What it's like to fly into Beijing's Olympic 'bubble'

The Beijing Winter Olympics is being hosted inside a veritable fortress -- known informally as the "bubble" -- that takes weeks of careful planning to successfully penetrate.

Designed to prevent the spread of Covid, the bubble is the most ambitious quarantine attempted anywhere since the start of the pandemic.

The journey inside the bubble starts with a copy of the "Playbook," an 83-page rule book described by Olympic officials as a "way of life."

The guide instructs participants to upload their daily temperature readings into an app 14 days before the Games and to isolate during that time to avoid infection. As Omicron cases are surging in Tokyo, where I live, I didn't take any chances.

By the time I departed for Beijing, I was fully vaccinated, had tested negative for Covid twice, and had stocked my suitcase with face masks and snacks to eat if I failed a test and was forced to isolate alone for the entire Winter Games.

CNN correspondent Selina Wang started preparing for the Beijing Olympics weeks in advance.

Maintaining social distance was easy on my almost empty ANA Airlines "special flight" from Tokyo, chartered to transport people to the Games.

As we approached Beijing, smog outside the window tinted the view a dusty brown.

When we landed, workers in hazmat suits were waiting on the runway to spray our luggage with disinfectant the moment it was unloaded from the plane.

Walking from the plane into the terminal was like entering a medical facility, rather than an Olympic host city.

Workers in white, full body protective gear, goggles, and masks directed passengers through the airport.

Beijing Capital International Airport, once among the busiest in Asia, looked largely deserted.

Olympic posters and "Welcome to Beijing" signs lined empty hallways, where workers were waiting to take my temperature.

We were then led straight to a makeshift testing site, consisting of dozens of cubicles.

After getting tested for Covid -- with a painful nasal and throat swab -- I passed through immigration and customs.

The entire process was relatively smooth, if surreal, and requires massive organization and manpower.

The airport staff and volunteers are not allowed to go home at the end of their shifts to prevent potential spread of the virus into the city.

That means they'll be away from their families during Lunar New Year, the most important holiday in China, which falls on Tuesday.

As I stopped to collect my bags, a group of masked workers in hazmat suits asked to take a selfie with me.

I got on a bus, along with about 10 other arrivals. The front of the coach was sealed off behind a transparent wall -- separating us from the driver. We also had our own dedicated lane, allowing the bus to overtake other vehicles stuck in Beijing's notoriously bad traffic.

I had officially entered what Olympic organizers are calling the "closed loop" -- a system of multiple bubbles -- including venues, conference centers, and hotels -- connected by dedicated transport.

The loop stretches more than 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Beijing to Yanqing district, the site of the alpine skiing and sliding events, and more than 60 miles (97 kilometers) beyond that to Zhangjiakou, where Nordic skiing and other events will be held.

Those locations are connected to Beijing by high-speed rail, with dedicated sections for Olympic participants. It's an ambitious system designed to keep the Olympics completely separate from the rest of the mostly Covid-free Chinese population.

The "closed loop" is so strict that Beijing police have told residents not to help any Olympic vehicles that may be involved in a crash to avoiding breaching the bubble. Authorities say there are special medics to respond to any such accidents.

China largely sealed its borders in March 2020, and it's still difficult to get into the country due to a lack of flights and limited approval for visas. This is the first time I've returned since moving from Beijing to Japan 18 months ago -- I'm allowed in to cover the Games with media credentials.

Since the pandemic started, I've been through five quarantines in Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Each government has a different approach to tackling Covid, making traveling through Asia exhausting and nerve-wracking.

But this trip required the most meticulous planning and attention to detail to make sure every rule was followed.

The bus took us straight to a designated Olympic hotel surrounded by large temporary walls inside the loop.

As I waited in my room for the results of the airport Covid test, waves of anxiety hit me. What if my test came back positive? Or what if it came back negative, but I was somehow infected during travel and I'd test positive in a few days?

After all the painstaking preparations, I just wanted to be able to do my job and not spend my assignment in isolation.

But the scenarios I was mulling in my head pale in comparison to the angst Olympic athletes experienced in the lead up to this Games. Several athletes told me they were self-isolating for a month before the Games, paranoid that a positive test could derail the moment they've worked their entire careers for.

Six hours later, my test results came back: negative. I've never been so relieved.

