Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Kurz presents recorded phone call against former ally's accusations, 133 people died in the Alps this summer, record-breaking temperatures in October and more news from Austria on Thursday.
Kurz presents audio contradicting his former ally's accusations
Things just got (even more) heated up in Austrian politics. Legal representatives for the former chancellor Sebastian Kurz presented authorities with a recording of a telephone call between Sebastian Kurz and his former ally Thomas Schmid from October 2021. In it, it seems that Kurz is unaware of the corruption scheme that Schmid now claims the once chancellor commissioned himself.
In transcripts of the conversation recorded by Kurz and seen by Austrian media, he asks Schmid how people could come to the conclusion that he was involved when they "didn't even talk about advertisements and something like that". Schmid then replies: "that's just the bad thing; they put together their own story".
Kurz's lawyer Werner Suppan on Wednesday said that there is no objective evidence against Kurz and that there are "real contradictions" to Schmid's statements.
Thomas Schmid, who was secretary-general at the Ministry of Finance at the time Kurz's inner circle is said to have embezzled money to pay for polls skewed to boost his image, is working with prosecutors to become a "key witness" and close a plea deal. He has given a 15-day statement providing authorities with new and detailed information on several corruption cases and investigations in Austria.
READ ALSO: Austria’s Sebastian Kurz implicated by former ally in corruption scandal
133 Alpine fatalities in Austria's mountains in the summer of 2022
This summer, 133 people had fatal accidents in Austria's mountains, which is 19 less than in the previous year, broadcaster ORF reported. The ten-year average is 145 people, the report added.
Over 40 percent of the fatal accidents occurred in the Tyrolean mountains, where 54 people died. A total of 3,850 people were involved in 3,058 alpine accidents in the period between 1 May and 9 October, the Austrian Curatorship for Alpine Safety (ÖKAS).
Many incidents were due to "poor preparation and insufficient physical condition", said the head of the Alpine Police, Hans Ebner. He appealed to mountaineers to "be a bit more defensive or cautious" when choosing a tour or turning back safely if it is the case.
READ ALSO: How to keep safe and avoid problems when hiking in the Austrian Alps
October 2022 will probably be one of the warmest in measurement history
October still has a week and a half to go, but it is already clear that it is one of the warmest in Austria's measurement history, 5min reported.
"If you take into account the course so far and the forecast trend for the next few days, this October in the lowlands of Austria is almost certainly one of the three warmest in the 256-year history of measurements," says Alexander Orlik from the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG).
The final ranking depends on whether there might still be a cold air spell towards the end of the month.
READ ALSO: ‘By a substantial margin’: How summer 2022 was Europe’s hottest on record
From 'bring everything you have' to 'move away', here are your tips on dealing with Vienna's immigration office
The office for immigration and citizenship in Vienna, known just as MA 35, is, for many immigrants, their first encounter with Austrian bureaucracy. Sooner or later, every foreigner living in the capital will pay a visit to the infamous MA35.
The office has received plenty of criticism for long delays, mistakes and even mistreatment of those seeking services. Most recently, the long waiting times for citizenship applications have caused a stir, as The Local reported.
The Local readers have shared their experiences, with a majority saying it was either “very poor” or “poor” and citing stories of delays, mistakes and rudeness. One respondent from Croatia had only one tip: “Move to another country”.
However, other readers have also shared their advice on how to have a better (or at least not so bad) experience with the MA 35. For example, one person who chose to be anonymous said people should “keep your answers short and precise, so you don’t give the more reasons to doubt you”.
Here you can read the full story and all the tips.
Weather
Screenshot from ZAMG
In the country's south and southeast, fog and high fog will persist in the morning before the sun breaks through in many places.
Otherwise, the weather will be mostly sunny. However, a few cloud fields will pass through. In the evening, clouds will increase in the west.
The highest temperatures will be between 11 to 23 degrees. The mildest temperatures are in Vorarlberg and North Tyrol.
Later today…
With the weekend coming up, we prepare a list of five things to do in Vienna on Thursdays. There is a tip for everyone with suggestions of typical tourist attractions, international events and something only the locals know about.
