Austria

UPDATED: Austrian leader expects agreement on lockdown for those not vaccinated against COVID-19

Austria's government is likely to decide on Sunday to impose a lockdown on people not vaccinated against the coronavirus, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said on Friday. The government will hold a…

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Austrian chancellor expects tighter COVID rules to remain past Christmas -newspaper

ZURICH, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Austria's latest measures to tackle the spread of coronavirus will likely stay in force over Christmas and New Year, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg was quoted as…

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Vienna bans the unvaccinated from restaurants as national cases surge

The City of Vienna said it is banning people not vaccinated against COVID-19 from cafes, restaurants and events with more than 25 people, pre-empting measures that are likely to be…

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Austrian government proposes law to legalise assisted suicide

ZURICH (Reuters) - Austria's federal government has submitted a draft law to make assisted suicide for seriously ill adults legal, the federal chancellery said in a statement on Saturday. The…

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Austrians turn on ex-chancellor’s party after corruption claims

Austrians have turned on the conservative Austrian People's Party (OVP), the senior partner in their coalition government, after party leader Sebastian Kurz quit as chancellor over corruption allegations, according to…

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Austrian opposition seeks corruption inquiry in next headache for Kurz

Austrian opposition parties agreed on Wednesday to set up a parliamentary commission of inquiry into alleged corruption by officials from the ruling conservative party after its leader Sebastian Kurz stepped…

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New Austrian leader under fire in parliament, mocked as Kurz’s puppet

Opposition parties attacked Austria's new Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg on Tuesday over his ties to his predecessor Sebastian Kurz, who quit over corruption allegations, while activists outside parliament mocked him as Kurz's puppet.…

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New Austrian leader takes office as opposition say Kurz remains in charge

VIENNA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg was sworn in as chancellor on Monday after Sebastian Kurz resigned in the face of corruption allegations, while the opposition…

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Austria’s Kurz steps down over corruption probe to save coalition

VIENNA, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Austria's conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz resigned on Saturday to pull his coalition government back from the brink of collapse after the junior party demanded his…

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Future of Austria’s Kurz in doubt as graft probe damages coalition

VIENNA, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz battled on Thursday to save his job as his junior coalition partner, the Greens, cast doubt on his ability to stay…

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Austria’s Greens question coalition ally Kurz’s ability to stay on

Austria's Greens, the junior party in the coalition government, questioned Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's ability to stay in office on Thursday after he was placed under investigation on suspicion of bribery,…

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UPDATED: Austria hears first lawsuit over Covid-19 outbreak at Ischgl ski resort

A Vienna court on Friday heard the first of more than a dozen lawsuits being brought against Austria over an outbreak of the coronavirus at the ski resort of Ischgl…

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Austria and Serbia vow to stop Afghan refugees entering Europe

The leaders of Austria and Serbia have met to discuss stopping Afghan refugees from entering Europe. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that Afghanistan's neighbours should accept the refugees instead. He…

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Austrian unemployment eases in August, labour minister says

Austrian unemployment eased in August compared with a year earlier amid a "positive and unexpectedly fast" improvement in the job market, Labour Minister Martin Kocher said. At the end of…

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Austria’s Chancellor Kurz wins re-election as head of conservatives

Vienna (dpa) - Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was re-elected on Saturday as head of the conservative Austrian People's Party (OeVP) for his tough stance on immigration. Kurz was the sole and uncontested candidate…

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Austria’s Kurz says he opposes taking in any more Afghans

Austria's conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz opposes taking in any more people fleeing Afghanistan now that the Taliban have seized power, he said in remarks published on Sunday. Austria took in…

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CDU says Germany can’t repeat 2015 migrant influx over Afghanistan, Austria calls for ‘deportation centres’

Germany cannot fix the situation in Afghanistan through a repeat of the open-door migrant policy it pursued in 2015, the general secretary of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party said on Monday.…

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Austria and Czech Republic keep hard line on deporting Afghans

Austria stuck on Saturday to its hard line on sending home Afghans whose requests for asylum fail even as Taliban insurgent advances prompted other European Union countries to reconsider similar…

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Austria investigating reported ‘Havana syndrome’ cases among U.S. envoys