Journalists work inside the media center ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, in Beijing, January 31.

But I'll have to stay on guard throughout the Games. Every day, everyone in the bubble is tested and has to upload their temperature to a special app. Throughout my stay, I'm strictly confined to the hotel and Olympic venues.

The Beijing My2022 app is similar to the health app I used during the Tokyo Olympics, but cybersecurity researchers have warned the Beijing version contains security flaws that leave users exposed to data breaches. Chinese authorities have dismissed those concerns.

'It creates a lot of anxiety': Ahead of the Winter Olympics, athletes are doing everything to avoid catching Covid-19

If someone inside the loop tests positive, they'll be confined to a room in an isolation facility until they return two consecutive negative tests, at least 24 hours apart. Once cleared, they are allowed to return to their role or event, though with extra precautions including the need to isolate and take two Covid tests a day.

Those who do not test negative risk becoming temporarily stuck in isolation. However, organizers have promised that a separate policy enabling those cases to return home at the earliest possible time is being worked out.

All local staff and volunteers at the Winter Olympics have to follow the same Covid rules as international guests. And when the Games are over, they must quarantine for 21 days before returning home.

Across China, entire communities have been forced into lockdown over a single Covid case. Any failure to contain cases at the closed loop could undermine the country's zero-Covid strategy and put the entire nation's health and reputation at risk.

So during the nearly three weeks of the Winter Olympics, Beijing isn't taking any risks.

 

Incoming Georgetown Law director on leave after tweets about Biden's Supreme Court plan

Ilya Shapiro is seen here from a segment on CNN.

The incoming executive director for Georgetown University's Center for the Constitution has been placed on administrative leave after social media comments made last week questioning President Joe Biden's intentions for the US Supreme Court vacancy.

Biden last week confirmed that he would make good a campaign promise and nominate a Black woman to replace Justice Stephen Breyer, who announced his retirement last week. There has never been a Black woman on the country's highest court.

Ilya Shapiro, who was to take up his position at Georgetown Law on February 1, tweeted on Wednesday: "(o)bjectively best pick for Biden is Sri Srinivasan," a judge on the US Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia Circuit. Shapiro also described Srinivasan as progressive and smart.

"Even has identity politics benefit of being first Asian (Indian) American," Shapiro wrote. "But alas doesn't fit into latest intersectionality hierarchy so we'll get lesser black woman. Thank heaven for small favors?"

'Black women are taking control of the narrative': The road ahead as Biden commits to historic Supreme Court nomination

Those tweets have since been deleted.

Two days later, Shapiro took to Twitter to apologize.

"I regret my poor choice of words, which undermined my message that nobody should be discriminated against for his or her skin color," Shapiro wrote.

"A person's dignity and worth simply do not, and should not, depend on race, gender or any other immutable characteristic," he said. "While it's important that a wide variety of perspectives and backgrounds be represented in the judiciary, so blatantly using identity politics in choosing Supreme Court justices is discrediting to a vital institution."

Shapiro went on to say that he considered Srinivasan to be "the most qualified nominee a Democratic president could choose."

"Reasonable people can disagree on that particular assessment, but it's a shame that he and other men and women of every race are excluded from the outset of the selection process," he tweeted.

Georgetown Law Dean Bill Treanor said, "Ilya Shapiro's tweets are antithetical to the work that we do here every day to build inclusion, belonging and respect for diversity," in a statement released Monday.

The university has launched an investigation into whether Shapiro violated their "policies and expectations on professional conduct, non-discrimination and anti-harassment," Treanor said.

Georgetown's Black Law Student Association is calling for Shapiro's employment to be permanently revoked.

"Our concern and frustration is not rooted in Shapiro's opinion that someone else is more qualified for the position," the association wrote in a statement. "Instead, our anger stems from Shapiro's suggestion that any Black woman, regardless of their qualifications, would be a 'lesser' choice for the courts."

Shapiro on Monday tweeted that he is confident the investigation "will reach the only reasonable conclusion: my tweet didn't violate any university rule, or policy and indeed is protected by Georgetown policies on free expression."

"Accordingly, I expect to be vindicated and look forward to joining my new colleagues in short order," he wrote.

Shapiro told CNN he has no further comment at this time.

Shapiro was announced as Georgetown Law's new executive director and senior lecturer on January 21, according to the institution's website.

