Curses! Austrian town fights to change dirty name
Apr 20th
Having endured countless prank calls and rampant thefts of street signs for years, a small Austrian hamlet with an unfortunate name is reportedly fighting with another over a new identity. More >
Austria clinches quick Swiss tax deal to bolster budget
Apr 13th
Austria nailed down a deal with Switzerland on Friday to tax money stashed by its citizens in secret Swiss accounts, securing a 1 billion euro ($1.3 billion) windfall needed to help shore up its finances. More >
Adolf Hitler parents’ tombstone in Austria removed
Mar 30th
The tombstone marking the grave of Adolf Hitler’s parents in Austria has been removed, officials say, to end its use as a pilgrimage site for right-wing extremists. The grave is in Leonding, 10km (six miles), from the city of Linz. More >
Mozart piano composition uncovered in Austria
Mar 23rd
A previously unknown piece by Mozart, believed to have been written when he was as young as 10, has been uncovered in Austria. The piece, thought to have been composed in 1767 or 1768, was found in a notebook in an attic. More >
Austria wins team event in Schladming
Mar 16th
Austria won the team event at the end-of-season World Cup finals here on Friday, after beating Switzerland in the parallel slalom 3-1. Switzerland practically handed the victory to its neighbour when Lara Gut pulled out of the final race with back pain, leaving three of her compatriots to battle four Austrians. More >
Austria faces 1 bln eur Greek hit for KF “bad bank”
Mar 9th
Austria faces a hit of up to 1 billion euros ($1.31 billion) for the hole Greece’s debt restructuring punches in state-owned “bad bank” KA Finanz, the lender said on Friday. More >
Dutch prince injured in Austrian avalanche
Feb 17th
Several members of the Dutch royal family arrived in Innsbruck Friday after a son of Queen Beatrix, Prince Johan Friso, was seriously injured in an avalanche while skiing there. More >
Austria puts Russia on Davis Cup edge
Feb 10th
Jurgen Melzer and Andreas Haider-Maurer posted victories Friday that put Austria ahead of Russia 2-0 in a best-of-five Davis Cup series. Melzer edged past Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 behind 84 winners. Haider-Maurer didn’t face a break point until the third set of a 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (1-7), 6-2 win over Alex Bogomolov Jr.
Haider-Maurer had at least one break in each set. He had 17 aces and won 21-of-23 points when approaching the net. Bogomolov had just 15 winners in the match.
Hutchison seals deal to buy Orange Austria
Feb 3rd
Hutchison Whampoa, which owns 3, the European telecoms mobile operator, on Friday finalised a €1.3bn deal to buy Orange Austria from France Telecom and Mid Europa Partners, the private equity group.
France Telecom owns 35 per cent of Orange Austria, with the remainder controlled by Mid Europa Partners. The deal has an implied enterprise value of about €1.3bn, although the group carries about €1bn of debt, which will mean that the partners are expected to take a share of cash worth €300m.
Vienna’s gala balls off cultural list
Jan 20th
A committee reporting to the UN’s culture organization struck Vienna’s many balls from its list of Austria’s noteworthy traditions yesterday amid an uproar over one of the annual champagne-laced galas that critics say attracts neo-Nazis from across Europe.
The decision by the Austrian UNESCO Commission was welcomed by those who oppose the one often-criticized ball, staged in part by dueling fraternities, including far-right alumni who display saber scars on their cheeks as badges of honor. But the committee also outraged supporters who reject labeling that event as a magnet for backers of Nazi ideology.
