Thousands of Austrians packed the southern city of Klagenfurt today to mourn Joerg Haider, a politician who was denounced as a Nazi sympathiser in the 1990s but had remained hugely popular as a provincial governor.

HOPES that Ireland might again be in the running to stage the UEFA 2008 European Championships have been dashed after a far-right Austrian politician pledged cash to make sure a vital stadium is built.