 

Russia responds in writing to US ahead of Blinken-Lavrov call on Ukraine crisis

The United States has received a written response from Moscow after it sent its own written answers following face-to-face meetings on the ongoing Ukraine crisis, the latest development in the ongoing diplomatic campaign aimed at deterring a potential Russian invasion of the country.

Moscow's response comes days after Washington submitted its own documents to Moscow and ahead of a planned phone call between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Tuesday.

A senior State Department official and a State Department spokesperson confirmed Monday that they "received a written follow-up from Russia."

"It would be unproductive to negotiate in public, so we'll leave it up to Russia if they want to discuss their response," the spokesperson said. "We remain fully committed to dialogue to address these issues and will continue to consult closely with our Allies and partners, including Ukraine."

Public reactions to those US written responses -- in which administration officials said the US voiced willingness to work with Russia on things like arms control but refused to give room on NATO's "open door" policy -- have been largely pessimistic.

Biden has selected ambassador to Ukraine but is waiting on Ukraine's approval

It is unclear if Moscow's written response, first reported by the Washington Post, was received before or after Monday's UN Security Council meeting over Moscow's escalation along the border with Ukraine, which ended in a standoff between the US and Russia.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters following the session, in which the US accused Russia of planning to mass tens of thousands of troops along the Belarus-Ukraine border, that the US "called for this meeting to allow the Russians to give us an explanation of what their actions are."

"We didn't hear much," she said. "They didn't give us the answers that any of us would have hoped that they would provide."

The open meeting at the UN headquarters in New York proceeded Monday despite opposition from China and Russia.

US officials have repeatedly urged Moscow to take a diplomatic path forward, warning that a renewed invasion of Ukraine would result in swift and significant sanctions -- a message reiterated by President Joe Biden on Monday while the meeting was underway.

Tense UN meeting

In her remarks to the Security Council Monday, Thomas-Greenfield said, "We continue to hope Russia chooses the path of diplomacy over the path of conflict in Ukraine. But we cannot just 'wait and see.' It is crucial that this Council address the risk that their aggressive and destabilizing behavior poses across the globe."

She spoke of Russia's buildup of more than 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine, as well as US intelligence that Russia has moved nearly 5,000 troops into Belarus and intends to mass "more than 30,000 troops near the Belarus-Ukraine border ... by early February."

"If Russia further invades Ukraine, none of us will be able to say we didn't see it coming. And the consequences will be horrific," Thomas-Greenfield said.

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzia claimed UN colleagues are "whipping up tensions and rhetoric," saying that the US and others wanted conflict to take place.

"This deployment of Russian troops in our own territory is getting our Western and US colleagues to say that there's going to be a planned military action and even an act of aggression ... the military action of Russia against Ukraine that they're all assuring us is going to take place in just a few weeks' time if not a few days' time. There, however, is no proof confirming such a serious accusation whatsoever being put forward," he said in translated remarks at the meeting.

"You are almost calling for this, you want it to happen. You're waiting for it to happen, as if you want to make your words become a reality. This is despite the fact that we are constantly rejecting these allegations and this is despite the fact that no threat of a planned invasion into Ukraine from the lips of any Russian politician or public figure over all of this period has been made," Nebenzia said.

Thomas-Greenfield responded that it was Moscow that was being provocative, not the US or its Security Council partners.

"We have made clear our commitment to the path of diplomacy. I hope our Russian colleagues will also choose this path and engage peacefully with the international community, including Ukraine," she said.

 

Lawford: The village where the women are still in charge

Image caption,

Sally Morris is both the head teacher at Manningtree High School and the associate priest at St Mary's Church in Lawford

Nearly 100 years ago the long-defunct Westminster Gazette told its readers about a village "run by women". The village in question was Lawford, which adjoins Manningtree and Mistley in north-east Essex. What, if anything, has changed?

"One woman collects the rates, there is a postmistress, two more are postwomen, one is school mistress and another is church clerk," the influential London-based title reported back in 1925.

But while the daily broadsheet went out of business in 1928, Lawford has continued to grow into the thriving community it is today. And yes, it seems the women of the village, where about 4,300 people live, still hold the main levers of power.

Sally Morris holds two prominent positions - head teacher at the nearby 890-pupil Manningtree High School and the village's associate priest at St Mary's parish church.

