The head of one of Europe’s most successful railroad companies has said he is convinced that Austria’s Federal Railways (ÖBB) has a future. Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) chief Andreas Meyer told Die Presse today (Fri) that “there might be synergies (in the next 20 years), but SBB and ÖBB will stay independent companies.” SBB is […]
The government’s debt brake bill might not become a constitutional law. Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann said today (Fri) he was ready to prepare a regular law instead of trying to add the debt limit to the constitution if the opposition kept refusing support. The coalition of SPÖ and the People’s Party (ÖVP) needs […]
The chancellor’s social media manager has justified the high costs of his cyber activities. Angelika Feigl said today (Fri) expenses were not just spent on Werner Faymann’s Facebook and Twitter accounts but also on a new homepage and a smartphone app. The Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) leader’s office informed the Freedom Party (FPÖ) earlier this […]
People’s Party (ÖVP) Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich has spoken out against plans to produce shale gas in Lower Austria. Large reserves of the substance may be located in rocks up to 6,000 metres below the surface in the north-eastern province of Lower Austria. Austrian oil and gas group OMV AG reportedly plans to carry out […]
Cars lacking eco-friendly engine systems should be kept out from Vienna form 2013, a Green Party official has suggested. Rüdiger Maresch said today (Fri) owners of cars with excessive carbon emissions could be blocked from entering the federal capital in less than two years by creating a new motorised traffic rules system. The Vienna Greens […]
People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter has intensified the increasing public budget path arguments by suggesting that young teachers should work more for less. The ÖVP vice leader said yesterday (Thurs) young people starting in the profession could do 27 instead of 21 hours a week. She told Die Presse that her plan was […]
Federal Railways (ÖBB) has defended the introduction of crash prices. A spokeswoman for the company said today (Fri) criticism of the latest move was “incomprehensible” since the customers would eventually benefit from it. ÖBB caused a stir by presenting a programme featuring 25,000 tickets for 15 Euros each for its western railway link connecting Vienna […]
A boy has ended up in hospital after his teacher encouraged him to jump over a fire whilst on a school trip. What began as a light-hearted solstice celebration ended with the 15-year-old being severely injured. The teacher from Rudolf-Steiner school in Vienna, Austria, reportedly encouraged Jakob to leap over a fire leaving him so […]
Three houses were broken into in Mils, Austria on Wednesday night by a burglar using a silent drilling technique. The specialist managed to break into each house whilst the residents slept stealing cash and iPods. The small village of Mils was victim to a spate of burglaries where the method resembled that of a thief […]
Doctors treating singer George Michael on the 13th floor of the Vienna AKH general hospital say his condition has worsened overnight. He was hospitalised on Monday after a doctor was called to his suite at the Hotel imperial in Vienna’s posh first district and diagnosed breathing difficulties. He was taken by ambulance to the city’s […]