Austrian leaders are weighing their words after the US attack on Venezuela, and a cold wave could bring temperatures down to -20C – plus more stories from Austria on Monday.
Austrian parties split on how to describe US attack on Venezuela
Austria’s main parties have used noticeably different language to react to the US attack on Venezuela and the reported abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, according to Der Standard.
US President Donald Trump has said he wants to lead the country and take over its oil reserves.
Chancellor Christian Stocker called for de-escalation while referring to “developments” in Venezuela and stressing that international law and the UN Charter must be respected, the report said. Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger described a “military escalation” and urged restraint, without directly naming the US.
Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler was more direct. “I condemn the armed attack by the USA on Venezuela,” he wrote, calling it a serious violation of the UN Charter’s ban on the use of force.
Cold wave to grip Austria with lows of up to -20C
Austria is set for several days of severe cold, with lows in some areas dropping to around -20C, according to ORF. GeoSphere Austria has issued a weather warning for western and southern parts of the country, while temperatures are expected to rise again by Friday.
ORF reports that polar air is being pushed into Austria by a large low-pressure system centred over the Baltic Sea. In the nights leading into Monday and Tuesday, temperatures could fall to around -10C even in some lowland areas, including parts of Innviertel, Weinviertel and the Rhine Valley.
In the Alps, early temperatures of around -20C are expected in places such as Tannheimertal, Defereggental and Lungau, with daytime temperatures in lowland areas expected to stay between about -8C and -5C. An expert cited by ORF warned that “at such temperatures, a night outdoors can be life-threatening,” and pointed to cold-weather support hotlines.
Study warns tiger mosquitoes are becoming resistant to key insecticides
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A Europe-wide study has found growing resistance in Asian tiger mosquitoes to pyrethroid insecticides, which are described as crucial for controlling adult mosquitoes, according to Kurier. One of the co-authors works at an insect pest control laboratory run by the FAO and IAEA in Vienna, Kurier reports.
Asian tiger mosquitoes have been recorded increasingly often in Austria in recent years, with 23 districts listed in 2022 and 29 districts in 2024. The wider Graz area is seen as particularly affected, and the insects are overwintering in Vienna and Linz, which indicates an established population.
The resistance mutations remain relatively rare on average across Europe, but that there are hotspots. The 1534C mutation is reported at sites in several countries at rates from 1.5 percent to 84 percent, with particularly high levels noted in Cyprus and Greece.
Hand grenade found near Vienna synagogue was not live, police say
A police operation took place in Vienna’s Leopoldstadt district after a hand grenade was found near a synagogue in Tempelgasse, according to vienna.at. Police said the device was in a bag left in a building entrance opposite the synagogue.
The bomb disposal service removed the grenade, and police later determined that there was no explosive material inside and that the detonator was not functional. The area had been cordoned off because an acute danger could not initially be ruled out, the report said.
Vienna police said there was no direct link to the synagogue and no indication of an antisemitic motive based on the information available so far. The State Security and Extremism office was informed and investigations are ongoing.
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What’s happening in Austria today
Austria’s federal parliament has no plenary sitting scheduled today. The Nationalrat work plan shows the next round of committee meetings starting on January 7th, with the first planned plenary sitting on January 21st.
Several authorities have special arrangements today ahead of the January 6th public holiday. In Tyrol, district authority citizen service counters are due to run an extended office day, with doors open 7.30am to 12pm and 1pm to 6pm. In Vienna, Standesamt counter hours are restricted, with Standesamt Wien-Hietzing listed as open, while the Schlichtungsstelle linked to the municipal housing commission process is listed as closed, and Salzburg’s Wohnberatung is also closed and not reachable by phone.
Several deadlines and releases fall today. The Agriculture, Climate and Environment Ministry has two consultation procedures with submission deadlines today, while Statistik Austria lists four economy-linked publications due, covering public cash data and advance VAT return statistics.
Travellers and residents should also plan for disruption and extreme cold. ÖBB warns of timetable changes and delays on westbound routes due to Deutsche Bahn works in the Rosenheim area, with delays of around 15 to 25 minutes expected today and tomorrow during a 5am to 1pm window, and some stops potentially skipped.
In Vienna, U6 trains towards Floridsdorf do not stop at Tscherttegasse, while Graz and Innsbruck remain on holiday timetables through January 6th, and IVB lists evening diversions from 5pm on some lines due to Bergsilvester set-up and dismantling.
GeoSphere warnings include yellow cold warnings for Vienna, Salzburg and Graz today, and orange cold warnings for Innsbruck and Bregenz, while avalanche information for Salzburg flags an unchanged situation and urges caution around wind-drifted snow at higher elevations.
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Vocabulary
das Völkerrecht – international law
die Deeskalation – de-escalation
die Kältewelle – cold wave
die Tigermücke – Asian tiger mosquito
die Handgranate – hand grenade
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles, or news tips for The Local, you can contact us at news@thelocal.at or leave a comment below.
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