Austrian leader vows to stay on amid bribery allegations

BERLIN (AP) — Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is denying wrongdoing and vowing to remain the country’s leader despite being under investigation in a probe of suspected bribery. However, his coalition partner said Thursday that the allegations left a “disastrous” impression and raised questions over the chancellor’s “ability to act.” Anti-corruption prosecutors said Wednesday they are conducting an investigation into Kurz and nine other people as well as three organizations they didn’t identify on suspicion of breach of trust and bribery. They conducted searches. The case centers on allegations that finance ministry money was used between 2016 and at least 2018 to pay for manipulated polls that were published in a newspaper without being declared as advertising.