Austria is working with the U.S. authorities to get to the bottom of a reported spate of suspected cases of an ailment known as "Havana syndrome" among U.S. diplomats in…

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Austria says it opposes EU plan to cap cash payments at 10,000 euros

Austria on Thursday reinforced its status as one of Europe's most cash-loving countries by saying it opposed a plan by the European Commission to cap cash payments at 10,000 euros…

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Austria to provide a million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Western Balkans

Austria will provide a million doses of coronavirus vaccine to the countries of the Western Balkans in addition to the doses it is funnelling towards the region on behalf of…

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Austria seeks to build coalition against softening EU budget rules

Austria is seeking to build a coalition of EU countries that would prevent a softening of EU budget rules when they come under review later this year and in 2022,…

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Austrian far-right leader quits

The leader of Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPO) Norbert Hofer stepped down on but pointedly did not back his high-profile deputy and rival Herbert Kickl to succeed him. Hofer, widely…

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Austrian hospital amputates wrong leg of elderly patient

An Austrian hospital amputated the wrong leg of a patient, blaming human error for what it called a “tragic mistake”. The elderly patient is suffering from many illnesses, the Freistadt…

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Austria’s Kurz expects to be charged but cleared in perjury case

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz expects to be charged but eventually cleared in an investigation into whether he gave false testimony to a parliamentary commission, he told Sunday newspapers, ruling out…

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Austria’s Kurz being investigated by anti-corruption prosecutors

Anti-corruption prosecutors are investigating Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz over possible false testimony to a parliamentary commission investigating the fallout from the so-called Ibiza sting video that felled a previous government.…

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Austria snubs EU plea to accept Lampedusa migrants

Austria on Tuesday rejected a plea for other European Union countries to accept migrants from Italy, following a surge in arrivals on Lampedusa that seems likely to expose deep-seated divisions…

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Austria says it will only buy Sputnik V vaccine after EMA approval

Austria will only buy Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine if the European Medicines Agency approves it, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's office said, further clarifying its position on the planned purchase. Facing…

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Austria to let restaurants, hotels and theatres reopen on May 19

VIENNA, April 23 (Reuters) - Austria plans to loosen coronavirus restrictions on May 19, letting restaurants, hotels and theatres reopen their doors for the first time in more than five…

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Austria to funnel 651,000 COVID vaccine doses to Western Balkans from EU

Austria said on Tuesday it plans to funnel 651,000 doses of BioNTech and Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine to six countries of the Western Balkans by August as part of a European Union scheme to…

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AstraZeneca could have COVID-19 vaccine against variant by end-2021

ZURICH, April 18 (Reuters) - A modified version of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine tailored to combat a coronavirus variant first documented in South Africa could be ready by the end of…

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Update – European countries vie to host US-Russia summit

Vienna/Geneva (dpa) - At least three European countries have offered to host the summit with Vladimir Putin proposed by Joe Biden amid rising tensions between the United States and Russia. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian…

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Easter lockdown in Austria extended in more provinces

Two provinces that are introducing a coronavirus lockdown over Easter along with Vienna will follow the Austrian capital in extending their restrictions by five days until Sunday, April 11, the…

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Austria likely to order Russian Sputnik V vaccine next week, Kurz says

Austria will probably order a million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine next week, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said, without specifying whether the country would await approval by the European…

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Austria’s Kurz and allies seek ‘correction’ on EU vaccine distribution

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Tuesday he and allies from eastern Europe were pushing for the European Union to adjust the way it distributes COVID-19 vaccines…

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Austria blames health advisor for failure to order additional Pfizer doses

An Austrian official who chaired the EU Commission's vaccination advisory board, Clemens Martin Auer, has resigned after the country's health minister Rudolf Anschober seemingly pointed his fingers at him for…

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Austria still has a half billion euros to spend on Covid-19 vaccinations

Austria still has a half billion euros to spend on vaccinations just as soon as the Alpine country can get its hands on enough doses, Finance Minister Gernot Bluemel said…

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Austria’s Kurz says COVID vaccines not distributed evenly within EU

VIENNA, March 12 (Reuters) - COVID-19 vaccine doses are not being distributed evenly within the European Union according to member states' populations, as was agreed by the bloc, Austrian Chancellor…

