German prosecutors today said Airbus had agreed to pay a fine of 81.25 million euros (USD 99 million) to settle a corruption probe into the 2003 sale of Eurofighter jets to Austria.

The investigation did not find evidence of bribery to secure the lucrative contract, the Munich prosecutors said in a statement.

But they said Airbus had failed it its supervisory duty by allowing former management to make multi-million-euro payments linked to the deal for &quot;unclear purposes&quot;.

The European aircraft manufacturer said in its own statement it had accepted the fine, meaning that the probed first opened in 2012 &quot;has been terminated&quot;.

Authorities in Austria, however, are still investigating claims bribers were paid to land the two-billion-euro sale of 18 Eurofighter jets to Vienna, a deal long alleged to have been very shady.

The Austrian government last year also launched a lawsuit against Airbus, seeking up 1.1 billion euros in damages. It accuses the aircraft giant of deliberately hoodwinking Vienna over the order.

Current Airbus chief Tom Enders was head of the defense division of European Aeronautic Defence Space Company at the time the deal was struck.

The corruption probes in Germany and Austria, as well separate graft investigations in Britain and France, have long cast a pall over one of Europe&#39;s most successful and best-known companies.

Airbus announced in December that embattled Enders would not seek reappointment when his current term ends in April 2019.

The investigation did not find evidence of bribery to secure the lucrative contract, the Munich prosecutors said in a statement

German prosecutors today said Airbus had agreed to pay a fine of 81.25 million euros (USD 99 million) to settle a corruption probe into the 2003 sale of Eurofighter jets to Austria. The investigation did not find evidence of bribery to secure the lucrative contract, the Munich prosecutors said in a statement. But they said Airbus had failed it its supervisory duty by allowing former management to make multi-million-euro payments linked to the deal for "unclear purposes". The European aircraft manufacturer said in its own statement it had accepted the fine, meaning that the probed first opened in 2012 "has been terminated". Authorities in Austria, however, are still investigating claims bribers were paid to land the two-billion-euro sale of 18 Eurofighter jets to Vienna, a deal long alleged to have been very shady. The Austrian government last year also launched a lawsuit against Airbus, seeking up 1.1 billion euros in damages. It accuses the aircraft giant of deliberately hoodwinking Vienna over the order. Current Airbus chief Tom Enders was head of the defense division of European Aeronautic Defence Space Company at the time the deal was struck. The corruption probes in Germany and Austria, as well separate graft investigations in Britain and France, have long cast a pall over one of Europe's most successful and best-known companies. Airbus announced in December that embattled Enders would not seek reappointment when his current term ends in April 2019.

Airbus to pay 81 million euros to end German corruption probe

Austrian corruption prosecutors are investigating transactions between&nbsp;FIFA, the world soccer governing body, and its Austrian counterpart OFB, a spokesperson for the prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Austrian websites addendum.org and 90minuten.at reported on Tuesday that the OFB president, Leo Windtner, was being investigated for facilitating a $100,000 transfer from&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;to a charity project in Africa that his wife was involved with.

Asked about the report, a spokesperson for the corruption prosecutors&#39; office in Vienna on Wednesday confirmed an investigation was underway but declined to name any suspects.

She added the investigation relates to events in 2014.

&quot;We are investigating the accusation that OFB officials demanded $100,000 from&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;officials with regard to the election of the&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;president. The money was supposed to go to an African soccer academy,&quot; the spokesperson said.

Addendum.org 90 and minuten.at reported that the money was sent from&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;to OFB, but OFB then sent it back.&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;eventually sent the money directly to the African project, they reported.

At the time of the transfer, Sepp Blatter was lobbying to get re-elected as&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;president. He is currently in the midst of a six-year ban from all soccer-related duties imposed by Zurich-based FIFA&#39;s ethics committee after a corruption scandal.

Windtner, who became OFB president in 2009, confirmed the transfer had taken place but said it was used for a good cause and that he had nothing to reproach himself for.

OFB,&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;and the charity were not immediately available for comment.

In 2015,&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;was caught in the worst corruption crisis of its existence. Several officials were indicted in the United States for graft, and two out of three former officials were convicted in New York in the first trial of those charged.

Blatter was re-elected&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;president in 2015 but was suspended later that year amid the corruption investigations.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A legal representative based in Austria confirmed that an investigation for facilitating a $100,000 transfer from FIFA to a charity project in Africa was underway

Austrian corruption prosecutors are investigating transactions between FIFA, the world soccer governing body, and its Austrian counterpart OFB, a spokesperson for the prosecutors said on Wednesday. Austrian websites addendum.org and 90minuten.at reported on Tuesday that the OFB president, Leo Windtner, was being investigated for facilitating a $100,000 transfer from FIFA to a charity project in Africa that his wife was involved with. Asked about the report, a spokesperson for the corruption prosecutors' office in Vienna on Wednesday confirmed an investigation was underway but declined to name any suspects. She added the investigation relates to events in 2014. "We are investigating the accusation that OFB officials demanded $100,000 from FIFA officials with regard to the election of the FIFA president. The money was supposed to go to an African soccer academy," the spokesperson said. Addendum.org 90 and minuten.at reported that the money was sent from FIFA to OFB, but OFB then sent it back. FIFA eventually sent the money directly to the African project, they reported. At the time of the transfer, Sepp Blatter was lobbying to get re-elected as FIFA president. He is currently in the midst of a six-year ban from all soccer-related duties imposed by Zurich-based FIFA's ethics committee after a corruption scandal. Windtner, who became OFB president in 2009, confirmed the transfer had taken place but said it was used for a good cause and that he had nothing to reproach himself for. OFB, FIFA and the charity were not immediately available for comment. In 2015, FIFA was caught in the worst corruption crisis of its existence. Several officials were indicted in the United States for graft, and two out of three former officials were convicted in New York in the first trial of those charged. Blatter was re-elected FIFA president in 2015 but was suspended later that year amid the corruption investigations.

FIFA overshadowed by corruption, again

Austria&#39;s new chancellor travelled to Brussels on Tuesday on his first foreign trip since being sworn in, aiming to dispel concerns that his coalition with the far right spells trouble for the European Union.

Responding to a letter on Monday from European Council President Donald Tusk that underlined EU worries, 31-year-old conservative leader Sebastian Kurz tweeted back that his new government would be &quot;clear pro-European and committed to making a positive contribution to the future development of the EU&quot;.

A day after he took office at the head of a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), Kurz delivered that message in person to Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, whose EU executive has responded to October&#39;s election with little of the outrage that greeted the FPO&#39;s first taste of government in Austria 17 years ago.&nbsp;

At a joint news conference in Brussels, Juncker said he would judge Kurz&#39;s government by its deeds.&nbsp;

&quot;This government has a clear pro-European stance. That is what is important for me,&quot; Juncker said.

The FPO has distanced itself from its Nazi-apologist, anti-Semitic past, while surges in irregular immigration and militant attacks have pushed the European political mainstream rightward, leading to a much more muted reaction than in 2000.

But a French member of the Commission was wary: &quot;Things are doubtless different from the previous time, in 2000,&quot; tweeted Socialist former finance minister Pierre Moscovici.&nbsp;

&quot;But the presence of the far right in government is never without consequences.&quot;

Confirmation of the FPO&#39;s return to a share of power raises concern that small, wealthy Austria will be an intractable voice on EU asylum reform and efforts to increase the EU budget.

The bluntest criticism has been south of the Alps, where a plan to offer Austrian citizenship to people living in Italy&#39;s German-speaking border region has rekindled worries over old territorial arguments.

Iron fist, velvet glove

A junior foreign minister in Rome said the offer may be couched in a &quot;velvet glove of Europeanism&quot; but bore &quot;a whiff of the ethno-nationalist iron fist&quot;. 
Kurz assured Italians on Tuesday that he would consult Rome on the plan, which is a long-standing FPO policy, adding he would speak to Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

For an EU battered by mounting nationalism that goes well beyond Brexit, there is concern too that criticism of Brussels in Vienna may help fuel the euroscepticism of former communist member states in Central Europe, including Poland, where the Commission is seriously considering imposing sanctions that were initially designed in response to the FPO`s rise early this century.

Speaking in Brussels, Kurz said he would make it Austria&#39;s task to bridge the gap between EU member states in the east and the west, adding his country would fight to stop illegal immigration into the EU.

In a letter of congratulation to Kurz, Tusk made clear his concerns about the new coalition in Austria:

&quot;I trust that the Austrian government will continue to play a constructive and pro-European role in the European Union,&quot; Tusk wrote, noting that Austria will from July enjoy six months of influence in Brussels as chair of EU ministerial councils.

Germany and France, the EU&#39;s lead powers, also indicated a vigilance about Austria in their comments on Monday which highlighted Kurz&#39;s pledges to foster European cooperation.&nbsp;

Kurz&#39;s visit to Brussels comes on the eve of an important Commission meeting on Wednesday, where Juncker&#39;s team will consider recommending sanctions on Poland for its continued defiance of warnings that its new laws on the judiciary are contrary to EU democratic standards.

&quot;We are in a difficult process, which I hope will turn out to be a process of convergence. But not all bridges to Poland will be burnt tomorrow,&quot; Juncker said.

