Prosecutors charge juvenile over Taylor Swift Vienna concert terror plot
German prosecutors have charged a Syrian juvenile in connection with a foiled terror plot targeting a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna last year.
Identified as Mohammad A, the suspect faces charges of supporting a foreign terrorist organisation. According to a statement from the prosecutor general on Friday, he allegedly assisted the would-be attacker by translating Arabic bomb-building instructions and facilitating online contact with a member of the Islamic State militia.
Police made multiple arrests over a suspected plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert in the Austrian capital's Ernst Happel Stadium, prompting the cancellation of all three of her shows there in August last year.
"Mohammad A has adhered to the ideology of the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) since April 2024 at the latest," the statement said.
"Between mid-July and August 2024, he was in contact with a young Austrian who was planning a bomb attack on a concert by singer Taylor Swift in Vienna."
Austria's coalition government earlier this month agreed on a plan to enable police to monitor suspects' secure messaging in order to thwart militant attacks, ending what security officials have said is a rare and dangerous blind spot for a European Union country.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce spark Swiftie fury after posing with 'MAGA' stars: 'Where is her self-respect?'
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have sparked a meltdown among her fanbase after they were seeing hanging out with the 'MAGA' co-hosts of 'Bussin' With The Boys'. The popular show is presented by former NFL players Will Compton and Taylor Lewan and earlier this week they posted a picture alongside the power couple. 'Confirmed: Taylor Swift is FOR THE BOYS,' they captioned the picture on social media. But the viral image has caused fury among Swifties, one of whom asked: 'Where the f*** is her self-respect?' Donald Trump appeared on 'Bussin With The Boys' ahead of last year's election and the ex-NFL stars were even given a shoutout during his victory celebrations. Dana White namechecked the podcast for helping propel Trump to victory over Kamala Harris. Back in 2023, Compton and Lewan were also seen shaking hands with the president at a UFC event. Now, Swift's decision to be pictured with the co-hosts has prompted a furious reaction on social media. 'You are who you surround yourself with,' one Swiftie wrote, while another accused the singer of having 'zero self-respect.' 'When ICE is abducting people from the streets , this is who she chooses to align herself with,' they said. 'Show me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are,' added another. Swift publicly endorsed Harris ahead of last year's election, while Trump has made clear his dislike for the singer. 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!' he wrote on social media last year before attacking her again in recent weeks. 'Has anyone noticed that, since I said "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT," she's no longer "HOT?"' the president wrote. Those comments have not been forgotten by her fans in the light of her picture with 'Bussin With The Boys'. 'The fact that she still associates with people who are MAGA when Trump himself has personally attacked her…. where the f*** is her self-respect,' one asked. 'Imagine being rich enough to make the world a slightly better place... then actively choosing to surround yourself with these thugs instead,' another added. 'What a waste.' Swift and Kelce have been together in Nashville over recent days, with the Chiefs star been hosting his annual 'Tight End University'. The singer even performed during the event, sending fans wild with a rendition of 'Shake It Off'. San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle, who hosts the event with Kelce, lifted the lid on her surprise cameo. 'Taylor could not have been kinder, more nice, and she was like, "I think it might be fun to go sing 'Shake It Off'". And we were like, "It'd be amazing. Twist my arm, Taylor, please,"' he said. Speaking to Fox News Digital , Kittle added: 'She was fantastic. For the venue that, I think, it was maybe 1,000 people, that was the loudest 1,000 people I've ever heard in my entire life. It was an incredible experience.'
