Malaysia on Monday announced it had established a $2.4 million compensation fund to provide cash assistance for any Covid-19 vaccine recipients, who suffer severe reactions due to inoculations.&nbsp;

The Southeast Asian country has inoculated nearly 430,000 frontline workers, with the majority having received the first of two jabs of the vaccine jointly developed by US company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech.&nbsp;

Under the new fund, individuals requiring extended hospitalisation due to a vaccine reaction will be eligible for 50,000 ringgit ($12,171), or if this results in permanent disability or death 500,000 ringgit, Health Minister Adham Baba said.&nbsp;

Adham said health authorities had recorded 20 instances of adverse reactions to vaccination as of March 18, with symptoms ranging from itching to shortness of breath and palpitations.&nbsp;

"There have not been any deaths linked to the vaccine," Adham told a news conference, without specifying the type of vaccine he was referring to.&nbsp;

Malaysia's vaccination drive began on February 23 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with authorities only starting to administer the vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech on March 18.&nbsp;

Malaysia will also scrap a plan to reserve a second shot of the Pfizer vaccine for those, who had already received their first dose, in a bid to speed up its vaccination drive.&nbsp;

Malaysia has reported just over 330,000 coronavirus cases and 1,233 deaths after keeping infection rates relatively low for much of last year until a spike of infections from October that peaked in early February.&nbsp;

Science Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government is confident that Pfizer will be able to provide the 32 million doses secured by Malaysia.&nbsp;

Last week, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the government will almost double its Covid-19 immunisation budget to 5 billion ringgit to speed up its target of vaccinating 80% of its 32 million population by December, instead of February 2022.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Malaysia on Monday announced it had established a $2.4 million compensation fund to provide cash assistance for any Covid-19 vaccine recipients, who suffer severe reactions due to inoculations.

Malaysia on Monday announced it had established a $2.4 million compensation fund to provide cash assistance for any Covid-19 vaccine recipients, who suffer severe reactions due to inoculations. The Southeast Asian country has inoculated nearly 430,000 frontline workers, with the majority having received the first of two jabs of the vaccine jointly developed by US company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech. Under the new fund, individuals requiring extended hospitalisation due to a vaccine reaction will be eligible for 50,000 ringgit ($12,171), or if this results in permanent disability or death 500,000 ringgit, Health Minister Adham Baba said. Adham said health authorities had recorded 20 instances of adverse reactions to vaccination as of March 18, with symptoms ranging from itching to shortness of breath and palpitations. "There have not been any deaths linked to the vaccine," Adham told a news conference, without specifying the type of vaccine he was referring to. Malaysia's vaccination drive began on February 23 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with authorities only starting to administer the vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech on March 18. Malaysia will also scrap a plan to reserve a second shot of the Pfizer vaccine for those, who had already received their first dose, in a bid to speed up its vaccination drive. Malaysia has reported just over 330,000 coronavirus cases and 1,233 deaths after keeping infection rates relatively low for much of last year until a spike of infections from October that peaked in early February. Science Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government is confident that Pfizer will be able to provide the 32 million doses secured by Malaysia. Last week, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the government will almost double its Covid-19 immunisation budget to 5 billion ringgit to speed up its target of vaccinating 80% of its 32 million population by December, instead of February 2022. (With inputs from agencies)

Malaysia sets up compensation fund for Covid-19 vaccinations 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory over Covid-19 by making Israel a 'vaccination nation'. Even that may not be enough when voters wearing mandatory masks cast their ballots in an election on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Netanyahu, who turned Israel's world-leading rollout of vaccines into a showcase of his campaign in the country's fourth national poll in two years, gave a measured assessment of his chances after the latest opinion polls pointed to a close race.&nbsp;

"I'm still missing a (parliamentary) seat or two to achieve a stable government," he said on Army Radio on Sunday, in what could have been a strategic bid to rally supporters of his right-wing Likud party to turn out to vote.&nbsp;

Opinion polls showed an uptick for Likud in the campaign's home stretch, giving a Netanyahu-led coalition of conservative and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties around 60 seats, still short of a majority in the 120-member parliament.&nbsp;

But the surveys indicated that a potential, though perhaps unlikely alliance of left-wing, centre and rightist factions, possibly led by Netanyahu's strongest rival in the polls - centrist Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party - is also near 60.&nbsp;

No one party has ever won a parliamentary majority on its own in an Israeli election. In a close contest, election night results may only be a starting point, with backroom coalition talks determining whether 'King Bibi' will still rule.&nbsp;