At a joint news conference in Brussels, Juncker said he would judge Kurz's government by its deeds

Austria's new chancellor travelled to Brussels on Tuesday on his first foreign trip since being sworn in, aiming to dispel concerns that his coalition with the far right spells trouble for the European Union. Responding to a letter on Monday from European Council President Donald Tusk that underlined EU worries, 31-year-old conservative leader Sebastian Kurz tweeted back that his new government would be "clear pro-European and committed to making a positive contribution to the future development of the EU". A day after he took office at the head of a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), Kurz delivered that message in person to Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, whose EU executive has responded to October's election with little of the outrage that greeted the FPO's first taste of government in Austria 17 years ago. At a joint news conference in Brussels, Juncker said he would judge Kurz's government by its deeds. "This government has a clear pro-European stance. That is what is important for me," Juncker said. The FPO has distanced itself from its Nazi-apologist, anti-Semitic past, while surges in irregular immigration and militant attacks have pushed the European political mainstream rightward, leading to a much more muted reaction than in 2000. But a French member of the Commission was wary: "Things are doubtless different from the previous time, in 2000," tweeted Socialist former finance minister Pierre Moscovici. "But the presence of the far right in government is never without consequences." Confirmation of the FPO's return to a share of power raises concern that small, wealthy Austria will be an intractable voice on EU asylum reform and efforts to increase the EU budget. The bluntest criticism has been south of the Alps, where a plan to offer Austrian citizenship to people living in Italy's German-speaking border region has rekindled worries over old territorial arguments. Iron fist, velvet glove A junior foreign minister in Rome said the offer may be couched in a "velvet glove of Europeanism" but bore "a whiff of the ethno-nationalist iron fist". Kurz assured Italians on Tuesday that he would consult Rome on the plan, which is a long-standing FPO policy, adding he would speak to Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. For an EU battered by mounting nationalism that goes well beyond Brexit, there is concern too that criticism of Brussels in Vienna may help fuel the euroscepticism of former communist member states in Central Europe, including Poland, where the Commission is seriously considering imposing sanctions that were initially designed in response to the FPO`s rise early this century. Speaking in Brussels, Kurz said he would make it Austria's task to bridge the gap between EU member states in the east and the west, adding his country would fight to stop illegal immigration into the EU. In a letter of congratulation to Kurz, Tusk made clear his concerns about the new coalition in Austria: "I trust that the Austrian government will continue to play a constructive and pro-European role in the European Union," Tusk wrote, noting that Austria will from July enjoy six months of influence in Brussels as chair of EU ministerial councils. Germany and France, the EU's lead powers, also indicated a vigilance about Austria in their comments on Monday which highlighted Kurz's pledges to foster European cooperation. Kurz's visit to Brussels comes on the eve of an important Commission meeting on Wednesday, where Juncker's team will consider recommending sanctions on Poland for its continued defiance of warnings that its new laws on the judiciary are contrary to EU democratic standards. "We are in a difficult process, which I hope will turn out to be a process of convergence. But not all bridges to Poland will be burnt tomorrow," Juncker said.

Austrian leader defends EU credentials in Brussels

Turkey on Sunday slammed the incoming Austrian government, a coalition between conservatives and the far-right, for &quot;discrimination&quot; and &quot;racist approaches&quot; after its programme pledged Vienna would not agree to Ankara joining the Europian Union (EU).

The landmark coalition deal, marking the return to power in Austria of the Freedom Party (FPOe), has sparked ripples of concern throughout Europe after a year of successes for far-right movements.

The chancellor-elect, Sebastian Kurz of the conservative People&#39;s Party (OeVP), already has a deeply-fractious relationship with Ankara due to his staunch opposition to Turkey&#39;s EU bid while serving as foreign minister.

&quot;This baseless and short-sighted statement in the new Austrian government&#39;s programme, unfortunately, confirms concerns about a political trend based on discrimination and marginalisation,&quot; the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik meanwhile said the incoming Austrian government had &quot;started attacking fundamental democratic values without delay.&quot;

In a barrage of tweets, he said Kurz was &quot;even more radical than the far right&quot;.

Slamming the EU for not condemning the government programme, he said: &quot;Ignoring the racist approaches in the Austrian government programme... is a weakness.&quot;

&quot;Islamophobic, antisemitic, xenophobic and anti-migrant parties are on the rise. Now, this movement is in power in Austria,&quot; Celik said. &quot;Austria should draw lessons from recent history.&quot;

Accusing the incoming government of &quot;dishonesty&quot;, the Turkish foreign ministry warned that if realised, the programme would bring Austria &quot;to the brink of losing Turkey&#39;s friendship&quot; and be met with &quot;the reaction that it deserves&quot;.

Turkey&#39;s decades-long ambition to join the EU has hit the buffers in recent months as the bloc sounded the alarm over the crackdown that followed the 2016 coup bid aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

While Austria has called for the accession process to be formally halted, this has met with opposition from key EU members, notably Germany.

Meeting Erdogan on his trip to Greece earlier this month -- the first by a Turkish president in 65 years -- Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras also backed Turkey&#39;s EU bid.

But last month, the EU cut funds destined to Turkey in the 2018 budget, citing doubts about Ankara&#39;s commitment to democracy and human rights in a move supported by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The landmark coalition deal, marking the return to power in Austria of the Freedom Party (FPOe), has sparked ripples of concern throughout Europe after a year of successes for far-right movements

Turkey on Sunday slammed the incoming Austrian government, a coalition between conservatives and the far-right, for "discrimination" and "racist approaches" after its programme pledged Vienna would not agree to Ankara joining the Europian Union (EU). The landmark coalition deal, marking the return to power in Austria of the Freedom Party (FPOe), has sparked ripples of concern throughout Europe after a year of successes for far-right movements. The chancellor-elect, Sebastian Kurz of the conservative People's Party (OeVP), already has a deeply-fractious relationship with Ankara due to his staunch opposition to Turkey's EU bid while serving as foreign minister. "This baseless and short-sighted statement in the new Austrian government's programme, unfortunately, confirms concerns about a political trend based on discrimination and marginalisation," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement. Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik meanwhile said the incoming Austrian government had "started attacking fundamental democratic values without delay." In a barrage of tweets, he said Kurz was "even more radical than the far right". Slamming the EU for not condemning the government programme, he said: "Ignoring the racist approaches in the Austrian government programme... is a weakness." "Islamophobic, antisemitic, xenophobic and anti-migrant parties are on the rise. Now, this movement is in power in Austria," Celik said. "Austria should draw lessons from recent history." Accusing the incoming government of "dishonesty", the Turkish foreign ministry warned that if realised, the programme would bring Austria "to the brink of losing Turkey's friendship" and be met with "the reaction that it deserves". Turkey's decades-long ambition to join the EU has hit the buffers in recent months as the bloc sounded the alarm over the crackdown that followed the 2016 coup bid aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While Austria has called for the accession process to be formally halted, this has met with opposition from key EU members, notably Germany. Meeting Erdogan on his trip to Greece earlier this month -- the first by a Turkish president in 65 years -- Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras also backed Turkey's EU bid. But last month, the EU cut funds destined to Turkey in the 2018 budget, citing doubts about Ankara's commitment to democracy and human rights in a move supported by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Turkey accuses new Austria government of 'racist approaches'

Austria&#39;s far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) secured Saturday its return to power in a coalition with the conservatives, capping a year of successes for Europe&#39;s nationalist movements.

The anti-immigration party obtained the interior, defence and foreign ministries, but the incoming interior minister Herbert Kickl insisted that &quot;nobody has anything to fear&quot;.

The chancellor-elect, Sebastian Kurz of the conservative People&#39;s Party (OeVP), stressed also that the new government, to be sworn in next week, was pro-EU, although it would press for Brussels to have less say in national affairs.

&quot;We have agreed a clear pro-EU stance with the aim of boosting subsidiarity in the EU,&quot; Kurz told a news conference, favouring an EU that is &quot;stronger in big questions and which should step back on smaller issues&quot;.

In addition, while the new government favours more Swiss-style &quot;direct democracy&quot;, there will be no British-style referendum on Austria&#39;s EU membership, FPOe chief and future vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache said.

&quot;We stand by the European Union, we stand by the peace project of Europe. But we see various developments critically, and we will of course articulate this and seek partners,&quot; Strache told reporters.

Strache, 48, has in the past been ambivalent about EU membership, calling Brussels a &quot;bureaucratic monster&quot; and saying that Britain will &quot;probably be better off&quot; after it leaves the bloc. Kurz, 31, who will become the world&#39;s youngest leader, took over the reins of the OeVP in May, and swiftly pulled the plug on its unhappy &quot;grand coalition&quot; with the Social Democrats.

Kurz -- dubbed &quot;wunderwuzzi&quot; or &quot;whizz-kid&quot; -- rebranded the party in turquoise as his own personal &quot;movement&quot; and secured first place in snap elections in October after yanking the party to the right.

The FPOe came third with 26 percent of the vote, which was double the stunning 13 percent notched up by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in elections the month before.

Both Kurz and Strache won over voters by stoking concerns about immigration following a record influx in 2015, mirroring elections elsewhere in Europe this year.

Geert Wilders&#39; Freedom Party became the second-largest in the Netherlands, Marine Le Pen of France&#39;s National Front was in a runoff for the presidency in May and the AfD entered the Bundestag.

But the FPOe, which was last in government in the early 2000s, is rare in western Europe in having translated its ballot box success into real power. Last year it also came close to winning the largely ceremonial presidency.

Speaking at a far-right congress in Prague on Saturday, Wilders said the FPOe&#39;s entry into government was &quot;an excellent result&quot;. Le Pen called it &quot;very good news for Europe&quot;.

Strache&#39;s &quot;electoral success shows that the future is of a Europe of peoples,&quot; Le Pen said. &quot;Every election shows a form of rejection of the EU.&quot;

The joint programme says that Austria will seek to stop illegal immigration and ensure that people whose asylum claims are rejected are quickly deported. Asylum is &quot;temporary protection&quot; only.

Those &quot;refusing to integrate must expect sanctions&quot; and &quot;parallel societies&quot; must be prevented, it says. Citizenship for people not born Austrian will only come &quot;after a successful integration process&quot;.

There will also be a halt to people coming to Austria to claim benefits, the programme says. Monthly payments to those with asylum and subsidiary protection will be cut to 365 euros plus an &quot;integration bonus&quot; of 155 euros.

In addition, labour laws are to be loosened, taxes will be cut and bureaucracy slashed. Austria, the programme says, is &quot;world champion when it comes to regulation and limiting freedom and personal responsibility&quot;.

&quot;In my talks with Heinz-Christian Strache and the FPOe I experienced a willingness not just to work together but also to bring about real change in Austria,&quot; Kurz said, promising a &quot;new style&quot; of government.

