TOPIC

/ location

Austria

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Austria. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Vienna

Head of State

President Alexander Van der Bellen

Head of Government

Chancellor Karl Nehammer

A man refuels his car in a petrol station in Villeneuve d’Ascq, north France, on March 11. Photo: Xinhua

US, Israel war on Iran

As war in Iran roils energy markets, Europe pays price of ‘dependency’

Governments are racing to respond, as oil and gas prices raise fears of a further spike in living costs.

19 Mar 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

European Union

EU inspects Druzhba pipeline in bid to unclog Hungary’s block on Ukraine aid

19 Mar 2026 - 6:26PMvideocam

Hong Kong science and tech

Fix, don’t fire ‘digital employee’ OpenClaw over security risks: Paul Chan

16 Mar 2026 - 10:05PM

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong OpenClaw users say tool is helpful ‘family member’ who must be watched

They describe convenience of automating life tasks but say AI agent springs surprises, such as bots fighting and asking about existence.

14 Mar 2026 - 9:08PM

A man holds a placard featuring OpenClaw in Beijing. OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent framework that performs real-world tasks for users, much like a supercharged digital assistant. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong government workers warned not to install OpenClaw due to security risks

Digital Policy Office points to potential risks of AI agent, including unauthorised data access, leakage and system intrusion.

13 Mar 2026 - 10:02PM

Artificial intelligence

China issues new safety rules for OpenClaw. Here are the dos and don’ts

Authorities outline six dos and six don’ts for OpenClaw users, warning of risks amid an adoption frenzy.

11 Mar 2026 - 11:14PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran warns of US$200 oil as countries reach for emergency reserves

US president declares ‘we won’ the war as chaos in the Strait of Hormuz sends shock waves through energy markets.

12 Mar 2026 - 1:25PMvideocam

A man walks along the shore as oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates. Photo: AP

Artificial intelligence

China issues second warning on OpenClaw risks amid adoption frenzy

Cybersecurity agency cautions that improper installation and use of the AI agent carry severe security and data risks.

11 Mar 2026 - 2:35AM

Artificial intelligence

Chinese tech giants offer cheap, easy access to OpenClaw amid ‘lobster fever’

Shares of Hong Kong-listed MiniMax and Zhipu AI surge after launching OpenClaw tools.

10 Mar 2026 - 5:00PM

Artificial intelligence

Chinese local governments offer OpenClaw subsidies as security questions linger

Shenzhen and Wuxi pledge subsidies to fuel OpenClaw adoption even as analysts warn of a ‘tricky trade-off between ease of use and privacy’.

9 Mar 2026 - 9:30PM

Since its release in late December, OpenClaw has been a runaway success globally. Photo: Shutterstock

Artificial intelligence

OpenClaw fever: why is China rushing to ‘raise a lobster’?

Chinese consumers are using OpenClaw for everything from stock picking and report writing to slide decks, emails and coding.

13 Mar 2026 - 2:32PMvideocam

OpenClaw has been dubbed “raise the lobster” by Chinese consumers. Photo: Shutterstock

Fame and celebrity

Timothee Chalamet faces the music for saying ‘no one cares’ about opera, ballet

Performance groups around the world clapped back at the Hollywood star’s remarks, while a German minister invited him to watch a show.

8 Mar 2026 - 2:45AM

Middle East

US and Iran wrap up talks without a deal as war risks persist

Oman’s mediator cites ‘significant progress’ in Geneva, but a massive US naval build-up keeps the Middle East on edge.

27 Feb 2026 - 4:24PM

Science

Nearly all advanced nations are part of a defence pact. Will China try to join?

International regime controls defence tech exports but a push for self-reliance has seen Chinese weaponry surpass that of Western nations.

24 Feb 2026 - 9:44AMvideocam

Adolf Hitler

Policing the past: Hitler’s childhood home becomes a police station

Holocaust campaigners say putting police in the dictator’s former home is a ‘problematic’ way of dealing with the town’s dark history.