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AstraZeneca vaccine batch which Austria stopped using was distributed to 17 EU countries – UPDATE

Austria was one of 17 European countries to receive doses from a batch of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine that Austrian authorities have stopped using while investigating a death and an illness following their use, a…

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UPDATED: Austria suspends AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine batch after death

Austrian authorities have suspended inoculations with a batch of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine as a precaution while investigating the death of one person and the illness of another after the shots,…

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Netanyahu says Israel, Austria and Denmark will set up vaccine alliance

JERUSALEM, March 4 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel, Austria and Denmark will establish a joint fund for research and development of COVID-19 vaccines.…

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Austria plans to let cafe and restaurant terraces reopen this month

Austria plans to let cafe and restaurant terraces reopen this month in a further loosening of its coronavirus lockdown that will get an early start in a small Alpine province…

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Austria and Denmark to produce own Covid-19 vaccine with Israel

Austria and Denmark, chafing at the slow rollout of COVID-19 vaccines within the European Union, have joined forces with Israel to produce second-generation vaccines against mutations of the coronavirus. The move by the…

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Photo Story: Sachertorte for Valentine’s Day in Austria

An employee loads a car with bags of Sachertorte chocolate cakes for delivery at the traditional Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Austria. Due the ongoing Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic the Hotel Sacher…

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Austrian prosecutors search finance minister’s home in bribery probe

VIENNA, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Austrian prosecutors on Thursday searched the home of Finance Minister Gernot Bluemel, a close ally of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, on suspicion of bribery involving a…

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Austria tries to contain S.African variant outbreak by voluntary means

Austria on Monday opted against placing the whole Alpine province of Tyrol under quarantine to contain an outbreak of the so-called South African variant of the coronavirus, instead urging the…

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EU flags concern over Austrian minimum airfare plan

BRUSSELS, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The EU has raised concerns over Austrian plans to set a minimum airfare, a spokesman said, weighing in on an environmental policy debate that pits…

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Austria to loosen lockdown, allowing shops and schools to reopen

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria said on Monday it will loosen its coronavirus lockdown from Monday next week, switching to a nighttime curfew and letting non-essential shops and schools reopen despite…

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Austria finds 96 foreigners in breach of lockdown rules at top ski resort

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austrian police have found 96 foreigners from across Europe at the ski resort of St Anton am Arlberg in breach of pandemic-related rules on entering the country and…

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Apartment building near Vienna partly collapses after apparent explosion

An apartment building in a suburb of Vienna caught fire and partly collapsed after an apparent explosion on Friday morning, but police had no immediate information on injuries or how many people were inside.…

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Austria extends third COVID-19 lockdown to Feb 8 – Official – UPDATED

VIENNA, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Austria on Sunday extend its third COVID-19 lockdown into February, hoping to drive down infection rates despite an influx of variants that spread the coronavirus…

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New Austrian COVID cluster: mainly British group on ski teacher course

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria said on Tuesday it has identified a new cluster of 17 COVID-19 cases, a mainly British group on a ski teacher training course, despite the country…

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Austrian labour minister resigns over plagiarism allegations

ZURICH (REUTERS) - Economic scholar Martin Kocher will become Austria's new labour minister, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced on Sunday after Kocher's predecessor resigned over alleged plagiarism in her academic theses.…

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Austria to roll out 5 million coronavirus tests for school pupils

Austrian schools will receive 5 million coronavirus testing kits from Jan. 18, the government said , as part of efforts to curb the spread of the virus when pupils eventually…

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Austria to roll out five million coronavirus tests for school pupils

ZURICH (Reuters) - Austrian schools will receive 5 million coronavirus testing kits from Jan. 18, the government said on Saturday, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the…

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Austria extends lockdown for another week until Jan. 24

Austria has scrapped plans to allow anyone with a negative coronavirus test to exit lockdown a week early, effectively extending strict measures and keeping restaurants and non-essential stores shut until…

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Two more suspects linked to Vienna attack arrested – prosecutors

ZURICH (Reuters) - An Austrian of Afghan descent whose genetic material was allegedly found on the weapon that a jihadist used to kill four people in Vienna last month has been…

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