In a provocative move, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced the closing of seven mosques and potential expulsion of 60 Turkish-funded imams one week before Muslim Eid celebrations.The move has been criticized as Islamophobic. A spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ibrahim Khalid, took to twitter to voice his government’s outrage: “Austria’s decision to close seven mosques and expel...
When Russian President Vladimir Putin touched down in Vienna with a 30-minute delay on Tuesday, the military guard of honor stood ready, waiting in the blistering heat in the courtyard of Vienna’s imperial palace.The red carpet was rolled out, framed with enormous Russian and Austrian flags and little box trees neatly lining the way.After being greeted at the airport...
Ahead of his state visit to Austria on June 5, the first since his reelection, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave ORF news anchorman Armin Wolf an exclusive interview.Over 52 minutes, the exchange tackled a wide array of topics, from Crimea to Syria, North Korea, the US elections and Russia’s relations with Europe – including hard-hitting questions and some tense...
I’m not in Ireland; I’m still in Austria, at a stop on Vienna’s annual citywide, city-sponsored walking tour called Routes.But for a moment before a cheery guide snaps me out of my trance — “Time to go to the next station, everyone!” — I’m convinced I’m at an open mic night in a Dublin pub, not the Schottenstift monastery...
My first home on the European continent was in Bratislava, Slovakia. The city was still run down in 1994, but as an 8-year-old ragamuffin, the chaos was fuel for the imagination. My brother and I climbed the cliffs along the banks of the Danube, playing pirates and burying treasures we’d gathered along the way. A few months in, my...
POPE FRANCIS IS NOW A LIFE-TIME MEMBER OF VIENNA’S SK RAPID WIEN FOOTBALL CLUBWhen in Rome, do as the Romans do – that’s what the players of Rapid Wien might have thought when the team visited the Vatican on May 25. After all, they had an audience with Pope Francis, who is originally from Argentina and now living in...
Vienna’s New Mayor Takes Over
Vienna’s new mayor, Michael Ludwig, (Social Democrats, SPÖ) has introduced the new city government, dubbing it his “forward-thinking team” and including four new members. According to Ludwig, the city’s administration now represents a “Viennese mélange of years-long experience and new faces.” The freshly nominated city councilors will be responsible for vital departments, namely Health and...