The anti-immigration party obtained the interior, defence and foreign ministries, but the incoming interior minister Herbert Kickl insisted that 'nobody has anything to fear'

Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) secured Saturday its return to power in a coalition with the conservatives, capping a year of successes for Europe's nationalist movements. The anti-immigration party obtained the interior, defence and foreign ministries, but the incoming interior minister Herbert Kickl insisted that "nobody has anything to fear". The chancellor-elect, Sebastian Kurz of the conservative People's Party (OeVP), stressed also that the new government, to be sworn in next week, was pro-EU, although it would press for Brussels to have less say in national affairs. "We have agreed a clear pro-EU stance with the aim of boosting subsidiarity in the EU," Kurz told a news conference, favouring an EU that is "stronger in big questions and which should step back on smaller issues". In addition, while the new government favours more Swiss-style "direct democracy", there will be no British-style referendum on Austria's EU membership, FPOe chief and future vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache said. "We stand by the European Union, we stand by the peace project of Europe. But we see various developments critically, and we will of course articulate this and seek partners," Strache told reporters. Strache, 48, has in the past been ambivalent about EU membership, calling Brussels a "bureaucratic monster" and saying that Britain will "probably be better off" after it leaves the bloc. Kurz, 31, who will become the world's youngest leader, took over the reins of the OeVP in May, and swiftly pulled the plug on its unhappy "grand coalition" with the Social Democrats. Kurz -- dubbed "wunderwuzzi" or "whizz-kid" -- rebranded the party in turquoise as his own personal "movement" and secured first place in snap elections in October after yanking the party to the right. The FPOe came third with 26 percent of the vote, which was double the stunning 13 percent notched up by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in elections the month before. Both Kurz and Strache won over voters by stoking concerns about immigration following a record influx in 2015, mirroring elections elsewhere in Europe this year. Geert Wilders' Freedom Party became the second-largest in the Netherlands, Marine Le Pen of France's National Front was in a runoff for the presidency in May and the AfD entered the Bundestag. But the FPOe, which was last in government in the early 2000s, is rare in western Europe in having translated its ballot box success into real power. Last year it also came close to winning the largely ceremonial presidency. Speaking at a far-right congress in Prague on Saturday, Wilders said the FPOe's entry into government was "an excellent result". Le Pen called it "very good news for Europe". Strache's "electoral success shows that the future is of a Europe of peoples," Le Pen said. "Every election shows a form of rejection of the EU." The joint programme says that Austria will seek to stop illegal immigration and ensure that people whose asylum claims are rejected are quickly deported. Asylum is "temporary protection" only. Those "refusing to integrate must expect sanctions" and "parallel societies" must be prevented, it says. Citizenship for people not born Austrian will only come "after a successful integration process". There will also be a halt to people coming to Austria to claim benefits, the programme says. Monthly payments to those with asylum and subsidiary protection will be cut to 365 euros plus an "integration bonus" of 155 euros. In addition, labour laws are to be loosened, taxes will be cut and bureaucracy slashed. Austria, the programme says, is "world champion when it comes to regulation and limiting freedom and personal responsibility". "In my talks with Heinz-Christian Strache and the FPOe I experienced a willingness not just to work together but also to bring about real change in Austria," Kurz said, promising a "new style" of government.

Austria's far-right Freedom party enters government

Austria&#39;s far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) said Monday that a planned ban on smoking in all bars and restaurants due to come into force in mid-2018 will be scrapped.

FPOe chief Heinz-Christian Strache said that the reversal was agreed in ongoing talks to form a coalition with the conservative People&#39;s Party (OeVP) following elections in October.

&quot;I am proud of this excellent solution in the interests of non-smokers, smokers and restaurant owners,&quot; Strache, who had made the move a key campaign pledge, said on social media.

&quot;The freedom to choose lives on. The existence of restaurants (particularly small ones) has been secured. Thousands of threatened jobs have been saved,&quot; said Strache, 48, himself a smoker.

Unlike in most of Europe, in Austria people can smoke in eateries under certain conditions -- which are widely flouted -- including that it is confined to separate rooms.

The outgoing government, a coalition of the OeVP and the Social Democrats, passed a law in 2015 banning smoking completely in bars and eateries, which was due to take effect next May.

The new government, which Strache and non-smoker OeVP head Sebastian Kurz, 31, want installed before Christmas, will however make some concessions, media reports said.

Under-18s will not be allowed in smoking rooms of bars and restaurants, smoking will be outlawed in cars if under-18s are inside, and the minimum age for smoking will rise from 16 to 18.

Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) said Monday that a planned ban on smoking in all bars and restaurants due to come into force in mid-2018 will be scrapped

Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) said Monday that a planned ban on smoking in all bars and restaurants due to come into force in mid-2018 will be scrapped. FPOe chief Heinz-Christian Strache said that the reversal was agreed in ongoing talks to form a coalition with the conservative People's Party (OeVP) following elections in October. "I am proud of this excellent solution in the interests of non-smokers, smokers and restaurant owners," Strache, who had made the move a key campaign pledge, said on social media. "The freedom to choose lives on. The existence of restaurants (particularly small ones) has been secured. Thousands of threatened jobs have been saved," said Strache, 48, himself a smoker. Unlike in most of Europe, in Austria people can smoke in eateries under certain conditions -- which are widely flouted -- including that it is confined to separate rooms. The outgoing government, a coalition of the OeVP and the Social Democrats, passed a law in 2015 banning smoking completely in bars and eateries, which was due to take effect next May. The new government, which Strache and non-smoker OeVP head Sebastian Kurz, 31, want installed before Christmas, will however make some concessions, media reports said. Under-18s will not be allowed in smoking rooms of bars and restaurants, smoking will be outlawed in cars if under-18s are inside, and the minimum age for smoking will rise from 16 to 18.

Austria set to stub out smoking ban

Same-sex couples will be allowed to marry in Austria from 2019, the country&#39;s supreme court ruled on Tuesday and said a law to the contrary violated the principle of non-discrimination.&nbsp;

The move brings Austria into line with many other European nations including Germany, France, Britain, and Spain.

It also comes at a time when stories of sexual harassment under the #MeToo hashtag have flooded social media, sparking a rethink of attitudes towards sexual discrimination.&nbsp;

&quot;Today is a truly historic day,&quot; said lawyer Helmut Graupner, who represented the two female plaintiffs in court.&nbsp;

&quot;Austria is the first European country to recognize marriage equality for same-gender couples as a fundamental human right. All the other European states with marriage equality introduced it (just) the political way,&quot; he said in a Facebook post.&nbsp;

Austria&#39;s constitutional court examined a 2009 law that allows registered partnerships for same-sex couples but prevents them from getting married. It acted at the request of two women who were rejected by two lower authorities.

The distinction between marriage and registered partnership can no longer be upheld without discriminating against same-sex couples, the court said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;The resulting discriminatory effect is seen in the fact that ... people living in same-sex partnerships have to disclose their sexual orientation even in situations, in which it is not and must not be relevant, and ... are highly likely to be discriminated against,&quot; the court said in its ruling.&nbsp;

The conservative People&#39;s Party (OVP), whose leader Sebastian Kurz is expected to be sworn in as chancellor next month, said it will accept the ruling.

The far-right Freedom Party (FPO), Kurz&#39;s chosen government coalition partner criticised the ruling.

&quot;Now there is equal treatment for something that&#39;s not equal,&quot; said Herbert Kickl, FPO General Secretary, in a statement. A marriage between women and men needs protection as only these partnerships can create children, he said.

The OVP and the FPO voted against same-sex marriage in parliament a few months ago.&nbsp;

The court decision comes days after French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a plan to curb violence against women and weeks after Scotland apologized to gay men for historical convictions.

The Homosexual Initiative Vienna (HOSI) welcomed the court&#39;s decision. &quot;We are very happy,&quot; said HOSI chairman Christian Hoegl. &quot;We want to use the opportunity for a renewed call for a fundamental reform of marriage.&quot;

Same-sex marriage is legal in 25 countries. Australia aims to pass a law to this effect early next month after 62 per cent of voters favoured marriage equality in a national survey.&nbsp;

In Germany, women and men are allowed to wed to a same-sex partner since October. The first country to legalise same-sex marriage was the Netherlands in 2001.

The move brings Austria into line with many other European nations including Germany, France, Britain, and Spain

Same-sex couples will be allowed to marry in Austria from 2019, the country's supreme court ruled on Tuesday and said a law to the contrary violated the principle of non-discrimination. The move brings Austria into line with many other European nations including Germany, France, Britain, and Spain. It also comes at a time when stories of sexual harassment under the #MeToo hashtag have flooded social media, sparking a rethink of attitudes towards sexual discrimination. "Today is a truly historic day," said lawyer Helmut Graupner, who represented the two female plaintiffs in court. "Austria is the first European country to recognize marriage equality for same-gender couples as a fundamental human right. All the other European states with marriage equality introduced it (just) the political way," he said in a Facebook post. Austria's constitutional court examined a 2009 law that allows registered partnerships for same-sex couples but prevents them from getting married. It acted at the request of two women who were rejected by two lower authorities. The distinction between marriage and registered partnership can no longer be upheld without discriminating against same-sex couples, the court said in a statement. "The resulting discriminatory effect is seen in the fact that ... people living in same-sex partnerships have to disclose their sexual orientation even in situations, in which it is not and must not be relevant, and ... are highly likely to be discriminated against," the court said in its ruling. The conservative People's Party (OVP), whose leader Sebastian Kurz is expected to be sworn in as chancellor next month, said it will accept the ruling. The far-right Freedom Party (FPO), Kurz's chosen government coalition partner criticised the ruling. "Now there is equal treatment for something that's not equal," said Herbert Kickl, FPO General Secretary, in a statement. A marriage between women and men needs protection as only these partnerships can create children, he said. The OVP and the FPO voted against same-sex marriage in parliament a few months ago. The court decision comes days after French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a plan to curb violence against women and weeks after Scotland apologized to gay men for historical convictions. The Homosexual Initiative Vienna (HOSI) welcomed the court's decision. "We are very happy," said HOSI chairman Christian Hoegl. "We want to use the opportunity for a renewed call for a fundamental reform of marriage." Same-sex marriage is legal in 25 countries. Australia aims to pass a law to this effect early next month after 62 per cent of voters favoured marriage equality in a national survey. In Germany, women and men are allowed to wed to a same-sex partner since October. The first country to legalise same-sex marriage was the Netherlands in 2001.

