Vienna to increase public service fees

Categories
Politics

Services provided by the city of Vienna to its residents will become more expensive in less than half a year, it emerged yesterday (Weds). The capital’s government coalition of Mayor Michael Häupl’s Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the Viennese Green Party said services like waste disposal and tap water supply will cost around six per cent […]

Start of school costs young families dear

Categories
General News

Parents of first-formers are bracing themselves to spend hundreds of Euros in the coming weeks, a poll has shown. Public opinion agency Integral announced today (Weds) people whose kids started school next month were expecting to fork out 400 Euros on various goods such as writing utensils and schoolbags. The agency pointed out that a […]

Seven in 10 back burka ban

Categories
Politics

A vast majority of Austrians want an anti-burka law, according to a new poll. Viennese public opinion agency Karmasin spoke with 500 Austrians to find that 71 per cent of them were in favour of such a law prohibiting wearing burkas in public places. Such veils cover women’s bodies expect a small gap for their […]

AUA emergency landing in Bosnia

Categories
General News

An Austrian Airlines (AUA) flight had to carry out an unplanned landing en route to Austria. The passenger flight was due to land at Vienna International Airport (VIA or VIE) near Schwechat, Lower Austria yesterday afternoon (Weds). However, pilots of the Dash 8 jet – which started at Podgorica Airport (TGD) in Montenegro – decided […]

Austria’s AAA rating confirmed

Categories
Business

An influential rating agency has warned Austria about its high state debt. Fitch announced yesterday evening (Mon) Austria needed to act more ambitiously against its steadily increasing high debt rate. The agency claimed the Alpine country would be better protected against economic setbacks in the future if it started to get active now. Austria’s debts […]

Farmers emphasise quality aspects as prices soar

Categories
Business

Farmers have appealed to customers to appreciate the high quality of food produced in Austria instead of complaining about high prices. The Chamber of Agriculture pointed out today (Thurs) Austria’s food quality and safety standards were much stricter than European Union (EU) regulations in many regards. The chamber also stressed that genetically manipulated products were […]

Faymann pursues no-show policy

Categories
Politics

Political opponents and some fellow party members are expected to turn their guns on Social Democratic (SPÖ) chief Werner Faymann once more as the chancellor skipped an arranged meeting with the president of Poland. Faymann was expected to welcome Bronislaw Komorowski for a brief chat at his office in Vienna on Wednesday. However, the meeting […]

Germany aims to overtake Austria in Croatia

Categories
Business

Germany is challenging Austria’s position as a top investor in Croatia. Figures presented by the Croatian National Bank (HNB) today (Fri) reveal that German companies spent 131.8 million Euros in the country in the first quarter of this year, more than any other country. German firms only spent 90.4 million Euros in the same time […]

Austrians groan under high prices

Categories
Business

Complaints by consumer protection groups that politicians should do more about “reckless” speculations triggering soaring foodstuff prices are unlikely to recede considering new inflation figures. Statistik Austria announced today (Thurs) Austrians had to fork out 3.3 per cent more on various products and services of daily life last month than in June 2010. It was […]

MEPs are clueless, says minister

Categories
Politics

A conservative opinion leader has been accused of “having no idea” about the situation in his homeland after calling for more support for a budget increase of the European Union (EU). Othmar Karas, the head of the delegation of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) in the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg, France, recently said that […]