Gone this time were Netanyahu's giant billboards featuring a handshake with ally Donald Trump, defeated in the US presidential election in November.&nbsp;

And with Democrat Joe Biden in the White House, there was little prospect of US diplomatic moves that could help Netanyahu's election chances.&nbsp;

Israel's longest-serving leader, 71, focused instead on highlighting his role in turning high-tech Israel into what he dubbed a 'vaccination nation'.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory over Covid-19 by making Israel a 'vaccination nation'. Even that may not be enough when voters wearing mandatory masks cast their ballots in an election on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory over Covid-19 by making Israel a 'vaccination nation'. Even that may not be enough when voters wearing mandatory masks cast their ballots in an election on Tuesday. Netanyahu, who turned Israel's world-leading rollout of vaccines into a showcase of his campaign in the country's fourth national poll in two years, gave a measured assessment of his chances after the latest opinion polls pointed to a close race. "I'm still missing a (parliamentary) seat or two to achieve a stable government," he said on Army Radio on Sunday, in what could have been a strategic bid to rally supporters of his right-wing Likud party to turn out to vote. Opinion polls showed an uptick for Likud in the campaign's home stretch, giving a Netanyahu-led coalition of conservative and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties around 60 seats, still short of a majority in the 120-member parliament. But the surveys indicated that a potential, though perhaps unlikely alliance of left-wing, centre and rightist factions, possibly led by Netanyahu's strongest rival in the polls - centrist Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party - is also near 60. No one party has ever won a parliamentary majority on its own in an Israeli election. In a close contest, election night results may only be a starting point, with backroom coalition talks determining whether 'King Bibi' will still rule. Gone this time were Netanyahu's giant billboards featuring a handshake with ally Donald Trump, defeated in the US presidential election in November. And with Democrat Joe Biden in the White House, there was little prospect of US diplomatic moves that could help Netanyahu's election chances. Israel's longest-serving leader, 71, focused instead on highlighting his role in turning high-tech Israel into what he dubbed a 'vaccination nation'. (With inputs from agencies)

Will 'vaccination nation' Israel vote for Prime Minister Netanyahu? 

Eight Hong Kong democracy activists detained in China last year for illegally crossing the border were due back in the city on Monday after completing jail terms, in a case that drew international attention and concern over their treatment.&nbsp;

They were among 12 activists whose boat was intercepted at sea by mainland authorities in August 2020 allegedly en route to the democratic island of Taiwan.&nbsp;

All had faced charges in Hong Kong over the pro-democracy protest movement and are expected to be taken directly into custody on their return.&nbsp;

Among the eight is Andy Li, arrested under a sweeping national security law Beijing imposed on the Asian financial hub in June 2020 that critics say is aimed at crushing dissent.&nbsp;

In December, a Chinese court sentenced 10 of the 12 to between seven months and three years in jail. Defendants Tang Kai-yin and Quinn Moon, who were sentenced to three and two years, respectively, remain in Shenzhen.&nbsp;

Two minors, who were among the 12, pleaded guilty to illegally crossing the border and were returned to Hong Kong in December.&nbsp;

During the detention of the 12 in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, mainland authorities denied their families and lawyers access, insisting they be represented by officially appointed lawyers, provoking criticism from rights groups.&nbsp;

Pro-democracy activists began fleeing Hong Kong for democratic Taiwan from the early months of the protests in 2019, most of them legally by air, but some by boat, activists in Taipei have said.&nbsp;

Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of freedoms not seen on the mainland, including freedom of speech and assembly.&nbsp;

Democracy activists complain that Communist Party rulers in Beijing are whittling away at those freedoms, a charge China rejects.&nbsp;

Since Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong, scores of democracy campaigners have been arrested, some elected legislators have been disqualified and others have fled overseas.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Eight Hong Kong democracy activists detained in China last year for illegally crossing the border were due back in the city on Monday after completing jail terms, in a case that drew international attention and concern over their treatment.