Austria's Supreme Court paves way for same-sex marriage

Austria&#39;s political &quot;whizz-kid&quot; Sebastian Kurz was on course Sunday to become Europe&#39;s youngest leader, potentially in coalition with the far-right after its best result in almost 20 years.

Kurz&#39;s conservative People&#39;s Party (OeVP) won 31.7 percent of the vote, followed by Chancellor Christian Kern&#39;s Social Democrats (SPOe) on 26.9 percent, projections that were broadly in line with preliminary results showed.

Close behind was the nationalist Freedom Party (FPOe) on 26.0 percent, twice that of their allies the Alternative for Germany (AfD) last month and close to its all-time record of 26.8 percent in 1999 under then-leader Joerg Haider.

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Kurz, 31, nicknamed &quot;wunderwuzzi&quot; (&quot;whizz-kid&quot;), took over the OeVP in May and managed to attract supporters in droves by depicting himself as a breath of fresh air, talking tough on immigration and vowing to slash taxes and red tape.

&quot;I promise I will fight for great change in this country. It&#39;s time to establish a new political style and a new culture in this country,&quot; Kurz said Sunday.

But to form a government, Kurz will have to enter a coalition with one of the other parties.

The most likely partner is seen as the populist FPOe of Heinz-Christian Strache, 48, although this is far from guaranteed.

&quot;We are waiting for the final result,&quot; Kurz said.

&quot;If the president tasks me with forming a government, I will seek talks with all parties. I want change, and that requires partners.&quot;

Another option for Kurz would be a new &quot;grand coalition&quot; with the SPOe, but after 10 acrimonious years governing together -- ended early by Kurz in May -- this is seen as less likely.

An even more remote possibility in the wealthy EU member of 8.75 million people is a tie-up between the FPOe and the SPOe Social Democrats, whose campaign suffered a string of mishaps.

&quot;We want to assume responsibility. This can be in many different forms,&quot; SPOe leader Kern said Sunday.

Stolen thunder 
In December, the FPOe almost won the presidency and topped opinion polls in the midst of Europe&#39;s migrant crisis.&nbsp;

But since taking over the OeVP in May and re-branding it as his personal &quot;movement&quot;, Kurz has stolen some of Strache&#39;s thunder.

As foreign minister, the rosy-cheeked Kurz claims credit for closing the Balkan migrant trail in 2016 that saw hundreds of thousands of migrants trek into western Europe.

He wants to cut benefits for all foreigners, even from the rest of the EU, reduce bureaucracy and stop the EU having too much say in national affairs -- in common with Strache.

&quot;Large parts of our manifesto have been adopted by other parties,&quot; Strache said ruefully Sunday. &quot;That shows that we are the ones who are in the lead when it comes to issues.&quot;

The last time the FPOe entered government, in 2000 under Haider, who praised Hitler&#39;s &quot;orderly&quot; employment policies, Austria was ostracised in Europe.

But there would not be the same backlash now, owing to the &quot;normalisation of the far-right in Europe since then,&quot; said expert Pepijn Bergsen at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

&quot;The FPOe is a different party,&quot; finance student Marcus Kronberg, 23, told AFP at the OeVP&#39;s election party.

&quot;There was nothing to be ashamed of as an Austrian. I have no problems with (a FPOe coalition) and I hope Brussels will see things the same way.&quot;

EU headache 
But the FPOe in government would still pose a fresh headache for Brussels as it struggles with Brexit and the rise of nationalists in Germany, Hungary, Poland and elsewhere.

Like AfD, French National Front chief Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders in the Netherlands -- who both congratulated Strache on Twitter on Sunday -- the FPOe has stoked concerns about a record influx of migrants into Europe.

The party was founded by ex-Nazis in the 1950s -- Strache flirted with neo-Nazism in his youth -- and is ambivalent at best about the EU. In an alliance with President Vladimir Putin&#39;s party, Strache wants EU sanctions on Moscow lifted.

Vienna will hold the EU&#39;s presidency in the second half of 2018, just when Brussels wants to conclude Brexit talks.

&quot;The Freedom Party as a government partner will not make a good impression in Europe (and) Kurz is aware of that,&quot; commented Der Standard newspaper.&nbsp;

Ulrike Lunacek, whose Green party may miss out on entering parliament for the first time since 1986, said Sunday the FPOe in government would put Austria &quot;on an anti-EU course&quot;.

Late Sunday, a few hundred anti-fascist demonstrators held a protest outside parliament.

Sebastian Kurz, 31, is a conservative. He could form a government with the far right

Austria's political "whizz-kid" Sebastian Kurz was on course Sunday to become Europe's youngest leader, potentially in coalition with the far-right after its best result in almost 20 years. Kurz's conservative People's Party (OeVP) won 31.7 percent of the vote, followed by Chancellor Christian Kern's Social Democrats (SPOe) on 26.9 percent, projections that were broadly in line with preliminary results showed. Close behind was the nationalist Freedom Party (FPOe) on 26.0 percent, twice that of their allies the Alternative for Germany (AfD) last month and close to its all-time record of 26.8 percent in 1999 under then-leader Joerg Haider. Kurz took over the OeVP in May and managed to attract supporters in droves by depicting himself as a breath of fresh air, talking tough on immigration and vowing to slash taxes and red tape × Kurz, 31, nicknamed "wunderwuzzi" ("whizz-kid"), took over the OeVP in May and managed to attract supporters in droves by depicting himself as a breath of fresh air, talking tough on immigration and vowing to slash taxes and red tape. "I promise I will fight for great change in this country. It's time to establish a new political style and a new culture in this country," Kurz said Sunday. But to form a government, Kurz will have to enter a coalition with one of the other parties. The most likely partner is seen as the populist FPOe of Heinz-Christian Strache, 48, although this is far from guaranteed. "We are waiting for the final result," Kurz said. "If the president tasks me with forming a government, I will seek talks with all parties. I want change, and that requires partners." Another option for Kurz would be a new "grand coalition" with the SPOe, but after 10 acrimonious years governing together -- ended early by Kurz in May -- this is seen as less likely. An even more remote possibility in the wealthy EU member of 8.75 million people is a tie-up between the FPOe and the SPOe Social Democrats, whose campaign suffered a string of mishaps. "We want to assume responsibility. This can be in many different forms," SPOe leader Kern said Sunday. Stolen thunder In December, the FPOe almost won the presidency and topped opinion polls in the midst of Europe's migrant crisis. But since taking over the OeVP in May and re-branding it as his personal "movement", Kurz has stolen some of Strache's thunder. As foreign minister, the rosy-cheeked Kurz claims credit for closing the Balkan migrant trail in 2016 that saw hundreds of thousands of migrants trek into western Europe. He wants to cut benefits for all foreigners, even from the rest of the EU, reduce bureaucracy and stop the EU having too much say in national affairs -- in common with Strache. "Large parts of our manifesto have been adopted by other parties," Strache said ruefully Sunday. "That shows that we are the ones who are in the lead when it comes to issues." The last time the FPOe entered government, in 2000 under Haider, who praised Hitler's "orderly" employment policies, Austria was ostracised in Europe. But there would not be the same backlash now, owing to the "normalisation of the far-right in Europe since then," said expert Pepijn Bergsen at the Economist Intelligence Unit. "The FPOe is a different party," finance student Marcus Kronberg, 23, told AFP at the OeVP's election party. "There was nothing to be ashamed of as an Austrian. I have no problems with (a FPOe coalition) and I hope Brussels will see things the same way." EU headache But the FPOe in government would still pose a fresh headache for Brussels as it struggles with Brexit and the rise of nationalists in Germany, Hungary, Poland and elsewhere. Like AfD, French National Front chief Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders in the Netherlands -- who both congratulated Strache on Twitter on Sunday -- the FPOe has stoked concerns about a record influx of migrants into Europe. The party was founded by ex-Nazis in the 1950s -- Strache flirted with neo-Nazism in his youth -- and is ambivalent at best about the EU. In an alliance with President Vladimir Putin's party, Strache wants EU sanctions on Moscow lifted. Vienna will hold the EU's presidency in the second half of 2018, just when Brussels wants to conclude Brexit talks. "The Freedom Party as a government partner will not make a good impression in Europe (and) Kurz is aware of that," commented Der Standard newspaper. Ulrike Lunacek, whose Green party may miss out on entering parliament for the first time since 1986, said Sunday the FPOe in government would put Austria "on an anti-EU course". Late Sunday, a few hundred anti-fascist demonstrators held a protest outside parliament.

Austria set to elect world's youngest leader

The house in Austria where Adolf Hitler was born is to be torn down to stop it from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine, the government said on Monday, after years of bitter legal wrangling with the current owner.

&quot;The Hitler house will be torn down. The foundations can remain but a new building will be erected. It will be used by either a charity or the local authorities,&quot; interior minister Wolfgang Sobotka told Austrian newspaper Die Presse.

&quot;In any case, there shall be no further connection with Adolf Hitler because otherwise the myth of the birth house will be upheld.&quot;

He said the decision was based on the recommendations of a 13-member expert committee tasked with deciding what to do with the controversial building in the quaint northern town of Braunau am Inn.

The government hopes this will bring to an end a difficult chapter regarding the large yellow corner house where Hitler was born on April 20, 1889.

Although he only spent the first few weeks of his life at Number 15 Salzburger Vorstadt Street, the address has become a pilgrimage site for Nazi sympathisers from around the world who pose in front of the three-storey building with the Hitler salute.

