One way to a world record: Austrian carpenter builds 707,335 coffins, more than anyone else

October 3rd, 2009 China's XAC is majority owner of Austria's FACCVIENNA — China's Xi'an Aircraft Industry (Group) Company Ltd. has become the majority owner of Austrian aviation supplier FACC AG, the Austrian company said Saturday.

August 28th, 2009 EU clears Lufthansa's Austrian Airlines takeoverFRANKFURT — German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Friday the European Commission has approved its takeover of Austrian Airlines Group, allowing it start integrating the company in September. Cologne-based Lufthansa is taking over about 42 percent of the shares of Austrian Airlines owned by the government for about €336,000 ($480,000), according to the European Commission.

August 12th, 2009 Austrian woman reports otter attack in WisconsinDRUMMOND, Wis. — An Austrian woman on vacation in Wisconsin is getting rabies shots after she said she was bitten by otters while swimming in a lake.

August 4th, 2009 Austrian Airlines runs up 1H, Q2 lossesVIENNA — Austrian Airlines, the ailing carrier due to be taken over by Germany's Lufthansa, reported losses for the second quarter and first half of the year on Tuesday, blaming the slump in demand affecting the global aviation industry. The airline experienced a loss of euro78.5 million ($113 million) in the April-June period, compared with a profit of euro11.7 million ($16.8 million) a year earlier, a company statement said.

July 31st, 2009 EU to OK Lufthansa bid for Austrian AirlinesBRUSSELS — The European Union's antitrust chief says she will clear Lufthansa's bid for Austrian Airlines. EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said Friday that EU governments and the European Commission would still have to formally approve the takeover.

July 28th, 2009 Lufthansa seeks Austrian merger deadline extensionFRANKFURT — German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Tuesday it has applied for a month-long extension to the deadline to merge with Austrian Airlines in order to fulfill certain obligations for the deal. In a brief statement, the Cologne-based airline said it had applied to the Austrian Takeover Commission for the extension — to Aug.

July 17th, 2009 EU: Lufthansa makes new offer for AustrianBRUSSELS — Lufthansa has made a new offer to try and soothe antitrust concerns over its bid for Austrian Airlines, European Union regulators say. EU spokesman Jonathan Todd said last week that chances of Lufthansa winning regulatory approval for the deal by July 31 were fading fast because the company was not doing enough to eliminate competition concerns that the deal would reduce choice and hike fares on some routes.

July 3rd, 2009 Colorado company offers banana coffinsDENVER — Casket makers catering to natural burials have offered biodegradable coffins made of such materials as recycled newspapers or cardboard. Ecoffins USA, based in Montrose, Colo., is selling caskets made of banana sheaves.

July 2nd, 2009 Austrian Airlines to cut 1,000 jobsVIENNA — Austrian Airlines, the ailing carrier due to be taken over by Germany's Lufthansa AG, said Thursday it will cut about 1,000 jobs by mid-2010 as part of an effort to boost its competitiveness. In a statement, the airline said the downsizing would happen in stages and include layoffs.

June 17th, 2009 Austria: Man convicted of glorifying Nazi ideasVIENNA — An Austrian court has convicted a man of glorifying Nazi ideology and sentenced him to two years in prison. The court in the southern city of Klagenfurt found the 85-year-old man, who was not identified, guilty Wednesday of "re-engaging" in Nazi-era beliefs.

May 8th, 2009 Austrian cycling seeks harsher doping penaltiesVIENNA — The Austrian cycling federation has called for doping to be classified as a criminal offense, leading to harsher punishment for riders who use banned substances. "It's totally clear that the current degree of penalty is not sufficient," federation president Otto Flum told national broadcaster ORF on Thursday.

April 9th, 2009 VIENNA - An Austrian court stopped a case of motherly love gone too far by fining a 73-year-old woman for calling her son up to 49 times per day, the daily Kleine Zeitung reported Thursday. The court in the southern Austrian town of Klagenfurt convicted and sentenced the woman to a fine of 360 euros ($476) for stalking her grown son for two and a half years.

March 16th, 2009 ST POELTEN - The trial of Josef Fritzl, the father who achieved worldwide notoriety in 2008 on allegations of incest, began Monday in the Austrian town of St Poelten. At 9:30 a.m.

February 24th, 2009 VIENNA - The Czech Republic leads the world in drinking beer with Austria in the second place, the Austrian brewery association said Monday. Each Czech on an average drank 159 litres of beer in 2007, according to the latest available figures.

January 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists taking a leaf out of the social sciences are trying to read signs from nature to know whether they presage potential collapse of ecosystems. The idea of using leading indicators in science is not new.