Category: General Interest

The Omicron wave is rolling on and has now reached a first, sad, milestone. The new Corona variant is already the dominant one in Vienna, as the office of Vienna’s city health councillor Peter Hacker (SPÖ) toldthe daily newspaper “standard”. So over the Christmas holidays, Omicron prevailed over Delta. As recently as Tuesday, there were 266 active cases in the federal capital. On Sunday, there were already 552 current Omicron infected. An increase of more than 100 percent. According to Hacker’s office, this trend was observed in the area of…

Read More

Every year the garbage collection comes again. For MA48, Christmas is not a holiday, but a working day. Around 900 employees are on duty and take care of the full garbage garbage cans. There is a lot to do. The gifts have been distributed, and the guests have been sent home. But gray boxes, red wrapping paper and golden bows remain. They decorate the waste garbage cans of the Viennese. “At Christmas time, there is about ten percent more volume in the garbage cans,” said Nicole Puzsar from MA 48…

Read More

British researchers have tracked down a new symptom that has emerged in connection with infections with the Omicron variant. This sign might be particularly noticeable over the Christmas holidays: If one has eaten less than usual of the Christmas dinner, she may have already contracted the pathogen. Not much is known yet about the new Omicron variant, but scientists now seem to have uncovered another mystery. That’s because the mutation makes itself known through a symptom that had not been noticed in previous variants. Many patients with an Omicron infection…

Read More

They are probably the most popular dishes at Christmas or on New Year’s Eve: raclette or fondue. And in Austria, too, the dishes, which actually originate from Switzerland, are often served. But now the German Robert Koch Institute warns: The risk of infection during the fun table cooking is not to be underestimated … According to a recent survey, raclette is on the Christmas table for just under one-fifth of Austrians. But now Germany’s health watchdogs are warning against the communal festive feast. But anyone who now thinks of the…

Read More

We know that the best way to prevent a hangover is not to start drinking in the first place. But even if you have had one glass too many, it doesn’t have to mean a thick head: With our tips you are well prepared before, during and after the New Year’s Party. planning is everything – Make sure you know how you’re going to get to and from the party beforehand. With a definite end in sight, it’s easier to control yourself – half an hour before you head home,…

Read More

Pope Francis addressed numerous international conflicts in his traditional message on Christmas Day before the solemn blessing “Urbi et orbi” (“To the city and the world”). Many people are affected by sometimes forgotten political crises, the pandemic and natural disasters, the head of the Church said. He stressed the importance of dialogue. The capacity for social relationships is being severely tested – there is a growing tendency to close oneself off, to want to do everything alone, the pope said. “People refrain from going out, meeting each other and doing…

Read More

Pope Francis officially kicked off Christmas celebrations at the Vatican with a festive Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Mass was held Friday evening with a limited number of participants, about 200 people, including 26 cardinals and 18 bishops, to protect against contagion. The 85-year-old pontiff presided over Christmas celebrations at the Vatican for the ninth time this year. The traditional Christmas Mass on Dec. 24 in St. Peter’s Basilica was moved up – as it was the previous year – and began at 7:30 p.m. In 2020, the Vatican…

Read More

Pope Francis will give his traditional blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (To the city and the world) this Saturday on Christmas Day. From the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, he also plans to proclaim his Christmas message to the faithful, according to the Holy See. With the blessing, the Pope remits to them the punishments for their sins. It is usually given at Easter and Christmas – and when a new pope has been elected. This year, the Corona pandemic is once again dominating Christmas celebrations at the Vatican. At the…

Read More

Fake police officers are currently calling victims indiscriminately and accusing them of crimes. In order to drop the accusations, they then demand money. A new scam is currently being detected: The scammers contact their victims by phone and accuse them of being involved in drug smuggling, identity theft and money laundering. As “evidence,” they send a document purportedly written by the Director General of Public Security, Dr. Franz Ruf. The scammers demand a payment of 2,000 euros in order to refrain from any further “investigations” against the victims. The callers…

Read More