Stigma &#39;not deserved&#39; 
&nbsp;

The property has been empty since 2011 when the government became embroiled in a dispute with&nbsp;owner and local resident Gerlinde Pommer.&nbsp;

Her family has owned the 800-square-metre (8,600-feet) building for more than a century, except for a brief period during the Nazi regime when Hitler&#39;s private secretary Martin Bormann bought the building for four times its value in 1938.

After the war, the house was returned to the Pommers in the 1950s.&nbsp;

In 1972, the Austrian government signed a lease with Gerlinde Pommer in 1972 and turned the premises into a centre for people with disabilities.

But the arrangement came to an abrupt end five years ago when Pommer unexpectedly refused to grant permission for much-needed renovation works.

The famously elusive owner also rejected a purchase offer made by the increasingly exasperated interior ministry.

In July, the government approved a legislation amendment to seize the house from Pommer who continues to net 4,800 Euros (around $5,300) in rent every month.

The interior ministry said on Monday that the expropriation bill would be debated in Parliament this week and could enter into force by the end of the year.

&quot;There is now a clear perspective regarding the future of the building under the ownership of the Austrian republic,&quot; ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundboeck told AFP.

The issue has sparked heated debate among Braunau&#39;s 17,000 residents. Some wanted it to become a refugee centre, others a museum dedicated to Austria&#39;s liberation from Nazi rule.

A number of cultural organisations previously opposed the building&#39;s demolition because it is part of the historic city centre and therefore under heritage protection.&nbsp;

Every year on Hitler&#39;s birthday, anti-fascist protesters organise a rally outside the building at 15 Salzburger Vorstadt Street, next to a memorial stone reading: &quot;For Peace, Freedom and Democracy. Never Again Fascism, Millions of Dead Warn.&quot;

But locals resent the attention, dismayed that their pastel-coloured town is known for being the cradle of one of the world&#39;s most reviled political figures, rather than for its Gothic architecture or pretty river.

&quot;The people here don&#39;t deserve this stigma,&quot; district commissioner Georg Wojak told AFP in an interview last year. &quot;Braunau&#39;s only crime was that Hitler was born here.&quot;

(AFP)

The Austrian government is planning to tear down Hitler's birth home in Braunau am Inn to stop it from becoming a shrine for the neo-Nazis

The house in Austria where Adolf Hitler was born is to be torn down to stop it from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine, the government said on Monday, after years of bitter legal wrangling with the current owner. "The Hitler house will be torn down. The foundations can remain but a new building will be erected. It will be used by either a charity or the local authorities," interior minister Wolfgang Sobotka told Austrian newspaper Die Presse. "In any case, there shall be no further connection with Adolf Hitler because otherwise the myth of the birth house will be upheld." He said the decision was based on the recommendations of a 13-member expert committee tasked with deciding what to do with the controversial building in the quaint northern town of Braunau am Inn. The government hopes this will bring to an end a difficult chapter regarding the large yellow corner house where Hitler was born on April 20, 1889. Although he only spent the first few weeks of his life at Number 15 Salzburger Vorstadt Street, the address has become a pilgrimage site for Nazi sympathisers from around the world who pose in front of the three-storey building with the Hitler salute. Stigma 'not deserved' The property has been empty since 2011 when the government became embroiled in a dispute with owner and local resident Gerlinde Pommer. Her family has owned the 800-square-metre (8,600-feet) building for more than a century, except for a brief period during the Nazi regime when Hitler's private secretary Martin Bormann bought the building for four times its value in 1938. After the war, the house was returned to the Pommers in the 1950s. In 1972, the Austrian government signed a lease with Gerlinde Pommer in 1972 and turned the premises into a centre for people with disabilities. But the arrangement came to an abrupt end five years ago when Pommer unexpectedly refused to grant permission for much-needed renovation works. The famously elusive owner also rejected a purchase offer made by the increasingly exasperated interior ministry. In July, the government approved a legislation amendment to seize the house from Pommer who continues to net 4,800 Euros (around $5,300) in rent every month. The interior ministry said on Monday that the expropriation bill would be debated in Parliament this week and could enter into force by the end of the year. "There is now a clear perspective regarding the future of the building under the ownership of the Austrian republic," ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundboeck told AFP. The issue has sparked heated debate among Braunau's 17,000 residents. Some wanted it to become a refugee centre, others a museum dedicated to Austria's liberation from Nazi rule. A number of cultural organisations previously opposed the building's demolition because it is part of the historic city centre and therefore under heritage protection. Every year on Hitler's birthday, anti-fascist protesters organise a rally outside the building at 15 Salzburger Vorstadt Street, next to a memorial stone reading: "For Peace, Freedom and Democracy. Never Again Fascism, Millions of Dead Warn." But locals resent the attention, dismayed that their pastel-coloured town is known for being the cradle of one of the world's most reviled political figures, rather than for its Gothic architecture or pretty river. "The people here don't deserve this stigma," district commissioner Georg Wojak told AFP in an interview last year. "Braunau's only crime was that Hitler was born here." (AFP)

Austria to demolish Hitler's birth house

An Austrian court remanded nine Iraqi migrants in custody today for their alleged involvement in the gang rape of a German tourist on New Year&#39;s Eve in Vienna. 
 
The men, aged between 21 and 47, were arrested over the weekend at raids across Austria after months-long police investigations.&nbsp;They were put in detention at a jail in Vienna pending trial, a court spokeswoman said. 
 
The suspects are accused of bringing the 28-year-old victim, who was under the influence of alcohol, to one of the suspects&#39; flats and taking turns in raping her on the night of December 31, 2015.&nbsp;The men have rejected the allegations, but investigators found DNA traces of four of the accused at the alleged scene of the crime. 
 
It is not clear yet how long the Iraqis have been in Austria, but one applied for asylum after the incident took place, police said.&nbsp;Allegations of sexual assault involving migrants have been on the rise in Austria since the start of the European Union&#39;s worst refugee crisis since World War II last summer. 
 
The country has received one of the bloc&#39;s biggest influxes of asylum seekers per capita, boosting the popularity of the far-right.&nbsp;Earlier this month, neighbouring Germany passed a law making it easier to deport foreign nationals committing sex crimes, after more than 1,000 women reported sexual assaults and robberies in the city of Cologne on New Year&#39;s Eve. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

The men, aged between 21 and 47, were arrested over the weekend at raids across Austria after months-long police investigations

An Austrian court remanded nine Iraqi migrants in custody today for their alleged involvement in the gang rape of a German tourist on New Year's Eve in Vienna. The men, aged between 21 and 47, were arrested over the weekend at raids across Austria after months-long police investigations. They were put in detention at a jail in Vienna pending trial, a court spokeswoman said. The suspects are accused of bringing the 28-year-old victim, who was under the influence of alcohol, to one of the suspects' flats and taking turns in raping her on the night of December 31, 2015. The men have rejected the allegations, but investigators found DNA traces of four of the accused at the alleged scene of the crime. It is not clear yet how long the Iraqis have been in Austria, but one applied for asylum after the incident took place, police said. Allegations of sexual assault involving migrants have been on the rise in Austria since the start of the European Union's worst refugee crisis since World War II last summer. The country has received one of the bloc's biggest influxes of asylum seekers per capita, boosting the popularity of the far-right. Earlier this month, neighbouring Germany passed a law making it easier to deport foreign nationals committing sex crimes, after more than 1,000 women reported sexual assaults and robberies in the city of Cologne on New Year's Eve. (AFP)

Nine Iraqis held over gang rape of German tourist in Vienna

Iceland snatched a stoppage-time winner to continue their fairytale story at Euro 2016 by making it through to the last 16 after a deserved 2-1 victory against Austria in their final Group F match on Wednesday. 
 
Iceland end their section second with five points. Austria go out with one point. 
 
In humid conditions at the Stade de France, the icelanders had the better chances in the early stages, taking the lead in the 18th minute when Jon Dadi Bodvarsson coolly steered the ball home after a flick-on in the box. 
 
Austria, who missed a penalty in the first half and laid siege to Iceland&#39;s goal in the second, gave themselves hope when Alessandro Schopf scored in the 60th minute, but Arnor Traustason secured the win in stoppage time. 
 
(Reuters)

The smallest country to qualify for a European Championship, Iceland, continues their fairy tale run

Iceland snatched a stoppage-time winner to continue their fairytale story at Euro 2016 by making it through to the last 16 after a deserved 2-1 victory against Austria in their final Group F match on Wednesday. Iceland end their section second with five points. Austria go out with one point. In humid conditions at the Stade de France, the icelanders had the better chances in the early stages, taking the lead in the 18th minute when Jon Dadi Bodvarsson coolly steered the ball home after a flick-on in the box. Austria, who missed a penalty in the first half and laid siege to Iceland's goal in the second, gave themselves hope when Alessandro Schopf scored in the 60th minute, but Arnor Traustason secured the win in stoppage time. (Reuters)

Iceland advance to last 16 after 2-1 win against Austria

Men in Germany and Austria, wrestle it out with fingers.

Finger Wrestling: A tradition to sport

A week after England and Russia supporters clashed, and while flare-throwing and fighting have marred games elsewhere, fans of Iceland say they prefer hugs to hooliganism at Euro 2016. 
 
Having the time of their lives, Icelanders told AFP in Marseille they have come to their first ever European Championships to have fun and feel part of Europe. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not sure life can get any better, it&#39;s historic, great to be here,&quot; Louise Ragnarsdottir told AFP on the seafront of the southern city.&nbsp;&quot;All my life I watched the tournaments on TV, now we are part of Europe&#39;s party!&quot; said the 28-year-old accountant from Reykjavik. 
 
Some 27,000 Iceland fans have travelled to France, almost 10 per cent of the Nordic island&#39;s 330,000-strong population. No smaller country has ever featured at a Euro finals. 
 
&quot;We live on a faraway island, just to go abroad at all is an experience,&quot; said Ragnarsdottir. 
 
