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☆ Austrian army suspends Turkey quake rescue over security
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN/ZURICH, Feb 11 (Reuters) - The Austrian army has suspended rescue operations in quake-hit Turkey due to "an increasingly difficult security situation", its spokesperson said in a tweet on Saturday. Ministry spokesperson Michael Bauer tweeted that the Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit (AFDRU) was available for further rescue operations when the working environment became safe. "There is increasing aggression between groups in Turkey," he said. Turkish authorities have not commented on any unrest in the area, but President Tayyip Erdogan commented on the general security situation on Saturday, noting that a state of emergency had been declared and that there had been some looting. Some 82 rescue workers from Austria's armed forces have been in Antakya, Turkey, since Feb. 7 and their specialists have freed nine people from the rubble.

☆ Turkey to act against those involved in looting, Erdogan says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday the government would take action against those involved in looting and other crimes in the region hit by this week's devastating earthquakesas the issue of security there came into focus. "It means that, from now on, the people who are involved in looting or kidnapping should know that the state's firm hand is on their backs," he said. It was not clear what incidents of kidnapping Erdogan was referring to. Erdogan also said that hundreds of thousands of buildings were uninhabitable across southern Turkey and that authorities would soon start the rebuilding process. Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Mark Potter and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ IFM increases stake in Flughafen Wien to 43%
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Feb 10 (Reuters) - IFM, through its subsidiary Airports Group Europe, acquired an additional 3.77% of Flughafen Wien (VIEV.VI), as part of its attempt to take over the Austrian airport operator, it said on Friday. This pushes IFM Global Infrastructure Fund's stake in Flughafen Wien to 43.44%. It is already the single largest shareholder of the Vienna-based firm. Flughafen Wien had reiterated last January its call not to accept IFM's offer of 34 euros per share, deeming the valuation too low and the potential delisting of the Vienna Stock Exchange contrary to its interests. Reporting by Tristan Chabba in Gdansk; editing by Matthias WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Canada's Crawford wins super-G gold by slimmest of margins
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

COURCHEVEL, France, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Canada's James Crawford won the men's super-G by the slimmest of margins in a stunning upset at the Alpine skiing world championships on Thursday. Switzerland's World Cup overall leader Marco Odermatt was fourth and surprisingly out of the medals on a course set by the Swiss coach. The 25-year-old is the first Canadian super-G world champion since Erik Guay in St Moritz in 2017. Austria's 2021 super-G champion Vincent Kriechmayr finished 12th. Italy's Dominik Paris, the 2019 super-G world champion, crashed heavily at speed after pushing too aggressively and catching a ski edge on a gate.

☆ EU looks to tighten borders to keep unwanted migrants away
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"European countries are experiencing a big increase in the number of people who are coming from outside Europe on an irregular basis," said Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. Still, with global mobility restarting since the COVID-19 pandemic, irregular arrivals into the EU rose last year to their highest level since 2016, reviving harsher anti-immigration rhetoric. WALLS AND FENCES"We need to 'pull the brake' on illegal migration in the EU," said Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The EU's executive, which holds the bloc's shared budget, has long refused to finance border walls, though it does pay for surveillance equipment and other infrastructure. Catholic charity group Caritas said EU leaders should look into improving the bloc's asylum procedures and reception centres to "put human rights and dignity front and centre".

Much as he would have liked to significantly increase supplies, Biosca-Reig said he couldn't justify investing millions of euros in new production lines unless he was paid more for the generic drug to cover sharply rising costs. European generic drugmakers say the tender system and regulated prices have fuelled a race to the bottom, and European firms are being undercut by suppliers from Asia. BRUSSELS, WE HAVE A PROBLEMThe European Medicines Agency (EMA) and European Union lawmakers acknowledge there is a problem. Half the generic medicines sold in Spain are priced below 1.60 euros per box or bottle, the country's generics manufacturing association said. But companies with smaller market shares, such as Israel's Teva (TEVA.TA), which has 5% of the region's amoxicillin market according to Medicines for Europe, are constrained.

☆ Austria expels four Russian envoys for breaching international agreements
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VIENNA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Austria is expelling four Russian diplomats for behaving in a manner inconsistent with international agreements, a reason often invoked in spying cases, the Austrian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday without giving specifics. "Two diplomats at the Russian embassy have acted in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status. The two working at the Russian mission to the U.N. acted in a way that was inconsistent with the host country agreement between the United Nations and Austria, it added. Vienna is a major diplomatic centre hosting both the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and United Nations organisations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency. The large diplomatic presence offers the opportunity to station intelligence agents there under a diplomatic cover granting them diplomatic immunity.

