Bowlegs expose bank robber

Categories
General News

A bank robber has been sentenced to more than three years in prison after his ex-girlfriend identified him on CCTV footage because of his bowlegs.The woman said in the witness stand at the Provincial Court in Ried im Innkreis, Upper Austria, yesterday (Thurs) that she was certain the man caught on camera during an armed […]

One in three use social networks

Categories
Lifestyle

More than a third of Austrian internet users are active in social communities like Facebook and XING, new research has shown.Linz-based agency IMAS said today (Fri) it examined several surveys conducted by various research groups in the recent past to find that 34 per cent of those surfing the internet were using social network services.Around […]

Rampant corruption in Austria

Categories
Business

Around 10 per cent of Austrians bribed authorities last year and almost one in two believe corruption in the country is on the rise, according to a study.Transparency International (TI) announced yesterday (Thurs) every eleventh Austrian admitted having acted corruptly in bribing officials of various sectors of public life in 2009. The internationally operating non-government […]

Graz grows as Vienna comes third

Categories
General News

The population of Graz has soared by more than 13 per cent during the past nine years, outdoing all of Austria’s other provincial capitals.Statistik Austria and the Federation of Austrian Cities (Städtebund) announced yesterday (Thurs) 257,000 people were currently living in the provincial capital of Styria, up by 13.7 per cent compared to 2001.The authorities […]

Sex at work popular in Austria, poll shows

Categories
Lifestyle

The majority of Austrians have had an “erotic experience” at their workplace, according to a study.Researchers at casual dating online portal C-Date, who interviewed more than 3,600 people in 12 European countries, found 54 per cent of Austrians have either flirted or even had sex at the office. They said the European average was 45 […]

Air Berlin passenger numbers take off

Categories
Business

FlyNiki stakeholder Air Berlin registered more than 30 million passengers in the first 11 months of this year.The German airline announced today (Thurs) that it recorded 31.3 million customers between January and November of this year. The Berlin-based firm had 27.9 million passengers in 2009.Air Berlin also said it managed to increase its turnover by […]

OMV 2010 earnings beyond €2bn, says CEO

Categories
Business

OMV will earn more than two billion Euros this year, according to firm chief Wolfgang Ruttenstorfer.Asked whether the oil and gas company’s earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) will take the two-billion-Euro hurdle this year, Ruttenstorfer said today (Thurs) that there was “no doubt” about it. The internationally operating firm’s Ebit in the first three […]

Smokers brace for price hikes

Categories
Business

Prices for some of the most popular cigarette brands in Austria will increase from next year, it has emerged.Japan Tobacco International (JTI), which manages Austrian tobacco maker Austria Tabak, announced today (Weds) that its product range will get more expensive from next month. JTI said the unit price for a packet of Memphis, Smart, Camel […]

Spending cuts will not affect purchase power, survey shows

Categories
Business

Austrians’ spending power will increase year on year in 2011 despite higher taxes and less welfare spending, a new study suggests.RegioData announced today (Tues) that it expected Austrians’ purchasing power to rise by 2.6 per cent next year compared to this year’s rate. The research agency said this increase meant people will have 450 Euros […]

Dachshund watchdog law change ahead

Categories
Politics

Political decision-makers in Lower Austria have presented plans to change a controversial ruling which allows small breeds like Chihuahuas and dachshunds to be declared as guard dogs.People’s Party (ÖVP) official Karl Bader announced today (Mon): “Some people registered their lapdogs as watchdogs as the law is unclear. That is why we plan to change the […]