Smartphone Addiction: When the Handy Becomes a Drug

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Austrian psychiatrist Michael Musalek warns against trivializing excessive smartphone use—and argues that what many dismiss as a habit is, in fact, a genuine addiction. For many people, the smartphone has become an almost permanent extension of the hand. The constant scrolling, checking, refreshing—often performed automatically and with a hint of compulsion—has long been dismissed as a harmless quirk of modern life. But according to Vienna-based psychiatrist Michael Musalek, this behavior is anything but trivial. “Smartphone addiction is a real addiction,” he says. And the consequences, he warns, can be far…

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Winter Weather Halts Vienna Airport Operations, A21 Fully Closed

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Severe winter weather has disrupted transportation across eastern Austria, forcing Vienna International Airport to temporarily suspend all operations early Friday morning. Heavy snowfall and icy conditions made safe takeoffs and landings impossible, airport spokesperson Peter Kleemann confirmed. “From the current perspective, individual departures should be possible again from 9:00 a.m., with landings expected to resume around 10:00 a.m. However, delays are still to be expected,” Kleemann said. Passengers were urged to check directly with their airlines for the latest updates on flight status. “If connections have been canceled, we ask…

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Weekend Brings Snow First — Then a Taste of Spring

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Austria is in for a weather roller coaster: after a brief but intense return of winter, temperatures will rise quickly, bringing a distinctly springlike feel by the end of the weekend. Snow Warning as Winter Makes a Comeback A marked winter outbreak will deliver widespread snowfall on Friday, especially across eastern and southeastern Austria. According to Geosphere Austria, heavy snow is expected in the northeast and southeast during the morning hours. Precipitation will gradually ease in the afternoon, lingering the longest in the southeast and around the Arlberg region. Despite…

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Winter Blast Causes Traffic Chaos in Eastern Austria

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A powerful winter storm swept across Austria overnight, bringing the heavy snowfall that meteorologists had warned about. Large parts of the country woke up on Friday to several centimeters of fresh snow — with Vienna and Lower Austria particularly hard hit. In Vienna’s Donaustadt district and in St. Pölten, snow depths have already exceeded 15 centimeters. In Kornat, Carinthia, the situation is even more dramatic: snow levels have risen by more than 40 centimeters since Thursday. Roads Slippery, Public Transport Disrupted The significant amounts of new snow, combined with drifting…

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Severe Winter Outbreak: Snowstorm Rolling Toward the East

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A powerful Italian low-pressure system is set to dominate the weather on Thursday, bringing dense cloud cover and widespread winter conditions across much of the country. Precipitation will spread from the south into nearly all regions, with the initial snow line ranging between 400 and 1000 meters above sea level. As the afternoon progresses, colder air pushes in and the snow line drops significantly in all areas. The heaviest precipitation is expected during the morning along the southern Alpine regions and in the west, shifting gradually toward the northeast by…

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New Citizens: Austria Grants Record Number of Naturalizations in 2025

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Austria saw a sharp rise in naturalizations in 2025, according to new figures released on Wednesday by Statistik Austria. Around 25,000 people were granted Austrian citizenship last year—an increase of 14.6 percent compared with 2024. Two developments stand out: Vienna recorded the strongest growth, and nearly 10,000 new citizens live abroad. Large Share Without Austrian Residence Of the 25,000 naturalizations, 38 percent—exactly 9,583 people—do not reside in Austria. Most of them are descendants of victims of National Socialist persecution, who have a legal right to Austrian citizenship. Among those living…

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Pope Opens Lent With Ash Wednesday Mass and Call for Inner Renewal

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Pope Leo XIV marked the beginning of Lent on Wednesday with the traditional Ash Wednesday liturgy, urging Catholics worldwide to embrace a period of sincere spiritual renewal. The pontiff began the day at the Benedictine Abbey of Sant’Anselmo in Rome before joining the short procession to the nearby Basilica of Santa Sabina, where he blessed the ashes and traced the sign of the cross on the foreheads of the faithful. The rite of distributing ashes signals the start of the Lenten season for more than 1.3 billion Catholics around the…

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ESA Satellite Discovers Unusual Planetary System, Challenging Long‑Held Theories

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Astronomers have identified a distant planetary system whose unusual arrangement of worlds is forcing scientists to rethink long‑standing assumptions about how planets form. In our own solar system, the pattern seems straightforward: small, rocky planets orbit close to the Sun, while massive gas giants dominate the outer regions. For decades, researchers assumed this structure was typical across the galaxy. A newly examined system orbiting the star LHS 1903, located in the thick‑disk region of the Milky Way, now suggests otherwise. A System That Breaks the Rules In a collaborative European…

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Christians and Muslims Mark a Rare Overlap as Lent and Ramadan Begin in the Same Week

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In a rare convergence on the global religious calendar, Christians and Muslims around the world are observing Lent and Ramadan within the same week this year. The parallel timing has sparked interfaith conversations, community initiatives, and a renewed focus on shared values such as reflection, discipline, and compassion. A Season of Reflection for Christians Lent, a 40‑day period leading up to Easter, is one of the most significant seasons in the Christian tradition. It commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and invites believers to engage in…

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