Latest news with #AUF1
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
School dropout shoots nine dead in Austria
At least nine people were shot dead at a secondary school in the Austrian city of Graz by a former pupil. Several students and at least one adult were among those killed in the country's worst school shooting in living memory. The suspect was a 21-year-old man who had attended the school but had not graduated. He shot himself in the school toilets after the attack. Christian Stocker, Austria's chancellor said the shooting at BORG Dreierschützengasse high school marked a 'dark day in the history of the country'. Credit: AUF1 The victims included six females and four males, police said, but did not disclose their identities. A dozen more people were injured, several seriously. Local media reports suggested the suspect had been a victim of bullying when he attended the school. Gerhard Karner, the interior minister, said investigations into the suspect's background were ongoing, but did not comment on his identity or motives. The suspect used two guns, a shotgun and a handgun – both obtained legally – in the attack. At around 10am local time (9am BST), rounds of loud gunshots followed by screams were heard coming from the school, and the alarm began sounding. Credit: X / @d3miniic Dozens of police cars and ambulances were filmed racing to the scene, half a mile from the historic centre of Graz, as a police helicopter circled above. Officers, supported by Austria's elite 'Cobra' unit, combed through the school, evacuating the wounded and students and teachers who had barricaded themselves in classrooms. The wounded were taken to several hospitals in the area, and a mass casualty event was declared. At around midday, police announced that the school had been secured and the danger was over. 'This is a national tragedy that has hit us deeply,' said Mr Stocker. Declaring three days of national mourning, he said schools 'must remain places of peace'. Alexander Van der Bellen, Austria's president, said: 'This horror cannot be captured in words. These were young people who had their whole lives ahead of them, a teacher who accompanied them on their way.' Mark Nolden, 22, a student who lives near the school and knows some of the students, described the shooting as a 'huge shock' for the community. He told Kronen Zeitung, Austria's biggest newspaper: 'It's a situation like something out of a movie, above all the uncertainty.' Local media, citing unconfirmed witness reports, said the suspect was carrying a pistol and a shotgun and was found dead inside the school toilets. The Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper reported that he had purchased one of the guns only days ago. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said: 'Schools are symbols of youth, hope and the future. It is difficult to bear when schools become places of death and violence.' Sir Keir Starmer's 'thoughts are with everyone affected and the people of Austria', the Prime Minister's official spokesman said. Despite Austria having one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe – with an estimated 30 firearms per 100 persons – school shootings are uncommon. The country had only two mass shootings between 2000 and 2022. Machine guns and pump-action guns are banned, while shotguns, revolvers, pistols and semi-automatic weapons are allowed with official authorisation or a firearms licence. Four people were killed and 22 injured when a convicted jihadist went on a shooting spree in the centre of Vienna in 2020. The school shooting in Graz happened almost 10 years to the day after a driver deliberately rammed his car into people in the city centre before stabbing others. Alen Rizvanović, a Bosnian refugee, killed three people and injured more than 30. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Gulf Insider
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Austria In Shock After School Shooting Leaves 10 Dead, Dozens Injured
Austria is in mourning after the worst school shooting in the country's modern history unfolded on Tuesday morning in Graz. A 22-year-old former student of the BORG Dreierschützengasse opened fire shortly before 10 a.m., killing at least nine people and injuring at least 28 others before taking his own life in a school restroom. According to initial reports from Kronen Zeitung, the attacker used both a shotgun and a handgun during the rampage, which targeted two classrooms. Authorities confirmed that the gunman, a former pupil of the school, had recently acquired the weapons and may have been motivated by a long-standing grievance over bullying. Governor Mario Kunasek of Styria (FPÖ) expressed deep shock in a public statement, 'It is unbelievable what happened today in Graz. As governor and as a father, I am deeply saddened by this act of madness, which has brought so much disaster and incredible suffering. My thoughts are with the innocent victims, families, and teachers.' BREAKING: 🇦🇹‼️ At least 9 people are dead after a shooting rampage at a school in Graz, said they heard between 30 and 40 suspected shooter is believed to have locked himself in the toilet and then killed himself. — Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) June 10, 2025 Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker and members of the federal government traveled to Graz to address the nation. A press conference was scheduled for the afternoon to provide further details about the tragedy. The scene was rapidly secured by emergency responders, including the elite Cobra police unit. Authorities have since declared the situation safe, although the area around the school remained cordoned off for much of the day. Two care centers were set up to provide support for victims, families, and witnesses. 