"I became a priest in 2011 and by that time there were many women in all sorts of roles in the church and I've never had any difficulty or conflict," she said.

"I have, however, had people saying that, while they appreciate what I'm doing, they struggle with the fact there are women in what is traditionally seen as a man's role and those people have been brought up in that tradition. I appreciate that it is very difficult for them to change.

"If they have disagreed with what I am doing, they have done it very politely."

Image caption,

The church wardens where Mrs Morris is the associate priest are both women

Her church has two church wardens. Both are women.

"My view that men and women are equal has probably come down to me through my family," said Mrs Morris. "One of my grandmothers, for example, during World War Two earned enough money to buy her own house which, at the time, was quite unusual.

"It was a case of if something needed doing you just got on and did it and would not let gender or any other consideration hold you back.

"Certainly our girls that we see in school seem to have the confidence that I would want them to have - that they can achieve anything and are not hampered by tradition.

"There must be something in the water around here because we have more girls than boys in pretty much every year group. We seem to outnumber them as much as anything."

Image caption,

Former postmistress Val Guglielmi is the current chair of Lawford Parish Council

The chair of Lawford Parish Council is Val Guglielmi, who retired three years ago from her job as postmistress both in Lawford and at two other branches.

She believed part of the reason women have a long history of control in the village is that, being on the main railway line between Norwich and London, many of Lawford's men have commuted - and continue to commute - to work.

"They leave it to us females, who are very capable of doing it," she said.

Mrs Guglielmi has six grandchildren, all of them girls.

She said the world "has changed for the better" in terms of gender equality since she was growing up and looked forward to seeing what the future held for her grandchildren.

Through her involvement with politics, Mrs Guglielmi encountered another woman who once worked in Lawford: Margaret Roberts.

After graduating, Miss Roberts spent four years working as a research chemist at BX Plastics in Lawford, across the River Stour from its main base in Brantham.

Miss Roberts later married Denis Thatcher and, as Margaret Thatcher, went on to become the UK's first female prime minister.

Image caption,

Maggie Woods said she was raised in a family with a number of formidable women

There is another powerful Margaret in Lawford these days - though she prefers to be called Maggie.

Maggie Woods is the vice chair of the parish council.

"There's something exciting about Lawford," said Mrs Woods.

Mrs Woods said she grew up in a family of formidable women.

"My great aunt, who lived in Suffolk, ran the post office and the local Methodist chapel and, by all accounts, was a force to be reckoned with.

"My grandmother had her own business and ran a pub in Woodbridge. My mum worked as a supervisor.

"So I have always had a good base to come from."

Both of the village's primary schools - Lawford Primary and Highfields Primary - are also run by women.

Image caption,

Abbie Fairbairn used to serve in the Army before becoming a teacher

Abbie Fairbairn is head teacher at Lawford Primary, which has 224 pupils and a 10-strong teaching staff.

Nine of the teachers are women, one is a man.

"All of the senior management team here are women," Miss Fairbairn said.

"I used to work in the Army where management was linear and authoritative. I think women managers tend to try to be more collaborative and distributive in their approach.

"Both approaches get the job done and I actually think it is important to have a balance."

Image caption,

Katie Usher said she was strongly influenced as a child by her schooling

Miss Fairbairn's deputy is Katie Usher.

She said that while she had never considered Lawford a "female stronghold", she was "conscious that the two other local schools have female heads, so I guess in terms of education we are joined by other women in posts of responsibility".

Asked about female role models growing up, Mrs Usher said: "I went to an all-girls school in London which had quite a strong female ethos which, with a strong female head teacher, empowered us to feel we could go out and achieve anything we wanted to if we put our minds to it.

"That had a big impact on me growing up."

With so many key positions in the village occupied by women, might that have an impact on the self-belief of young boys in Lawford?

"No, not at all," says Mrs Usher.

"Because of the balance we have in our curriculum it is very much geared towards the two sides and that both boys and girls can achieve what they set their minds to."

 

Measles warning for young children as MMR jab rate drops in England

Image source, SPL

More than one in 10 school entry-age children in England are at risk of measles because they have not had their vaccine shots, data reveals.

Coverage for the two doses of MMR that helps protect five-year-olds against the serious illnesses of measles, mumps and rubella is currently at 85.5%.

That's the lowest for a decade, and well below the 95% target recommended to stop a resurgence of measles.

