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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

Firefighters battle a wildfire threatening to engulf a house in the Peloponnese region of Greece on Friday. Photo: EPA

European Union

Hungary braces for nuclear plant shutdown as Danube hits record lows

The power plant, producing nearly half of Hungary’s electricity, uses river water to cool reactors but heatwaves have affected water levels.

31 Jul 2026 - 11:51PMvideocam

History

Hitler’s birthplace reopens as a police station to deter neo-Nazis

23 Jul 2026 - 1:00PM

JD.com

JD.com’s bid for Europe’s Ceconomy clears German hurdle but EU subsidy probe looms

30 Jun 2026 - 5:41PM

Ukraine war

Ukraine war: Russia says US hasn’t delivered on Trump-Putin ‘understandings’

With Kyiv claiming to be turning the tide of the conflict, Moscow’s comments signal a growing frustration with Washington.

24 Jun 2026 - 1:54AMvideocam

Smoke billows behind an Orthodox church following a reported Ukrainian drone attack, in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday. Photo: EPA

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump touts Iran inspection deal as Tehran disputes claim

US president says Iran agreed to inspections ‘long into the future’, but Tehran says no decision has been made on IAEA access.

24 Jun 2026 - 4:45PMvideocam

Greece

Greece unveils Parthenon’s facade whole for first time in 220 years

Restoration of the western gable of the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens has been completed.

19 Jun 2026 - 1:03PM

Aviation accidents

Small plane crash in Croatia leaves 4 dead, 2 missing

The search for two more people is ongoing.

4 Jun 2026 - 10:27PM

A person inspects a small plane which crashed near Medulin, Croatia on Thursday. Photo: AP

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s BYD, Chery chart 80% growth overseas as EV demand spikes

‘Eye-catching’ numbers show efforts paying off amid growing brand recognition abroad and tepid sales at home, analysts say.

4 Jun 2026 - 8:30PM

United Nations

Portugal and Austria defeat Germany for seats on UN Security Council

Kyrgyzstan beat the Philippines by a vote of 143-49 to join the council for the first time.

4 Jun 2026 - 2:39PM

Islamic State

Man jailed for 15 years over foiled Taylor Swift concert attack plot in Austria

Austrian court convicts 21-year-old over planned 2024 bombing that forced the cancellation of concerts.

29 May 2026 - 3:13PM

‘Beran A’ being escorted by security personnel for his trial. Photo: Reuters

China-Latin America relations

Panama encourages dialogue at UN as canal tensions with China simmer

Panama’s foreign minister uses UN speech to help defuse tension after deterioration in Panama-China relations due to canal dispute.

27 May 2026 - 6:51AMvideocam

Containers sit at the Balboa terminal, formerly run by CK Hutchison’s Panama Ports, after the Panama government ordered the occupation of the port following a court ruling that the concession was unconstitutional. Photo: AP

Espionage

Austrian spy found guilty of giving secrets to Wirecard fugitive

Egisto Ott had been a director in his nation’s secret service and was accused of passing on classified information between 2017 and 2021.

21 May 2026 - 6:26PM

Animals

Hiker killed in attack by herd of cows in Austrian Alps

Woman dead, husband injured in an attack by aggressive cows that has left authorities perplexed.

18 May 2026 - 10:18AM

European Union

EU rejects Putin’s idea of role for ex-German leader in future security talks

EU ministers dismiss proposed role for Gerhard Schroeder, who has cultivated a close relationship with Russia’s president.

12 May 2026 - 1:00PM

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in 2023. Photo: AFP

China-EU relations

Brussels bans Chinese inverters from EU-funded power projects

EU official says Brussels has identified cybersecurity and dependency risks in Chinese inverters.

5 May 2026 - 5:26PMvideocam

Staff members assemble inverters at an industrial park in Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, in February last year. Photo: Xinhua

Espionage

Austria expels 3 Russian diplomats over signals spying

Vienna, home to a large diplomatic presence, has long had a reputation as a den of spies.

4 May 2026 - 8:01PM

Trip Inspiration

Discover Europe with flexible, affordable first-class Eurail adventures

Breakfast in Spain, lunch in France and dinner in Italy – with plenty of sightseeing from a comfortable seat in between. The joys of flexible, first-class train travel can be yours for the price of a Eurail pass.

3 May 2026 - 8:00AM

United States

Austrian citizen admits plot to kill at Taylor Swift concert in Vienna

The 21-year-old and two other men also planned attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

28 Apr 2026 - 6:52PMvideocam

Defendant Beran A hides his face while being escorted out of court in Austria. He is standing trial for plotting to carry out an attack on one of superstar singer Taylor Swift’s 2024 Vienna concerts. Photo: AP

Nepal

Everest climbers left hanging after giant ice chunk blocks path to summit

Mountaineers are waiting for the serac above the Khumbu icefall to melt before marking the rest of the route for the spring climbing season.

27 Apr 2026 - 2:05PMvideocam

China exports

How a Chinese plastics hub shapes Tesla’s supply chain – and moulds the modern world

From car components to keyboards, this little-known industrial district in eastern China is crafting the small parts the world relies on.

23 Apr 2026 - 6:54AMvideocam

European Union

1 dead, 6 hurt as trolleybus crashes into supermarket in Austria

Police investigate a suspected medical emergency after a driver lost control of a Salzburg bus.

21 Apr 2026 - 12:27PM

The trolleybus that crashed into a supermarket. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Ease the burden’: 5 EU nations urge tax on energy firms’ profits

As fuel prices spike, finance ministers from Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria ‘stand united’ and call for action.

4 Apr 2026 - 7:10PMvideocam

A pump jack and drilling rig in Texas. File photo: Reuters

Artificial intelligence

Tencent adds ClawBot plug-in to WeChat amid OpenClaw boom and privacy warnings

With over 1 billion users, WeChat becomes Tencent’s biggest OpenClaw campaign, bringing into focus opportunity and regulatory caution.

23 Mar 2026 - 10:30PM

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

Hungarian leader Viktor Orban has vetoed giving Ukraine its promised US$103 billion EU loan until Russian oil supply is resumed.

19 Mar 2026 - 6:26PMvideocam

A meter shows near zero-level pressure at a line production station on a Druzhba pipeline in Brody, Ukraine. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong science and tech

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

Finance chief’s remarks follow Digital Policy Office’s advice to government departments to avoid installing AI agent.

16 Mar 2026 - 10:05PM

OpenClaw functions as a proactive assistant – once permissions are granted, it controls applications, organises files, processes emails, sorts data and executes coding workflows. Photo: Getty Images

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

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

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