☆ Four of six accused get lengthy sentences over Vienna jihadist attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VIENNA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - A Vienna court on Thursday handed lengthy sentences, including life in prison, to four of six men accused of helping a jihadist prepare a deadly shooting rampage in 2020. While police said the gunman, Kujtim Fejzulai, who held Austrian and North Macedonian nationality, carried out the attack alone, the six defendants were accused of providing help beforehand. Two others received sentences of 20 and 19 years, the court said in a statement. The second defendant sentenced to life was Heydayatollah Z, 28, who lived with the attacker for weeks before the attack. The two defendants with the mildest sentences accepted the ruling, the court said, Of the remaining four, three plan to appeal and the other is considering it, added.

You can get many thousands of dollars in value from Aeroplan points even if you never step foot on an Air Canada plane. Earn Aeroplan points with credit cards and points transfersThe Aeroplan® Credit Card is the only US credit card that earns Aeroplan points directly. So if you transferred 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, you'd end up with 20,000 Aeroplan points, plus a 5,000-point bonus for a total of 25,000 Aeroplan points. Earn Aeroplan points flying Air CanadaThe next easiest way to rack up Aeroplan points is by actually flying Air Canada, but the earning formula is going to change later this year. As far as we know, it will look like this:Basic fares: Earn 2x points per (Canadian) dollarStandard fares: Earn 3x points per (Canadian) dollarFlex/Comfort fares: Earn 3x points per (Canadian) dollarLatitude fares: Earn 3x points per (Canadian) dollarPremium economy fares: Earn 3x points per (Canadian) dollarBusiness fares: Earn 3x points per (Canadian) dollarEssentially, everything but basic economy fares will earn 3x per dollar.

☆ Austria's Raiffeisen says Ukrainian sanctions target its leasing unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VIENNA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - A Russian leasing unit of Austrian lender Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI) is among the companies targeted by sanctions that Ukraine announced overnight, RBI said on Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced a wave of sanctions overnight targeting 182 Russian and Belarusian companies along with three individuals. Ukraine often calls on companies including RBI to leave Russia, though its latest sanctions are unlikely to have a significant impact on RBI's Russian business. "The political decision of the Ukrainian government to put around 30 Russian leasing companies, including Raiffeisen Leasing Russia, on a sanctions list means that leased goods of Raiffeisen Leasing Russia's customers can be confiscated on Ukrainian territory," an RBI spokesperson said. "Raiffeisen Leasing Russia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raiffeisenbank Russia.

☆ Italy, Lufthansa sign letter of intent over ITA minority stake sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Planes of German air carrier Lufthansa are parked as Lufthansa pilots start a strike over a wage dispute, at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany September 2, 2022. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File PhotoROME, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Italy's Treasury on Friday said it had signed a letter of intent with Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) over the sale of a minority stake in state-owned airline ITA Airways, paving the way for negotiations with German carrier. Last week, Lufthansa offered to buy a minority stake in the loss-making successor of Italy's Alitalia, saying Italy was a prominent market both for business travellers and tourists. Lufthansa said on Friday it had signed the letter of intent with the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance and ITA Airways. The new right-wing administration in Rome passed a decree in December to initially sell a minority stake through capital increases, to speed up a full divestment in ITA.

☆ Dutch hacker obtained virtually all Austrians' personal data, police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VIENNA, Jan 25 (Reuters) - A Dutch hacker arrested in November obtained and offered for sale the full name, address and date of birth of virtually everyone in Austria, the Alpine nation's police said on Wednesday. The trove comprised close to nine million sets of data, police said. The hacker had also put "similar data sets" from Italy, the Netherlands and Colombia up for sale, Austrian police said, adding that they did not have further details. The Austrian information is so-called registration data - basic information including a current address that residents are required to provide to the authorities. The police did not elaborate on the consequences for Austrians' data security.

