Vienna - Feeding mice with genetically engineered maize developed by the US-based Monsanto corporation led to lower fertility and body weight, according to a study conducted by the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna presented Tuesday.

In the study, mice fed with the NK603 x MON810 sweetcorn variety over a period of 20 weeks showed a smaller litter size and lighter offspring than mice fed with non-engineered maize.

Vienna - Vienna Insurance Group, Austria's second largest insurer, said Tuesday its year-on-year net profit growth slowed down to 3.4 per cent in the third quarter, compared with 37.4 per cent in the second quarter.

Net profits rose to 93 million euros (122 million dollars) between July and September.

Vienna - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found uranium at an alleged secret Syrian nuclear reactor site that was bombed by Israel last year, a diplomat told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in Vienna on Monday.

Another diplomat indicated that IAEA inspectors had found traces of the metal during their first visit to the al-Kibar site in the Syrian desert in June, which was bombed by Israeli warplanes in September 2007.

Both diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity.

Amman - Visiting Austrian President Heinz Fischer on Monday discussed with Jordanian Prime Minister Nader Dahabi the prospects of boosting bilateral ties particularly in the economic and environmental fields, the official Petra news agency reported.

At the meeting, officials from the two countries signed an accord for cooperation in the field of environmental protection, it said.

Vienna - International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge has said that the number of doping cases at the Beijing Olympics could still increase by seven.

In an exclusive interview with the Austrian news agency APA late Friday the Belgian said that the number of positive doping cases from the Beijing Olympics could practically double.

"There were 39 cases before the Olympics, while there were eight cases during the Olympics and seven cases are still in the pipeline, so there could be 15 cases in total.

Vienna- A 39-year-old Austrian who says he hacked five family members to death out of shame at losing money on the stock market was convicted of murder Friday and sentenced to life in prison.

A jury court in Vienna found the man guilty of killing his wife, seven-year-old daughter, parents and stepfather in May.

The defendant, a public relations manager, had run up 350,000 euros (450,000 dollars) in debt after playing the stock market for years, the court heard.