Austria’s embattled finance ministry has been dragged into a new scandal after it emerged that at the same time as demanding schools save 57 Millionen Euros in the coming year, they were also expected to find an additional 3 million to buy an approved set of weighing scales. The scales are not just any weighing […]
Tag: ministry
Baumgartner tax row
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The tax proceedings of the extreme sportsman Felix Baumgartner are still underway. Mr Baumgartner told the Austria Press Agency that he asked the Independent Finance Senate (UFS) to resolve his case. Mr Baumgartner has recently told the newspaper “Kronen Zeitung” that the Ministry of Finance denied his tax-saving status as part of an external audit. […]
The extreme sportsman Felix Baumgartner stated that the Ministry of Finance spared him additional taxation by political intervention. The former Financial Secretary Reinhold Lopatka (ÖVP) denies these claims. It was known that Baumgartner moved to Switzerland due to tax reasons. Mr Baumgartner told the newspaper “Kronen Zeitung” that the Ministry of Finance denied his tax-saving […]
For those who want to apply for citizenship in Austria have to overcome many obstacles. Even those people who fulfill all criteria are sometimes rejected. A case in Tyrol shows that this could be due to a controversial regulation of the Citizenship Act. Hesmat Hashemi has been living in Austria for twelve years. He escaped […]
Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann is still facing abuse of office charges, it emerged yesterday (Thurs). The Chief Prosecution of Vienna (OStA) announced it advised prosecutors to keep examining whether Faymann applied pressure on state-funded railroad company Federal Railways (ÖBB) over a series of ads in Austria’s most popular newspaper. There have been contradictory […]
Racial hate crime rate rises
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The number of xenophobic felonies is increasing. The federal interior ministry announced yesterday (Tues) that police and prosecutors registered 580 breaches of law with xenophobic, far-right, racist, islamophobic and anti-Semitic background last year, 28 per cent more than in the previous year. The ministry – which is headed by People’s Party (ÖVP) official Johanna Mikl-Leitner […]
Sieve licence photo gets all-clear
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A resident of Vienna angered by authorities has been allowed to wear a sieve on his head in a photograph used for his driving licence. Niko Alm explained today (Weds) he was furious that officials had no problem with Muslim women wearing headscarves when posing for their driving licence and passport pictures. The atheist decided […]
Austrian teen dies in New York hotel
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An Austrian teenager collapsed and died in a hotel room in the United States, it has emerged. The 16-year-old from Wiesen in the eastern Austrian province of Burgenland visited New York City with his family. He passed out in their suite at the weekend. Paramedics failed to save his life. Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, a spokesman for […]
Austrian troops ordered into action to stop a colony of storks from forcing the closure of an air show have been banned from using their guns – and told to stare at the birds instead. The soldiers were ordered in after experts had failed using a variety of other methods to drive away the 25 […]
Terror travel suspect arrested
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People’s Party (ÖVP) Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner has revealed intentions to implement stricter laws after an alleged organiser of trips to terror camps in Pakistan was put in detention. The minister explained today (Fri) she will meet ÖVP Justice Minister Beatrix Karl for talks over the issue. Mikl-Leitner – who was sworn in last April […]