Recovery not in sight as think tank corrects growth forecast

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Business

A significant upward trend is not in sight for Austria’s economy, a top think tank has warned.The Vienna-based Institute for Economic Research (Wifo) today (Fri) lowered its economic growth forecast for 2010 and 2011. Wifo officials said they expected the country’s economy to grow by 1.3 per cent this year and by 1.4 per cent […]

Mayor’s Mon Chéri praline not poisoned

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General News

A Mon Chéri praline left on the windscreen of a Styrian female mayor’s car last Saturday was not poisonous, provincial authorities said today (Fri).In an earlier incident, another Mon Chéri praline left on the windscreen of Mayor Hannes Hirtzberger’s car in Spitz, Lower Austria, on 9 February 2008 was laced with strychnine. He became brain […]

Cap ‘sad’ about EU’s failure to act on social disparities

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Politics

Social Democratic (SPÖ) whip Josef Cap has appealed to European Union (EU) leaders to take action to improve the EU’s reputation.Cap said in parliament yesterday (Weds) that many people lacked trust in the EU since many political leaders had failed to draw the right conclusions from the economic downturn.”The EU needs to face important questions […]

Austrian banks’ 2009 balances saved by CEE business

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Business

Austrian banks benefited from their investments in Central and Eastern Europe last year, it was claimed today (Thurs).Andreas Ittner, director of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB), said that OeNB’s estimate was that the country’s banks had earned 0.9 per cent more year on year in 2009 due to CEE engagements.Ittner said that OeNB’s studies had […]

Cineplexx Mattersburg to open this Friday

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Business

A new Cineplexx cinema is to open in Matterburg, Burgenland, this Friday.Managers said the cinema – the 29th of the Cineplexx branch in Austria – will feature five halls with 700 seats overall. All screens would be 3D-ready, it was announced.Construction of the complex cost around four million Euros.Andrea Zänglein, head of the union of […]

BAE ‘bribery’ lobbyist faces new investigations

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Business

Austrian prosecutors will continue to investigate lobbyist Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly, it has emerged.Mensdorff-Pouilly, who owns real estate in Austria and Scotland, has returned to Austria after spending five days in custody in London last month.The husband of former People’s Party (ÖVP) Health Minister Maria Rauch-Kallat was accused of bribery and facilitation of corruption, but Britain’s Serious […]

Around 100,000 Austrians do not have health insurance

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General News

Around 100,000 Austrians do not have health insurance, a social issues expert has revealed.Speaking on the occasion of passage of US President Barack Obama’s health reform by the US Congress, Martin Schenk said today (Tues): “Austria has a good health insurance system compared to the United States, but gaps in the network need to be […]

Fritzl focus on German TV

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General News

Incest beast Josef Fritzl is the main focus of a new crime cases documentary on German TV.Internationally acknowledged Austrian profiler Thomas Müller has been signed up to analyse infamous crime cases such as that of 74-year-old Fritzl for “Urteil: Mord” (Sentence: Murder) on private channel Sat.1.The series, which started earlier this month, is screened at […]

WWII bombs call AC/DC’s Wels concert into question

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Culture

A concert by Australian rock legends AC/DC at an Austrian airport could be cancelled because of unexploded WWII bombs.State broadcaster ORF reported yesterday (Weds), that the concert venue – the airport in Wels, Upper Austria – had been the target of heavy bombing by the Allies during the war.It added that Helmut Track, the city […]

Car fuel prices lower than the EU average

Categories
General News

The prices of petrol and diesel-fuel in Austria are lower than the EU average, the Economics Ministry said today (Fri).The averge price of a litre of Eurosuper 95 petrol in Austria on 8 March had been 1.143 Euros, compared to the EU average of 1.295 Euros, a difference of 15.21 cents a litre.In addition, the […]