Austria

Nine people died in avalanches over the weekend, when around 100 incidents have been reported, requiring 70 interventions; according to Tyrol authorities, the figure is "unprecedented" and the red warning for a heightened danger is expected to persist

34 years after his father Hubert Strolz, Johannes Strolz has won Olympic gold in the Alpine Combined in Beijing 2022 Games

The country will challenge the European Commission's decision to give a sustainable finance label to investments in nuclear power, as stated by the Environment Minister

The country is introducing a €1,7 billion package of measures to help households cope with rising energy costs, with one-off payments of €150 for unemployed people and households paying up to the maximum level of mandatory social security contributions

The Austrian Catholic Church reported a decline in membership, with the number of Catholics dropping by about 1,6%, from 4,91 million in 2020 to 4,83 million

Local Jewish associations have called for a criminal investigation into Austrian far-right leader Herbert Kickl for comments they say grossly trivialize the Holocaust, illegal in the country

Parliament has passed a law allowing assisted suicide for people with very serious or incurable illnesses, joining a wave of other EU countries moving towards legalisation

Right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ) MP Dagmar Belakowitsch caused outrage by claiming that hospitals were not filled with the unvaccinated, but with people who needed treatment because of vaccination damage

An avalanche in the Salzburg region killed three people of which two while skiing off-piste; in recent years, an average of about 20 people a year have been killed by avalanches in the country

Tens of thousands of Austrians gathered this weekend to protest against the government's introduction of compulsory vaccination - the first EU country to do so

The famous Christmas markets in Vienna started opening yesterday at various locations; other towns will follow suit

Vignettes 2022 - the toll windshield sticker needed to drive on most Austrian motorways - are available from this month at around 6.000 outlets across the country