An Austrian court has sentenced a 37-year-old mountaineer to five months in prison and a €94,000 fine for abandoning his partner during a storm on the Grossglockner, Austria's highest peak. Thomas Plamberger left Kerstin Gurtner alone on a ridge exposed to strong winds while he went to seek help at a nearby refuge. During the trial, it was revealed that Plamberger took their emergency equipment: a thermal blanket and a bivouac sack. The incident occurred in January 2025. According to the ruling, after a long day of climbing in adverse conditions, the couple was about 50 meters below the summit when the victim, exhausted and suffering from hypothermia, had to stop. The judge stated that while the defendant is an excellent mountaineer, Gurtner was not at his level, and they should have abandoned the expedition when they saw that the conditions were unsuitable for her. According to the prosecution, winds were blowing at up to 74 km/h and temperatures were around eight degrees below zero. Therefore, since Plamberger was a much more experienced climber than his partner, he had the responsibility to assess the situation and make a correct and safe decision. The defendant has been found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence, as he abandoned the victim without activating any rescue signal, even though a helicopter was circling the area. The man, who pleaded not guilty, told the court he was "terribly sorry," described his partner's death as a "tragic accident," and claimed they had planned the trip together. His lawyer argued that the victim was not inexperienced and knew what kind of climb they were undertaking. A former partner of the defendant who testified at the trial explained that he had abandoned her on a previous climb to the same peak. According to the statement, Plamberger disappeared suddenly when both were fatigued and dizzy, and did not return despite their shouts. Footage recorded from a helicopter showed the couple climbing, not in any risky or emergency situation. Mountain police did not activate a search operation, although they received a call in which it was unclear whether they needed rescue. They later tried to contact Plamberger, but he did not answer calls and messages, reportedly because he had activated airplane mode on his phone to save battery. The case has attracted international interest because it could affect legal liability in mountain sports. The sentence is not yet final and can be appealed.

Vienna, a cultural capital for lovers of music, history, and food. It's a well-rounded destination, now even more so in the autumn and Christmas season, which embraces the entire city, as it's surrounded by nature. From a gastronomic point of view, there are two crown jewels that command much of the attention: Schnitzel and Sacher Torte. Regarding the large sheet of glazed meat, it's important to remember that it's made everywhere, and for it to be properly cooked, the glaze must bubble and the meat must be very thin and uniform. This means that whoever prepared it pressed it firmly into the pastry. As for Sacher Torte, the chocolate cake with apricot jam, you can certainly eat it at the "official" bakery, which shares the same name and where they make 360,000 cakes a year, but the dessert can be found everywhere and in any of the city's charming cafes. I would prioritize trying it that way. Right next to Sacher, for example, is Gerstner KuK Hofzuckerbäcker, a good alternative. Another option is Conditorei Sluka, on the pedestrianized, shopping, and very central Kärntner Straße. Next door is the best I tried of them all: KuK Hofzuckerbäcker L. Heiner. A wonderful choice for trying a monumental strudel, or, if apple pie doesn't appeal to you, anything that catches your eye. Everything is exquisite. You could also be adventurous and try a Viennese pastry that comes in the shape of a cube, is pink, and has a maraschino cherry on top: the punschkrapfen. This was originally a dessert made from leftovers, often flavored with rum, and has since become a distinct character and a favorite among Viennese palates. If you've noticed, two KuKs have appeared. It's an acronym for... kaiserlich und königlich, which means "imperial and royal". It means they were official suppliers to the Habsburgs.

I'll allow myself to exaggerate, but this is surely the most famous meadow on the planet. I don't know of any others that manage to attract thousands of people every year. Just 40 minutes by train from Salzburg is the village of Werfen. If you get off at the station, you have to walk about 40 minutes and you'll arrive at the meadow, with stunning views of the Alps and the Hohenwerfen fortress in the background. One of the most famous scenes in film history was filmed here, that of Smiles and tears with Julie Andrews singing "Do-re-mi" to the children who end up dancing across the meadow.

At least eleven people were killed this morning in a shooting at the Borg vocational high school in Graz, Austria, according to the city's mayor, Elke Kahr. Children were killed in the attack, and 12 other people, students and teachers, were injured and were treated in the city's hospitals. The attack took place after shooting their classmates with two legally owned weapons, according to Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. In addition, 158 paramedics and 65 ambulances have been dispatched to the scene to treat the injured. Emergency services are acting with caution" and explained that some of the students and teachers have been taken to the Helmut List Concert Hall in Graz, where the students can be reunited with their families. The school and those "who have suffered injuries and immeasurable emotional distress." "What happened today affects us all: as individuals, as parents, and as a society. A school is a place of trust, security, and hope. The fact that this safe space has been so brutally vandalized is staggering," it was said.

The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) and the liberal party NEOS have finally reached a coalition agreement to form a government. After intense negotiations, the parties have achieved the agreement they were looking for to exclude the far-right party Freedom Party (FPÖ), which was the most voted party in the elections, from the executive. September 29 elections, with 28.8% of the vote. The far-right Herbert Kickl failed in his attempt to form a government with the conservatives.

The Austrian government has described this Sunday as an "Islamist attack" yesterday's attack saturday In the attack, a 23-year-old Syrian man stabbed several pedestrians in the street with a knife in the town of Villach, near the border with Italy and Slovenia. A 14-year-old boy died and five other people were injured. Following the attack, Austria's conservative Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced at a press conference on Sunday that mass controls would be carried out without prior reason on asylum seekers from Syria and Afghanistan, because they must be "closed" and "deported."

A 14-year-old boy died and four other people were injured on Saturday afternoon after a man stabbed them in the street in the Austrian town of Villach, about 350 kilometers south of Vienna, near the border with Italy and Slovenia. The attacker is a 23-year-old man of Syrian nationality who had a residence permit and has been arrested. The police do not yet know the motives for the attack and are investigating whether the attacker acted alone or had an accomplice and also whether he had any relationship with the victims. According to the APA news agency, the man had no criminal record.

A couple of weeks ago Marlene Engelhorn started making the headlines. Most of them were from Spanish and Italian media, so she had to resort to Google Translate to find out why her name was suddenly getting so much attention in southern Europe. "29-year-old rejects €4bn inheritance: why?", "The heiress who rejected €4bn: 'I don't want to be so rich'", "The young woman who renounces to an inheritance of over €4bn because she doesn't want to be so rich". None of these three statements, however, is true.

Cracks at the heart of the European Union (EU) over the immunisation campaign continue. Non-compliance and delays in the arrival of vaccines made by the different pharmaceutical companies are taking their toll on the always difficult unity of action of the 27. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced on Tuesday via his Twitter account that his country and Denmark will establish a partnership with Israel to "work closely on research and production of vaccines". Kurz and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen are scheduled to visit Israel on Thursday to discuss "an international corporation for the manufacture of vaccines," according to Reuters.