• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at
• austrianindependent.com

Today

• Vienna - VESCC English Catholic Mass
• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna - Art by Petronilla Hohenwarter.
• STOMP at the MuseumsQuartier
• Ice skating at Rathaus

26. 11. 09. - 17:00

• more Around the World news
• RSS Feed Around the World

26. 11. 09. - 17:00

Mafia cops target Vatican bank

Anti mafia cops are asking the Pope to authorise access for police to see secret accounts in the Vatican's private offshore bank as part of money laundering investigations, it emerged today (thursday).

The Church's Institute for Religious Works accepts accounts from priests, Vatican city residents and worshippers who agree to donate part of their money to the Church.

Because of a special agreement with the Italian state, the bank gives high interest and transfers profits back to high street banks in Italy.

Now prosecutors are seeking access to the accounts as part of an investigation into organised crime money laundering, reports La Stampa newspaper.

According to police more than 60 million GBP has passed through just three targeted accounts within a year.

Bank president Ettore Gotti Tedeschi said he is co-operating with the investigation.

Austrian Times

Set up tax on financial transactions soon, says Katzian
The head of the Association of Private Employees (GPA-djp) has called for a quick introduction of a tax on financial transactions.

Pühringer rejects U-turn on rightist ball
Young Social Democrats (SPÖ) have appealed to Upper Austrian Governor Josef Pühringer not to attend the Burschenbundball in Linz this Saturday.

FPÖ under fire after trip to Grozny
The Freedom Party (FPÖ) has been harshly criticised for meeting with Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov.

WKO boss wants pension age hike incentives
Federal Economy Chamber (WKO) President Christoph Leitl has identified attempts to raise the average retirement age as the key issue regarding Austria’s budget.

Woman and child run over in Vienna
A woman and child have died in a road accident in Vienna, Austria. The lorry driver was making a right turn when he drove into a group of pedestrians leaving a 59-year-old and a 12-year-old dead. The mother of the school girl was left with serious injuries.

Schlecker says Austrian jobs are safe
The son of Schlecker founder Anton Schlecker has claimed that the company has no plans to sell its Austrian affiliate.

SPÖ sees smaller parliament as key signal
The general secretary of the Social Democrats (SPÖ) has argued his support for a reduction of the size of the parliament.

Austrian food to feature in organic trade fair
Austria is expected to be well represented at next week’s BioFach 2012 international organic trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany. Some 90 companies and organisations from the Austrian organic good sector will feature at the fair from 15 to 18 February.

Brothel for the homeless in Vienna
Homeless people are queueing up for free rooms in an Austrian brothel after owner Peter Laskaris said it would be unfair not to do everything he could during the current cold spell.

Deep-freeze snacks for orangutans in Schönbrunn
The lucky orangutans who take up residence in Europe’s oldest zoo have been indulging in a twice weekly take-away. Despite the trees in Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria now being completely bare the fury friends have fresh branches and leaves delivered twice a week.