Vienna - Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann on Thursday expressed his disapproval of Czech President Vaclav Klaus' plans to opt out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights, a part of the European Union's reform treaty.

"Under no circumstances must human rights or claims by displaced persons be curtailed," Faymann said, referring to Klaus' fear that the charter would open the door to lawsuits by ethnic Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia after World War II.

http://topnews.in/files/Werner -Faymann.jpg1" alt="Amid protests, Austria scraps plan to quit CERN" title="Amid protests, Austria scraps plan to quit CERN" width="128" height="150" align="right" />Vienna - Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said Monday the country would not quit the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) after all, in remarks coming after protests by scientists and politicians in the past days.

Science Minister Johannes Hahn had announced the plan to end Austria's membership in CERN on May 7 in order to free funds for other multinational research projects.

His ministry also questioned the output by Austrian scientists involved in CERN'S large-scale particle experiments in Switzerland.

Vienna - Austrian Social Democratic leader Werner Faymann is set to start formal talks with other parties over forming a coalition, after President Heinz Fischer tasked him with building a cabinet on Wednesday.

The Social Democratic Party (SPOe) won the recent parliamentary elections with 29 per cent of the votes and is seeking to continue in government with the centrist conservative People's Party (OeVP), which came in second at 26 per cent.

Faymann has few other options, since he has ruled out cooperating with the right-wing Freedom Party (FPOe).

Vienna - Werner Faymann, expected to be chosen as Austrian Social Democratic leader later Friday, said he is focussing on social issues to win voters and alienated party members.

At his party's convention in Linz, Transport Minister Faymann sought to sharpen his social policy profile by announcing tax cuts in 2009 and by seeking support from trade unionists.

"The social democratic model of a just and fair society with equal opportunities is as valid as it has been in the past," he said.

As party chairman, Faymann would succeed Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer, who had alienated the strong trade union wing of the party by diminishing their influence in parliament and by making concessions to the coalition partner.