Measles is highly contagious, more than Covid, and can cause serious illness.

Nine in every 10 people can catch it if they are unjabbed and exposed.

As well as a distinctive rash, measles can lead to severe complications, such as pneumonia and brain inflammation, and sometimes can be fatal.

Vaccination can remove almost all of these risks.

Two doses of the MMR vaccine give 99% protection against measles and rubella and about 88% protection against mumps.

When a high percentage of the population is protected through vaccination, it becomes harder for the disease to pass between people.

But, since the start of the Covid pandemic, there has been a concerning drop in the number of children receiving these vaccines on time.

Experts say some parents may not have realised doctors were still offering appointments, or did not want to burden the NHS.

Coverage of the first dose of the MMR vaccine in two-year-olds has now fallen below 90%. This means that more than one in 10 children under the age of five are not fully protected from measles and are at risk of catching it.

Among all five-year-olds in England, 93.7% have had one dose and 85.5% have had the recommended two doses.

In 2017 the World Health Organization declared that the UK had eliminated measles - meaning that although some cases could still occur, the disease was not widely circulating and spreading.

Measles remains more common in some other countries, meaning it can return to the UK and spread in people who are unvaccinated, if given the chance.

The UK lost its elimination status after cases ticked up again in 2018, with 991 confirmed ones in England and Wales, compared with 284 in 2017.

Measles cases have plummeted during the Covid pandemic, largely because of social distancing and less travel.

But the UK Health Security Agency is concerned measles could make a comeback in the unvaccinated when restrictions are fully lifted.

It is asking parents and carers to make sure children are up to date with their jabs.

• NHS vaccinations and when to have them
• Why is the UK seeing a rise in measles cases?

The MMR vaccine is free on the NHS when a child turns one, with a second dose offered at about three-and-a-half, before they start nursery or school.

Dr Nikki Kanani, from NHS England, said: "If your child has missed a vaccination, please contact your GP practice to book an appointment as soon as you can to make sure they have maximum protection against disease."

Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup added: "If you are unsure whether your child has had their full course of the MMR vaccine, check their red book or talk to your GP. The vaccine is safe, it will protect your child and their school friends and is very easy to access."

Unvaccinated teenagers and adults are eligible too.

Prof Helen Bedford, an expert from London's Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, said: "It is never too late for children, young people and young adults to have their MMR vaccine and they can have a second dose even where there has been a long gap since the first."

 

Prince Andrew: US judge seeks statement from former assistant

Image source, Virginia Roberts

Image caption,

Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2001

Prince Andrew's former assistant could give a sworn statement as part of the civil sexual assault case against the duke, after a formal request from a New York judge.

Lawyers for Virginia Giuffre - Prince Andrew's accuser in the case - had requested help to obtain testimony from Robert Olney.

Mr Olney previously worked for the prince as his equerry.

Prince Andrew, 61, has consistently denied Ms Giuffre's allegations.

She says the duke sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17 and being trafficked by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in prison in 2019 while awaiting a sex trafficking trial.

Ms Giuffre's lawyers say Mr Olney's name and phone number were in the contacts book of Epstein and that the former assistant would have knowledge of his relationship with Prince Andrew.

• Who is Prince Andrew and what titles is he losing?
• Who is Virginia Giuffre?

US judge Lewis A Kaplan released his correspondence sent to London's High Court, formally asking for assistance in the civil case brought by Ms Giuffre, on Monday evening,

The request, under an international legal convention between co-operating courts, means that the British court must now decide whether to become involved in Prince Andrew's battle.

In the letter to Senior Master Elizbeth Fontaine, the official who manages requests from foreign courts for assistance, Judge Kaplan said any evidence obtained from Mr Olney would be used in Ms Giuffre's civil damages claim against the prince.

As Prince Andrew's former equerry, Judge Kaplan said Mr Olney was likely to have "relevant information" about travel to and from Epstein's properties and about the duke's relationship with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who was found guilty last month of grooming underage girls.

The judge said that if his request was accepted, Mr Olney should be questioned about any communications that touch on Ms Giuffre, given that Prince Andrew claims he has never met her or sexually abused her.

He has also sent a request asking for a statement to be taken from Shukri Walker, who has said she saw Prince Andrew at Tramps night club in London in March 2001 with a young woman who may have been Ms Giuffre.