Scottish Sun
14 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
RAF drone wiped out an IS jihadi on a motorbike after tracking him through Syria
The unmanned aircraft began tailing the motorcycle-riding fighter in Sarmada, near the border with Turkey DRONE STRIKE RAF drone wiped out an IS jihadi on a motorbike after tracking him through Syria Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN RAF drone wiped out an IS jihadi on a motorbike after tracking him through Syria, The Sun on Sunday can reveal. The Islamist terrorist was taken out by a Hellfire missile fired from the £24million Reaper drone. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 3 Tyrant Bashar Al-Assad fled to Moscow after rebel forces swept to power in Syria Credit: Alamy The unmanned aircraft began tailing the motorcycle-riding fighter in Sarmada, near the border with Turkey, after intelligence identified him as a 'known member' of IS. The Ministry of Defence told The Sun on Sunday in a statement: 'The Reaper's crew carefully tracked the terrorist on his motorcycle. "Having checked that there were no signs of civilians nearby who might be placed at risk, [they] conducted a successful engagement, striking the motorcycle and eliminating the terrorist.' Sources added the remotely-operated drone's crew were 'extremely careful' to wait for a 'gap' during the trailing of the terrorist. The took him out when no other traffic or pedestrians were within a clear radius of him. It is understood they had been monitoring him for 'some time' before firing the Hellfire missile at him. The June 10 strike was the second RAF drone hit on an IS member in Syria this year. In February — three months after tyrant Bashar Al-Assad fled to Moscow and rebel forces swept to power — another British drone pilot killed a member of the death cult in Aleppo. The UK has been fighting IS, also called Daesh, since 2014. The operation, codenamed Shader, saw the RAF conducting air strikes against the terror group in Iraq and later Syria. I fought ISIS in Syria & I know bloodthirsty thugs are plotting comeback after fall of Assad - Europe must be ready, says Brit fighter It has become one of the RAF's biggest operations in the last 25 years, with British pilots flying more than 10,000 sorties and striking more than 1,400 targets. UK jets have carried out a fifth of all air strikes by coalition forces, equivalent to the contribution by US pilots. Last year, former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace revealed that an IS terrorist had to be taken out by an RAF drone — because human rights laws prevented the SAS from seizing him. The Islamist, who was making biological weapons, was among several killed after snatch operations were ruled out. He was eliminated in a Hellfire missile blitz in 2022. Mr Wallace said lawyers told him the European Convention on Human Rights made it illegal to hand over any suspects to Syria due to the risk of torture. But they could also not be taken to Britain because there was no extradition treaty with the Assad regime.
The Sun
15 hours ago
- The Sun
RAF drone wiped out an IS jihadi on a motorbike after tracking him through Syria
AN RAF drone wiped out an IS jihadi on a motorbike after tracking him through Syria, The Sun on Sunday can reveal. The Islamist terrorist was taken out by a Hellfire missile fired from the £24million Reaper drone. 2 The unmanned aircraft began tailing the motorcycle-riding fighter in Sarmada, near the border with Turkey, after intelligence identified him as a 'known member' of IS. The Ministry of Defence told The Sun on Sunday in a statement: 'The Reaper's crew carefully tracked the terrorist on his motorcycle. "Having checked that there were no signs of civilians nearby who might be placed at risk, [they] conducted a successful engagement, striking the motorcycle and eliminating the terrorist.' Sources added the remotely-operated drone's crew were 'extremely careful' to wait for a 'gap' during the trailing of the terrorist. The took him out when no other traffic or pedestrians were within a clear radius of him. It is understood they had been monitoring him for 'some time' before firing the Hellfire missile at him. The June 10 strike was the second RAF drone hit on an IS member in Syria this year. In February — three months after tyrant Bashar Al-Assad fled to Moscow and rebel forces swept to power — another British drone pilot killed a member of the death cult in Aleppo. The UK has been fighting IS, also called Daesh, since 2014. The operation, codenamed Shader, saw the RAF conducting air strikes against the terror group in Iraq and later Syria. I fought ISIS in Syria & I know bloodthirsty thugs are plotting comeback after fall of Assad - Europe must be ready, says Brit fighter It has become one of the RAF's biggest operations in the last 25 years, with British pilots flying more than 10,000 sorties and striking more than 1,400 targets. UK jets have carried out a fifth of all air strikes by coalition forces, equivalent to the contribution by US pilots. Last year, former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace revealed that an IS terrorist had to be taken out by an RAF drone — because human rights laws prevented the SAS from seizing him. The Islamist, who was making biological weapons, was among several killed after snatch operations were ruled out. He was eliminated in a Hellfire missile blitz in 2022. Mr Wallace said lawyers told him the European Convention on Human Rights made it illegal to hand over any suspects to Syria due to the risk of torture. But they could also not be taken to Britain because there was no extradition treaty with the Assad regime. 2
