Flopped Haider exhibit shuts after ‘negative propaganda’

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Politics

Organisers of an exhibition on late right-wing politician Jörg Haider have claimed “campaigning media” were to blame for the exhibit being a massive flop.Fewer than 11,000 people attended the exhibit in the Bergbaumuseum (Mining Museum) in Klagenfurt, Carinthia, since it opened in October 2009. Organisers and local politicians hoped it would draw 70,000.Curator Gerhard Finding […]

University bans veils

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General News

Bosses at a Styrian university have decided to forbid wearing veils, it has emerged.Managers of the Medical University of Graz (MUG) decided today (Thurs) to prohibit wearing veils that disguise women’s faces in seminars and exams.MUG vice director Gilbert Reibnegger stressed however that students would still be allowed to wear veils in lectures. He stressed […]

Axe-wielding husband arrested

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General News

A Viennese was put in custody for threatening his wife with an axe while drunk yesterday (Weds).The 58-year-old was arrested after the woman, 34, managed to flee their flat in Ottakring district to tell officers at the nearest police station what was going on.The attacker is in custody, and police have refused to give out […]

Few Austrians see need for more support of ethnic minorities

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General News

Fewer than one in five Austrians think of ethnic minorities as a group in need of protection.Magazine profil reports today (Mon) only 18 per cent of Austrians thought ethnic minorities deserved more protection. The poll – conducted by Viennese research agency Karmasin – also showed that two in 10 Austrians said the same about migrants […]

Banks and campaigning parties focus on immigrants

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Politics

Around 6,000 immigrants have opened accounts at Erste Bank in the past three years following a groundbreaking project targeting foreigners.Peter Thier, a spokesman for the institute, said today (Fri): “Our pilot project worked so well that we decided to keep and expand it.”He explained five clerks speaking Serbian, Croatian and Turkish worked in branches in […]

Social Democrats’ trip to North Korea causes a stir

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Politics

The Austrian Social Democrats (SPÖ) have been harshly attacked after it emerged that five high-ranking officials met North Korean leaders.Political newspapers revealed yesterday (Tues) that a group of five SPÖ MPs and Members of the European Parliament (MEP) travelled to North Korea earlier this month. The Social Democrats stressed that the trip was a private […]

Majority approve debate following Sarrazin’s claims

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Politics

A majority of Austrians regard Thilo Sarrazin’s controversial ideas a “justified approach” to re-discuss integration issues, a poll has shown.Viennese researchers Karmasin found 51 per cent of Austrians said the outgoing Deutsche Bundesbank executive board member’s statements were a good starting point to kick off a discussion about Austrian immigration and integration issues. Only 39 […]

Faymann ahead as Styria vote nears

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Politics

Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann is narrowly ahead of People’s Party (ÖVP) Vice Chancellor Josef Pröll in a popularity poll.Researchers Karmasin said today (Mon) Faymann would have the support of 24 per cent if people were eligible to elect the chancellor in a direct vote similar to the ballot for the federal president.Its survey […]

Anger as FPÖ official claims Haider was gay

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Politics

Right-wing Austria is entangled in a bitter war of words over the sexual orientation of its late icon Jörg Haider after controversial statements by a Vienna councillor.Vienna Freedom Party (FPÖ) official Gerald Ebinger tried to encourage homosexuals to support his party at the 10 October city parliament elections.Asked why people should support the FPÖ which […]

Strache says ‘hunted’ Sarrazin would deserve asylum

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Politics

Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Heinz-Christian Strache has vehemently defended controversial Deutsche Bundesbank executive board member Thilo Sarrazin.The German caused global outcry with various statements regarding immigration and the intelligence quotient of ethnic groups  made in his new book “Deutschland schafft sich ab” (Germany Abolishes Itself) which was published last week.The German Social Democrats (SPD) are […]