomeration (+3.4%), while the smallest increase was recorded in intermediate municipalities (+0.6%). Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, total inflation stood at +4.4%. These are some of the results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has carried out a fundamental technical and methodological modernisation of its Social Assistance Statistics. The first results, compiled entirely using the new method, show a social assistance rate of 2.9% in 2025. In total, around 267 300 people received economic social assistance.