Austrian Prosecutors Charge Man in Swift Concert Plot

Austrian prosecutors on Monday filed terrorism-related charges against a 21-year-old man accused of plotting to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna last August. The suspect, identified by local media as Beran A., allegedly declared allegiance to the Islamic State group and prepared explosives and weapons for the assault on one of the singer's performances at Ernst-Happel Stadium.

According to a statement from Vienna public prosecutors, the defendant shared Islamic State propaganda materials and videos through messaging services to affirm his loyalty to the group. Prosecutors further alleged that he researched online instructions for building a shrapnel bomb using triacetone triperoxide, an explosive commonly associated with Islamic State attacks, and successfully produced a small quantity of it. The suspect also attempted multiple times to acquire illegal firearms abroad and smuggle them into Austria, authorities said. He faces charges including membership in a terrorist organization, manufacturing explosives and illegal weapons procurement, with a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The case will proceed in Wiener Neustadt, a town south of Vienna,...