Spar Austria boss appeals to EC over food speculation

Categories
Business

Spar Austria chief Gerhard Drexel has called on political decision-makers to “prevent” speculation on agricultural products.Business experts have warned that increased speculation on the trade rates of cereal products and other foodstuffs may lead to significant price increases in supermarkets around the world.Asked by the Kurier newspaper whether shoppers will have to bear the brunt, […]

Eurozone support must not end, many Austrians think

Categories
Finance

Nearly one in two Austrians said their country should continue to participate in financial projects to stabilise ailing Eurozone members even if the European Union (EU) were to demand higher contributions.A study carried out by research firm Karmasin for weekly magazine profil shows that 49 per cent of Austrians think the federal government of Social […]

Tucek asked to leave VIH

Categories
Business

A leading hotel chain has decided to part company with executive board chief Rudolf Tucek.Vienna International Hotel Management AG (VIH) announced yesterday (Weds) that its supervisory board decided to remove Tucek from power. Reports have it that business partners and customers were irritated by his “energetic decision-making” regarding the management of existing hotels and VIH’s […]

Upper Austria bans ‘aggressive begging’

Categories
Politics

Certain forms of begging are now prohibited in six of Austria’s nine provinces after a law made by Upper Austrian decision-makers went into effect today (Tues).The provincial government agreed earlier this month to make so-called aggressive and professional begging illegal as of 1 February. People being caught begging face fines and prison sentences.The decision comes […]

UNIQA eyes expansion after 2010 profits

Categories
Business

Insurance company UNIQA Versicherungen AG (UNIQA) said its 2010 performance could have been better than expected.The firm said today (Fri) that some weeks ago it expected profits of around 120 to 135 million Euros, while analysts predicted profits of 142 million Euros. Now the Vienna-based insurer has explained that it may have achieved a pre-tax […]

Lauda in hot water after anti-male dancing couple attack

Categories
General News

Niki Lauda has been accused of having prejudices towards homosexuals.The Formula One (F1) legend and aviation businessman caused a stir some days ago by urging Alexander Wrabetz, head of state-owned TV channel ORF, to ban gay entertainer Alfons Haider from competing in “Dancing Stars” with a male dancing partner.Lauda said the teaming up of Haider […]

A-Tec flogs German affiliated firm

Categories
Business

Struggling A-Tec Industries AG (A-Tec) has sold another subsidiary company as it tries to get back on track.The company, which opted for controlled bankruptcy last October, announced today (Mon) that it decided to sell Dörries Scharmann Technologie GmbH (Dörries Scharmann) to internationally operating technology company StarragHeckert.Reports have it that the Swiss company is ready to […]

Anger as WKO set to abandon €8mn ÖW injection

Categories
Business

Officials have engaged in a bitter war of words after the Federal Economy Chamber (WKO) decided to stop subsidising the Austrian Tourism Marketing (ÖW).WKO said recently it will end its annual eight-million-Euro injection from 2012 and intensify its own tourism marketing initiatives instead. The authority criticised the ÖW for neglecting emerging markets like Brazil, India […]

Quitting booze ‘best decision ever’, says Farrell

Categories
Lifestyle

Hollywood star Colin Farrell has claimed he had no difficulties giving up drinking.The hot-tempered Irishman told Austrian Live magazine: “To stop boozing was the best decision I ever made in my whole life. I didn’t lose any friends by it because I haven’t got any difficulties watching my mates getting drunk when going out with […]

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 […]