Accused Sanader U-turn on extradition bid

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Politics

Accused ex Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader wants to be extradited back to Croatia.The former PM is currently being detained in Austria after he had been arrested in December on an international arrest warrant issued by Zagreb.Whilst in office in Croatia, Sanader was accused of abusing his power with cases involving state-run companies for millions […]

Bures rejects ÖBB sale suggestion

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Business

Social Democratic (SPÖ) Infrastructure Minister Doris Bures has labelled a debate over whether Federal Railways (ÖBB) should be privatised as “superfluous.”New People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter hit the headlines at the weekend by announcing she could imagine selling ÖBB to reduce the soaring state debt.Fekter said she “would have no problem” with privatising […]

Eight in 10 rule out ÖVP win

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Politics

A vast majority think that the People’s Party (ÖVP) has no chance to come first in the next elections.Research group Karmasin questioned 500 Austrians for political magazine profil. The agency said today (Mon) that 48 per cent of interviewed citizens think the conservative party “will rather not” come out on top in the next federal […]

Bilingual place-name signs controversy settled

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Politics

Political leaders seem to have ended a lengthy argument considering bilingual place-name signs.Negotiators announced in Klagenfurt yesterday evening (Tues) they agreed that 164 towns and communities in the province of Carinthia will be equipped with place-name signs in both German and Slovenian.Provincial decision-makers and representatives of the Slovenian minority have been at odds over the […]

Paraglider in clinic after crash

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General News

A German paraglider was hospitalised after crashing against a rock face in Vorarlberg at the weekend.Police in the town of Au said today (Mon) that the man suffered serious injuries in the accident which occurred on Saturday afternoon. The resident of Rettenberg in the German state of Bavaria was transferred to a local hospital via […]

Truck stopped over safety concerns

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General News

A lorry driver was reprimanded for ignoring cargo safety rules.Police in the province of Salzburg said today (Tues) that tree trunks on the trailer of the truck from the German state of Bavaria were not secured with lashing straps or chains.Traffic police officers issued a report to provincial prosecutors after stopping the driver in Eugendorf […]

TA rebuffed by Serbia

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Business

All eyes are on Telekom Austria (TA) after the Serbian government rejected a first takeover offer.TA announced last week it was ready to transfer “between 800 million and 950 million Euros” for a 51 per cent stake in Serbian telecommunications provider Telekom Srbija. No other firm handed in an official offer after rivals from France, […]

Holiday traffic warning announced

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General News

Drivers are being warned of the high possibility of traffic jams at the weekend.Austrian car clubs ÖAMTC and Arbö said today (Thurs) that, especially on Saturday, substantial tailbacks were expected for key routes in Tyrol, Salzburg and Vorarlberg. The organisations explained their predictions were based on the fact that several German regions including Bavaria, Hamburg […]

Breakdown lane usage pilot project ahead

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General News

Drivers might be allowed to use the breakdown lane of motorways in Austria from next year.Klaudia Niedermühlbichler, a spokeswoman for road administration authority Asfinag, revealed today (Thurs) a plan to start running tests on the A4 eastern motorway between Vienna and Schwechat in Lower Austria in 2012.There has been discussion over whether motorists should get […]

Beyrer gets ÖIAG top job

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Business

Markus Beyrer, the general secretary of the Federation of Austrian Industries (IV), has been appointed as the new head of Industry-Holding Stock Corporation ÖIAG.ÖIAG’s supervisory board unanimously voted for Beyrer yesterday afternoon (Tues). Around 40 businesspeople applied for the post, according to reports. Former Telekom Austria (TA) and VimpelCom boss Boris Nemsic was the only […]