The man who described late far-right Austrian politician Joerg Haider as `the man of my life,` raising speculation of a gay relationship, is to step down as head of Haider`s party, a report said Wednesday.

Stefan Petzner, 27, was named as Haider`s successor as leader of the Alliance for the Future of Austria following his death in a car crash last month.

Salzburg says it could jump in to host the 2014 Winter Olympics if the Russian resort of Sochi fails to finish its facilities in time and in the wake of an alleged terror threat.

Salzburg governor Gabi Burgstaller told the economic daily WirtschaftsBlatt that the Austrian city could revive its bid for the 2014 Games, if asked by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Salzburg says it could jump in to host the 2014 Winter Olympics if the Russian resort of Sochi fails to finish its facilities in time and in the wake of an alleged terror threat.

Salzburg governor Gabi Burgstaller told the economic daily WirtschaftsBlatt that the Austrian city could revive its bid for the 2014 Games, if asked by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

VIENNA, Nov 17, 2007 (AFP) - A rare Leica camera fetched a world-record price of 336,000 euros (492,000 dollars) for cameras of its type at auction in Vienna Saturday, newsagency APA reported.

The tiny portable black camera dating from 1923 becomes the most expensive small camera in the world and the second most expensive camera ever sold at auction.

It was bought by an anonymous European collector.

The Leica camera was the seventh of a series made in Germany to test the market for portable cameras, and intended for export to New York.

VIENNA, Oct 20, 2007 (AFP) - The sudden arrival of winter across Austria Saturday caused a rash of road accidents, killing one elderly man, while one person was reported missing following an avalanche, officials said.

Alpine rescue services were searching for a Hungarian man in the southern province of Styria after he was caught in an avalanche while hiking in the Hochschwab region with altitudes of 1,800 metres (5,900 feet).

VIENNA, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - Explosives found after an alleged bomb attempt against the US embassy in Vienna earlier this month could not have detonated, an interior ministry spokesman said Friday.

'They would have had to be assembled before they could have exploded,' spokesman Rudolf Gollia said.

A 42-year-old Bosnian man was arrested on October 1 after trying to enter the US embassy with a rucksack containing nails and explosives.

VIENNA, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - Shares in Strabag, Austria's biggest construction company, began their first day of trading on the Vienna stock exchange at 50 euros on Friday, an increase of 6.4 percent over their issue price of 47 euros.

Demand for the shares was strong in early trading, with 973,691 shares changing hands in the first half hour, representing trading volume of more than 50 million euros (71 million dollars).

Strabag's share offering was the biggest ever on the Vienna stock exchange.

VIENNA, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - Strabag, Austria's biggest construction company, said Thursday that its share offer will be priced at 47 euros, the top end of the range, to raise some 1.325 billion euros (1.9 billion dollars).

One third of the shares on offer are being sold by existing shareholders so Strabag itself would pocket 893 million euros from the offering, the company said in a statement.

The funds will be used to finance Strabag's expansion in Russia and eastern Europe.

VIENNA, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - Strabag, Austria's biggest construction company, said Thursday that shares in its stock market flotation would be issued at 47 euros apiece, meaning it could raise up to 1.325 billion euros (1.9 billion dollars) in all.

The issue price of 47 euros per share was at the top end of expectations -- the so-called bookbuilding range had been set at 42-48 euros.

There had been very strong interest in the issue, with investors applying for 10 times as many shares as were actually on offer, a company spokesman said.

VIENNA, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - Austrian police said Wednesday they have found the body of one of the four people missing after a small plane crashed into the Danube river northwest of Vienna at the weekend.

The body, which could be that of a 10-year-old boy who was on the plane, was found floating in the Danube on Wednesday morning, police said, adding that finger prints and DNA traces had been secured and the identity would be named later.

The single-engine Piper P28, crashed into the Danube in Spitz, northern Austria, on Saturday.