An Upper Austrian food industry company has purchased a Zielpunkt stake of nearly 25 per cent. The Traun-based Pfeiffer Group announced yesterday (Thurs) it acquired a 24.9 per cent interest in its Viennese rival. The company, which concentrates on the management of supermarkets in Upper Austria, did not say how much it paid for the […]
Federal and provincial financial issues decision-makers have postponed their negotiations about the budget of the coming years. People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter said talks with the provincial governments’ finance councillors would continue next week. Fekter angered the politically muscular provincial parliaments by revealing plans to sanction provinces which breached the stricter new budget […]
Kopf shrugs off Maier exit
The People’s Party (ÖVP) is in turmoil after the resignation of Ferdinand Maier. Maier announced in a radio debate he would retire next month instead of in autumn. The controversial parliament member (MP) was not allowed to express his critical opinion regarding the decision of the government to make debts of 33 billion Euros to […]
An economist has dismissed claims that a higher pension age means more unemployment. Former Institute for Economic Research (WIFO) chief Helmut Kramer said yesterday (Thurs) it was nothing but a “myth” that the number of young people out of work will rise if the average retirement age increases. “There is no connection between a later […]
Legal wrangles between students and Vienna University are possible as Austria’s biggest higher education institution decided to reintroduce tuition fees. The university’s senate opted for a comeback of the charges for the upcoming winter semester. The panel debated the issue yesterday (Thurs) following an appeal by the university’s board. The decision means that students coming […]
Cooperating clinics ‘can save 2bn’
A study has made aware of immense savings potential in the health sector. The investigation – carried out by the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS) – shows that Austria’s clinics could cut their costs by two billion Euros in the coming five years by cooperating more closely. IHS experts said hospitals should specialise on certain […]
FK Austria face Wacker
FK Austria Vienna are under pressure against Wacker Innsbruck tomorrow (Sat). Sport papers claim that Ivica Vastic is at risk of getting sacked less than half a year after his assignment as coach. The club suffered a humiliating 0-1 defeat against Kapfenberg last weekend. Wiener Neustadt play FC Admira while Mattersburg face leaders Red Bull […]
ÖBB ticket prices could climb
Federal Railways (ÖBB) tickets could be more expensive later this year. ÖBB CEO Christian Kern refused to rule out price hikes yesterday (Thurs). Kern pointed out that ÖBB did not up passenger tickets in the past four years. “We are not a charity organisation,” he said. Kern underlined that a further improvement of services was […]
Anteater born at Schönbrunn Zoo
Last NovemberSchönbrunn Zoo celebrated the offspring of the adult anteaters, and now visitors of the zoo can visit the baby anteater. The anteater female Ilse gave birth after 190 days of pregnancy to the baby anteater named “Mocoa” by the zoo caretakers on Sunday the 22nd of April. “Ilse is 16 years old and she […]
Man killed by cement mixer
In Latschach near to Velden in Carinthea a fatal accident occurred yesterday as a 32 year-old was tending to a cement mixer. The man was a driver of the cement mixer and was trying to clean the pipe through which the concrete is poured onto a desired surface. A defect then caused the pipe to […]