Image source, Reuters

Image caption,

Virginia Giuffre, now 38 and living in Australia, seen with her lawyer David Boies in 2019

Two more requests have been sent to the Australian attorney general, fulfilling applications from Prince Andrew's team.

The first is a request for Australian authorities to take a statement from Robert Giuffre, Ms Giuffre's husband, concerning what she may have told him in the past. The second is a request to obtain the co-operation of Ms Giuffre's therapist Dr Judith Lightfoot.

The judge asked for Mr Giuffre's testimony to include how he met his wife, his discussions with her about Andrew, her alleged childhood trauma and abuse, and her relationship with Epstein and Maxwell.

The letter also asks for his testimony to include all claims Ms Giuffre has made against the duke, her alleged emotional and psychological harm and damages, her role in trafficking and recruiting young girls for Epstein and the Giuffre household's finances.

A separate letter to Dr Lightfoot has asked her evidence to include Ms Giuffre's medical treatment and diagnosis, as well as issues discussed during their sessions and claims made about Prince Andrew.

It also seeks testimony on Dr Lightfoot's opinions of the alleged psychological harm suffered by Ms Giuffre, a theory of false memories and the consequences of her childhood trauma.

Judge Kaplan has requested that the testimony of all four witnesses be completed by 29 April.

Earlier this month, Buckingham Palace stripped Prince Andrew of his military titles and patronages, and said he would contest the case as a private individual.

 

Austria's Covid vaccine law comes into force amid resistance

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

About 72% of Austrians are fully vaccinated against Covid-19

A new law comes into force in Austria on Tuesday that makes vaccination against Covid-19 compulsory for anyone over-18. Several countries have introduced mandates for the elderly or medical staff, but this is the first nation in Europe to adopt such sweeping measures.

LOu Moser, a ceramic artist who lives south of Vienna, is not vaccinated against Covid-19 and neither is her husband, Gus. They strongly disagree with Austria's new vaccine mandate.

Vaccination, she says, should be a personal choice. "I've had Covid-19. And so I actually don't see the point of being jabbed when I've got sufficient antibodies," LOu tells me. "And so I chose not to get vaccinated. And it's not for any authority to tell me what to put into my body."

"It has shown that the vaccines haven't really stopped the pandemic yet," LOu says. "People keep being vaccinated, and they're still getting ill from Covid-19. Maybe not as badly, but they're still getting ill."

Austria's government says vaccinations are effective at combating severe disease, and that the law is needed to prevent future lockdowns. Karoline Edtstadler, minister for the EU and Constitution, says the government is "very aware that it is really a strong step and really hard measure".

But, she says, it is necessary.

"We as politicians, have the responsibility to be sure that the healthcare system is still working, that society, as a whole, can live normally," she says.

She says, though, that mandatory vaccination is an "interference with human rights". "But in this case, this interference can be justified," she adds. "We have the need to get out of the pandemic and we know that vaccination is the only way to get out of it and to get back to a normal life."

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Several protests have been held in recent weeks against the government's Covid-related measures

The vaccine mandate, she says, will expire in January 2024, and could be ended earlier if the pandemic allows. The law goes into force on 1 February, but the authorities will not start checking people's vaccination status until mid-March.

Those who refuse to get the shot will face fines ranging from €600 (£500; $670) to €3,600. Exceptions apply for those who cannot get vaccinated for medical reasons or who are pregnant.

About 72% of Austrians are fully vaccinated. At a vaccination centre at Vienna's St Stephan's cathedral, Carlos is having a booster shot. It was an easy decision, he says.

"I wanted to get vaccinated because I want to protect my family and the people I know," he tells me. "I want to travel and it's for me easier when I've been vaccinated for the third time."

Dr Klaus Markstaller, head of Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at the Medical University of Vienna and the city's biggest hospital, says the vaccine saves lives.

"It's clearly shown that the vaccination impedes severe courses of the disease, and therefore it reduces ICU admissions significantly," he says. "So if you want to reduce your personal risk significantly, and the risk for your loved ones, get vaccinated."

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

The Austrian government imposed a number of measures to curb the virus during the pandemic, including lockdowns

Some Austrians are wondering how strictly the law will be enforced. Thomas Hofer, a political analyst, says it all depends on how Covid-19 spreads in the future.

