Vienna - After Austria's far-right parties won 27 additional parliamentary seats in Sunday's elections, a new batch of legislators known for their extremist views and affiliations is set to step onto the national political stage.

Heinz-Christian Strache's Freedom Party and Joerg Haider's smaller Alliance for the Future of Austria were known for their anti- immigration and anti-Islamic sentiments before Sunday.

But as the parties collected 29 per cent of the vote (18 per cent for the Freedom Party and 11 per cent for the Alliance), politicians who were used to spreading their views without attracting media attention are about to enter the spotlight.

Vienna- The price for crude oil produced by the Organization of the Petroleum Exp

Vienna  - Austrian Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer stepped down Monday as the Conservatives' leader, one day after his party suffered heavy losses in Austria's parliamentary elections.

As Molterer announced that Agriculture Minister Josef Proell would take over his job at the helm of the conservative People's Party (OeVP), chances for continuing a governing coalition with the Social Democrats (SPOe) rose.

Vienna  - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei warned Monday in Vienna that the agency's ability to carry out its core work was at risk unless funding was increased.

The Director General spoke at the IAEA's annual general conference, where member states also focused on the Iranian nuclear issue.

As member states of the Vienna-based agency have hardly raised its budget since the early 1980s, some areas of work, such as the prevention of nuclear terrorism, are being funded through special contributions by individual countries.

Vienna  - Austria's lead stock index ATX dropped by 8.05 per cent Monday amid the global financial turmoil, the second biggest one-day drop in the history of the Vienna stock exchange.

Raiffeisen International Bank-Holding AG lost 13.64 per cent. Traders told Austrian news agency APA that investors sought to reduce positions associated with risks, such as Raiffeisen's involvement in Russia.

Vienna - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed Elbaradei warned Monday in Vienna that the agency's ability to carry out its core work was at risk unless funding was increased.

As member states of the Vienna-based agency have hardly raised its budget since the early 1980s, some areas of work, such as the prevention of nuclear terrorism, are being funded through special contributions by individual countries.