Widespread determination to cut expenses

Categories
General News

Almost one out of three Austrians plan to spend less next year. Insurance company Generali conducted a poll to find that 30 per cent of people residing in the small European Union (EU) and Eurozone member intended to tighten their belts in 2012. Seventeen per cent told the insurer they would cut back their holiday […]

Strache security punches party-goer

Categories
Politics

Freedom Party (FPÖ) boss Heinz-Christian Strache is in hot water after a bodyguard put a man into hospital last weekend. One of Strache’s three personal security guards attacked another guest of a club in Vienna-Favoriten on Saturday night. The man – understood to be an internationally successful banker – threw a ham roll and ice […]

Some 70,000 people living in poverty in Upper Austria

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General News

Charity Caritas have warned that the number of people living in poverty in Upper Austria is on the increase. Currently 70,000 people are recorded as living in such poor conditions with even more people now seeking help over the Christmas period. Caritas is an international Roman Catholic relief charity that works to help the poor […]

Austrian jobless rate lowest in EU

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Business

Austria remains Europe’s model pupil as far as unemployment rates are regarded. The country, which joined the European Union (EU) in 1995, had a jobless rate of 4.1 per cent in October, according to research by Eurostat. The agency carries out research for the European Commission (EC). Eurostat said today (Weds) Luxembourg registered the second-lowest […]

Anger as archbishop gives church away

Categories
General News

Members of a small parish in Vienna are outraged by Archbishop Christoph Cardinal Schönborn’s decision to hand over the church to the city’s Serbian-Orthodox community for free. Neuleuchenfeld parishioners harshly criticised Schönborn for his decision made public last year. Now the Vatican decided to reject their appeal. It promised to rule on the issue by […]

Pensioners to get more in 2012

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Politics

The government and pensioners’ union officials agreed to increase pensions next year. Karl Blecha, who represents the Social Democratic pensioners, and his conservative association partner Andreas Khol met Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann and People’s Party (ÖVP) Vice Chancellor Michael Spindelegger for talks in Vienna yesterday evening (Mon). ÖVP Finance Minister Maria Fekter and […]

Vienna coalition a reason to abstain from backing FPÖ, says Häupl

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Politics

Viennese Mayor Michael Häupl has said his party’s cooperation with the Greens is a “reasonable alternative offer” to voters who consider backing right-wingers. The head of the Viennese branch of the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) told the Kurier today (Thurs) people should think about what else might be possible in Austria apart from a […]

Fekter wants Greek reform pledge

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Politics

Maria Fekter has revealed that the Eurozone’s finance ministers consider asking Greece to guarantee reforms “in writing”. The Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) finance minister said yesterday (Mon) that she and the finance ministers of the other Eurozone members planned to call on the debt-stricken country’s politicians to present a written statement promising to carry out […]

Catholic rebels gather pace

Categories
General News

A group of priests opposing the Vatican’s principles finds more and more support, according to its head and a new survey. Former Caritas Austria President Helmut Schüller’s Preachers’ Initiative made headlines in June by “calling for disobedience” towards the Vatican. The group explained it rejected the Church’s refusal to let women work as priests in […]

63 deaths in Tyrolean moutains this summer

Categories
Travel

 By Rebecca Musgrave This summer, 63 people lost their lives and more than 1,000 people were injured in the Alps in Tyrol, Austria. As the popularity of the mountains increases it appears so have the casualties. Both numbers have increased in the last year in Tyrol with almost half of all Austrian mountain accidents taking […]