Vienna - Reacting to massive protests, ultraconservative Austrian Catholic priest Gerhard Wagner withdrew his nomination to become auxiliary bishop, saying Monday he had received "merciless" treatment.

Wagner, 54, suggested in 2005 that Hurricane Katrina could have been God's punishment for abortion clinics, prostitution and homosexuality in New Orleans.

"Ever since I was nominated, I sensed opposition that often was carried out in a merciless and unkind way," Wagner told public radio Oe1 Monday, after having handed in his withdrawal on Sunday evening.

Vienna  - The West Nile virus, which can cause meningitis in humans, has reached Austria, an virologist said Friday in Vienna.

Birds carrying the virus were detected in Austria for the first time last year, Norbert Nowotny, a professor at the Vienna University of Veterinary Medicine, told Austrian press agency APA.

The disease was imported from Hungary last summer, but only birds in eastern Austria fell ill. No humans were infected by the disease which is spread by mosquitos.

Vienna - Three-time world champion Nicki Lauda believes Formula One has taken the steps necessary to make it through the financial crisis but has little time for the new KERS system.

"Formula One is well prepared for the crisis, it's cutting costs," the Austrian told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"Fortunately apart from Honda (who pulled out from the sport late last year), nothing else has happened. That's as much as you can hope for in these times."

FIA president Max Mosley and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone are doing everything to keep costs under control but the sport in a way regulates itself, said Lauda.

Vienna - Wienerberger AG, one of the world's largest brickmakers, released figures Thursday showing its operating profit fell by more than 50 per cent in 2008, as the building slump and restructuring weighed down results.

Wienerberger would "use further shutdowns to ensure that our plant network is able to meet the changes in markets and sales volumes," chief executive Wolfgang Reithofer said.

Since last summer, the brickmaker has already shut 27 plants in countries such as the United States, Britain and Germany. Restructuring costs amounted to 55 million euros.

Vienna - Nicollette Sheridan, one of the stars in the TV series Desperate Housewives, is driving Austrian shopping mall owner Richard Lugner to the brink of despair as he tries to manage his guest's visit for the Vienna Opera Ball.

Besides attending the ball on February 19, British-born Sheridan, 45, has asked to meet Austrian President Heinz Fischer, Lugner told Austrian press agency APA on Wednesday.

Vienna  - Ailing low-cost carrier SkyEurope reported Tuesday that passenger numbers dropped by 23.5 per cent in January, compared with the same month of the previous year.

The Slovakia-based airline, which is listed on the Vienna stock exchange, has said it would reduce capacity by some 19 per cent during the winter months of 2009.

SkyEurope's operating losses more than doubled to 56.1 million euros (72.8 million dollars) in the 2007/08 business year running until September, according to preliminary figures published last November.