School tackles ‘scary’ Nikolaus issue

Categories
Lifestyle

Austria’s first Nikolausschule (Saint Nicolas School) is offering courses for St Nikolaus lookalikes who are gearing up to visit children over the coming weeks.It is a popular tradition in the Catholic parts of German-speaking Europe that a Father Christmas figure called Heiliger Nikolaus brings sweets, nuts and fruits to youngsters on 5 or 6 December.Now […]

Wienerberger reduces its losses

Categories
Business

Wienerberger AG, the world’s biggest producer of bricks, said today (Weds) it suffered losses of more than 13 million Euros in the first nine months of this year.The Vienna-based company announced losses of 13.5 million Euros between January and September 2010 following losses of 198.2 million Euros in the same period of the previous year.Its […]

Lufthansa wants AUA to be back in the black next year

Categories
Business

Lufthansa has said it expects its subsidiary Austrian Airlines (AUA) to be in the black in 2011.The German aviation giant acquired a major interest in the Vienna-based company last year. AUA has carried out a strict cost-cutting programme during the past few months. It said the plan was to reduce its overall staff number of […]

Europe’s far-right factions to meet in Vienna

Categories
Politics

Left-wingers are expected to take to the streets in Vienna today (Fri) to demonstrate against a summit of far-right parties from all over Europe which is taking place in the Austrian capital.Andreas Mölzer, who represents the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) in the European Parliament (EP), said representatives of the Sweden Democrats, Italy’s Lega Nord, the […]

Massive Mercedes callback in Austria

Categories
Business

Mercedes Benz is recalling more than 2,500 cars in Austria.Car club ÖAMTC informed today (Fri) that the German company was asking owners of the C (W204), E (W212, C207, A207) und GLK (X204) series to have their vehicles checked at a garage amid potential steering malfunctions.The possibly affected cars were produced between June 2009 and […]

Wienerberger to reduce new homes focus

Categories
Business

Wienerberger CEO Heimo Scheuch announced ambitions to become “less dependant” on new home constructions.Scheuch explained today (Thurs) 80 per cent of assignments of the company – the largest brick maker in the world – were housing projects.The company chief also warned of a significant decline of business in the United States where he expected a […]

Sanader sets up firm in Innsbruck

Categories
Business

Former Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Prime Minister Ivo Sanader has founded a company in Austria, it has emerged.The controversial ex-politician – who surprisingly stepped down as prime minister last year – holds a 95 per cent stake in Prima Consulting GmbH, according to Tyrolean newspapers.Reports have it that Sanader teamed up with Austrian businessman Wolfgang […]

Croat uni rejects Erste’s €8,000

Categories
Business

A Croatian university has controversially turned down an offered 8,000-Euro donation by the foundation of one of Austria’s biggest banks.Erste Bank’s Erste Stiftung foundation wanted to support the Faculty of Philosophy in Split with 8,000 Euros, but dean Dr. Marko Trogrlic rejected the offer citing fears it would “interfere with the faculty’s autonomy”.Ljiljana Kolesnik, who […]

Most singles don’t want future girlfriends to love football

Categories
Lifestyle

Less than two in ten single men want their future partners to share their passion for football, according to new research.Online partner agency Parship said today (Thurs) 15 per cent of interviewed men said they would appreciate their girlfriends to be as mad about the sport as they were.The company – which spoke to 4,670 […]

FPÖ and Spanish party sign friendship agreement

Categories
Politics

The Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the Spanish party “Platform for Catalonia” (PFC) have signed a friendship agreement, FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache announced today (Fri).Strache and PFC leader Josep Anglada I Rius said at a Vienna press conference today that both parties supported an end to mass immigration and the “Islamisation” of Europe, social justice and […]