Two convictions in Vienna terror plot targeting Taylor Swift concert

A Vienna court has convicted a 21-year-old man for plotting a terrorist attack targeting a Taylor Swift concert in August 2024. Beran A. was found guilty by a jury at the Regional Court of Wiener Neustadt and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He and a co-defendant, Arda K., who received a 12-year sentence, were also convicted for their involvement in attempted murder.

The plot involved planning attacks in Mecca, Istanbul, and Dubai. Beran A. reportedly manufactured the explosive TATP and attempted to acquire weapons for the Vienna attack, which was set to take place before the Ernst-Happel-Stadion. Authorities were alerted by an intelligence agency, leading to his arrest on August 7, 2024, one day before the first of three scheduled Swift concerts, all of which were subsequently canceled.

Separately, the article notes that a strike in the electro-technical industry was averted after employers and unions reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining contract. Wages are set to increase by up to 2.7 percent, with minimum wages and apprentice earnings rising by 3 percent. Additionally, a woman returning from Uganda has been transferred to a Vienna clinic due to suspected Ebola symptoms, with her transfer conducted under strict safety and hygiene protocols.