Lorry gets stuck in cesspit

Categories
General News

A truck transporting dead pigs got stuck in a sewage plant on a farm in Upper Austria yesterday (Mon) after its driver was sent the wrong way by his SatNav.Fire-fighters in Pettenfirst used a crane to drag the company lorry out of the cesspit.It ended up getting stuck when the driver – who was not […]

Randy ram keeps firemen busy

Categories
General News

Fire-fighters had to be called out to catch a horny ram which injured a rival male sheep after setting his sights on female members of his herd.The ram jumped over a fence into the neighbouring field where he started to mount the sheep after knocking out their bellwether (a castrated ram leading a sheep flock) […]

Businesses launch fight against fat

Categories
Business

Dozens of companies across Austria have vowed to fight their employees’ obesity.Karin Hofer of the Salzburg Medical Insurance (SGKK) said today (Mon) 70 firms based in the province have joined SGKK’s health awareness programmes.Hofer told the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper that around one in three of these companies were focusing on obesity as the leading topic.She […]

Deported Kosovar family may return to Austria

Categories
General News

A Kosovar father and his twin daughters who were controversially deported earlier this month have been offered the opportunity to return to Austria.The interior ministry announced today (Mon) that Daniela, Dorentinya and Augustin Komani will be able to come back on a “humanitarian visa” permit.The eight-year-olds and their dad were put on a flight to […]

Steinbrück attacks Austrian government over budget delay

Categories
Politics

Former German Social Democratic (SPD) Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück has criticised the Austrian Social Democrats (SPÖ) for holding back information on the 2011 budget after two provincial elections took place.The Austrian SPÖ government and the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) controversially announced it would wait until December to reveal possible higher or new taxes and cuts. […]

Inflation edges up as heating oil price jumps

Categories
Business

High housing costs and soaring petrol prices have accelerated the Austrian inflation rate.Statistik Austria announced today (Fri) that inflation in Austria rose by 0.2 per cent to 1.9 per cent in September compared to the same month of last year.The statistics body explained high car maintenance costs and rising fuel prices as well as expensive […]

Constitutional Court head ‘worried’ about immigration police’s actions

Categories
General News

Federal Constitutional Court (VfGH) President Gerhart Holzinger has said the way immigration police acted in deporting eight-year-old twins was “sad and worrying”.NGOs were infuriated when dozens of armed WEGA police unit officers surrounded the Viennese apartment twin sisters Dorentinya and Daniela and their father Augustin Komani stayed in last week to await their deportation.The family […]

First Adeg petrol station shop opens

Categories
Business

Adeg has started operating its first petrol station shop in Austria.The Pein Energy station store in the Styrian town of Mureck offers around 1,000 products from the chain’s range. Shop manager Susanne Pein claimed most products were “almost as cheap as in supermarkets”, adding that her shop’s big benefit was its longer opening times. The […]

Graz and Linz up hotel prices

Categories
Business

Hotel prices in Graz and Linz are on the rise, a comparison portal has found.Travel website Trivago (www.trivago.co.uk/hotelprices) announced today (Thurs) that a standard double room in the Styrian capital Graz – Austria’s second-biggest city – cost 110 Euros per night in October, up from the previous month’s 103 Euros.The website, which compares hotel prices […]

Austria to keep deporting long-term residents, says minister

Categories
Politics

People’s Party (ÖVP) Interior Minister Maria Fekter has stressed Austria will continue to deport people who have been living in the country for many years.The right-winger said today (Thurs) she had no plans to change current regulations which allow immigration police to forcefully deport people whose residence permits are rejected.Fekter called for more “acceptance” of […]