☆ Swiss one-two in Schladming giant slalom
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 25 (Reuters) - Switzerland's Loic Meillard won the men's World Cup giant slalom under lights in Schladming on Wednesday, with fellow countryman Gino Caviezel second fastest down the foggy slopes in the Austrian Alps. Meillard finished 0.59 of a second faster than Caviezel, while Marco Schwarz from Austria came third, 0.81 of a second after Meillard. The win marked the second time Meillard won a World Cup race and his first triumph in giant slalom. Switzerland's reigning World Cup champion and current overall leader Marco Odermatt did not start having injured his left knee on Friday. Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Let Hamilton speak out, says Bahrain rights group
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) urged Formula One's governing body on Tuesday to allow seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton and other drivers to speak freely on 'political' issues. read moreMercedes' Hamilton, the sport's all-time most successful driver, has used his profile and platform to address human rights abuses and racial injustice around the world. The Middle East has four races this year -- In Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The FIA has said the update is merely aligned with "the political neutrality of sport" but Alwadaei said it appeared to target Hamilton. "We are saying to Mohammed Ben Sulayem that this policy is wrong and it must be reversed immediately," he added.

☆ Thiem confirms rib injury, racing to be fit for Davis Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 23 (Reuters) - Dominic Thiem has confirmed he suffered a rib injury during the Australian Open, but will look to recover for Davis Cup qualifiers which begin next month. Thiem, a former U.S. Open champion, has struggled with injuries in recent years and fallen to number 98 in the world as a result. Especially in Melbourne, I wanted to perform at my best, but I tore a small muscle fibre in my rib," Thiem said on Instagram. "The results show that it's not too bad, and playing at the Davis Cup should be possible. Austria play their Davis Cup qualifier against Croatia on Feb. 4-5.

☆ ECB's Holzmann expects at least two rate increases in H1 -newspaper
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VIENNA, Jan 20 (Reuters) - European Central Bank policymaker Robert Holzmann expects at least two interest-rate increases of 50 basis points each in the first half of this year, he said in an interview with Austrian newspaper Die Presse published on Friday. Holzmann said that while headline inflation has eased, core inflation, which strips out volatile energy and food prices, had not. He said that as long as core inflation had not fallen significantly interest rates would have to keep rising. "Core inflation is currently at more than 5%, which is still two-and-a-half times our target," he said. Reporting by Francois Murphy; Additional reporting by Frank Siebelt in Frankfurt; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Austrian foreign affairs minister on forging diplomatic relationships for EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAustrian foreign affairs minister on forging diplomatic relationships for EUCNBC's Silvia Amaro speaks to Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenberg at Davos 2023.

[1/2] FILE PHOTO-Planes of German air carrier Lufthansa are parked as Lufthansa pilots start a strike over a wage dispute, at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, September 2, 2022. REUTERS/Kai PfaffenbachROME/FRANKFURT, Jan 18 (Reuters) - German carrier Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) said on Wednesday it had offered to buy an minority stake in ITA Airways, betting on reviving the loss-making successor to Italy's Alitalia and expanding its footprint in Europe. One of the sources said it was valued at 200-300 million euros ($540 million). The new right-wing administration in Rome passed a decree in December to initially sell a minority stake through capital increases, in order to speed up a full divestment in ITA. "Acquiring ITA is one of the most challenging propositions in European aviation: the airline has been persistently loss-making," said Bernstein analyst Alex Irving.

[1/2] FILE PHOTO-Planes of German air carrier Lufthansa are parked as Lufthansa pilots start a strike over a wage dispute, at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, September 2, 2022. REUTERS/Kai PfaffenbachBERLIN/ROME, Jan 18 (Reuters) - German carrier Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) said on Wednesday it had offered to buy an initial minority stake in ITA Airways, Italy's state-owned successor to Alitalia. Lufthansa said Italy is the most important market outside of its existing home markets and the United States, noting its prominence as both a business and tourism destination. The move comes after the new right-wing administration in Rome passed a decree in December to initially sell a minority stake through capital increases, in order to speed up a full divestment in ITA. Beside its domestic German business, Lufthansa already operates the brands Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines.

☆ Italy’s Friuli region is one of Europe’s best kept secrets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

With 13 natural reserves and the pristine park of the Friuli Dolomite Mountains, the region lures tourists seeking to connect with nature or explore the outdoors. There’s also the spellbinding Grotta Gigante, or Giant Cave, one of the world’s largest tourist caverns. Golden beachesThe Grotta Gigante is one of the world's largest tourist caverns. Trieste boasts an unusual segregated beach, with origins dating back several centuries. “Residents are very fond and proud of this place,” says Trieste local Maria Bonacci.

