Schönborn calls for immigration law reform

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Politics

Viennese Archbishop Christoph Cardinal Schönborn has appealed to the Austrian government to reform the current immigration laws.The highest-ranking representative of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria said today (Tues): “It is not acceptable that families, who are fully integrated, who don’t financially burden anyone else, whose children know no other language than German with an […]

Support for end of conscription wanes

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Politics

Support for the abolition of mandatory military service in Austria is in decline, a new poll has shown.Vienna-based agency Karmasin found only 41 per cent of Austrians oppose the current six-month obligatory service, down from 48 per cent in July.The agency, which spoke to around 500 Austrians for political magazine profil, further found that 44 […]

Austria’s competing power second-best in Eurozone

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Business

Austria has the second-best competitive edge in the Eurozone, a leading think tank has claimed.The Brussels-based Lisbon Council announced today (Mon) that Germany (8.5 points) had the greatest competitiveness among the 16 European union (EU) member states which have adopted the Euro as their sole currency.Austria garnered 8.3 points in the study to come second […]

Passengers to bear the brunt as government introduces flight ticket tax

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Business

Airlines have vowed to pass extra costs on to customers after the government’s announcement to set up a tax on tickets.The federal coalition of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and People’s Party (ÖVP) announced on the weekend it will charge every ticket for a flight from Austria to another European country with eight Euros from next year. […]

Only the fittest for scaled-down army, says ÖVP

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Politics

The People’s Party (ÖVP) has suggested the Austrian army should be able to pick only the best young Austrians to serve the mandatory six-month service.ÖVP Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger and the party’s Interior Minister Maria Fekter said today (Fri) they wanted to give the army the right to call up only the 10,000 most-skilled of […]

Austria rises in press freedom rating ‘despite negative occurrences’

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General News

Austria has improved year on year in the Reporters Without Borders’ annual press freedom rating but only because the situation in other countries has worsened, the NGO’s Austrian branch has stressed.Reporters Without Borders (RWB) announced today (Thurs) Austria came seventh, up six positions compared to its 2009 list. Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland shared […]

Bayern fans angered by Knasmüllner’s Schalke dreams

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Sports

Up-and-coming footballer Christoph Knasmüllner has angered supporters of his club Bayern Munich by revealing he was dreaming of playing for a rival club.Asked which other club would be an option for him, the talented 18-year-old midfielder – who is regarded as one of the biggest promises of Austrian football – said in a newspaper interview […]

Anger as government eyes mineral oil tax increase

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Business

Car clubs have turned their guns on the government over plans to raise taxes on mineral oil (MöSt).ÖAMTC said today (Thurs) the coalition of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) was “lacking ideas” in its attempts to restore the state budget as government officials hinted towards higher MöSt from next year.The motorists’ […]

Human brain back up in 20 years, says scientist

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General News

By Mark TuttleScientists will be able to do a backup of the human brain including memories and thinking patterns within the next two decades, according to the computer scientist who was the first to predict the internet.Award-winning Raymond Kurzweil, 62, has notched up a string of pioneering computer inventions including voice recognition technology during his […]

FPÖ Vienna rakes in seven million Euros

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Politics

The Viennese department of the Freedom Party (FPÖ) will get seven million Euros in public subsidies this year following its strong gains in the recent city parliament election.Political scientist Hubert Sickinger said today (Tues) the right-wing party’s Vienna branch will have received seven million Euros by the end of 2011. Sickinger stressed this indicates a […]