Austria

Alp resort in Austria at heart of Europe’s outbreak reopens

Austria has lifted the strict quarantine on three ski resorts in Tyrol which were coronavirus hotspots. The three include Ischgl, known as the "Ibiza of the Alps", where hundreds of…

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Austria set to relax coronavirus lockdown measures

Austria will begin lifting its coronavirus restrictions on Tuesday but this is the first step in a long process, experts say. Austria came to a standstill when it introduced lockdown…

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World renowned Austrian restaurant now catering for medical staff

The internationally-known restaurants Steirereck and Meierei, owned by Birgit and Heinz Reitbauer, prepare up to 1000 free meals for emergency personals, since the Austrian government has announced measures slowing down…

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Austria becomes the first European country to announce plans to lift its lockdown

Austria plans to reopen smaller shops from next week in its first step to loosen a lockdown that has slowed the spread of the coronavirus, as long as the public…

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Austrian supermarkets hand out face masks

Austrian supermarkets began handing out basic face masks to largely compliant shoppers before they become compulsory next week, though there remained some confusion about the new measure and uncertainty about…

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Number of confirmed coronavirus cases exceeds 3,000 in Austria

The amount of people in Austria with confirmed cases of coronavirus crossed the 3,000 mark on Sunday, the Ministry of Health has announced. Compared with figures from Saturday, this is…

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Austrian ski town suspected as source of coronavirus across Europe

Politico reports that Tyrolean village of Ischgl in Austria may have been the main source of the outbreak of coronavirus in Europe. Health authorities across Scandinavia have traced several hundred…

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€38 billion relief plan announced by Austria

Austria will spend up to 38 billion euros to secure jobs and keep companies afloat, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Wednesday, joining other European countries providing more funds to limit…

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Austria limits people’s movement nationwide

The Austrian government is limiting people’s movement nationwide. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Sunday that there should be only three reasons for people to leave home: essential work, essential purchases such…

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Austria reports first coronavirus death

A 69-year-old man has died in Vienna after contracting the new coronavirus, Austria’s first death in the rapidly spreading epidemic, city authorities said on Thursday. Austria has confirmed 302 cases…

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Six killed in avalanches on Austrian Alps

Six people have died after avalanches hit two separate areas of the Austrian Alps on Sunday, according to local authorities. In the central Dachstein area, a location popular with hikers,…

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Austria quarantines a dozen people after first coronavirus cases, Madrid confirms two

Austria has quarantined 12 people who were in close contact with a couple who were the country’s first coronavirus cases, one of whom works as a hotel receptionist, the local…

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Austria’s foreign ministry targeted in ‘serious cyber-attack’

Austria's foreign ministry over the weekend was targeted in a "serious cyber-attack”, warning another country could be responsible. The hack started on Saturday night and experts warn it could continue…

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Greens in Austria enter government for first time

The conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), led by Sebastian Kurz, and the Greens reached a deal to form a coalition government, the two parties announced late Wednesday. The "experiment" will…

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Austria ready to form new conservative-Green government

Austria will be able to ring in a new decade with a new government, after the conservative Austria’s People’s Party, led by Sebastian Kurz, and the Green Party agreed to…

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Photo Story: Christmas market in Vienna

Photos from the Christmas market at Rathausplatz in central Vienna, Austria, on the evening of Sunday 15th December 2019, on the third Sunday of Advent. Photos: EPA-EFE/ZOLTAN BALOGH Click on…

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Photo Story: The Christmas traditional decorating of houses in Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria

All kinds of Christmas decoration are illuminated at the so-called 'Christmas House' estate of the Gollnhuber family in Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria. The Gollnhuber family since 2010 installs up to a…

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Large fire destroys part of world culture heritage city of Hallstatt in Austria

An aerial view made with a drone showing the damage and destruction caused by a fire during the night at the lakeside in the city of Hallstatt, Austria. Authorities say…

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House Hitler was born in to become police station

The house where Adolf Hitler was born will be turned into a police station, Austria's interior minister said, after years of debate over how best to prevent it becoming a…

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Bad weather causes mudslides in Austria

Members of the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer) remove mud and trees after a mudslide on the road to the Carinthian village Mallnitz, Austria, Austria. Due to the current weather situation…

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Austria bans smoking in bars and restaurants

Austria banned smoking in bars and restaurants on Friday, bringing the country's laws into line with most other European nations. Smokers who break the ban will have to pay €1,000,…

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Austrian Post fined for selling customer data

Austrian Post has been ordered to pay €18 million for collecting and selling mailers' perceived political preferences. The Austrian Data Protection Authority decided on the administrative penalty after finding that…

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Photo Story: Italian actress Sophia Loren honoured in Vienna

Italian actress Sophia Loren (R) is kissed by her son Carlo Ponti Jr. on stage. The Italian actress was awarded the European Cultural Award Taurus for her lifetime achievements during…

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Highlights from the Caravaggio & Bernini exhibition in Vienna

Photos from the press preview of the Caravaggio & Bernini exhibition at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) in Vienna, Austria, 14 October 2019. Paintings by Caravaggio, sculptures by…

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Photo Story: Eliud Kipchoge breaks two-hour marathon mark by 20 seconds

