Federal Railways (ÖBB) head Christian Kern has claimed that higher mineral oil taxes would be an immense help in the firm’s bid to sell more tickets.The businessman, who previously worked for electricity provider Verbund, told the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper today (Thurs) he was convinced more people would switch to trains if car fuel taxes were […]
Tag: Austria
Mail order company Neckermann Versand Österreich AG suffered losses of more than eight million Euros last year, according to reports from today (Weds).Viennese newspaper Der Standard claims the firm a subsidiary of German mail order giant Neckermann also suffered a four million Euro year on year decline in turnover to 84 million Euros […]
NGOs are outraged after two nine-year-old children were put into custody pending deportation this morning (Weds).Karin Klaric of NGO Purple Sheep, who advises the Kosovar family, announced today the sisters and their father were taken away from their home in Vienna from immigration authorities around 6am. She added the stunned trio had no chance to […]
Hartlauer reveals expansion plans
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Robert Hartlauer, head of eye wear and electronic goods specialist Hartlauer, has presented plans to open up to 30 new shops.Hartlauer said today (Tues) the firms concept is to increase its number of branches from the current 160 to between 180 and 190. A new shop opened in the Vorarlberg town of Rankweil only last […]
A pedestrian hit by a car was found being looked after by his wife following an accident in Upper Austria this morning (Mon).The 48-year-old man was thrown against a car windscreen when the driver failed to spot him and ploughed straight into the man as he was walking his dog Marchtrenk in the early morning […]
Peoples Party (ÖVP) Interior Minister Maria Fekter said she “feels confirmed” by the public debate about Thilo Sarrazins new book.The former Deutsche Bundesbank executive board members bestseller “Deutschland schafft sich ab” (Germany Abolishes Itself) caused outcry with its theories about a possible connection between immigrants intelligence, crime rates and their will to integrate.Fekter has been […]
ÖBB to axe direct Linz – Graz route
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Politicians in Upper Austria have turned their guns on Federal Railways (ÖBB) bosses after the firm announced plans to end its Linz Graz Intercity service.The state-owned company said today (Fri) that it would stop offering a direct high-speed connection between the Upper Austrian city of Linz and Graz in the province of Styria after […]
Drunk teen survives hit by train
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A young Upper Austrian survived after a train ploughed into him last night (Thurs/Fri).The 18-year-old from Kaltenberg was staggering along the railroad track when the express train approached. Its driver slammed the brakes on when he spotted the drunk in his headlights, but still slammed into him.The young man was hospitalised with a fractured skull […]
Austrian jobless rate still lowest in EU
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Austria has retained its title of being the European Unions (EU) jobless rate model pupil.The European Commissions (EC) statistics body Eurostat found that Austria still had the lowest unemployment rate among the EU-27 with 4.3 per cent, followed by the Netherlands where 4.5 per cent of residents were out of work in August.The agency also […]
Wolford snares ex-Hugo Boss CEO
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Former Hugo Boss chairman Werner Baldessarini has joined the supervisory board of an Austrian textiles firm, it emerged today (Thurs).Bregenz-based textiles and tights manufacturer Wolford said the Tyrolean has been assigned to help in positioning the company and its products.Baldessarini headed the executive board of German fashion giant Hugo Boss until 2002 before spending three […]