Nationwide alarm system will be tested this afternoon; Improved job prospects are expected in Switzerland the first quarter of 2026; plus other news in our roundup this Wednesday.
Nationwide alarm system will be tested this afternoon
The 5,000 fixed and 2,200 mobile sirens in Switzerland will be tested today, as they are every year on the first Wednesday of February.
The test will be conducted between 1:30 pm and 4 pm.
Communication channels on the Alertswiss app will also be tested.
The signal – a steady oscillating siren lasting one minute – is intended to alert the population of an impending emergency or disaster.
The second siren, used to warn people who live near dams of impending water-related danger, is a series of 12 bursts of 20 seconds each at ten-second intervals.
READ MORE: What you need to know about Switzerland’s annual siren test
Improved job prospects are expected in Switzerland the first quarter of 2026
Despite massive job cuts announced for this year, experts at he KOF Economic Research Institute observe a further improvement in the employment situation and outlook in Switzerland during the first quarter of 2026.
Economists are correlating this phenomenon with the customs duties agreement between Bern and Washington, which was agreed upon in mid-November.
Evaluations for the first quarter of 2026 are based on the responses of around 4,500 firms that KOF surveyed in January.
READ MORE: What are the prospects for Switzerland’s economy in 2026
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Arrest after antisemitic attack in Zurich
Shortly after 8.15 pm on Monday, Zurich police received a report of a physical altercation on Manessestrasse. When the emergency services arrived on the scene, several people were holding a man on the ground.
According to the information available so far, the man had repeatedly punched a 26-year-old orthodox Jew in the street . The victim suffered minor injuries.
Several people who happened to be present intervened, overpowering the alleged attacker and holding him until the police arrived. The man continued to behave aggressively towards the police officers and repeatedly made insulting and anti-Semitic remarks.
The perpetrator is a 40-year-old man from Kosovo who has no permanent residence in Switzerland.
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Crans-Montana provides 1 million francs for fire victims and families
The municipality “will transfer this amount to the Crans-Montana fire victims’ aid foundation, which is being set up,” local authorities said on Tuesday, referring to the blaze that had spread through a local bar, claiming 41 lives and injuring 115 others
“We are aware that the money cannot erase any suffering but we hope to be able to support the families affected by this tragedy and show the solidarity of the Crans-Montana community,” Mayor Nicolas Feraud added.
In mid-January, the Valais canton already announced it was urgently allocating 10,000 francs to “every victim hospitalised or deceased”, via an independent foundation.
And the Swiss government has said the victims and their families could count on financial support from the state as well, though the details have yet to be finalised. (AFP)
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