Category: General Interest

Not good news for car and motorcycle drivers: many things will also become more expensive in 2023. The ARBÖ club clarifies what costs come to drivers. It will not be possible to drive away from inflation in the coming year: The first increase in the CO2 tax, which was introduced on October 1, will take effect on January 1. This means the tax will be raised from 30 euros per ton to 32.50 euros. Initially, an increase to 35 euros was even planned. But due to the high fuel prices,…

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The flu epidemic has not suppressed Corona. The numbers are rising again, and after BA.5, the BQ.1 subvariant is now dominant. After a relatively quiet start to the winter, corona numbers are slowly but steadily beginning to rise again. But not only that, there’s a blowout to report at the top. The previously dominant BA.5 variant has been successfully ousted. Instead, the BQ.1 lines have “quickly picked up speed,” as molecular biologist Ulrich Elling reports on Twitter. He said that BA.5, together with variant daughter BF.7, now account for only…

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Growth collapses in the first quarter of 2023 after the decline in the fourth quarter of 2022. When will Austria’s economy start growing again? Will energy prices continue to rise? And is Europe still competitive? WIFO head Gabriel Felbermayr answers these questions in an interview in the latest newsletter of “Österreich isst informiert” – an initiative of the Austrian food industry. Nestlé CEO Cédric Boehm also talks about dealing with increased raw material prices, the energy crisis and climate-friendly packaging. As Director of WIFO, Gabriel Felbermayr assumes that Austria will…

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Bad news for (almost) all gas customers. The network fees will increase in eight of nine federal states already from January 1, 2023, in some cases significantly. The gas network fees, set annually, will rise as of January 1, 2023, for an average gas-heated household in all federal provinces except Tyrol. This was decided accordingly by the Regulatory Commission of E-Control. Depending on the area, network charges account for less than 20 percent of the total gas bill, with the remainder accounted for by the cost of gas delivery and…

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What to do if you are not satisfied with the Christmas gift? The VKI clarifies exchange, right of withdrawal, warranty and guarantee. Not all Christmas gifts cause great joy to the recipient: Be it a piece of clothing in the wrong size, a technical device that gives up the ghost shortly after unpacking, or even a gift that simply does not please. What options do consumers have if something goes wrong with the gift? Manuela Robinson, head of the advice department at the Association for Consumer Information (VKI), provides information…

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This weekend, it will be bitterly cold in Vienna. According to the European weather model ECMWF, temperatures are supposed to rattle into the cellar on Sunday in the middle of the night. The ice whip strikes hardest in the north of the federal capital and around Korneuburg (Lower Austria). Here, up to -13 degrees are expected around 5 a.m.; negative double-digit temperatures remain from Floridsdorf through the Wienerwald districts. Even in the “warm” south around Leopoldsdorf, it is still -7 degrees. During the day, it is supposed to continue frosty…

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Sometimes it’s icy cold; then, it’s plus degrees again. Black ice, in particular, can cause dangerous situations for drivers time and again in winter. Here’s what to watch out for in black ice. Temperatures are fluctuating at the moment. Anyone on the roads, whether by car, bicycle or on foot, is challenged at all times. Weather experts distinguish between black ice, where the road is already wet when it gets cold and black ice, where the cold comes first and only then the wet. “Black ice, in particular, repeatedly causes…

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A new ÖBB night train runs daily from Vienna Central Station to Genoa and even further to La Spezia. ÖBB sent the first night train from Vienna to Genoa on Sunday evening. The Nightjet now runs daily and departs from the central station in Vienna at 19:18. Scheduled arrival in Genova Piazza Principe is at 09:38; it also continues to La Spezia. Return is at 19:50 from Genoa, with scheduled arrival at 08:52 in Vienna. The Nightjet, which currently connects Munich and Milan, will also be extended to Genoa and…

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We must be prepared for more and more periods of illness in the winter months. Especially when there is an increase in colds, flu infections, and corona. This year’s flu wave is already picking up speed. At the beginning of December, more and more infection figures were reported. In Vienna, you can get a free flu vaccination since November 2. But what if you are already sick? What is the difference between the corona, flu, or cold symptoms? How to distinguish between corona, flu, and a coldSymptoms of corona: Here’s…

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