Dominik Födinger, a senior physician specialising in anaesthesia and intensive care at Salzkammergut Klinikum Vöcklabruck and medical director of the Vöcklabruck emergency medical service, said hornet stings were often described as more painful but were not inherently more dangerous.

Healthy people usually experience swelling, pain and redness after a sting. The affected area should be cooled and kept still. Antihistamines may help if itching occurs, Födinger said.

People with an insect venom allergy may initially develop severe itching or hives. The reaction can then lead to serious circulatory and breathing problems.

Anyone experiencing a severe allergic reaction should call emergency services immediately rather than wait, Födinger said. Oral medication may not work quickly enough in such cases, which may require adrenaline from an EpiPen or emergency medical personnel. “Time is a crucial factor,” he said.

According to media reports, the 32-year-old who died in Mettmach was allergic and did not have his adrenaline pen with him. His life could not be saved despite the rapid arrival of an emergency doctor.

Födinger said the incident did not change the fact that hornet stings were usually harmless for healthy people and that the widespread fear of hornets was not consistent with the actual medical risk.

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The exact source of the infections remains unclear. Three patients have died since the outbreak began on July 20.

Authorities have so far sent 190 water samples to the Agency for Health and Food Safety. About three quarters have already been examined and evaluated.

Experts found several Legionella variants in a water sample from a cooling tower at a Linz AG cooling facility, including Legionella pneumophila of the Allentown subtype. The same subtype was also detected in three epidemiologically linked cases.

However, the genetic analyses available so far do not provide conclusive evidence that the cooling facility was the source of the infections. Further tests are still pending. Linz AG said the drinking water supply was not affected.

The facility is located on the roof of Linz AG’s power grid building. It has since been cleaned and disinfected, and its water has been replaced. On Monday, Linz AG also switched the facility to dry operation, which was possible because of the current temperatures.

Legionella bacteria can multiply in water. According to the Agency for Health and Food Safety, the main risk arises when contaminated water droplets or aerosols are inhaled. This can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia.

Milder infections without pneumonia are also possible. Known as Pontiac fever, they usually clear up on their own within a few days, according to the agency. People with weakened immune systems, chronic lung diseases and smokers face a higher risk of severe illness.

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Gruber described the federal government’s 240 million euro drought aid package for agriculture as the right decision at the right time. He said it was fair that all farmers would benefit from reduced social insurance contributions because virtually every farm was affected. The state of Carinthia is contributing a total of one million euros towards insurance premiums.

Gruber said there was still potential for savings in the state budget, including at district administrative authorities. Reform proposals for those offices are due to be presented in the autumn.

He called SPÖ Governor Daniel Fellner’s statement that private care-home operators should no longer be allowed to make profits irritating. “That makes it appear that profits are something immoral,” Gruber said, arguing that profits were essential in economic life and for securing jobs. If private operators withdrew suddenly, he said, thousands of people in need of care could be left without accommodation.

Gruber continued to defend the public buyback of Klagenfurt Airport, despite a decline in passenger numbers in the first half of the year. He blamed the federal air transport levy for creating a major competitive disadvantage and cited the reduction in Vienna connections by Auer as a second problem.

“Airports are not just about generating passengers, but about generating income and the operating result at the end of the day,” Gruber said. He added that the airport was important infrastructure and should continue to receive public funding and support.

Gruber said the transfer of the SPÖ leadership from Peter Kaiser to Fellner had required an adjustment. “Daniel Fellner is not Peter Kaiser, but it will work,” he said. Gruber added that he could also envisage another coalition with the SPÖ after the next election.

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Most of the affected birds were blackbirds and had lost many feathers. Tests by the Institute for Fish and Wildlife Health at the University of Bern confirmed the suspected infections.

Infected blackbirds appear very ill, no longer flee from people and usually die within a few days. Symptoms can include neurological problems, staggering and twisting of the head. The disease is also known as blackbird mortality.

The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and mainly infects songbirds, especially blackbirds. Other birds, including owls, can also become ill. Humans can contract the virus, but severe disease is rare, according to experts at the University of Bern. Transmission from birds to humans is not possible.

In the past two weeks, five birds from five different Swiss cantons were tested at the Bern institute, and all tested positive. Simone Pesano, the institute’s co-head, said this amounted to an accumulation of cases. Sergio Wellenzohn of the Graubünden Office for Hunting and Fisheries said there had been reports and confirmed cases in many Swiss cities.

The last Swiss epidemic occurred about two years ago, Pesano said. The virus was first detected in Central Europe in the early 2000s, while a larger outbreak was recorded in Zurich in 2006. Since then, local and regional outbreaks have occurred repeatedly. The virus appears only during the warmer half of the year, with temperature and humidity influencing mosquito numbers.

There is little that can be done to stop the disease among birds. Dead birds should be disposed of, preferably at a carcass collection centre, and handled with gloves. If a bird is still alive but remains apathetic, Wellenzohn recommends waiting. If it is still there after 24 hours, people can contact the nearest wild bird station or wildlife authorities.

People can reduce mosquito breeding by emptying standing water from plant saucers. Wellenzohn said such water provides a good breeding ground for the mosquitoes that transmit the disease.

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According to police, he wore an FFP2 mask, threatened an employee with a pistol and demanded cash. He was handed a sum in the lower five-figure euro range before escaping.

Police launched a large-scale search, and the suspect was stopped and arrested a short distance from the crime scene, police spokesman Markus Dittrich said.

Officers recovered the stolen cash and the weapon, which was identified as a blank-firing pistol. The Vienna State Criminal Police Office is continuing the investigation. The suspect’s identity was initially unknown.

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The Miesbach stream has not dried up or disappeared. However, it was no longer searchable under its traditional name, despite the town being named after it.