"I think a lot of people hope that this won't be as strict as the government proposed in the first place. I think there's some kind of Austrian solution, which means, you're never carrying it the whole way through," he says.

"Even the government might think, okay, maybe in March or April, it's not necessary anymore. But it depends on how the pandemic develops, if it comes back in the autumn and winter."

But strong resistance to the vaccine mandate remains. The far-right, anti-vaccine Freedom Party says it will fight the measure in court. Its leader, Herbert Kickl, has said the law "paves the way to totalitarianism in Austria".

Many opponents of the law are taking to the streets. Demonstrators from many different parts of society have protested, week after week, against mandatory vaccinations and Covid-related restrictions.

• CONTEXT: Mandatory jabs: Three reasons for and against
• IN CHARTS: Tracking the pandemic

At a protest in Vienna on Saturday, one woman told me she was pleased to be vaccinated but opposed compulsory jabs. On a podium behind her, an anti-vaxxer told a cheering crowd the Covid-19 vaccine was "the biggest genocide" in history.

Austria has gone farther than any of its neighbours with this vaccine mandate. Other European countries will be watching closely.

 

Pegasus: India parliament opens amid furore over Pegasus 'lies'

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

PM Modi's government is facing fresh allegations of buying Israeli spyware

India's parliament opened amid a political storm over fresh allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government bought Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to snoop on its critics.

The New York Times reported on Friday that India acquired Pegasus from Israel as part of a defence deal in 2017.

Similar allegations emerged last year, and the government had denied them.

Opposition parties are now accusing the government of lying to parliament and misleading the house.

The main opposition Congress has called for a "privilege motion" in parliament - used in instances when members are accused of committing a breach of privilege - against information and technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for "deliberately misleading the House".

• Why Pegasus' snooping threatens India's democracy

"The government, on the floor of the House, always maintained that it had nothing to do with the Pegasus spyware and it never bought the spyware from the NSO Group... in light of the revelations… it appears that the Modi government has misled the parliament and the Supreme Court," Congress' leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, wrote in a letter to the Speaker.

The allegations are expected to result in a heated debate as parliament assembles for a joint session of both houses. This comes ahead of the annual budget, which will be tabled on Tuesday, and days before five states go to the polls to elect a new government.

A fresh plea seeking a police investigation has been filed in the Supreme Court, which began an inquiry into the matter when allegations first emerged last year.

What are the allegations?

Last year, Indian media outlet The Wire reported that some 160 Indians, including prominent activists, lawyers and politicians, were spied on using the Pegasus malware.

Pegasus infects iPhones and Android devices, allowing operators to extract messages, photos and emails, record calls and secretly activate microphones.

An investigation by a global consortium of media outlets showed how the malware was used by governments around the world to hack phones of dissidents. The targets' phone numbers were on a database believed to be of interest to clients of Israeli firm NSO.

It's unclear where the list came from or how many phones were hacked - and NSO has denied any wrongdoing. It said the software was intended for tracking criminals and terrorists and was only sold to military, law enforcement and intelligence agencies from countries with good human rights records.

NSO was also accused of cyber attacks against Indian journalists and activists in 2019 - NSO Group denied the allegations.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Mr Modi's visit to Israel was followed by a rare trip to India by Mr Netanyahu

But the New York Times reported on Friday that Pegasus and a missile system were the "centrepieces" of a roughly $2bn deal that took place between India and Israel in 2017 when Mr Modi made his first trip to the country. The visit - and a subsequent one by Mr Netanyahu the following year - marked a significant turn in India's relationship with Israel.

The fresh allegations sparked a political storm, with opposition leaders demanding answers from Mr Modi.

Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi accused the government of treason, and Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of acting "like the enemies of India".

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What has Mr Modi 's government's said?

The government has denied that it ordered any unauthorised surveillance.

Last year, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had called the allegations a "sensational" attempt "to malign Indian democracy and its well established institutions" - he told parliament in September that the government "has not had any transaction with NSO Group Technologies".

But there has been no statement from Mr Modi or his ministers since the latest allegations emerged. Opposition politicians have questioned the government's "silence" on the issue and demanded that Mr Modi address the country.

In September, the Supreme Court set up a panel to look into the allegations after the government repeatedly failed to respond to its questions, citing national security. The court had said the government had left it with "no option but to accept the prima facie case made out by the petitioners".