Category: Feature Stories

Christmas and New Year’s Eve were celebrated differently in 2020 – including spending more time on the phone and on the Internet.This is according to an analysis by telecommunications provider Drei, which compared data on voice telephony and data consumption, among other things, with Dec. 24/25 and Dec. 31/1 of the previous year. The results show that at both Christmas and New Year’s Eve, voice telephony increased by around a quarter (27 and 23 percent, respectively). Data usage was also significantly higher – at Christmas, Austrians consumed around 30 percent…

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Researchers have detected microplastics in commonly consumed shellfish. The small plastic particles were found in all the samples examined from different regions of the world. Mussels from the North Atlantic and the South Pacific are particularly contaminated. Vast amounts of plastic waste end up in the ocean. Mussels filter the water and thus also absorb tiny plastic particles. For their study in “Environmental Pollution,” researchers led by Martin Löder of the University of Bayreuth examined the pollution levels of the European blue mussel, the green mussel, the wavy carpet mussel…

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Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen promises a “better year” and wishes the people of Austria “the courage to dream.” The essential question for Van der Bellen is: “What future do we want to see?” Now is the time “when we have to look further” – “without being afraid to also think completely new, without being afraid to think too big,” the federal president said. “This year will be better” – that is what Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen promised in his New Year’s address on ORF, broadcasted on…

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Linz – It was already clear to the pollsters at the Linz-based Market Research Institute that climate change would not be top of mind at the turn of the year 2020/21 when they launched the latest survey. A year ago, concern about whether effective measures against climate change would be taken was still at the top of the list of worries among female Austrians (43 percent expressed great concern) and male Austrians (38 percent). “It was clear that this concern is overridden by Corona, however, today 39 percent of women…

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Austria – The new year will be different – also and especially when it comes to the pandemic. Vaccination will bring life closer to the way it used to be, even if the virus will remain part of everyday life. But there will also be changes at work, in pensions, in the health sector and at school. Mobility in Austria could also change this year. With the start of vaccination in retirement and nursing homes still in the old year, the circle of vaccinees will gradually expand in 2021. During…

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The start of 2021 worldwide was a different New Year’s Eve than usual because of the Corona pandemic. As usual, Sydney in Australia did start the new year with a colorful fireworks display in front of the Opera House, but this time no spectators were allowed. The situation was similar in New York’s Times Square. The European countries also celebrated the end of the year in a rather restrained manner. Parties and fireworks were canceled, naturally also the Vienna New Year’s Eve path. The fireworks at Sydney Harbour and Opera…

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Florian Krammer, a Styrian virologist working at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, believes that protection after vaccination against coronavirus lasts for several years. To be sure, Krammer says there are no established facts yet. “But from the antibody response that is seen now and the data that is available so far, that is over four months, I assume once that the protection from the vaccination already lasts for several years,” he said in an interview. Protects the lungsThe vaccines would protect the lungs and thus protect them very well from…

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On Sunday, 27. December 2020 marked the start of Corona vaccinations in Austria. Three retirees (83 to 93 years old) with pre-existing conditions who volunteered made the start. The fourth and fifth to be vaccinated were the head of the Covid ward at Vienna General Hospital and the head nurse at the retirement home in Maria Enzersdorf, Lower Austria. 9,750 doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine were received by Austria at the outset. In addition to Vienna, the symbolic first vaccinations were also carried out in all other federal provinces with…

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Several public holidays fall on a weekend in the coming year, but with a little planning you can still extend your vacation by a few days. How this works best, read here. Many hopes are pinned on the year 2021. Among other things, after the Corona year, many probably long for a journey without complications and restrictions. To what extent this will be possible is still written in the stars. However, it is certain that the valuable vacation days give more properly used. Several holidays fall in the upcoming year…

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