China threatens to take back Schönbrunn pandas

Categories
General News

The Chinese government has threatened to take Schönbrunn’s panda’s away if the Austrian government meets the Dalai Lama again. The foreign minister and deputy president Michael Spindelegger (ÖVP) was presented with a scarf by the Dalai Lama in Vienna’s Stadthalle last year and the chancellor Werner Faymann met the spiritual leader of Tibet for dinner […]

Pressure rises for school pupils as school year end nears

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Education

Parents splash out a collective 33 million Euros a year on tuition fees in Austria for their children, but are now being advised to spend more time talking to them instead. Recent figures from the Vienna Chamber of Labour shows that every fourth student in the capital – around 6,000-7,000 – retake their exams every […]

Children uni releases study book

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Education

KinderuniWien will start again from 8 to 20 July and offer a diverse programme. A study book with all lectures will be published on Saturday. “How did Count Dracula become a film star?”; “What is the most poisonous animal in the world?” and “Will robots soon take over the world?” The KinderuniWien offers lectures, where […]

Defibrillators network in Vienna

Categories
Lifestyle

Only ten out of 100 people in Vienna survive a sudden cardiac arrest outside a hospital. The association “Puls” wants to establish a dense network of defibrillators in the city and thus increase the survival rate. Only eleven percent of the people, who suffer a cardiac arrest outside a hospital, survive this. In contrast, there […]

Daily PE lesson: no new gyms planned

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Education

A daily physical education lesson will be introduced to Austrian full-time schools in autumn. However, additional gyms will not be built. City councillor Christian Oxonitsch (SPÖ) said that a renovation would be enough. “We guarantee a minimum of five hours of movement and sport per week for all classes in full-time schools”, said Claudia Schmied […]

15 minutes free parking instead of 10

Categories
Politics

The 15-minute parking ticket will replace the 10-minute parking ticket in autumn. The only alternative is to buy your parking ticket with your phone. A parking clock does not protect you from a fine. The coalition of SPÖ and the Green Party in Vienna has decided to introduce a new free 15-minute parking ticket. It […]

Vienna advocates a ban on pesticides

Categories
Green Austria

Vienna has now joined those Austrian states that advocate a cooperative strategy for a ban of the neonicotinoids pesticides. Apparently, there are tested alternatives for the pesticides that are harmful for bees. “Vienna examined whether it was possible to make a solo effort on EU level but a more extensive and European wide ban achieves […]

Huge debate over multilingualism in Austria

Categories
Politics

Possible projects for a “multilingual oriented educational concept” have led to a debate in Vienna. The SPÖ, ÖVP and FPÖ are currently discussing the two sides of the issue: “multilingualism as a chance” and “German as a priority”. The “forum.wien.welt.offen”, an expert group that has replaced the commission of migration of the city of Vienna, […]

Schools in Vienna discuss possible phone ban

Categories
Education

Several schools in Vienna are currently considering whether they can ban mobile phones. Phones often disturb the lessons and students also use their smartphones in the breaks. The school board of the city opposes a complete ban. International studies show that nine out of ten teenagers have a mobile phone and half of them have […]

New baby wolves born in the Schönbrunn zoo

Categories
General News

Five wolf cubs are the latest addition to the Schönbrunn zoo in Vienna this spring. The wolves are now several weeks old and have gradually been wondering more and more outside their underground lair. Wolf pups have their eyes closed for two weeks after they are born and are defenceless during that time. Zoo director […]