After the Group F tie with Hungary on Saturday pockets of Iceland fans gathered in Marseille&#39;s Vieux Port district to chant &quot;Boom-Boom-Hoooo!&quot;, leaping in unison on the &quot;Hoooo!&quot;. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s our Viking song, synchronised and terrifying,&quot; laughed Arni Gardar, an IT consultant from Reykjavik. 
 
&quot;But we don&#39;t mean to be scary, we are good Vikings not marauders, actually very nice, we come in peace,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Iceland is N-Iceland!&quot; cried another fan, Jonina Unnur Gunnarsdottir. 
 
&nbsp;&#39;Best fans yet&#39; 
 
&quot;They are the best fans we have seen yet,&quot; said Karim, a cafe owner watching the revelry on the Quai des Belges. &quot;It was different last week,&quot; he recalled. 
 
Nearly a week ago England and Russia fans conducted pitched battles in the worst violence at a football tournament since the 1998 World Cup, prompting police to respond with tear gas and baton charges. 
 
For fans of the Nordic minnows the Euro 2016 violence has been an eye-opening experience. 
 
&quot;We are a peaceful nation, we have no army, no guns, we&#39;re just not into fighting,&quot; Atli Gudmundsson told AFP. &quot;At home families go to football, no-one dreams of ever causing trouble.&quot; 
 
The 29-year-old attended the Croatia-Czech Republic tie in Saint Etienne on Friday where Croatian fans fought among themselves and lit flares, forcing a temporary stoppage in play. 
 
&quot;Torches on the pitch, fighting in the stands, that kind of thing is new to us, it was quite shocking to see,&quot; he said. 
 
&#39;Share the love&#39;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We just want to hug people, I mean come on, just share the love,&quot; said his friend Daniel Ma&#39;sson. 
 
Hungary brought some 20,000 fans to the game in Marseille. Some scuffled with security guards before the game and threw flares on the pitch. 
 
All the tension was on the other side of the pitch,&quot; Elisabet Thorisdottir told AFP. 
 
&quot;The Hungarians were a little bit aggressive, but very passionate. We had no problem with them or anyone else.&quot; 
 
Around 10,000 Iceland fans were also in the Stade Velodrome and the two sets of fans produced a raucous atmosphere, the Scandinavians holding their own with renditions of &quot;Boom-Boom-Hoooo&quot;. 
 
And leading 1-0 with two minutes to go Iceland were on the brink of a fairytale win to follow the 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal on their European Championships debut. 
 
Then two minutes from the end an own goal by Birkir Savarsson crushed their dreams. 
 
&quot;The Portugal 1-1 draw was like a win, but the Hungary 1-1 felt like a defeat,&quot; said Iceland fan Bjarni Mak Johanntsson. 
 
But for a country that just four years ago was ranked 131st in the world, their fans will enjoy the rest of Euro 2016 no matter whatever happens in the final group game against Austria in the Stade de France on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re the small guys, always overlooked,&quot; said Hdortur Bjarnason. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just good to be noticed for once. Europe, we will be back!&quot; he said, punching the air. 
(AFP)

Almost 10% of all Icelanders have come to their first-ever European Championships to have fun

A week after England and Russia supporters clashed, and while flare-throwing and fighting have marred games elsewhere, fans of Iceland say they prefer hugs to hooliganism at Euro 2016. Having the time of their lives, Icelanders told AFP in Marseille they have come to their first ever European Championships to have fun and feel part of Europe. "I'm not sure life can get any better, it's historic, great to be here," Louise Ragnarsdottir told AFP on the seafront of the southern city. "All my life I watched the tournaments on TV, now we are part of Europe's party!" said the 28-year-old accountant from Reykjavik. Some 27,000 Iceland fans have travelled to France, almost 10 per cent of the Nordic island's 330,000-strong population. No smaller country has ever featured at a Euro finals. "We live on a faraway island, just to go abroad at all is an experience," said Ragnarsdottir. After the Group F tie with Hungary on Saturday pockets of Iceland fans gathered in Marseille's Vieux Port district to chant "Boom-Boom-Hoooo!", leaping in unison on the "Hoooo!". "It's our Viking song, synchronised and terrifying," laughed Arni Gardar, an IT consultant from Reykjavik. "But we don't mean to be scary, we are good Vikings not marauders, actually very nice, we come in peace," he said. "Iceland is N-Iceland!" cried another fan, Jonina Unnur Gunnarsdottir. 'Best fans yet' "They are the best fans we have seen yet," said Karim, a cafe owner watching the revelry on the Quai des Belges. "It was different last week," he recalled. Nearly a week ago England and Russia fans conducted pitched battles in the worst violence at a football tournament since the 1998 World Cup, prompting police to respond with tear gas and baton charges. For fans of the Nordic minnows the Euro 2016 violence has been an eye-opening experience. "We are a peaceful nation, we have no army, no guns, we're just not into fighting," Atli Gudmundsson told AFP. "At home families go to football, no-one dreams of ever causing trouble." The 29-year-old attended the Croatia-Czech Republic tie in Saint Etienne on Friday where Croatian fans fought among themselves and lit flares, forcing a temporary stoppage in play. "Torches on the pitch, fighting in the stands, that kind of thing is new to us, it was quite shocking to see," he said. 'Share the love' "We just want to hug people, I mean come on, just share the love," said his friend Daniel Ma'sson. Hungary brought some 20,000 fans to the game in Marseille. Some scuffled with security guards before the game and threw flares on the pitch. All the tension was on the other side of the pitch," Elisabet Thorisdottir told AFP. "The Hungarians were a little bit aggressive, but very passionate. We had no problem with them or anyone else." Around 10,000 Iceland fans were also in the Stade Velodrome and the two sets of fans produced a raucous atmosphere, the Scandinavians holding their own with renditions of "Boom-Boom-Hoooo". And leading 1-0 with two minutes to go Iceland were on the brink of a fairytale win to follow the 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on their European Championships debut. Then two minutes from the end an own goal by Birkir Savarsson crushed their dreams. "The Portugal 1-1 draw was like a win, but the Hungary 1-1 felt like a defeat," said Iceland fan Bjarni Mak Johanntsson. But for a country that just four years ago was ranked 131st in the world, their fans will enjoy the rest of Euro 2016 no matter whatever happens in the final group game against Austria in the Stade de France on Wednesday. "We're the small guys, always overlooked," said Hdortur Bjarnason. "It's just good to be noticed for once. Europe, we will be back!" he said, punching the air. (AFP)

'Nice' Iceland fans prefer hugs to hooliganism

Portugal&#39;s Cristiano Ronaldo, winning a record 128th cap, missed a penalty and had a late headed effort disallowed for offside as they were held 0-0 by Austria at Euro 2016 on Saturday (June 18) for their second straight draw. 
 
Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Martin Hinteregger in the 78th minute. 
 
However, Ronaldo sent his effort against the foot of the post for his fourth miss in his last five spot kicks. 
 
Ronaldo also sidefooted wide from a good position in the first half and forced two good saves from Robert Almer in quick succession after halftime. Nani also headed against the post just before the half hour. 
 
Hungary lead the group with four points, followed by Portugal and Iceland on two and Austria on one. Portugal meet Hungary in their last game. 
 
(Reuters)

Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, winning a record 128th cap, missed a penalty and had a late headed effort disallowed for offside as they were held 0-0 by Austria at Euro 2016 on Saturday (June 18) for their second straight draw. Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Martin Hinteregger in the 78th minute. However, Ronaldo sent his effort against the foot of the post for his fourth miss in his last five spot kicks. Ronaldo also sidefooted wide from a good position in the first half and forced two good saves from Robert Almer in quick succession after halftime. Nani also headed against the post just before the half hour. Hungary lead the group with four points, followed by Portugal and Iceland on two and Austria on one. Portugal meet Hungary in their last game. (Reuters)

Ronaldo misses penalty as Portugal held by Austria

&nbsp;Two of the noisiest sets of supporters at Euro 2016 witnessed the first surprise result of the finals on Tuesday when Austria lost 2-0 to old rivals Hungary in the opening match of Group F. 
 
The Austrians had been unimpressive in some friendly matches since reeling off nine successive victories to win their qualifying section but they were still strong favourites. 
 
Hungary were therefore all the more delighted to achieve unexpected success in the 138th meeting between the countries with goals by Adam Szalai and substitute Zoltan Stieber. 
 
They appear to have surprised even themselves, since coach Bernd Storck had said victory would be &quot;a miracle&quot;. 
 
Perhaps he realised it was a day for the unexpected when centre forward Szalai scored. 
 
That had not happened for the national team since October 2014, against the might of the Faroe Islands. Nor had the former Real Madrid reserve player been exactly prolific at his various German clubs. 
 
Szalai showed more than one touch of class, however, in the 62nd minute, chesting down for man of the match Laszlo Kleinheisler, then sliding the return pass past the previously untroubled goalkeeper Robert Almer. 
 
TWO INCIDENTS 
 
That was the first of two incidents in as many minutes that turned the game. 
 
Austria retaliated almost immediately as Martin Hinteregger&#39;s shot beat keeper Gabor Kiraly but the referee ruled it out for a late tackle by their centre back Aleksandar Dragovic, who received his second yellow card and was sent off. 
 
Kiraly, the first 40-year-old to play in the European Championship, made an excellent save from Zlatko Junuzovic 10 minutes before halftime. 
 
His evening got better and better after almost suffering the worst possible start, when David Alaba&#39;s shot in the first minute flew past him but hit the post. 
 
Austria were the better side in the first half, but Alaba&#39;s influence in midfield slowly waned, causing coach Marcel Koller to wonder whether the Bayern Munich man might be better reverting to his club position in the back four. 
 
Koller has much else to ponder before the meeting with short-odds group favourites Portugal in Paris on Saturday, including an injury to the influential number 10 Junuzovic and Dragovic&#39;s suspension. 
 
The full back&#39;s ban is expected to bring an opportunity for Gyorgy Garics, who decided to stay with the squad after his father died of cancer last week. 
 
Meanwhile, the Hungarians, having qualified for the first time since reaching the 1972 semi-final, will be newly confident of claiming a place in the last-16 when they play Iceland earlier on Saturday. 
 
