Vienna  - Sports manager Stefan Matschiner has told Austrian investigators that he supplied cyclist Bernhard Kohl and other athletes with doping substances, the Austrian Press Agency APA reported late Friday.

Matschiner, who was taken into custody in Monday, reportedly told the authorities that he supplied the blood booster EPO, testosterone and Human Growth Hormone.

APA said that Matschiner's lawyer did not dismiss this information as false.

Vienna  - Austrian banker Julius Meinl V was released Friday after posting bail worth 100 million euros (133 million dollars). However, he remains a key suspect in a large investment fraud case involving his family's Meinl Bank AG.

The head of one of Austria's most established business dynasties drove away from the Vienna prison where he had spent two nights without talking to journalists, according to Austrian press agency APA.

Vienna - Austrian police have arrested five persons suspected of dealing with doping substances and have seized 200.000 euros (266.000 dollars) worth of substances, Vienna's prosecution authority said on Friday.

"Some of the suspects are persons who are active in fitness and power training," prosecution spokesman Gerhard Jarosch told Austrian press agency APA.

Vienna - The global economic downturn has taken a major effect on Austria's external trade sector, as exports dropped by 25.2 per cent in January year-on-year, according to official data released on Friday.

Exports amounted to 7.2 billion euros (9.6 billion dollars), while imports fell by 17.7 per cent to 7.8 billion euros, Austria's statistical office said.

In 2008, Austrian trade had still developed positively. Exports rose by 2.3 per cent to 117.3 billion euros, while imports were up 4.3 per cent at 119.1 billion euros.

Vienna  - Austria's cycling doping scandal widened Thursday as three more people were detained, according to media reports.

The reports come on top of four arrests of alleged doping suppliers in March.

The latest development came after Stefan Matschiner, the former manager of disgraced Austrian cyclist Bernhard Kohl, was detained Monday night for allegedly supplying athletes with a range of performance-enhancing substances and blood transfusions.