☆ European energy firm OMV says it is able to supply 100% of customer orders with non-Russian gas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEuropean energy firm OMV says it is able to supply 100% of customer orders with non-Russian gaswefAlfred Stern, CEO of Austrian energy firm OMV, discusses gas supply security and the importance of the diversification of energy sources.

☆ Rublev tames Thiem, Sabalenka and Garcia stroll as Melbourne sizzles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Thiem, a finalist at Melbourne Park and U.S. Open champion in 2020, is on the comeback trail after a wrist injury and was able to compete only to a certain extent against the power of the rangy Russian. Thiem was simply unable to get a foothold in the contest and the 25-year-old Rublev, a quarter-finalist at the Australian Open in 2021, served out for the match after little more than two hours on court. Tennis Australia on Tuesday morning banned fans from bringing flags of either nation into the Melbourne Park precinct after a Russian tricolour was hung on a bush next to a court where Ukrainian Kateryna Baindl was playing on Monday. "It wasn't that easy a match and I'm super happy to start with a win," said the Belarusian. Novak Djokovic will begin his bid for a record-extending 10th title at Melbourne Park against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena in the final match of the day on Rod Laver Arena.

☆ Vowles says Williams will not become a 'mini-Mercedes'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Williams' new principal James Vowles said after his appointment on Friday that the struggling former champions would be no Mercedes 'B' team in Formula One. "There's no mini-Mercedes or B team or any of that," said Vowles. Vowles told reporters that Williams were entirely independent and he would act in their best interests. "There was always the speculation that Williams, because of the Mercedes engine, was a subordinate but none of that was obviously true." That’s why James is going to do what's good for the team, what's good for James in order to bring that forward.

You may also access Centurion Lounges if you've got one of the following Delta credit cards:You can only access the Amex Centurion lounges when you're flying Delta, and you'll need to pay $50 per guest. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (Concourse E) — coming soonCharlotte Douglas International Airport (between Concourse D and E)Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Terminal D)Denver International Airport (Concourse C)Intercontinental Houston Airport (Terminal D)Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (Concourse D)Los Angeles International Airport (Tom Bradley International Terminal)Miami International Airport (Concourse D)John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York)Newark Liberty International Airport (Terminal A) — not yet openNew York LaGuardia Airport (Terminal B, pre-security)Philadelphia International Airport (Terminal A)Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Terminal 4)San Francisco International Airport (Terminal 3)Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Concourse B)Washington, DC Ronald Reagan National Airport (Terminal B) — coming soonLondon Heathrow (Terminal 3)Hong Kong International (Terminal 1)International locations Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Hong Kong International Airport (Terminal 1)London Heathrow Airport (Terminal 3)Stockholm Arlanda Airport (Terminal 5)Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (Terminal 2)Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (Terminal 3)Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini International Airport (Terminal B)Sao Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport (Terminal 3)Melbourne Airport (Terminal 2)Mexico City International Airport (Terminals 1 and 2)Monterrey General Mariano Escobedo International Airport (Terminals A and B)Sydney Airport (Terminal 1)Centurion Studios (Escape Lounges) Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Hartford Bradley International Airport (Terminal A)Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (Concourse B)John Glenn Columbus International Airport (Concourse B)Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (Terminal 3)Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (Concourse B)Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (Terminal 1)Oakland International Airport (Terminal 1)Palm Beach International Airport (Concourse B)Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Terminals 3 and 4)Rhode Island T.F. With these cards, you can enter 1,300+ lounges from networks such as: Amex Centurion Lounges (widely considered to be the best airport lounges in the US)Priority Pass** (access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide)Delta Sky Club lounges (only when you have a same-day Delta boarding pass)Escape Lounge – The Centurion Studio PartnerPlaza Premium loungesLufthansa lounges (when flying Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, or SWISS)Can Amex Gold cardholders use Centurion Lounges?

Airline credit cards tout many flashy perks in order to entice new customers and maintain existing ones. However, one of the most underrated airline credit card benefits might just be a companion ticket. First, only a handful of airline credit cards actually offer them, which means consumers might not even be aware they exist. Let's look at the best credit card companion certificates by airline. What to know about airline credit card companion certificatesCompanion tickets offered by airline credit cards are amazing benefits that can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year — if you know how to maximize them.

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