30. 01. 09. - 10:00

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

30. 01. 09. - 10:00

UFO over Germany official - says air traffic control

Crack Luftwaffe fighter pilots were scrambled in a UFO drama over German airspace, it emerged today (Thursday).

The mystery object was tracked moving across the entire country at high speed after being spotted by Germany's air traffic controllers on January 19.

Now an official report into the UFO sighting is being compiled by the country's air traffic safety office, the DFS.

Investigators have already checked and excluded conventional aircraft, weather balloons and freak atmospheric conditions.

"We have ruled out all the conventional possibilities - it is a mystery," said DFS spokesman Axel Raab.

German air force jets were put on red alert and there were dozens of reports of the object as it flew across southern Germany including several airports which were put on emergency standby.

It eventually vanished above Grafenwoehr, an area used by American troops on training exercises.

Raab said: "When it vanished from the radar we believed that whatever it was had crashed - but there was no crash site to be seen.

"It is a complete mystery. It confused radar operators because it kept flicking on and off the screen as if some of the time it just wasn't there. Then it simply vanished completely into thin air."

Austrian Times

Old woman saved from fire
A 91-year-old woman was saved by her neighbour yesterday (Mon) after her house caught fire.

Avalanche danger warnings as more snow predicted
The danger of avalanches remains extremely high in many Austrian provinces with more heavy new snow on the way from tomorrow (Weds), experts said today.

Austrians cutting back
Austrians are cutting back as the economy continues to struggle out of recession, new research has shown.

Styria to invest €42.4mn in vocational schools
The Styrian government will invest 42.4 million Euros in renovation of provincial vocational schools, boarding schools and homes for apprentices, according to Social Democratic (SPÖ) educational councillor Elisabeth Grossmann.

Austrians targeted by fraudsters
Austrians are being targeted by fraudsters throughout Europe, police warned today (Tues).

German GLS Bank to open Vienna office
German GLS Bank announced yesterday (Mon) it will open an office in Vienna this year.

Millionaire gives it all away
Tyrolean multi-millionaire Karl Rabeder has told how he has given away his 3 million Euro fortune to help others after realising his money has never made him happy.

Footprints in the snow lead cops to arsonist
An arsonist who fled after setting a factory ablaze for the second time was caught when cops followed his footprints in the snow.

Waldorf school celebrates 30th anniversary
The Rudolf Steiner Foundation’s "Waldorf School Klagenfurt" celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year. Austrian Times correspondent John Morris was at one of the anniversary events.

National team give €20,000 for Haiti aid
The Austrian football national team have donated 20,000 Euros to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.