They have made the most of their preparation, unlike Austria, who may have been lured into complacency after their stunning qualification campaign. 
 
&quot;We got our reward for three weeks of hard work. Our recent friendlies helped. What we did in the second half was brilliant. Congratulations to the whole team,&quot; Storck said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Even their coach had said victory would be a 'miracle'

Two of the noisiest sets of supporters at Euro 2016 witnessed the first surprise result of the finals on Tuesday when Austria lost 2-0 to old rivals Hungary in the opening match of Group F. The Austrians had been unimpressive in some friendly matches since reeling off nine successive victories to win their qualifying section but they were still strong favourites. Hungary were therefore all the more delighted to achieve unexpected success in the 138th meeting between the countries with goals by Adam Szalai and substitute Zoltan Stieber. They appear to have surprised even themselves, since coach Bernd Storck had said victory would be "a miracle". Perhaps he realised it was a day for the unexpected when centre forward Szalai scored. That had not happened for the national team since October 2014, against the might of the Faroe Islands. Nor had the former Real Madrid reserve player been exactly prolific at his various German clubs. Szalai showed more than one touch of class, however, in the 62nd minute, chesting down for man of the match Laszlo Kleinheisler, then sliding the return pass past the previously untroubled goalkeeper Robert Almer. TWO INCIDENTS That was the first of two incidents in as many minutes that turned the game. Austria retaliated almost immediately as Martin Hinteregger's shot beat keeper Gabor Kiraly but the referee ruled it out for a late tackle by their centre back Aleksandar Dragovic, who received his second yellow card and was sent off. Kiraly, the first 40-year-old to play in the European Championship, made an excellent save from Zlatko Junuzovic 10 minutes before halftime. His evening got better and better after almost suffering the worst possible start, when David Alaba's shot in the first minute flew past him but hit the post. Austria were the better side in the first half, but Alaba's influence in midfield slowly waned, causing coach Marcel Koller to wonder whether the Bayern Munich man might be better reverting to his club position in the back four. Koller has much else to ponder before the meeting with short-odds group favourites Portugal in Paris on Saturday, including an injury to the influential number 10 Junuzovic and Dragovic's suspension. The full back's ban is expected to bring an opportunity for Gyorgy Garics, who decided to stay with the squad after his father died of cancer last week. Meanwhile, the Hungarians, having qualified for the first time since reaching the 1972 semi-final, will be newly confident of claiming a place in the last-16 when they play Iceland earlier on Saturday. They have made the most of their preparation, unlike Austria, who may have been lured into complacency after their stunning qualification campaign. "We got our reward for three weeks of hard work. Our recent friendlies helped. What we did in the second half was brilliant. Congratulations to the whole team," Storck said. (Reuters)

Another surprise result, Hungary beat old foes Austria 2-0

Austria&#39;s Chancellor Christian Kern on Wednesday called on the European Union to end membership talks with Turkey in the wake of a massive government crackdown following a failed coup. 
 
Turkey&#39;s longstanding and recently revived bid to join the EU has already been hit by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s suggestion that he may reintroduce the death penalty in the wake of the attempted putsch on July 15, a move which will instantly disqualify it from joining the bloc. 
 
&quot;We have to face reality: the membership negotiations are currently no more than fiction,&quot; Kern told Austrian media. 
 
&quot;We know that Turkey&#39;s democratic standards are far from sufficient to justify its accession.&quot; 
 
Kern told public broadcaster ORF that he wants to initiate a debate at a European Council summit on September 16. 
 
The chancellor said Turkey&#39;s economy also remained far below the EU average and well short of membership requirements. 
 
Making Ankara a part of the EU&#39;s single market would spark &quot;massive economic upheaval&quot; in a bloc already struggling to cope with its enlargement toward eastern and central Europe, he warned. 
 
Instead, the EU should seek &quot;new alternatives&quot; to help bring Turkey&#39;s economy closer to European standards. 
 
&quot;(The country) remains an important partner in security and integration matters,&quot; Kern said, highlighting Turkey&#39;s key role in the ongoing migrant crisis. 
 
In March, Turkey and the EU signed a controversial deal in which Ankara agreed to take back Syrian migrants landing on Greek islands in exchange for political and financial incentives. 
 
In addition to visa-free travel, the pact includes billions of Euros in aid and accelerated EU membership talks. 
 
Kern said he did not believe that a halt to accession talks would torpedo the refugee pact. 
 
&quot;Economically, we have the upper hand. Turkey depends on us,&quot; he added. 
 
Earlier this week, Kern said he would not bow to &quot;intimidation&quot; from Turkey after receiving online death threats from &quot;radical&quot; elements of Austria&#39;s sizeable Turkish community. 
 
(AFP)

The appeal comes after President Erdogan stated that he may reintroduce death penalty in Turkey

Austria's Chancellor Christian Kern on Wednesday called on the European Union to end membership talks with Turkey in the wake of a massive government crackdown following a failed coup. Turkey's longstanding and recently revived bid to join the EU has already been hit by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's suggestion that he may reintroduce the death penalty in the wake of the attempted putsch on July 15, a move which will instantly disqualify it from joining the bloc. "We have to face reality: the membership negotiations are currently no more than fiction," Kern told Austrian media. "We know that Turkey's democratic standards are far from sufficient to justify its accession." Kern told public broadcaster ORF that he wants to initiate a debate at a European Council summit on September 16. The chancellor said Turkey's economy also remained far below the EU average and well short of membership requirements. Making Ankara a part of the EU's single market would spark "massive economic upheaval" in a bloc already struggling to cope with its enlargement toward eastern and central Europe, he warned. Instead, the EU should seek "new alternatives" to help bring Turkey's economy closer to European standards. "(The country) remains an important partner in security and integration matters," Kern said, highlighting Turkey's key role in the ongoing migrant crisis. In March, Turkey and the EU signed a controversial deal in which Ankara agreed to take back Syrian migrants landing on Greek islands in exchange for political and financial incentives. In addition to visa-free travel, the pact includes billions of Euros in aid and accelerated EU membership talks. Kern said he did not believe that a halt to accession talks would torpedo the refugee pact. "Economically, we have the upper hand. Turkey depends on us," he added. Earlier this week, Kern said he would not bow to "intimidation" from Turkey after receiving online death threats from "radical" elements of Austria's sizeable Turkish community. (AFP)

Austria condemns Turkey's membership in EU, requests to end talks

Austria has handed over to France two suspected members of the same Islamic State (IS) cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, prosecutors said today. 
 
The Algerian and Pakistani men, now aged 29 and 35 and who have not been named, were arrested in Austria on December 10. 
Austrian and French authorities believe they travelled to Greece along with two men involved in the November 13 atrocities, posing as refugees. 
 
While the eventual assailants continued on to France, the two were detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had falsified Syrian passports. 
 
Once let go, they made it to Salzburg at the end of November -- after the Paris atrocities -- and Austrian police arrested them at a migrant centre. 
 
Following a French request, a court in Salzburg in western Austria approved at the beginning of July their transfer to France. 
 
&quot;Both suspects have now left the country,&quot; prosecutors said in a statement on Friday. 
 
They had said in April that they were looking into &quot;leads&quot; suggesting that the Pakistani may have been involved in attacks in 2008 in the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people. 
 
He unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. 
Salzburg prosecutors added Friday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. 
 
In December, prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held &quot;because of indications of close contact&quot; with the two who have now been transferred to France. 
&nbsp;

Austrian and French authorities believe the men travelled to Greece along with 2 men involved in November 13 atrocities, posing as refugees

Austria has handed over to France two suspected members of the same Islamic State (IS) cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, prosecutors said today. The Algerian and Pakistani men, now aged 29 and 35 and who have not been named, were arrested in Austria on December 10. Austrian and French authorities believe they travelled to Greece along with two men involved in the November 13 atrocities, posing as refugees. While the eventual assailants continued on to France, the two were detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had falsified Syrian passports. Once let go, they made it to Salzburg at the end of November -- after the Paris atrocities -- and Austrian police arrested them at a migrant centre. Following a French request, a court in Salzburg in western Austria approved at the beginning of July their transfer to France. "Both suspects have now left the country," prosecutors said in a statement on Friday. They had said in April that they were looking into "leads" suggesting that the Pakistani may have been involved in attacks in 2008 in the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people. He unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. Salzburg prosecutors added Friday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. In December, prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held "because of indications of close contact" with the two who have now been transferred to France.

Austria hands over November 13 Paris attack 'accomplices' to France

Austria has &quot;significantly&quot; tightened security measures along its border with Germany and put an elite police force on high alert following the Munich mall attack, a government security chief said Friday. 
 
Germany and Austria share hundreds of kilometres of frontier, including along the state of German Bavaria, where the attack occurred. 
 
&quot;Police have significantly increased security measures so they are poised and fully ready to act,&quot; public security chief Konrad Kogler told state broadcaster ORF, without elaborating. 
 
He added that 42 elite so-called &quot;Cobra&quot; officers have been dispatched to Munich to assist police in their hunt for gunmen who killed at least eight people in a shooting rampage at a shopping centre in Munich. 
 
&quot;The entire Cobra team has been placed on high alert so that they are ready to jump into action,&quot; Kogler said. 
 
He added there were &quot;no concrete indications&quot; of an imminent threat in Austria and the current terror threat level has not been increased. 
 
The country has been on raised alert since last January&#39;s deadly attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly offices in Paris. 
 
Austrian chancellor Christian Kern expressed shock over what he called &quot;harrowing, dramatic hours&quot; after the Munich shootings. 
 
&quot;My biggest respect goes to the police and rescue workers, who are working to protect people inMunich,&quot; he said in a Facebook post. 
 
Meanwhile interior minister Wolfgang Sobotka cut short his holiday to return to Vienna after news of the attack in Bavaria broke. 
 