🇦🇹 Footage from the school during the mass shooting in Graz, gunfire can be heard throughout as students hid in classrooms. — Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) June 10, 2025 The Styrian hospital association KAGes confirmed that at least 28 people, including students and staff, were injured in the attack and are receiving treatment. Victims were distributed across multiple hospitals in Graz, with psychological care being extended to both families and medical personnel. Video footage circulated online shows the moment gunfire erupted inside a classroom, and additional clips depict emergency teams sweeping through the school with weapons drawn. Schrecklicher Anblick:🕯Tote Schüler auf Rettungstragen aufgereihtEin weiteres an AUF1 zugespieltes Video zeigt die erschütternden Szenen des Amoklaufs. Schüler filmten aufgereihte Rettungstragen, auf denen sich laut ihren Angaben teilweise auch Todesopfer des Schulmassakers… — AUF1 (@AUF1TV) June 10, 2025 Terrified students can be seen fleeing the building or waiting in shock as medics carry away the wounded.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Far-right outlets shake up Austrian media
When Herbert Kickl announced that he had failed to form Austria's first far right-led government, two wildly different narratives of the coalition negotiations emerged in the media. While traditional news outlets reported that disagreements over key posts and other issues led to the failure, influential new far-right channel AUF1 blamed a plot by the "global elite". Kickl's far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) topped Austria's national election in September for the first time, winning almost 29 percent of the vote in a boost to Europe's burgeoning far right. In January, the party was tasked by the president with leading coalition talks with the conservatives. But negotiations collapsed this month, and three pro-European parties have since resumed coalition talks. With the FPOe demanding new elections, its historic success has shone a spotlight on the Alpine country's fast-growing new alternative media. Known for spreading right-wing narratives and conspiracy theories, alternative news outlets have become increasingly popular in Austria, as they have in other European countries. "All media lie, only some lie more," one participant at a far-right rally told Austrian daily Der Standard when asked why he trusts alternative news more than traditional media. - 'FPOe media house' - The Freedom party -- led by Kickl since 2021 -- recently bundled all of its media channels into the single "FPOe media house". It comprises a successful YouTube channel, a newspaper, and TikTok and Facebook feeds. The YouTube channel alone has more than 230,000 subscribers and some 80 million views over the last three years. With a centrally managed media house, the far right hopes to expand its "enormous reach", FPOe secretary general Christian Hafenecker told a presentation in January. "We are truly present on all channels to provide the population with unfiltered and up-to-date information," he added. During the Covid-19 pandemic, several regional media channels like AUF1 and RTV gained popularity and have thrived since. "We were increasingly pushed into the right-wing corner because we reported on the protests" against the government's strict Covid measures, RTV managing director Christian Schott told AFP. "Whether it's Covid or climate change, we do our own research, because the mainstream (media) is bought," he said. AUF1, together with the smaller RTV, were the first outlets to interview Kickl after his party's election victory. - Emulating the 'Hungarian model' - Since the pandemic, AUF1 -- which like RTV has its roots in Upper Austria -- has become "a leading media outlet in the German-speaking conspiracy sphere," according to a government report. Its founder Stefan Magnet has close links to the FPOe. He was present when the far-right party signed a "cooperation pact" with Vladimir Putin's United Russia party in 2016. While AUF1 did not respond to a request for interview by AFP, another far-right media outlet, Info-Direkt did. The channel publicly targeted AFP after receiving a written request, publishing the questions on its website. Info-Direkt says it aims to address topics far-right voters are concerned about, including "population exchange, the sexual confusion of our children and climate hysteria", and "an end to war-mongering" in Ukraine. The channel accuses established media of spreading "fake news" and says it focuses on "patriotic" content. The FPOe's draft government programme included plans to cut funding to Austria's public broadcaster ORF, saying it was a symbol of "left-wing propaganda". According to media expert Daniela Kraus, head of the Concordia press club, the FPOe seeks to "strengthen the parallel media universe" while targeting those who are "not aligned with its ideology". Kraus also expressed concern about the "downward spiral of public discourse". Kickl has repeatedly praised Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a "role model". Orban's government has clamped down on and transformed Hungary's media landscape during his 14 years in power. "Orban has shown it's possible to create a real alternative. Why shouldn't we do the same?", Hafenecker said in January. ec-zk/anb-kym/tw