Eliud Kipchoge, Kenyan marathon world record holder, celebrates with the flag of Kenya in front of the finish line after the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria, 12 October…

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Photo Story: Bulgarian President Rumen Radev visits Austria

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev (L) and Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen (R) arrive ahead of a meeting at the Presidential residence of the Hofburg Palace, in Vienna, Austria.…

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Clear victory for Sebastian Kurz’s People’s Party in Austrian vote

Austria's People's Party, led by former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, has won a clear victory in Sunday's general election. With nearly all the votes counted, Kurz's party has more than 38%…

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Austrian election campaign winds up

Austrian political parties wound up their campaigns on Friday evening, before a parliamentary election on Sunday which Sebastian Kurz’s conservatives are tipped to win. Sunday’s vote is being held in…

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Albrecht Duerer exhibition in Vienna

Highlights from the press preview of the 'Albrecht Duerer' exhibition at the Albertina museum in Vienna, Austria. It has been decades since so many works by Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) have…

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Austria revives double passport plan for Alto Adige

The Austrian parliament on Friday revived a plan to give a double passport to give citizens in the Italian region of Alto Adige who are German and local Ladin speakers…

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Swiss artist installs 300 trees in football stadium

Basel-based artist Klaus Littmann has transformed a 30,000-capacity stadium in southern Austria into a forest as part of an exhibit paying tribute to nature. It is Austria’s largest public art…

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Placido Domingo gets standing ovation in Salzburg

Opera legend Placido Domingo on Sunday evening received a standing ovation at the Salzburg Festival, his first performance since he was accused of sexually harassing women. Domingo gave his performance…

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Msgr. Joseph Grech assigned to the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the International Organisations in Vienna

His Holiness Pope Francis has promoted Councillor of Apostolic Nunciature the Rev. Msgr. Joseph Grech and has assigned him to the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the International…

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Photo Story: Austria Railways tests tracks painted in white against heat

An handout photo made available by the Austrian Federal Railways (OeBB) shows white paint on railway tracks, at a test area near Bludenz, Austria. The OeBB carried out a first…

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Austria confirms Hahn as its European commissioner

Austria confirmed that it wants Johannes Hahn, the current European Commissioner for enlargement, to stay on as its member of the next commission, headed by Ursula von der Leyen. The…

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Photo Story: The Rehearsal of Rigoletto for the Bregenz Festival

A view of the lake stage Seebuehne during a rehearsal of the opera Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi as part of the Bregenz Festival at Lake Constance, in Bregenz, Austria.…

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Austria election set for September 29th

Austria’s cabinet has set Sept. 29 as the date of the next parliamentary election. That was the first date on which the vote could have been held after parliament…

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Austrian parliament bans glyphosate weed killer

Austria is on track to be the first EU country to completely ban weed killer glyphosate, originally developed by Monsanto and marketed under the name Roundup. Members of Parliament in…

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Photo Story: Final farewell to Niki Lauda

Hundreds of mourners gathered to pay their respects to the Formula One legend Niki Lauda during his funeral today in St. Stephen's Cathedral in his home city of Vienna. Hundreds…

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Austrian government crumbles as Chancellor Kurz loses no-confidence motion

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has lost a no-confidence motion, forcing his government from office, despite his party's victory in the European elections. It came after his former coalition partners in…

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SlideShow: A Tribute to Niki Lauda

A series of photos of three-time Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda who died this week at the age of 70. Lauda, who underwent a lung transplant in August,…

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Austria heading for September election

Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen on Sunday recommended a new election be held in early September. He said he wanted to restore trust in the government after a…

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Germans prefer living in Austria and the UK

The Germany's Federal Statistics Office released its annual report on the number of German citizens living abroad within the EU. According to the new report, almost 200,000 Germans have moved…

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Austria to extend border controls

Austria will extend its border controls for Hungary and Slovenia until at least November. In a letter written by the Austrian Interior, Minister Herbert Kickl, to the European Commission, he…

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Link between Christchurch attacker and European far-right group

Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, responsible for the Christchurch massacre in two mosques, had a financial link to the European far-right movement Generation Identity.…

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Iranian President meets Austrian Chancellor

DW: Hassan Rouhani has met with Austrian Chancellor Kurz and President Van der Bellen in a bid to save the Iran nuclear deal. But his trip has been overshadowed by an…

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Austrian Chancellor calls for stronger borders with Germany

DW: Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has warned that Germany's new migration deal could force the Alpine country to impose stronger border checks on Italy and Slovenia. The deal ended a bitter…

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German Interior Minister forms ‘axis’ with Austria, Italy against Merkel

Reuters: Germany should ally itself with Austria and Italy on migration and security policies, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Wednesday, a shift that could prove uncomfortable for Chancellor Angela Merkel.…

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Austria to close down mosques funded by foreign countries

Austria has said it will close down seven mosques and expel imams who it says are funded by foreign countries. The country’s coalition government, formed of conservative and far-right figures,…

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Putin visits Austria in first visit in EU state since re-election

Easing of sanctions against Russia, the relations with the US and the European Union were the main topics discussed during a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Austrian chancellor, Sebastian…

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