&quot;Austria has taken all the measures necessary in the situation. But it&#39;s very difficult to protect yourself against these kinds of terrorists or criminals,&quot; Sobotka said. &quot;This could also happen here.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

There are 'no concrete indications' of imminent threat in Austria and the current terror threat level has not been increased: Police chief

Austria has "significantly" tightened security measures along its border with Germany and put an elite police force on high alert following the Munich mall attack, a government security chief said Friday. Germany and Austria share hundreds of kilometres of frontier, including along the state of German Bavaria, where the attack occurred. "Police have significantly increased security measures so they are poised and fully ready to act," public security chief Konrad Kogler told state broadcaster ORF, without elaborating. He added that 42 elite so-called "Cobra" officers have been dispatched to Munich to assist police in their hunt for gunmen who killed at least eight people in a shooting rampage at a shopping centre in Munich. "The entire Cobra team has been placed on high alert so that they are ready to jump into action," Kogler said. He added there were "no concrete indications" of an imminent threat in Austria and the current terror threat level has not been increased. The country has been on raised alert since last January's deadly attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly offices in Paris. Austrian chancellor Christian Kern expressed shock over what he called "harrowing, dramatic hours" after the Munich shootings. "My biggest respect goes to the police and rescue workers, who are working to protect people inMunich," he said in a Facebook post. Meanwhile interior minister Wolfgang Sobotka cut short his holiday to return to Vienna after news of the attack in Bavaria broke. "Austria has taken all the measures necessary in the situation. But it's very difficult to protect yourself against these kinds of terrorists or criminals," Sobotka said. "This could also happen here." (AFP)

Austria raises security along its border with Germany

Austria&#39;s highest court on Friday annulled May&#39;s presidential election result following a legal challgenge from the far-right leader who lost by a narrow margin.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The challenge brought by Freedom Party leader Heinz Christian Strache against the May 22 election has been upheld,&quot; said Gerhard Holzinger, head of Austria&#39;s Constitutional Court.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The challenge was brought by the far-right wing leader who only narrowly lost

Austria's highest court on Friday annulled May's presidential election result following a legal challgenge from the far-right leader who lost by a narrow margin. "The challenge brought by Freedom Party leader Heinz Christian Strache against the May 22 election has been upheld," said Gerhard Holzinger, head of Austria's Constitutional Court. (AFP)

Austria presidential election result anulled by court

China&nbsp;led opposition to India&#39;s membership of NSG at a three-hour post-dinner meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group here on Thursday night which ended in a deadlock.&nbsp;

Preceding the two-day plenary of the 48-member NSG, which began today, China had repeatedly said that India&#39;s membership was not on the agenda and is said to have made every effort to prevent any discussion on India&#39;s bid.&nbsp;&nbsp;

However, Japan is believed to have raised India&#39;s case in the morning session after which it was agreed that the matter would be taken up at the special post-dinner meeting.&nbsp;

Indian official sources said that China was joined by Austria, Ireland and Brazil among other countries which questioned as to how a country like India which had not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty(NPT) can be admitted to the grouping.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Essentially their opposition was couched in principles and processes.&nbsp;

Brazil&#39;s objections are said to have surprised the Indian diplomats who pointed out that it is a member of the five-nation BRICS grouping. Besides India and Russia, the grouping includes&nbsp;China and South Africa.&nbsp;

Indian foreign secretary S&nbsp;Jaishankar, who is camping in Seoul, had earlier met the Brazilian delegation.&nbsp;

Officials said that discussions were inconclusive and that it would only be clear before the end of the plenary on Friday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(PTI)&nbsp;

It was joined by others like Austria, Ireland and Brazil. However, Japan supported India in the morning session

China led opposition to India's membership of NSG at a three-hour post-dinner meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group here on Thursday night which ended in a deadlock. Preceding the two-day plenary of the 48-member NSG, which began today, China had repeatedly said that India's membership was not on the agenda and is said to have made every effort to prevent any discussion on India's bid. However, Japan is believed to have raised India's case in the morning session after which it was agreed that the matter would be taken up at the special post-dinner meeting. Indian official sources said that China was joined by Austria, Ireland and Brazil among other countries which questioned as to how a country like India which had not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty(NPT) can be admitted to the grouping. Essentially their opposition was couched in principles and processes. Brazil's objections are said to have surprised the Indian diplomats who pointed out that it is a member of the five-nation BRICS grouping. Besides India and Russia, the grouping includes China and South Africa. Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar, who is camping in Seoul, had earlier met the Brazilian delegation. Officials said that discussions were inconclusive and that it would only be clear before the end of the plenary on Friday. (PTI)

China leads opposition to India's NSG bid at post-dinner meet

Cristiano Ronaldo slammed minnows Iceland for proverbially `parking the bus` in front of their goal as the north Atlantic Islanders held Group F favourites Portugal to a 1-1 draw.&nbsp; 
Real Madrid ace Ronaldo had ten of Portugal`s 24 shots on goal in Saint Etienne on Tuesday, but failed to become the first man to score in four separate European Championships. 
The 31-year-old equalled Luis Figo`s record number of caps with both the Portugal legends now on 127 appearances. 
A superb finish by Nani gave Portugal the lead before Iceland`s industrious midfielder Birkir Bjarnason volleyed the equaliser. 
But Ronaldo stormed off after the final whistle, clearly frustrated by his own failure in front of goal, while Iceland scored by converting one of only four chances. 
Iceland`s dogged defence was capped by an outstanding display from Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson.&quot;It was difficult over the 90 minutes, because they scored one goal and that was after they had put every player behind the ball,&quot; fumed Ronaldo. 
&quot;They put the bus in the net. (Parked the bus in front of goal). 
&quot;We tried our best, we created many chances and kept the ball. 
&quot;Iceland didn`t try nothing, they just defend, defend, defend, they had two chances and scored a goal, it was a lucky night for them. 
&quot;We`re frustrated, they didn`t try and play. 
&quot;It`s why I think they will do nothing here. In my opinion, it`s a small mentality. 
&quot;It`s difficult when Portugal tries to win the game and the other team doesn`t.&quot; 
Portugal are now under pressure in their second game against Austria, who earlier lost their opening match 2-0 to Hungary in the other pool match in Bordeaux. 
But Ronaldo is confident of victory in Paris on Saturday. 
&quot;It`s a little bit of frustration for us, but this is just the beginning, we`re not worried about that,&quot; said the former Manchester United star. 
&quot;If you look at Spain and France, they are strong teams in the tournament and they had difficulties winning their first game. 
&quot;It was tough, but we are 100 percent confident we`re going to win the next game.&quot; 
Ronaldo was not the only Portugal forward to feel the effects of a lack of finishing. 
&quot;We had enough chances, but we couldn`t score another one,&quot; added Nani, who also used to grace Old Trafford. 
&quot;It`s only the first game and we have to win our next two games. 
&quot;We were on top, we were the better team and we played the better football, but Iceland are a good team and played a lot of long balls, which caused us problems. That`s football. 
&quot;We`ve shown we are a good team, but this was the first game, there was a lot of anxiety. I think we will relax more from now, but we have to score more.&quot; 
Portugal boss Fernando Santos lamented Nani`s first-half header which smashed off the boot of Iceland goalkeeper Halldorsson. 
&quot;Nani`s header was blocked by their goalkeeper, who still doesn`t know how he did it, that`s football,&quot; said the Portugal manager 
&quot;We could have done better in defending the cross which led for their goal, but this was the first game, there were a few nerves and we need to play better for the next two games.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

After which he refuses to shake hands with any of the Icleandic players

Cristiano Ronaldo slammed minnows Iceland for proverbially `parking the bus` in front of their goal as the north Atlantic Islanders held Group F favourites Portugal to a 1-1 draw. Real Madrid ace Ronaldo had ten of Portugal`s 24 shots on goal in Saint Etienne on Tuesday, but failed to become the first man to score in four separate European Championships. The 31-year-old equalled Luis Figo`s record number of caps with both the Portugal legends now on 127 appearances. A superb finish by Nani gave Portugal the lead before Iceland`s industrious midfielder Birkir Bjarnason volleyed the equaliser. But Ronaldo stormed off after the final whistle, clearly frustrated by his own failure in front of goal, while Iceland scored by converting one of only four chances. Iceland`s dogged defence was capped by an outstanding display from Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson."It was difficult over the 90 minutes, because they scored one goal and that was after they had put every player behind the ball," fumed Ronaldo. "They put the bus in the net. (Parked the bus in front of goal). "We tried our best, we created many chances and kept the ball. "Iceland didn`t try nothing, they just defend, defend, defend, they had two chances and scored a goal, it was a lucky night for them. "We`re frustrated, they didn`t try and play. "It`s why I think they will do nothing here. In my opinion, it`s a small mentality. "It`s difficult when Portugal tries to win the game and the other team doesn`t." Portugal are now under pressure in their second game against Austria, who earlier lost their opening match 2-0 to Hungary in the other pool match in Bordeaux. But Ronaldo is confident of victory in Paris on Saturday. "It`s a little bit of frustration for us, but this is just the beginning, we`re not worried about that," said the former Manchester United star. "If you look at Spain and France, they are strong teams in the tournament and they had difficulties winning their first game. "It was tough, but we are 100 percent confident we`re going to win the next game." Ronaldo was not the only Portugal forward to feel the effects of a lack of finishing. "We had enough chances, but we couldn`t score another one," added Nani, who also used to grace Old Trafford. "It`s only the first game and we have to win our next two games. "We were on top, we were the better team and we played the better football, but Iceland are a good team and played a lot of long balls, which caused us problems. That`s football. "We`ve shown we are a good team, but this was the first game, there was a lot of anxiety. I think we will relax more from now, but we have to score more." Portugal boss Fernando Santos lamented Nani`s first-half header which smashed off the boot of Iceland goalkeeper Halldorsson. "Nani`s header was blocked by their goalkeeper, who still doesn`t know how he did it, that`s football," said the Portugal manager "We could have done better in defending the cross which led for their goal, but this was the first game, there were a few nerves and we need to play better for the next two games." (AFP)

Ronaldo whines about Iceland 'parking the bus' in front of goal, then accuses them of having a 'small mentality'

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