Tag Archives: Austria

The BBC reports: The US government is investigating a series of health incidents in the Austrian capital Vienna involving its diplomats and other administration staff. More than 20 officials have reported symptoms similar to Havana Syndrome – a mystery brain illness – since President Joe Biden took office in January. The syndrome is unexplained, but US scientists say it is …

The Associated Press reports: Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Wednesday said there was a financial link between the man who killed 50 people in mass shootings at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the far-right Identitarian Movement in Austria. Hansjoerg Bacher, spokesman for prosecutors in Graz, said Martin Sellner, head of the Identitarian Movement – which says it wants to …

Reuters reports: The Austrian capital Vienna has topped Mercer’s index of most liveable cities for the 10th year in a row. Known by tourists for its imperial past, gilded palaces and classical music, the city of 1.9 million is also nicknamed “red Vienna” for having long been run by the political left, with cheap public services and abundant social housing. …

The BBC reports: Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst says she is HIV positive, and has been receiving regular treatment for “several years”. The 29-year-old star said she had intended to keep the information private, but an ex-boyfriend had “threatened to go public”. “I will not give anyone the right to frighten me and influence my life,” she wrote on Instagram. “Coming …

This is GORGEOUS. ESC Today reports: Eurovision 2014 winner Conchita and dialect artist Ina Regen have interpreted Heast As Net (Don’t You Hear It), a song in Austrian dialect originally sung by popular folk musician Hubert von Goisern and his band Die Alpinkatzen. Heast As Net is a bittersweet song, about time that passes by, leaving only memories. Transitoriness and …

Deutsche Welle reports: Same-sex couples will be allowed to marry in Austria from 2019, according to a ruling by the country’s Constitutional Court announced on Tuesday. Same-sex couples in Austria have been able to enter only into “registered partnerships” since 2010, with nearly the same rights of married couples. But the court ruled that “the distinction between marriage and registered …

From the Facebook page of attorney Helmut Graupner: In a decision of 12 October just delivered, the Austrian Constitutional Court followed all my arguments and reversed its case-law (that segregation in marriage and registered partnerships is admissible.) I am representing five children (and their same-gender parents) arguing that the marriage ban stigmatizes the children as illegitimate and the families as …

The Washington Post reports: Austria became the latest European country to take a sharp turn right on Sunday, with the conservative People’s Party riding a hard-line position on immigration to victory in national elections and likely to form a government with a nationalist party that has long advocated for an even tougher stance. The result puts the 31-year-old foreign minister …

The Palm Beach Post reports: Patrick Park is an avid fan of “The Sound of Music.” You might say he’s obsessed with it. “Really, I’ve seen it like 75 times,” the concert pianist/industrialist said. “I know every single word and song by heart. I’ve always wanted to live in the Von Trapp house.” Well, if he can’t live there, at …

The BBC reports: Far-right candidate Norbert Hofer has lost Austria’s presidential election. On Facebook, he described himself as “infinitely sad” and congratulated Alexander Van der Bellen, former head of the Greens, on his victory. The elections had been seen as a sign of how well populist candidates might do in upcoming elections in the EU, though the post is ceremonial. …

Lost in all the hoopla about Steve Harvey’s big “oops” moment last night is that Miss Austria dressed as drag performer and Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst during the national costume portion of the Miss Universe pageant. Austria’s The Local reports: While not the bookies’ favourite, Amina Dagi has captured global attention with her witty and elegant rendition of Austria’s national …

Last month lawyers for five children of gay parents sued the Austrian government, saying that the children were being stigmatized because their parents could not marry. Today the Administrative Court in Vienna ruled against the children, saying in part that children of unwed parents no longer face much social criticism. The lawsuit was not supported by HOSI Wien, Austria’s main …

Austria’s The Local reports: Five Austrian children of same-sex parents are taking the government to court over Austria’s marriage laws, which don’t allow gay couples to marry. The children and their parents have taken their cases arguing for same-sex marriage to the Administrative Court in Vienna, and hope to change the law so that the children can become ‘legitimate’. Austria …

According to Austrian researchers, people who prefer bitter tasting things like black coffee have a higher propensity to be sadistic, selfish, vain, and manipulative. The Independent reports: In the study, led by Professor Christina Sagioglou from Innsbruck University in Austria, 500 men and women were shown a list of foods with equal numbers of sweet, salty, sour and bitter items. They …

Freedom To Marry may have already held its “going out of business” party, but founder Evan Wolfson still has marriage battles to fight. Via the Guardian: US embassies in Europe have invited an instrumental figure in the movement to legalize same-sex marriage to visit three countries where it is not yet legal. Evan Wolfson, founder of marriage equality campaign group …

The finals are Saturday. Competing right now in the second semi-finals round are 17 nations:  Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Iceland, Israel, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland. (Tipped by JMG reader Luis) UPDATE: Finalists chosen in this round: Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, Montenegro, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Israel.

The Eurovision Song Contest is often referred to as “Gay Christmas” and Vienna is getting ready to host the finals in two weeks. Via Reuters: Gay-themed traffic lights are getting Vienna into the mood for the annual Eurovision Song Contest, one of the world’s most popular kitsch cultural events which this year is being hosted by the Austrian capital. Dozens …

Sony Music is putting a strong marketing push behind Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst’s coming debut album. Via press release: Fans all around have waited for this moment and now they are rewarded accordingly. From power ballads to dance floor fillers, from Swing to Pop, the winner of 2014’s Eurovision Song Contest shows the full range of her talents on her …

Well, this is surprising. Via BBC News: Australia is to compete at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Organisers issued a one-off invitation as part of the contest’s 60th anniversary celebrations. “It’s a daring and at the same time incredibly exciting move. It is our way of saying let’s celebrate this party together!” contest supervisor Jon Ola Sand said. Australia will …

The official Eurovision channel looks back on the win of Conchita Wurst, arguably the venerable contest’s most popular winner in decades.