21 Feb 2026 - 2:38PMvideocam

Scaffolding covers the back side of the birth house of former German dictator Adolf Hitler in Braunau am Inn, Austria. Photo: AFP

Crime

Climber convicted after girlfriend freezes to death on Austrian mountain

Man gets a suspended sentence and a fine for girlfriend’s death during a climb on the country’s highest mountain.

20 Feb 2026 - 11:59AM

Taylor Swift

Austria files charges against suspect over planned 2024 Taylor Swift attack

Prosecutors said the now 21-year-old suspect planned to carry out an Islamist militant attack at a concert by the US singer in Vienna.

17 Feb 2026 - 1:08AM

TikTok

TikTok ‘addictive’, EU finds in digital law probe

European Commission cites TikTok’s ‘highly personalised’ system, slams safeguards as ineffective.

7 Feb 2026 - 12:58PM

News of the findings comes amid a fierce debate in Europe about the impact of social media platforms on children’s mental health. Photo: Reuters

Artificial intelligence

China’s cloud giants race to support Moltbot, the ‘AI that actually does things’

Hyperscalers embrace the AI agent, which can execute tasks without step-by-step instructions, but privacy concerns loom large.

29 Jan 2026 - 8:00PM

Natural disasters

Recovery continues after 8 skiers killed in avalanches in Austria

Three avalanches across Austria on the weekend killed eight people - all during off-piste ski tours.

19 Jan 2026 - 11:05AM

Obituaries

Anne Frank’s stepsister, Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, dies at 96

Schloss co-founded the Anne Frank Trust UK foundation in 1990 to pass on the memory of the Holocaust to young people and combat prejudice.

5 Jan 2026 - 7:06AM

Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, the stepsister of Anne Frank and honorary president of the Anne Frank Trust UK, has died aged 96, her foundation said on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Israel-Gaza war

Israel cleared to stay in Eurovision as several countries boycott contest

The walkouts came after the general assembly of the European Broadcasting Union met to discuss concerns about Israel’s participation.

5 Dec 2025 - 2:21PM

A person waves Israel’s national flag while watching Israeli singer Yuval Raphael perform at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. Photo: AFP

Luxury Hotels

History meets luxury at Rosewood Schloss Fuschl near Salzburg

Works by François Boucher and Friedrich von Nerly line the corridors, while an on-site museum is dedicated to Austria’s beloved Empress Elisabeth.

1 Nov 2025 - 12:00PM

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV giants head overseas as domestic price war bites

China’s EV makers ship 2.01 million pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles overseas in the first eight months of the year.

8 Oct 2025 - 7:30AMvideocam

United Nations

Opinion | Hong Kong should be China’s gateway to the United Nations

Putting the UN’s Asia headquarters in Hong Kong could help the organisation’s reforms and reinforce Beijing’s vision of global governance.

30 Sep 2025 - 9:30AM

Iran

Iran denies reported meeting with European officials in Austria

Iran said Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was heading to New York, not Vienna, as sanctions over the country’s nuclear programme loom.

22 Sep 2025 - 2:06AM

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. Photo: AFP

Germany

Germany slams Israel boycott, Eurovision ‘brings nations together’

Spain and others will boycott the world’s largest live televised music event in May if Israel participates over the ongoing assault on Gaza.

20 Sep 2025 - 7:26PM

China-EU relations

Flagging imbalances in China, EU chamber urges course correction in 5-year plan

Exhorting the need for a ‘new, productive development model’, latest chamber position paper airs members’ grievances.

17 Sep 2025 - 5:01PMvideocam

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Austria

As war in Iran roils energy markets, Europe pays price of ‘dependency’

Governments are racing to respond, as oil and gas prices raise fears of a further spike in living costs.

EU inspects Druzhba pipeline in bid to unclog Hungary’s block on Ukraine aid

Fix, don’t fire ‘digital employee’ OpenClaw over security risks: Paul Chan

Hong Kong OpenClaw users say tool is helpful ‘family member’ who must be watched

They describe convenience of automating life tasks but say AI agent springs surprises, such as bots fighting and asking about existence.

Hong Kong government workers warned not to install OpenClaw due to security risks

Digital Policy Office points to potential risks of AI agent, including unauthorised data access, leakage and system intrusion.