So, if you live in Vienna or plan to visit the capital for the weekend, Watch out for the story later today here at The Local Austria.
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
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Kurz presents audio contradicting his former ally's accusations
Things just got (even more) heated up in Austrian politics. Legal representatives for the former chancellor Sebastian Kurz presented authorities with a recording of a telephone call between Sebastian Kurz and his former ally Thomas Schmid from October 2021. In it, it seems that Kurz is unaware of the corruption scheme that Schmid now claims the once chancellor commissioned himself.
In transcripts of the conversation recorded by Kurz and seen by Austrian media, he asks Schmid how people could come to the conclusion that he was involved when they "didn't even talk about advertisements and something like that". Schmid then replies: "that's just the bad thing; they put together their own story".
Kurz's lawyer Werner Suppan on Wednesday said that there is no objective evidence against Kurz and that there are "real contradictions" to Schmid's statements.
Thomas Schmid, who was secretary-general at the Ministry of Finance at the time Kurz's inner circle is said to have embezzled money to pay for polls skewed to boost his image, is working with prosecutors to become a "key witness" and close a plea deal. He has given a 15-day statement providing authorities with new and detailed information on several corruption cases and investigations in Austria.
READ ALSO: Austria’s Sebastian Kurz implicated by former ally in corruption scandal
133 Alpine fatalities in Austria's mountains in the summer of 2022
This summer, 133 people had fatal accidents in Austria's mountains, which is 19 less than in the previous year, broadcaster ORF reported. The ten-year average is 145 people, the report added.
Over 40 percent of the fatal accidents occurred in the Tyrolean mountains, where 54 people died. A total of 3,850 people were involved in 3,058 alpine accidents in the period between 1 May and 9 October, the Austrian Curatorship for Alpine Safety (ÖKAS).
Many incidents were due to "poor preparation and insufficient physical condition", said the head of the Alpine Police, Hans Ebner. He appealed to mountaineers to "be a bit more defensive or cautious" when choosing a tour or turning back safely if it is the case.
READ ALSO: How to keep safe and avoid problems when hiking in the Austrian Alps
October 2022 will probably be one of the warmest in measurement history
October still has a week and a half to go, but it is already clear that it is one of the warmest in Austria's measurement history, 5min reported.
"If you take into account the course so far and the forecast trend for the next few days, this October in the lowlands of Austria is almost certainly one of the three warmest in the 256-year history of measurements," says Alexander Orlik from the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG).
The final ranking depends on whether there might still be a cold air spell towards the end of the month.
READ ALSO: ‘By a substantial margin’: How summer 2022 was Europe’s hottest on record
From 'bring everything you have' to 'move away', here are your tips on dealing with Vienna's immigration office
The office for immigration and citizenship in Vienna, known just as MA 35, is, for many immigrants, their first encounter with Austrian bureaucracy. Sooner or later, every foreigner living in the capital will pay a visit to the infamous MA35.
The office has received plenty of criticism for long delays, mistakes and even mistreatment of those seeking services. Most recently, the long waiting times for citizenship applications have caused a stir, as The Local reported.
The Local readers have shared their experiences, with a majority saying it was either “very poor” or “poor” and citing stories of delays, mistakes and rudeness. One respondent from Croatia had only one tip: “Move to another country”.
However, other readers have also shared their advice on how to have a better (or at least not so bad) experience with the MA 35. For example, one person who chose to be anonymous said people should “keep your answers short and precise, so you don’t give the more reasons to doubt you”.
Here you can read the full story and all the tips.
Weather
In the country's south and southeast, fog and high fog will persist in the morning before the sun breaks through in many places.
Otherwise, the weather will be mostly sunny. However, a few cloud fields will pass through. In the evening, clouds will increase in the west.
The highest temperatures will be between 11 to 23 degrees. The mildest temperatures are in Vorarlberg and North Tyrol.
Later today…
With the weekend coming up, we prepare a list of five things to do in Vienna on Thursdays. There is a tip for everyone with suggestions of typical tourist attractions, international events and something only the locals know about.
So, if you live in Vienna or plan to visit the capital for the weekend, Watch out for the story later today here at The Local Austria.
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
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