Miesbach city councillor Markus Baumgärtner said the error was already recorded in 2014 in the water register of the Bavarian State Office for the Environment. The incorrect name apparently spread from there to online mapping services and Wikipedia. The Thalerbach is actually only a small stream that flows into the Miesbach farther upstream.

Baumgärtner joined forces with city curator Alexander Langheiter and regional residents to investigate the name. Langheiter has been seeking an official correction since 2024, speaking with families who have long lived beside the stream. They said they were also surprised that it had suddenly been given another name.

City councillor and software developer Bernhard Hering later joined the effort, tracing how the incorrect information had spread online. He said internet mapping services were interconnected and often copied information from one another. Over three months, he corrected the entries on Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap and Google Maps. Horst Garstka supported him with the OpenStreetMap changes.

The correct name is now also recorded in the Bayernatlas, and the Miesbach officially flows through the town again. Baumgärtner said the Thalerbach is only 30 to 40 centimetres wide.

The team also established the name of another tributary. The stream had been listed online only as Bacherl, but conversations with residents near its source confirmed that it is called the Erlbach. That name has also been officially restored.

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The man had placed a piece of wood about 30 centimetres high on the splitter’s support table. When he pressed the foot pedal, the splitting wedge lowered and struck his right hand.

Neighbours immediately alerted emergency services. After receiving first aid, the man was taken to LKH Graz hospital. His current condition is not known.

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The association said this was its fourth complaint against the company. The St. Pölten Regional Court had previously dealt with the case, and proceedings against the farmer ended in 2023 with a diversion. The group now alleges that he continues to work in the barn and mistreat animals despite the ban.

According to the association, anonymously provided photographs and videos show the farmer brutally pulling a goat by its horns over a pen wall, while another person repeatedly strikes animals. The farmer’s wife declined to comment to ORF.

The association also alleged that cattle were left standing in pools of liquid manure, while extremely thin sheep and goats were inadequately fed and at risk of starving. It said a significant number of animals may have died at the farm.

The St. Pölten district authority confirmed that it had received a complaint of animal cruelty. It said the farm was most recently inspected by veterinary officials on August 12. The authorities ordered the immediate correction of identified deficiencies, began administrative penalty proceedings and said compliance would be monitored. Further regular inspections are planned.

Lower Austria regional councillor Susanne Rosenkranz of the Freedom Party called for the farm to be closed immediately. She said this was difficult because about 1,000 animals would have to be accommodated at once and federal law currently lacked the basis for an immediate animal keeping ban.

Rosenkranz said bans should take effect quickly and effectively, noting that the farmer was already subject to a ban and that a ban had also been threatened against his wife. The family’s daughter is reportedly currently caring for the animals.

Rosenkranz also called for minimum and maximum penalties for animal cruelty to be significantly increased. The association’s petition calls for more frequent inspections, higher maximum penalties and greater public transparency about acute animal welfare violations.

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Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner said the upgraded armoured fleet would strengthen the armed forces’ capabilities in areas important to Austria’s military defence. She said the handover made the government’s “Development Plan 2032+” visible.

The modernisation programme began in 2023. The vehicles are being taken to Vienna and Munich in stages for refurbishment, with the aim of ensuring their operational capability over the long term. The upgrades include changes to the running gear, turrets, armament, crew stations and communications systems.

The Leopard 2A4 tanks are receiving new components to replace outdated equipment, while their night-fighting capability is being restored. The turret hydraulics are also being replaced with an electric drive. The Armed Forces have budgeted 305 million euros for this work.

The Ulan vehicles are undergoing extensive refurbishment, including the replacement of optical and electronic components, renovation of the electrical system and replacement of running-gear components. The work is expected to cost about 460 million euros.

The Leopard is the main weapons system of Austria’s armoured forces. It has powerful main armament, a crew of several people and a strong drive system. The Ulan is the combat vehicle used by Austria’s armoured infantry and is equipped with an onboard cannon. It can carry an infantry group in addition to its crew.

The project was initially presented in 2023 with an estimated cost of 560 million euros. Michael Bauer, a spokesperson for the Armed Forces, confirmed that the costs had since increased. He said additional simulators had been included, the repair effort could not initially be assessed precisely and inflation also had to be taken into account.

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Two thirds of respondents said they use social media every day, while 90 percent use it at least occasionally. The rise in daily use is mainly linked to increased use among older people.

Social video platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok are used much more frequently than text-based platforms such as Threads and X. Entertainment is the main activity, but more than half of social media users also consume news there. Many also use the platforms to shop or research products.

Occasional use of artificial intelligence has doubled since 2024, rising from 40 percent to 80 percent of respondents. Almost one third of the population uses AI every day. Daily use is highest among men aged 15 to 24, at 52 percent.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is by far the most widely used AI service, with almost twice as many users as Google’s Gemini or Microsoft’s Copilot. Anthropic’s Claude and Meta’s AI tools are used by about 10 percent, while the European service Mistral is used by 3 percent.

The main uses of AI remain editing texts, translation and searching for information. Almost 40 percent of respondents use chatbots for sales advice, compared with 6 percent two years ago.

The Digimonitor does not measure the amount of time people spend using social media. It records whether services are used daily, weekly or occasionally. The study therefore does not rule out the possibility that people continue to use social media every day while spending less time on it.

The study is commissioned annually by the Interest Group for Electronic Media and conducted by WEMF through an online survey. Nearly 2,000 internet users aged 15 to 75 from across Switzerland are selected to represent the population. The survey asks about the frequency of use of services and technologies and also records information such as gender, age, education and employment.

The study’s findings also rely on respondents remembering their own behaviour. SRF reported that a separate study last year found that almost 40 percent of Swiss people viewed social media as burdensome and feared its negative effects. That increasingly critical attitude has not yet produced a measurable decline in use.

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