A delegation formed of Austrias political and economic elite is currently meeting with decision-makers in New Zealand.Austrian Peoples Party (ÖVP) Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger and Federal Economy Chamber (WKO) President Christoph Leitl are heading the Austrian group who are currently on the island in the south-western Pacific Ocean.Spindelegger, who will meet New Zealand National Party […]
A Turkish accession to the European Union (EU) would help Europe to improve its credibility in the Arab world, British Minister for Europe David Lidington has claimed.Lidington said in his speech at an event at the Austrian National Bank (OeNB) yesterday evening (Mon) that the EU would have more influence on developments in the world […]
Naturalisation figures drop further
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Austria continues to hand out fewer citizenships to immigrants, figures presented by Statistik Austria today (Mon) show.The statistic agency announced 6,190 people became Austrian citizens last year, down by 22.5 per cent and fewer than ever since the beginning of the 1970s.More than five in 10 new Austrians came to the country from Bosnia-Herzegovina […]
Tougher Vienna horse carriage law ahead
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People offering tours through the city centre of Vienna in horse carriages must brace for stricter regulations as the provincial government agreed to reform existing laws.The government coalition of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the Green Party said today (Mon) that the entrepreneurs running the service which is popular with tourists will face fines […]
The Austrian government has decided to contribute millions of Euros to the preservation of a concentration camp memorial in Poland.The Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the Peoples Party (ÖVP) announced yesterday (Tues) that the Republic of Austria will support maintenance and renovation activities at the grounds of former Nazi death camp Auschwitz.Up to three million people […]
Upper Austria bans ‘aggressive begging’
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Certain forms of begging are now prohibited in six of Austrias nine provinces after a law made by Upper Austrian decision-makers went into effect today (Tues).The provincial government agreed earlier this month to make so-called aggressive and professional begging illegal as of 1 February. People being caught begging face fines and prison sentences.The decision comes […]
Spindelegger sees revolution in Egypt
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Austrian ÖVP (Peoples Party) Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger said today (Mon) that a revolution was occurring in Egypt.He added that it was important for the European Union to react with a view to the future since no one could know what the end result would be and it was still uncertain whether there would be […]
The Jewish Community in Austria (IKG) has criticised an upcoming movie for “creating anti-Semitic agitation”.IKG General Secretary Raimund Fastenbauer said today (Tues) it was “disgusting and cynical” that “Valley of the Wolves” a Turkish production preceded by a popular TV series opens in cinemas in Austria and Germany under the name “Tal der […]
Socialists & Democrats Group in the European Parliament (EP) leader Martin Schulz has defended the decision of the EP and the European Commission (EC) to examine Hungarys controversial new media law.Critics have claimed the check might take longer than the countrys six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) which started on 1 […]
More than 100 people gathered in Vienna to commemorate the death of late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, it has been claimed.Amer Albayati, a journalist and founder of the Association of Liberal Muslims in Austria, told the Kronen Zeitung today (Tues) he has information that 120 supporters of the dictator came together in Vienna recently to […]