ÖVAG losses soar

Categories
Finance

Volksbank AG (ÖVAG) suffered losses of more than 1.3 billion Euros last year. Bank officials announced yesterday (Thurs) that the Viennese finance institute sustained a loss of 1.34 billion Euros in 2011. The news means that the Republic of Austria is robbed of its chances to demand the one billion Euros of participation capital back […]

Windfall for WBAG company chiefs

Categories
Business

The bosses of Austria’s most powerful companies are earning much more this year than in 2011, according to a survey. The Labour Chamber (AK) said yesterday (Thurs) that the chiefs of the 20 Austrian firms which were listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange (WBAG) would rake in 1.3 million Euros on average in 2012, up […]

Prosecutors examine TA’s Serbian adventure

Categories
Business

Austrian investors who cooperated with Telekom Austria (TA) are facing fraud investigations. Magazine profil reported in its online edition yesterday (Thurs) that anti-corruption investigators started examining the actions of billionaire Martin Schlaff and former People’s Party (ÖVP) chief Josef Taus, one of Austria’s busiest investors. TA benefited from Schlaff’s engagements in Bulgaria where the Austrian […]

Preachers’ Initiative head happy about Pope’s reaction

Categories
General News

The head of the Austrian Preachers’ Initiative has reacted positively to the Pope’s criticism. Pope Benedict XVI. said in his Maunday Thursday sermon held in Italian in the Vatican that disobedience was no solution. The Pope mentioned a “group of priests from a country in Europe” without directly referring to Helmut Schüller or his movement. […]

Chancellor could be charged with embezzlement

Categories
Politics

Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann is still facing abuse of office charges, it emerged yesterday (Thurs). The Chief Prosecution of Vienna (OStA) announced it advised prosecutors to keep examining whether Faymann applied pressure on state-funded railroad company Federal Railways (ÖBB) over a series of ads in Austria’s most popular newspaper. There have been contradictory […]

Injury threatens Rapid’s ride to glory

Categories
Sports

Rapid Vienna will have to do without their captain for some time. Steffen Hofmann must rest for around two weeks due to a muscle injury. The 31-year-old said yesterday (Thurs) it was “tough” to be forced to watch on in this phase of the season. Rapid face Wiener Neustadt tomorrow. Leaders Red Bull Salzburg (RBS) […]

Fuel prices under close scrutiny

Categories
Business

The Austrian Competition Authority (BWB) has asked the country’s leading oil companies and petrol station managers to comment on the current price developments. The BWB announced yesterday (Weds) it had decided to take a closer look at the recent pricing occurrences due to an increasing number of complaints by citizens and car clubs. The authority […]

WKO less optimistic than WIFO

Categories
Business

The Economy Chamber (WKO) has warned from overly positive economic forecasts. The Institute for Economic Research (WIFO) recently said Austrian enterprises might invest 5.6 billion Euros this year in the domestic economy, 12 per cent more than in 2011. The WKO’s industrial section announced yesterday (Weds) that firms’ spending might not rise as sharply. WKO […]

Danish kidnap dad evades police across Europe

Categories
General News

The Danish man who together with an accomplice kidnapped his son by force from his ex-wife in Austria and then managed to evade an international arrest warrant as he fled over 1,000 miles back to Denmark is unlikely to have to hand the boy back. Dane Thomas Sörensen had used an accomplice to pin down […]

Fuel price hikes make public transport more popular

Categories
General News

More and more people are using means of public transport as car fuel prices hit a new high. Diesel cost 1.42 Euros on average last month, according to car club Arbö while the price for Eurosuper soared to 1.46 Euros. Arbö underlined that motorway service stations were charging up to 1.59 Euros for one litre […]