Waldquelle reports production increase

Categories
Business

Austrian-Czech mineral water bottler Waldquelle reported today (Weds) it had raised the amount bottled by seven per cent year on year to 120 million litres in 2009.The firm said its turnover had increased by 8.7 per cent year on year to 21 million Euros last year.Waldquelle chief Herbert Czech claimed that Waldquelle had the second-largest […]

SPÖ under fire as majority want 24-hour U-Bahn

Categories
Politics

Vienna opposition party leaders have attacked the ruling Social Democrats (SPÖ) after it emerged that the majority of residents taking part in a referendum back a 24-hour underground train service at the weekend.SPÖ Councillor Sandra Frauenberger announced today (Tues) around 54 per cent of people participating supported of an around the clock U-Bahn service on […]

Top TV figures for scandal-free Opera Ball

Categories
Lifestyle

The live coverage of last night’s (Thurs) Opera Ball has given the ORF top market shares.The national broadcaster announced today up to 1.6 million people watched its broadcasting of the ball’s opening ceremony, adding that an average 1.43 million tuned in for the programme. ORF bosses said these figures mean a market share of 58 […]

Croat scientist warns Austria ice age could start in five years

Categories
Lifestyle

A top scientist in Croatia has warned Austria to prepare for an ice age instead of talking about global warming, online newspaper Croatian Times reported today (Weds).Physician Vladimir Paar suggests one would not need to cross the sea when travelling from Ireland or the UK to Croatia via the rest of Europe.”A majority of Europe […]

Churches make food and car Lent call

Categories
Lifestyle

Church leaders have called on Austrians to cut back on food and car use during Lent.The Roman Catholic and the Evangelical Churches are urging people to walk, cycle, use public transport and car pool from Ash Wednesday on 17 February until Holy Saturday on 3 April to help the environment.Markus Gerharinger, the Vienna archdiocese official […]

Demonstration to be held over murder of Coptic Christians

Categories
General News

By Lisa ChapmanA demonstration against the murder of Coptic Christians in Egypt earlier this month is to be held on Vienna’s Ringstraße on Thursday afternoon.Car club ÖAMTC today (Tues) issued a warning to motorists to avoid driving into the city and to use public transport instead as 700 to 1,000 people were expected to gather […]

Evangelical Church membership stable in 2009

Categories
General News

By William GreenThe Austrian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg and Helvetic Confessions reported today (Fri) its membership had remained stable last year.The Church said 3,128 people had left and 839 had joined in 2009. At the end of the year, it had 325,314 members, down 0.69 per cent year on year.The number of people who […]

Catholic Church exodus

Categories
General News

By David RogersThe number of Catholics leaving the Church soared last year, according to Catholic press agency Kathpress.It reported today (Weds) that 53,216 people had left the Church last year – 30.9 per cent more than in 2008.The figure was 0.96 per cent of all Austrian Catholics, the agency said.The number of Catholics in Austria […]

Nuclear plant expansion protest backed by 204,000 Viennese

Categories
Green Austria

By William GreenMore than 200,000 Vienna residents have signed a petition against the controversial expansion of a nuclear power plant in Slovakia, a city councillor has claimed.Social Democratic (SPÖ) environmental councillor Ulli Sima, who had started postcard and online campaigns against its expansion, said today (Thurs) that 204,162 people had signed the petition.She said: “We […]

Closure of Vienna Ring causes political firestorm

Categories
Green Austria

By Lisa ChapmanPoliticians have hit out after Vienna’s Ringstraße was shut down yesterday (Tues) to mark an EU-wide car free day.They blasted the move – organised by the Greens and environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – which saw the Ring between Operngasse and Bellariastraße shut and covered with artificial grass for people to picnic on during […]