Was ist die Webseite?

https://www.facebook.com/103209666106138/

MewsAustria, Fritz Hahn Gasse 1, Vienna (2025)

10/12/2025

René Benko, the former property tycoon, and his wife Nathalie appeared before a court in Innsbruck on Wednesday for the second time, facing allegations of fraudulent concealment of assets. The verdicts were delivered later in the afternoon.

Prosecutors accused the couple of hiding €370,000 in cash, jewellery and luxury watches in a basement safe at a relative’s home in order to keep the assets out of reach of creditors. The safe, installed on 11 March, was discovered during a house search, only days after Benko had filed for insolvency.

According to the anti-corruption prosecution service, the timing was no coincidence. Officers found the safe concealed behind cardboard boxes, containing high-end watches, cufflinks and €120,000 in cash.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty. Benko said in a written statement that the valuables were gifts intended for his sons and declined further comment, citing intense media pressure. His wife also maintained her innocence and remained silent throughout proceedings.

Shortly after 17:20, the court announced its decision: Benko was found guilty on part of the charges relating to the luxury watches. He received a 15-month suspended prison sentence and a €4,320 fine. The judge ruled that the watches were not credible as children’s gifts and noted that Benko continued wearing them even after the alleged date of the handover, as documented in photos.

Benko was acquitted on the charge concerning the €120,000 in cash. He may still appeal within three days, and the presumption of innocence therefore formally continues to apply.

Nathalie Benko was fully acquitted. Although the timing of the safe’s purchase raised suspicions, the judge said there was no evidence of incriminating communication or intent. The court accepted that she intended to store her own valuables in the safe, including jewellery worth €5.5 million.
‎

10/12/2025

The turmoil surrounding the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna continues to escalate. On Wednesday, it emerged that yet another country has withdrawn from the competition in protest over Israel’s participation.

The exit comes after Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Ireland had already pulled out. The latest departure — confirmed shortly before the registration deadline — adds further pressure to an already strained contest.

Groiss-Horowitz said during the broadcaster’s “ZIB Talk” that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had “reached its limits” amid the heated dispute. She noted that the pace and intensity of the debate had “overwhelmed everyone involved”.

Iceland, long considered undecided, held a nearly three-hour meeting before announcing its withdrawal late on Wednesday.

For Austria, this marks a significant setback. In recent days, broadcasters had hoped to persuade at least some of the departing countries to reconsider, but those efforts were unsuccessful.

The ongoing tensions have raised questions about the stability and unity of the contest as preparations for the Vienna event continue.
‎

09/12/2025

Austrian retailer Spar has issued a precautionary recall of its 500-gram packs of SPAR own-brand cherry tomatoes after detecting a possible salmonella contamination in one specific batch.

The company announced on Tuesday that products carrying batch number S48/06 may be affected by microbiological contamination. All items from the affected batch have already been removed from store shelves.

Consumers who purchased the 500-gram pack with this batch number are urged not to eat the tomatoes. The recall does not apply to other SPAR fruit and vegetable products, nor to tomatoes from other brands.

Shoppers can return the affected tomatoes to any SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR or Maximarkt branch, where they will receive a full refund even without a receipt.

09/12/2025

A major change to Austria’s unemployment and emergency assistance rules is set to take effect on 1 January, triggering concern among the Greens, who warn that the reform could unintentionally push people out of their professions.

Under the new rules, people receiving unemployment benefits will no longer be allowed to take on minor side jobs. Only those who have already been drawing benefits for at least a year may earn a small additional income — and even then, only for a maximum of 26 weeks.

Green Party labour and social affairs spokesman Markus Koza said the reform has created significant uncertainty for affected groups. He has submitted a parliamentary inquiry asking Social Affairs Minister Korinna Schumann to clarify several practical cases.

The Greens argue that the change particularly disadvantages self-employed workers. For them, not only periods of actual work count, but also periods in which services are merely “offered”. Meanwhile, people in low-paid artistic or academic roles — who often work on short-term, irregular contracts — will struggle to meet the exception criteria.

“One example is a lecturer who has taught at universities for years, but whose contracts run only for a single semester. These contracts never reach six consecutive months, meaning they would suddenly be barred from teaching while receiving benefits,” the Greens said. They fear many people may be pushed into bogus self-employment as a result.

Another difficulty affects artists, journalists and others whose work is typically arranged in short stints. Even if they accumulate more than six months of employment over two years, they often cannot prove 26 consecutive weeks of full insurance coverage — a requirement for the exemption.

