Stories about Austria
Croatia: Promoting Solar Energy at Terraneo Music Festival
UNDP's Voices from Eurasia blog reports on the ecological education program of this year's Terraneo music festival in Šibenik, where guests, among other things, could “test-drive Croatia’s only solar-powered car and bicycle.” In charge of the festival's “solar booth” were Marko Capek and Robert Pašičko, who “also sang songs about...
Ukraine: President Yanukovych's European Assets
On OpenDemocracy.com, Ukrainian journalist Serhij Leschenko writes about President Viktor Yanukovych's “luxury residence and the money trail that leads to London”: “Having completely rejected such European values as human rights and democracy, the Ukrainian president uses Europe as a place to hide his dirty money with impunity. European leaders who...
Video: Worldwide UN Youth Competition for Short Films on Human Rights
Students between the ages of 10 and 20 worldwide are invited to produce short films (max. 3 min) on the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a special focus on sustainability, migration / refugees and global warming for the Video competition for the 2012 this human world...
Europe: Will ACTA Treaty Pass After Protests?
The ratification of the Anti-Counterfeiting Treaty (ACTA) by the European Parliament has been delayed in expectation of an opinion from the European Court of Justice on its conformity with fundamental rights.
Europe: What Facebook Knows About You
Max Schrems, a 24 year-old law student in Austria, requested all the data Facebook holds on him, and eventually received a CD with more than 1,200 pages, including private messages he had deleted. Max has now filed a data protection complaint in Ireland – where Facebook's European subsidiary is based...
Syria: World Cities Rally Against and For Bashar
Events in Syria are being echoed around the world. Syrians in the diaspora rallied in the majority of the cities in the world, either asking to overthrow Bashar Al Assad and his regime or chanting their love to their leader. Check out this video round up for footage from demonstrations worldwide.
Lithuania-Austria: Continued Controversy Over Ex-KGB Man
Albatros of Litauen blog discusses [ger] the ongoing controversy between Lithuania and Austria, after authorities in Vienna let go of an internationally wanted ex-KGB officer, who allegedly was party to the January 1991 Vilnius killings of Lithuanians by soviet troops.
Global Voices Bloggers to Mentor Youth Activists from 10 Countries
Today we announce the names of 10 Global Voices bloggers and 11 activists who will be working together virtually over the next months as part of a new mentoring initiative developed by Global Voices and Activista, the youth network of international development organization, ActionAid.
Russia-Lithuania: Did Russian Pressure Set KGB-Officer Free?
Gerhard Mangott discusses [GER] to what extent Russian pressure was decisive for Austrian authorities to let a former KGB-officer free, wanted by Lithuania for January 1991 Vilnius deaths.
Lithuania-Austria: Ex KGB-Officer Causes Controversy
Albatross of Litauen blog reports [GER] about a controversy between Lithuania and Austria, where Austrian authorities first arrested and then released a former KGB-officer, who commanded Soviet Alpha-forces during the bloody Vilnius 13 January 1991 events.
Slovakia: Second-Class Customers
Even though customers might expect products from the same brand to be of the same quality worldwide, regional differences in quality and price do exist, depending on whether the products were manufactured for Western European markets or for those in Central and Eastern Europe. Tibor Blazko reports on the reactions of Slovak netizens to a recent study on the issue.
Russia: Luzhkov's Birthday, Vacation and Prose
More posts on Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov (who is in Austria now) – at The Moscow Diaries (here and here), and at FPA's Russia blog.
Worldwide: Demonstrations for Palestine
Roba from Jordan published pictures from different demonstrations world wide against Israel's last attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, in Holland, Greece, Egypt, United Kingdom, Lebanon, Pakistan, Malaysia, Sweden, France, Turkey, India, Italy, Canada, Spain, Belgium, United States, Bulgaria and Austria.
Russia: The 2009 Killing of Umar Israilov
Robert Amsterdam writes about Ramzan Kadyrov's alleged involvement in the 2009 murder of Umar Israilov in Vienna, and links to C.J. Chivers’ New York Times investigative piece, whose opening paragraph has reminded him of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, a collection of Vietnam War short stories.
Austria: How Social Media Set “Universities on Fire”
Did you know that at this very moment many universities throughout Europe are occupied by students? This remarkable movement has been coordinated entirely via online social media.
Czech Republic: Temelín Nuclear Power Plant
The Journeys of Captain Oddsocks writes about the Temelín nuclear power plant, which has been in the news recently “because of a controversial and overpriced contract awarded to a shady company whose former director was recently jailed for planning the violent abduction of his replacement.”
Hungary: 20 Years Since the Pan-European Picnic
Hungarian Spectrum writes about the 20th anniversary of the Pan-European Picnic, which was “held on a field in the middle of nowhere on the Austro-Hungarian border on August 19, 1989″: “A memorial park now commemorates the event that allowed about 600 East Germans to cross into Austria and to freedom...
Nabucco: Running out of gas
Der Spiegelfechter comments on [GER] the agreement to build gas pipeline Nabucco and wonders where the gas will be coming from, whereas Der Unbequeme questions [GER] the need of yet another pipeline. LJ user xystos argues [RUS] why Nabucco is a mere mirage, and LJ user tertiaroma sees [RUS] the...
Nabucco: Chorus of the energy slaves
Gabriela Ionita of Power&PoliticsWeblog discusses the recent agreement in Ankara on the construction of the western financed Nabucco gas pipeline and competition with Russia over Caucasian and Central Asian gas supplies and deliveries to Europe.
Czech Republic: A story of engineerial ingenuity
The Reference Frame examines the biography of ingenious Czech inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), and discusses his role for the development of science and industry.
Hungary 20 years after rise of the Iron curtain
Hungarian Spectrum writes about the 1989 opening of the Austro-Hungarian border, eventually leading to the rise of the Iron Curtain, dividing Eastern and Western Europe.