Voluntary speed reduction call as Austria battles snow

Categories
General News

Traffic experts have appealed to drivers to adapt their speed to the treacherous conditions they are currently confronted with across Austria.Strong snowfall has led to dozens of accidents on streets across all nine provinces last night and this morning (Weds).Six people had to be hospitalised in Vorarlberg this morning after a 28-year-old driver lost control […]

EVN boss quits

Categories
Business

One of Austria’s leading energy providers is to get a new chairman as Burkhard Hofer announced he has decided to step down as head of EVN’s executive board.The Lower Austrian company announced today (Weds) that the 66-year-old asked the supervisory board to release him from his position next month. EVN explained that its supervisory panel […]

Five-star hotel opens as industry braces for more competition

Categories
Business

Vienna has another luxury hotel as the Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom started operating this morning (Tues).French architect Jean Nouvel created the design of the five-star resort located on the Donaukanal (Danube Canal) in Vienna-Leopoldstadt.The 18-storey building, which features 182 rooms costing between 250 and 3,000 Euros per night, also includes a carpet dealer and an art […]

Leaky hose leads to hash farm

Categories
General News

Fire-fighters have discovered a massive marijuana cultivation set up in a living room in a flat in Vienna.Tenants of the housing estate in the Favoriten district called the local fire brigade after water started dripping from the ceiling yesterday (Mon). The incident exposed an illegal indoor hashish farm maintained by a 26-year-old man living on […]

Victoria’s Secret ‘to open shop in Vienna’

Categories
Business

Victoria’s Secret is to open a showroom in Austria, according to reports.Austrian business weekly Format claims today (Fri) the American lingerie maker plans to open its first representation in the country in the city centre of Vienna in February.Victoria’s Secret has cooperated with some of the best paid models in the world in advertising its […]

SPD ‘assigns Ederer’

Categories
Business

Siemens manager Brigitte Ederer has been asked to advise the German Social Democrats (SPD) on economic-political issues, it has been claimed.Austrian magazine Format reports today (Fri) that the former Siemens Austria boss agreed to join the SPD’s new economic politics council consisting of around 50 members.German media regard the foundation of the group as an […]

Graz grows as Vienna comes third

Categories
General News

The population of Graz has soared by more than 13 per cent during the past nine years, outdoing all of Austria’s other provincial capitals.Statistik Austria and the Federation of Austrian Cities (Städtebund) announced yesterday (Thurs) 257,000 people were currently living in the provincial capital of Styria, up by 13.7 per cent compared to 2001.The authorities […]

U-Bahn sex clip causes amusement around the globe

Categories
General News

A clip of a randy couple having sex in a Vienna underground has become an internet sensation.The camera phone video footage shows a young man having intercourse with a woman in a train of the Wiener Linien’s U1 U-Bahn service. While he is standing with his pants down, his partner is on one of the […]

Strache’s Israel trip causes a stir

Categories
Politics

Officials in Austria are at odds over Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Heinz-Christian Strache’s decision to travel to Israel.The right-winger visited Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a territory Palestinians are also claiming. Speaking about the ongoing conflict about the area and the throwbacks the peace talks have suffered, Strache said in the West Bank area […]

Spending cuts will not affect purchase power, survey shows

Categories
Business

Austrians’ spending power will increase year on year in 2011 despite higher taxes and less welfare spending, a new study suggests.RegioData announced today (Tues) that it expected Austrians’ purchasing power to rise by 2.6 per cent next year compared to this year’s rate. The research agency said this increase meant people will have 450 Euros […]