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23. 05. 12. - 13:00

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23. 05. 12. - 13:00

Suicide Sculptures Get the Push

Michael Leidig

'Suicide' sculptures by British artist Anthony Gormley are to be removed from Alpine passes in Austria where they sparked fears of a rise in the rate of mountain rescue call outs.

The 100 sculptures - identical to works in London and New York - show life-sized men standing on the edge of precipices over 100 square miles of peaks in the country's Vorarlberg region.

When they were first put up two years ago, mountain rescue and other emergency services were given the exact GPS position of each of the 100 sculptures to avoid mix-ups when well-wishers ring in to report suicide fears.

Now all of then are to be removed because the land-owners where they're sited cannot agree on terms for another exhibition.

"We unfortunately have no choice but to remove the sculptures." said Andrea Kaufmann a local culture committee councillor.

"They have been a great success, but we cannot renew the contract with the state and the landowners." she added.

Tragic Ski Girl Dies
A 10-year-old British schoolgirl has died after skiing into a tree at high speed during a family holiday tragedy in the Austrian Alps.

Peak Performance
Police chiefs in Hamburg, Germany, are celebrating after new crime figures showed there wasn't a single bank robbery in the city last year.

Chinese Fakeaway
Chinese property developers who've been thwarted in a bid to buy up an entire Austrian village have settled on the next best thing - an entire life-sized replica.

Austrian children help Romanian kids
A charity project run by the middle school in Hippach has been recognised with an award for its social work by officials in Tyrol.

Mother kills disabled daughter because she couldnt take care of her any longer
A Romanian woman killed her 8 year-old disabled daughter on Wednesday (yesterday)because she couldn't pay for her care, Libertatea newspaper reports.

Policeman accused of sex with the son of his girlfriend
A Policeman from Vulcan, Western Romania is currently being investigated for having sex with a minor, the son of his girlfriend, Cancan newspaper informs today (Thurs).

Serial killer survivor walks away alive after fall
An 85 year-old woman who survived the most cruel and notorious serial killer in Romania some 40 years ago, recently fell from the first floor of her apartment building and she walked away safe and sound, Cancan newspaper reports today (Thurs).

The son of Qatar Airlines BA beaten up in Romania
The son of the Board of Administration of Qatar Airlines Akbar Al Baker, was beaten up over the weekend at the launching party of a posh club in Mamaia, at the Romanian Black Sea shore, Cancan newspaper reports.

Majority starts president’s suspension procedures
A day after the Social Liberal Union (USL) legislators dismissed with a large majority of votes the two Speakers of the Parliament, the Union started today the procedures for the suspension and possible impeachment of President Traian Basescu. This is the second time when the Parliament asks for Basescu’s suspension.

Some 177 Roma repatriated by French authorities to Romania
Some 177 Romanian citizens of Roma origin were repatriated on Tuesday night from Lille, France, Romania TV news channel informs today (Weds).