ÖBB's busiest route severely affected by floods, repairs to take months
ÖBB board member Judith Engel has called the recent flood damage in Lower Austria "the damage of the century", Die Presse reported.
The new western railway line will remain closed for months, but a second track on the old line is expected to reopen by October 10th. Severe damage was found in the heavily flooded Atzenbrugg tunnel and Tullnerfeld station. Landslides and waterlogged tracks are also causing issues on the old line, with stabilisation efforts underway.
The total damage is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of euros. It affects Austria's busiest rail route, which normally handles 550 trains daily.
Salzburg cracks down on illegal short-term rentals
The city of Salzburg has intensified efforts to clamp down on illegal short-term rentals advertised on online platforms.
Officials are investigating unregistered listings, working to identify addresses and issuing fines for violations. Deputy Mayor Kay-Michael Dankl (KPÖ plus) highlighted that while registered landlords have been paying overnight stay taxes, many unregistered properties have gone unchecked, contributing to housing shortages in the city.
Authorities now employ detective work, using photos and customer reviews to trace illegal rentals. Even once identified, officials must catch tourists using the flats to issue fines. The public is encouraged to report any suspicious activity via a whistleblower platform.
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Klagenfurt residents boil tap water as contamination search continues
More than 100,000 residents in Klagenfurt have been instructed to boil their tap water after enterococci bacteria were found at several test points.
Drinking water must be boiled for at least three minutes before use. On Monday, bottled drinking water was distributed in the trade fair car park, and schools and kindergartens were being supplied.
The contamination was detected during a routine check, exceeding limits at seven locations. Despite clean water sources, the bacteria persist in the distribution network, and the search for the cause continues. Measures are being taken to eliminate the bacteria, including flushing the pipeline system.
Hacker attack targets centre-right ÖVP
On Monday, the centre-right party ÖVP confirmed that it had been the target of a hacker attack, specifically a DDoS attack, which was successfully repelled.
While most services have been restored, the Tyrolean People’s Party website remains temporarily offline. No data has been leaked, according to the party. In addition to Tyrol, the website of at least one other regional party was also affected.
DDoS attacks aim to overwhelm networks, causing temporary outages.
Vienna derby sparks Rapid's response with indefinite stadium bans
Rapid Vienna announced stadium bans following the incidents during Sunday's 343rd Vienna derby against Austria, when fights broke out between both teams' supporters.
The club is in contact with the Bundesliga, security services, and authorities, including the Vienna Provincial Police Directorate, to address the situation.
Those responsible for misconduct, such as setting off firecrackers, throwing pyrotechnics, or storming the pitch, will face indefinite bans from Allianz Stadium, potential nationwide stadium bans, and possibly revoked membership or annual tickets.
Rapid expressed regret over the incidents, noting that they have hosted nearly 125,000 spectators this season without major issues. The club is investigating how fireworks entered the guest sector despite heavy security. Austria Vienna has not officially commented but plans to address the situation before their upcoming match against Sturm Graz, Austrian media reported.
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