VIA passenger figures soar as ticket tax nears

Categories
Business

Vienna International Airport (VIA) has raised its passenger figures prediction for this year as numbers continue to climb.VIA said today (Thurs) it registered 1.83 million passengers last month, up by 11.4 per cent compared to October 2009. The airport, which recorded a 13.8 per cent year on year increase in customers back in September, explained […]

Romania – Austria prostitution ringleaders face trial

Categories
General News

Four people accused of having raked in more than 100,000 Euros by luring girls into modelling before forcing them to work as prostitutes in Austria have been sent to trial in Romania.Scheming Relu Costan, 36, Ion Tamarjan, 34, Radu Nicola, 28, and Alexandru Voicu, 22, are due to appear in court in Ialomita later this […]

Ambassador an ‘arrogant Turkish nationalist’

Categories
Politics

The Turkish ambassador in Vienna has been branded an “arrogant nationalist” for claiming Austrians were only interested in other cultures when on holiday.Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Heinz-Christian Strache said today (Thurs) Kadri Ecvet Tezcan should be dismissed from his post after he gave interview to Viennese newspaper Die Presse which made headlines across Europe.Strache, whose […]

Most part time staff kept jobs

Categories
Business

The vast majority of workers in Styria asked to work part time during the economic crisis have held onto their jobs, it has been announced.Thomas Krautzer, head of the Federation of Austrian Industries’ (IV) Styrian branch, said today (Weds) 95 per cent of the 17,000 staff who were made part time by dozens of industrial […]

Free apps outpace chargeable features

Categories
Lifestyle

Smartphone users prefer free applications (apps), according to a telecommunications businessman.T-Mobile Austria head Robert Chvatal said today (Weds) customers of his company using so-called smartphones downloaded an average 20 apps of which 14 were available free of charge.”Games are the most popular downloads,” Chvatal announced, adding that T-Mobile Austria so far sold 200,000 Apple iPhone […]

Lady Gaga in Vienna recording studio

Categories
Culture

Lady Gaga is recording new songs in Austria, it has been revealed.Bosses of Viennese recording studio MG Sound confirmed reports from today (Weds) that the pop star has booked into their venues for two days.The award-winning singer, who will perform at the city’s Stadthalle tomorrow night, is understood to be trying to save time and […]

Chase foreigners off if you don’t want them, says Turkish ambassador

Categories
Politics

The Turkish ambassador in Vienna has risked a serious thrift between Austria and Turkey with statements made in an exceptional interview.Speaking to Austrian newspaper Die Presse, Kadri Ecvet Tezcan claimed Turks in Vienna knew they were not welcome in Austria. He also revealed having been told that the Austrian foreign minister does not welcome ambassadors […]

Fritzl ‘horror house’ may be torn down

Categories
General News

The former residence of incest monster Josef Fritzl may be demolished, it has emerged.Bankruptcy trustee Markus Sonnleitner said today (Mon) he could imagine ordering the building in Amstetten, Lower Austria, to be torn down after liquidator Walter Anzböck failed to find an investor.Fritzl kept his own daughter Elisabeth as a sex slave in a self-built […]

Roger Moore to visit Austria

Categories
Culture

Former “James Bond” star Roger Moore will visit Vienna this weekend, it has been announced.PR agents of the legendary actor announced today (Tues) that he will arrive at Vienna International Airport (VIA) on Friday.Moore, who will stay at Hotel Sacher, is due to attend the Christmas market in front of the capital’s city hall on […]

‘Stupid’ AK boss caught drink-driving

Categories
General News

The president of the Salzburg Labour Chamber (AK) has admitted being “stupid” for driving under the influence of alcohol.Siegfried Pichler confirmed newspaper reports that he his driving licence has been taken away after being caught well over the legal drink drive limit near the city of Salzburg recently.”I was simply stupid, I don’t want to […]