Two people were killed in a plane crash in Upper Austria this afternoon (Thurs).Officials in Hirschbach im Mühlkreis in the provinces Freistadt district said both the pilot and the sole passenger of the single-engine aircraft died instantly when it went up in flames after careering into an embankment at a restaurant close to the local […]
Spar Austrias turnover edged up year on year in the first six months of 2010, it has been announced.The company announced today (Mon) net turnover rose from 2.35 to 2.44 billion Euros, adding that earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) improved from 36 to 39 million Euros.Spar Austria also said earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation […]
Peoples Party (ÖVP) Interior Minister Maria Fekter said she was “alarmed” by rising asylum application figures.The minister said today (Mon) around 800 foreigners have asked for asylum in Austria every month between January and July, adding that the number of monthly applications could reach 1,300 at the end of August.Fekter claimed this development was an […]
Police in Austria and Serbia revealed plans to join forces in investigating alleged money-laundering activities by Serbian crooks and former Hypo Group Alpe Adria (HGAA) officials.Austrian media claimed last week ex-HGAA decision-makers cooperated with an infamous Serbian drug lord for years.Reports had it that “Balkan cocaine king” Darko Saric laundered around 100 million Euros between […]
The number of Austrians tying the knot is on the rise, new figures have shown.Statistik Austria announced today (Fri) there had been 16,588 marriages in the first six months of this year, up by 5.9 per cent compared to the same period of 2009.The number of weddings soared most significantly in capital Vienna (7.5 per […]
One man was injured when a pensioner fearing a burglary shot at a group of friends trying to put up a poster to surprise his birthday-celebrating wife.Police in St. Georgen in Upper Austrias Vöcklabruck district said today (Thurs) the 78-year-old had fired several shots in the direction the noise was coming from in his houses […]
Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Heinz-Christian Strache has spoken out against the construction of additional minarets in Austria.The right-winger said on state-owned TV channel ORFs “Sommergespräche” (Summer Talks) series last night (Mon): “We say yes to houses of prayers, but no to minarets and muezzins.”Straches statement comes after Anas Schakfeh, president of the Austrian Islamic Denomination […]
Freedom Party (FPÖ) officials have hit out at Anas Schakfeh, president of the Austrian Islamic Denomination (IGGiÖ), for calling for a mosque in all nine provinces.FPÖ General Secretary Harald Vilimsky today (Mon) suggested an “immigration stop” for people from “Islamic regions” in a first reaction to Schakfehs statements from the weekend.Schakfeh said he wanted “visible” […]
Telekom Austria (TA) is engaged in a bidding war for Serb telecommunications firm Telekom Srbija, according to reports.Belgrade daily Politika claims today (Fri) that the Austrian market leader has interest in taking a 50 per cent stake in the company from the Serb government. The report also has it that Germanys Deutschen Telekom, Egyptian firm […]
Raiffeisenzentralbank (RZB) head Walter Rothensteiner has appealed to people not to “overestimate” investigations of the near collapse of Hypo Group Alpe Adria (HGAA).Rothensteiner said today (Thurs) the Austrian financial sectors reputation would not suffer because of embezzlement and fraud investigations of dozens of politicians and former bankers responsible for the actions of the bank that […]