People’s Party (ÖVP) State Secretary Sebastian Kurz has called for a reform of Austria’s anti-forced marriage law. Forced marriages are not a criminal offence under the current regulations if carried out abroad. Austrians and people living in Austria are facing legal consequences for such actions only if this kind of marriage occurs within the country’s […]
A 50-year-old woman from Lower Austria has received a suspended jail sentence for shooting an elderly woman by accident. The 77-year-old woman was at the offender’s home to have her hair done before attending a birthday party. She was hit by a bullet into the neck while sitting under a hood drier when the hobby […]
German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen has emphasised that his country would not be facing an energy supply crisis this winter despite its farewell to nuclear technology. The German government coalition of CDU, Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) decided around half a year ago to order […]
Fire fighters called to save a couple from drowning in a cesspool found a wild boar stuck in the mud. Firemen rushed to a farm in Thalheim near Wels in Upper Austria yesterday (Thurs) after a caller claimed the owners of the estate were about to die in a liquid manure tank. However, all the […]
OMV AG has produced more oil in the past months, according to the company’s latest trading statement. The Viennese company – one of the most powerful players on Central and Eastern Europe’s (CEE) energy sector – said today (Fri) it produced 283,000 barrels of oil a day in the third quarter of 2011, up from […]
Austria supplied Syria with armoured vehicles in 2006, according to an investigation by Amnesty International (AI). The group announced yesterday (Weds) Austrian firms delivered vehicles of such kind worth two million Euros to the Arabian country that year. AI added the same type of vehicles were shipped from Austria to Yemen in 2006. AI criticised […]
Federal Economy Chamber (WKO) President Christoph Leitl has called on the state and Austria’s nine provinces to abstain from raising fees in 2012. Leitl told the Kurier today (Weds) cities and communities should not introduce higher prices for services such as water disposal and the provision of gas. The WKO chief argued yesterday’s metal industry […]
Federation of Industries (IV) chief Veit Sorger has warned that yesterday’s (Tues) metal industry salary negotiations agreement would “intensify the pressure on companies to rationalise.” Sorger is quoted by the Kurier as saying that the agreement – under which the 165,000 workers will get 4.2 per cent more from November – was a “great burden” […]
Struggling Hypo Group Alpe Adria (HGAA) withdraws from nautical leasing operations in Southeast Europe. The bank – which is currently trying to restore its finances after being nationalised in 2009 – said around 320 leased HGAA vessels were currently operating, down from 700 in 2008. International consulting company PriceWaterhouseCoopers claimed in 2009 that 400 HGAA […]
A right-wing member of the federal parliament (MP) has retired from politics after coming under fire for belittling a massacre. Fellow Freedom Party (FPÖ) members and left-wing competitors hit out at Werner Königshofer after he felt urged to emphasise that the “Islamic threat has struck Europe a thousand times more often” than self-styled Christian warriors […]