Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann appealed to Israeli leaders to lift the Gaza Strip embargo as he met with the countrys Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday (Weds).Faymann explained: “We (the Austrian government) want Israel to end the embargo of the Gaza Strip.”The chancellor stressed at the same time that he accepted that goods transported […]
More than one million Austrians tuned in as Germany proceeded in the Football World Cup last night (Weds).Official figures presented today show that 873,000 Austrians followed national broadcaster ORFs live coverage of the final group D matches Germany vs. Ghana (1-0) and Australia vs. Serbia (2-1).Around 223,000 Austrian TV consumers meanwhile watched German station ARDs […]
Former Austrian Ambassador Erich Peter Hochleitner celebrates his 80th birthday today (Thurs).The Vienna-born international law expert represented Austria in Cairo, Brussels, London and Lisbon before heading international development projects of the foreign office.Hochleitner, who started working in diplomatic services in 1956, also acted as Austrias Ambassador to NATO. He retired in 1996.
The Austrian tourism industry is in an optimistic mood as more than four in ten hotel managers expect more overnights this summer.Thomas Reisenzahn, general secretary of Austrian Hotel Industry Association (ÖHV), said today (Thurs) 41 per cent of hoteliers are braced for more guests this season compared to last summer.He stressed only 13 per cent […]
Strabag boss Hans Peter Haselsteiners ambitious bid to break the Austrian Railways (ÖBB) monopoly will start next year.The construction business entrepreneur announced today (Thurs) that his private Westbahn railway service between Vienna and Salzburg was set to operate from December 2011.Haselsteiner whose firm Strabag is one of the biggest players in European construction industry […]
A cancer-suffering Viennese claims he suffered serious injuries when he was beaten up by a policeman after complaining about an unjust parking ticket.The mans lawyer Marcus Januschke said today (Thurs) his client was attacked by an officer outside a station in Vienna-Floridsdorf.”The assault occurred out of the blue,” Januschke claimed, adding that fresh post-surgery had […]
Flat prices jumped in “crisis year” 2009 as many see condominiums as a safe haven for their money, according to a business expert.Thomas Malloth, head of the Federal Economic Chambers (WKO) real estate department said today (Weds) the value of owner-occupied flats rose by 3.5 per cent from 2008 to 2009.”Strong demand, especially in conglomerations, […]
Right-wing opinion leaders are up in arms as just two of the 200-odd students at a Vienna school are Roman Catholics.Brigittenau district schools inspector Walter Gusterer said today (Weds) the plan was to now let the children join religious education classes in a nearby school.She explained that high administrational costs could not justify holding religious […]
Georg Kapsch is rumoured to follow Veit Sorger as president of the Federation of Austrian Industries (IV).Business newspapers report today (Weds) that the head of IT firm Kapsch TrafficCom AG has the best chances of heading the body. Sorgers term only ends in around two years, but the institution is allegedly interested in clarifying the […]
Vienna government leaders have dismissed appeals to set up a museum dedicated to the work of Alfred Hrdlicka.The late sculptors disappointed widow Angelina Sigmeth-Hrdlicka said yesterday (Tues): “I love the idea of a Hrdlicka Museum in Vienna. I think he would deserve it.”Sigmeth-Hrdlicka stressed her late husbands output had been extensive.City officials however said they […]