China issues new safety rules for OpenClaw. Here are the dos and don’ts

Authorities outline six dos and six don’ts for OpenClaw users, warning of risks amid an adoption frenzy.

Iran warns of US$200 oil as countries reach for emergency reserves

US president declares ‘we won’ the war as chaos in the Strait of Hormuz sends shock waves through energy markets.

China issues second warning on OpenClaw risks amid adoption frenzy

Cybersecurity agency cautions that improper installation and use of the AI agent carry severe security and data risks.

Chinese tech giants offer cheap, easy access to OpenClaw amid ‘lobster fever’

Shares of Hong Kong-listed MiniMax and Zhipu AI surge after launching OpenClaw tools.

Chinese local governments offer OpenClaw subsidies as security questions linger

Shenzhen and Wuxi pledge subsidies to fuel OpenClaw adoption even as analysts warn of a ‘tricky trade-off between ease of use and privacy’.

OpenClaw fever: why is China rushing to ‘raise a lobster’?

Chinese consumers are using OpenClaw for everything from stock picking and report writing to slide decks, emails and coding.

Timothee Chalamet faces the music for saying ‘no one cares’ about opera, ballet

Performance groups around the world clapped back at the Hollywood star’s remarks, while a German minister invited him to watch a show.

US and Iran wrap up talks without a deal as war risks persist

Oman’s mediator cites ‘significant progress’ in Geneva, but a massive US naval build-up keeps the Middle East on edge.

Nearly all advanced nations are part of a defence pact. Will China try to join?

International regime controls defence tech exports but a push for self-reliance has seen Chinese weaponry surpass that of Western nations.

Policing the past: Hitler’s childhood home becomes a police station

Holocaust campaigners say putting police in the dictator’s former home is a ‘problematic’ way of dealing with the town’s dark history.

Climber convicted after girlfriend freezes to death on Austrian mountain

Man gets a suspended sentence and a fine for girlfriend’s death during a climb on the country’s highest mountain.

Austria files charges against suspect over planned 2024 Taylor Swift attack

Prosecutors said the now 21-year-old suspect planned to carry out an Islamist militant attack at a concert by the US singer in Vienna.

TikTok ‘addictive’, EU finds in digital law probe

European Commission cites TikTok’s ‘highly personalised’ system, slams safeguards as ineffective.

China’s cloud giants race to support Moltbot, the ‘AI that actually does things’

Hyperscalers embrace the AI agent, which can execute tasks without step-by-step instructions, but privacy concerns loom large.

Recovery continues after 8 skiers killed in avalanches in Austria

Three avalanches across Austria on the weekend killed eight people - all during off-piste ski tours.

Anne Frank’s stepsister, Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, dies at 96

Schloss co-founded the Anne Frank Trust UK foundation in 1990 to pass on the memory of the Holocaust to young people and combat prejudice.

Israel cleared to stay in Eurovision as several countries boycott contest

The walkouts came after the general assembly of the European Broadcasting Union met to discuss concerns about Israel’s participation.

History meets luxury at Rosewood Schloss Fuschl near Salzburg

Works by François Boucher and Friedrich von Nerly line the corridors, while an on-site museum is dedicated to Austria’s beloved Empress Elisabeth.

China’s EV giants head overseas as domestic price war bites

China’s EV makers ship 2.01 million pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles overseas in the first eight months of the year.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Hong Kong should be China’s gateway to the United Nations

Putting the UN’s Asia headquarters in Hong Kong could help the organisation’s reforms and reinforce Beijing’s vision of global governance.

Iran denies reported meeting with European officials in Austria

Iran said Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was heading to New York, not Vienna, as sanctions over the country’s nuclear programme loom.

Germany slams Israel boycott, Eurovision ‘brings nations together’

Spain and others will boycott the world’s largest live televised music event in May if Israel participates over the ongoing assault on Gaza.

Flagging imbalances in China, EU chamber urges course correction in 5-year plan

Exhorting the need for a ‘new, productive development model’, latest chamber position paper airs members’ grievances.

Opinion | Hong Kong should be China’s gateway to the United Nations