Tag: Austria

Austria to Impose $4,000 Quarterly Fine on Those Flouting Vaccine Mandate

Austria’s health minister on Thursday released the details of a government-imposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate that will take into effect early next year. The new measure will require all persons, starting on Feb. 1, who have a place of residence in Austria and are aged 14 and over to get the shot or face heavy quarterly…


Austria’s 3rd Leader in 2 Months Takes Office Seeking Stability

VIENNA—Austria’s third conservative chancellor in two months, Karl Nehammer, took office on Monday seeking to bring the coalition government out of months of scandal-tainted turmoil and guide the country out of its current coronavirus lockdown. Nehammer, 49, was sworn in by President Alexander Van der Bellen soon after 1 p.m. (12:00 GMT). As interior minister…


Avalanche in Austria Kills 3 Skiers, Injures 2

BERLIN—Three skiers have been killed and two injured in an avalanche in central Austria, authorities said Sunday. The victims included a rising young motorbike racer. They were part of a group of 11 skiers, eight of whom were hit by a roughly 200-meter (655-foot) wide slab of snow as they ascended a slope during a…


Austria’s New Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg Resigns After Just 2 Months

Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced on Thursday, just two months after taking office, that he will step down as chancellor as soon as his conservative People’s Party agrees on its next leader. “I’m of the firm opinion that the two posts—head of government and leader of the party with the most votes in Austria—need to…


Austria’s Former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz Is Leaving Politics at Age 35

Austria’s former chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, announced on Thursday that he will step back from politics after serving about 10 years in government. “I am looking forward to the new chapter ahead, but it has been the honor of my life to serve the Republic of Austria,” Kurz wrote on social media. “I did not take this decision…


WHO’s Tedros Concerned About ‘False Sense of Security’ From Vaccines, Warns Pandemic Not Over

World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday shared his concerns over what he calls is a “false sense of security that vaccines have ended the pandemic,” while warning that the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over. Speaking on the eve of Thanksgiving at a news briefing in Geneva, Tedros said the WHO was concerned that…


Euro Slides as Austria’s Fourth National COVID-19 Lockdown Begins

London—The euro fell on Monday to trade close to a 16-month low on growing concerns over the impact of new COVID-19 restrictions in Europe, with Austria starting a full lockdown and Germany considering following suit. Austria began its fourth lockdown, the first introduced since vaccines became widely available, shutting Christmas markets, bars, cafes, and theatres….


Live Q&A: Europe Debates Making Vaccines Mandatory; Questions Grow Around Potential Rittenhouse Defamation

After Austria implemented Europe’s first COVID-19 vaccine mandates and announced enforcement of lockdowns on the unvaccinated, Germany is now debating whether to adopt a similar policy. And after Kyle Rittenhouse was found innocent on all charges by a jury, discussion is spreading on whether he will sue news outlets and public figures for defamation. In…


Protests Erupt Against Lockdowns and Vaccine Mandates Across Europe

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in European countries over the weekend to demonstrate against COVID-19 vaccine mandates after EU governments in recent days started to ramp up restrictions. In Austria, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Vienna, Salzburg, and other cities after the Austrian government announced a…


Protests Erupt Against Lockdowns, Vaccine Mandates Across Europe

Protesters took to the streets in several European countries over the weekend to demonstrate against COVID-19 vaccine mandates after EU governments started to ramp up related restrictions in recent days. In Austria, tens of thousands of people protested in Vienna, Salzburg, and other cities after the Austrian government announced the implementation of a nationwide lockdown…