Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Natural gas discovered in Upper Austria, plus new measures against anti-Semitism online and more news from Austria on Tuesday.
Putin did not win the 'election' among Russians in Austria
At both the Russian embassy in Vienna and the consulate general in Salzburg, most Russians voted for Vladimir Putin's opponent Vladislav Davankov from the New People Party last Sunday, reported Die Presse.
Davankov earned 43.50 percent of the votes in Vienna and 52.68 percent of the votes in Salzburg.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin who was "elected" as president again on Sunday received 33.98 percent of the votes in Vienna and 21.09 percent in Salzburg. This is different from the 2018 elections when Putin won the most votes in both cities.
Sunday's Russian presidential election was criticised by many western governments for not being free or fair.
Anti-mosque banner put up in Klagenfurt
A large banner saying "No mosque in Klagenfurt" was put up by unknown people in front of the Carinthian state government building on Sunday, Kurier news site reported.
Passers-by alerted the police, who arrived at the scene after the demonstrators had already left, leaving only the banner and many flyers with negative comments about Islam.
The banner was part of a protest against the planned opening a mosque in the city in southern Austria.
New measures against anti-Semitism online
Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP), Austria's Constitutional Minister, and Oskar German (IRG) from the Israelite Religious Society of Austria have introduced a plan to tackle anti-Semitism online, reported ORF.
They aim to work closely with internet platforms and search engines to make the internet safer, and emphasise the need for society to unite against online hate.
The plan includes 15 points, such as organising a summit to collaborate with online platforms and integrating them into government initiatives. They also aim to develop AI systems to detect and combat anti-Semitic content online.
A report in April last year revealed just how widespread anti-Semitism is in Austria.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who is Austria's far right figure head banned across Europe?
Natural gas discovered in Upper Austria
A significant amount of natural gas has been found in Upper Austria, near the municipality of Molln, at a depth of over 1400 meters, reported Die Presse. The discovery was made during test drilling by ADX Vie GmbH, a subsidiary of an Australian exploration company.
The gas deposit needs further evaluation, but it's believed to contain 24 billion cubic meters of natural gas, which could provide 270 TWh of energy. This perspective is significant as Austria uses 96 TWh per year. Since the nature conservation permit for the boreholes expires on 31 March, the necessary tests will be postponed until autumn, and the drilling rig will be dismantled in the meantime.
Environmental groups like Greenpeace, the Alpine Club, and the Nature Conservation Union are against the test drilling and have filed a complaint against it.
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] or leave a comment below.
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Putin did not win the 'election' among Russians in Austria
At both the Russian embassy in Vienna and the consulate general in Salzburg, most Russians voted for Vladimir Putin's opponent Vladislav Davankov from the New People Party last Sunday, reported Die Presse.
Davankov earned 43.50 percent of the votes in Vienna and 52.68 percent of the votes in Salzburg.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin who was "elected" as president again on Sunday received 33.98 percent of the votes in Vienna and 21.09 percent in Salzburg. This is different from the 2018 elections when Putin won the most votes in both cities.
Sunday's Russian presidential election was criticised by many western governments for not being free or fair.
Anti-mosque banner put up in Klagenfurt
A large banner saying "No mosque in Klagenfurt" was put up by unknown people in front of the Carinthian state government building on Sunday, Kurier news site reported.
Passers-by alerted the police, who arrived at the scene after the demonstrators had already left, leaving only the banner and many flyers with negative comments about Islam.
The banner was part of a protest against the planned opening a mosque in the city in southern Austria.
New measures against anti-Semitism online
Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP), Austria's Constitutional Minister, and Oskar German (IRG) from the Israelite Religious Society of Austria have introduced a plan to tackle anti-Semitism online, reported ORF.
They aim to work closely with internet platforms and search engines to make the internet safer, and emphasise the need for society to unite against online hate.
The plan includes 15 points, such as organising a summit to collaborate with online platforms and integrating them into government initiatives. They also aim to develop AI systems to detect and combat anti-Semitic content online.
A report in April last year revealed just how widespread anti-Semitism is in Austria.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who is Austria's far right figure head banned across Europe?
Natural gas discovered in Upper Austria
A significant amount of natural gas has been found in Upper Austria, near the municipality of Molln, at a depth of over 1400 meters, reported Die Presse. The discovery was made during test drilling by ADX Vie GmbH, a subsidiary of an Australian exploration company.
The gas deposit needs further evaluation, but it's believed to contain 24 billion cubic meters of natural gas, which could provide 270 TWh of energy. This perspective is significant as Austria uses 96 TWh per year. Since the nature conservation permit for the boreholes expires on 31 March, the necessary tests will be postponed until autumn, and the drilling rig will be dismantled in the meantime.
Environmental groups like Greenpeace, the Alpine Club, and the Nature Conservation Union are against the test drilling and have filed a complaint against it.
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] or leave a comment below.
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