08/12/2025

A shocking incident occurred on Friday evening in the Bavarian town of Lindau, on the shores of Lake Constance. Police were called to the bus station shortly before 10 p.m., where they found a 13-year-old boy injured on the ground. Moments earlier, he had been assaulted by four children who had used stolen emergency hammers as weapons.

According to police, the group had removed the hammers from a city bus and repeatedly struck the boy. Even after he collapsed, the attackers continued kicking him. The children fled before officers arrived but were located only minutes later during a large-scale search involving federal, border, and local police. They were found hiding behind the building of the criminal investigation department in Lindau and were taken into custody.

All four suspects—two Syrian brothers and two Ukrainian boys—are between 11 and 13 years old and live in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. The youngest, aged 11, was handed over to his guardian; a 13-year-old Ukrainian boy was placed in the care of a family crisis service.

Police say the attack appears to have been triggered by a verbal dispute between the victim and one of the perpetrators. The injured boy, also 13, was taken to a hospital in Bregenz but is not believed to have suffered serious injuries. Child welfare authorities have been notified.

‎

08/12/2025

Despite Austria marking the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December – a public holiday – many Viennese took advantage of special shopping hours as several stores opened their doors. The day is traditionally one of the busiest for pre-Christmas shopping, and retailers in the capital view it as a key opportunity to boost festive sales.

A Hofer supermarket in Vienna-Favoriten opened from 10:00 to 18:00, drawing eager shoppers. According to the reports, people had already gathered outside the store near the Hansson Estate shortly before opening time. When the doors finally slid open, customers streamed inside. “It’s packed with people in here,” the passer-by remarked.

Public holidays often generate similar scenes at the Praterstern Billa branch, where long queues and unexpected store closures have in the past pushed residents toward petrol stations or shops with special opening hours. On some occasions, commuters have found themselves weaving through large crowds just to reach public transport.

‎

06/12/2025

A popular thermal spa in Burgenland has been forced to close immediately after routine water tests detected Legionella bacteria. Authorities in Oberwart ordered the Avita Resort in Bad Tatzmannsdorf to shut down the entire facility as a precaution.

Avita managing director Peter Prisching told ORF that safety measures had to be implemented without delay. “We have to close the whole resort and take additional steps,” he said, adding that the aim was to reopen the spa “gradually but quickly”. The closure comes at the height of the holiday season, drawing attention well beyond the region.

Officials are also investigating a possible case of illness linked to the spa. A guest who stayed at the resort in November is suspected of suffering from a Legionella-related infection. It remains unclear whether the individual contracted the bacteria at the facility.

The regional government has urged all guests who visited the spa within the past 14 days to monitor their health. Legionella infections typically appear between two and ten days after exposure and can cause flu-like symptoms, progressing in severe cases to pneumonia.

The bacteria thrive in water systems such as pipes and showers, and infections occur when contaminated water droplets are inhaled. Drinking affected water does not pose a risk.

Austria requires all suspected and confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease to be reported. Nationwide, between five and ten percent of patients die from complications associated with the illness. Anyone experiencing symptoms is advised to contact the medical emergency service (141) or the health hotline 1450.

‎
‎
‎

06/12/2025

A woman in Vienna’s Liesing district says she was billed twice after unknowingly parking on a privately monitored lot, reigniting criticism over so-called “parking traps” in the area.

Emma (name changed by the newspaper) told that she left her car on a private parking space on Perfektastraße 11 late in the evening in June. Almost two months later, she received a letter demanding €395, with the warning that failure to pay could result in legal action for trespassing.

To avoid a court dispute, she paid the amount immediately. But on 3 December, a second shock followed: a new demand—this time from a debt collection agency—requiring her to pay an additional €288.32. The agency cited compensation claims including monitoring and evidence-collection fees, giving her a deadline of 13 December. Emma says she feels she is being “taken advantage of”.

Similar incidents in the district have been reported previously. According to ÖAMTC legal expert Nikolaus Authried, each case must be assessed individually. In an earlier, comparable case, he said that once the driver had settled the initial claim, there was no legal basis for additional flat-rate fees from another company. Only the cost of processing the vehicle owner inquiry—€47.75—was considered justified.

Emma is now seeking legal advice before deciding whether to pay the second charge.

MewsAustria

10/12/2025

10/12/2025

09/12/2025

09/12/2025

08/12/2025

08/12/2025

06/12/2025

06/12/2025

Adresse

Webseite

Benachrichtigungen

Verknüpfungen

Teilen

Kategorie