Eight Hong Kong democracy activists detained in China last year for illegally crossing the border were due back in the city on Monday after completing jail terms, in a case that drew international attention and concern over their treatment. They were among 12 activists whose boat was intercepted at sea by mainland authorities in August 2020 allegedly en route to the democratic island of Taiwan. All had faced charges in Hong Kong over the pro-democracy protest movement and are expected to be taken directly into custody on their return. Among the eight is Andy Li, arrested under a sweeping national security law Beijing imposed on the Asian financial hub in June 2020 that critics say is aimed at crushing dissent. In December, a Chinese court sentenced 10 of the 12 to between seven months and three years in jail. Defendants Tang Kai-yin and Quinn Moon, who were sentenced to three and two years, respectively, remain in Shenzhen. Two minors, who were among the 12, pleaded guilty to illegally crossing the border and were returned to Hong Kong in December. During the detention of the 12 in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, mainland authorities denied their families and lawyers access, insisting they be represented by officially appointed lawyers, provoking criticism from rights groups. Pro-democracy activists began fleeing Hong Kong for democratic Taiwan from the early months of the protests in 2019, most of them legally by air, but some by boat, activists in Taipei have said. Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of freedoms not seen on the mainland, including freedom of speech and assembly. Democracy activists complain that Communist Party rulers in Beijing are whittling away at those freedoms, a charge China rejects. Since Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong, scores of democracy campaigners have been arrested, some elected legislators have been disqualified and others have fled overseas. (With inputs from agencies)

Eight Hong Kong democracy activists set to return from China after jail terms 

Two Taiwanese fighter jets crashed on Monday in the third such incident in the past half year, at a time when the Beijing-claimed island's armed forces are under increasing pressure to intercept Chinese aircraft on an almost daily basis.&nbsp;

While Taiwan's air force is well trained and well equipped, mostly with US-made equipment, it is dwarfed by China's. Beijing views the democratic island as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control.&nbsp;

Taiwan's air force said two air force F-5E fighters, each with one pilot aboard, crashed into the sea off the island's southeastern coast after they apparently collided in mid-air during a training mission.&nbsp;

One pilot was found and air-lifted to hospital by helicopter but later died, while the other is missing, air force Chief of Staff Huang Chih-wei told reporters, adding the aircraft were in good working order.&nbsp;

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-and-japan-affirm-cooperation-over-taiwan-emergency-372064">US and Japan affirm cooperation over Taiwan emergency</a>

The air force has now grounded the F-5 fleet and suspended all training missions, he said.&nbsp;

The US-built F-5 fighters first entered service in Taiwan in the 1970s and have been mostly been retired from front-line activities, though some are still used for training and as a back-up for the main fleet.&nbsp;

Another F-5 crashed in October, killing the pilot. The following month a much more modern F-16 crashed off Taiwan's east coast, and the pilot of that aircraft also died.&nbsp;

In January of last year, Taiwan's top military official was among eight people killed after a helicopter carrying them to visit soldiers crashed in a mountainous area near the capital Taipei.&nbsp;

The incidents have raised concern about both training and maintenance, but also the pressure the air force is under to respond to repeated Chinese flights near the island.&nbsp;

Taiwan's Defence Ministry has warned Chinese aircraft, including drones, are flying repeatedly in Taiwan's air defence identification zone, seeking to wear out Taiwan's air force.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Two Taiwanese fighter jets crashed on Monday in the third such incident in the past half year, at a time when the Beijing-claimed island's armed forces are under increasing pressure to intercept Chinese aircraft on an almost daily basis.

Two Taiwanese fighter jets crashed on Monday in the third such incident in the past half year, at a time when the Beijing-claimed island's armed forces are under increasing pressure to intercept Chinese aircraft on an almost daily basis. While Taiwan's air force is well trained and well equipped, mostly with US-made equipment, it is dwarfed by China's. Beijing views the democratic island as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control. Taiwan's air force said two air force F-5E fighters, each with one pilot aboard, crashed into the sea off the island's southeastern coast after they apparently collided in mid-air during a training mission. One pilot was found and air-lifted to hospital by helicopter but later died, while the other is missing, air force Chief of Staff Huang Chih-wei told reporters, adding the aircraft were in good working order. Also Read: US and Japan affirm cooperation over Taiwan emergency The air force has now grounded the F-5 fleet and suspended all training missions, he said. The US-built F-5 fighters first entered service in Taiwan in the 1970s and have been mostly been retired from front-line activities, though some are still used for training and as a back-up for the main fleet. Another F-5 crashed in October, killing the pilot. The following month a much more modern F-16 crashed off Taiwan's east coast, and the pilot of that aircraft also died. In January of last year, Taiwan's top military official was among eight people killed after a helicopter carrying them to visit soldiers crashed in a mountainous area near the capital Taipei. The incidents have raised concern about both training and maintenance, but also the pressure the air force is under to respond to repeated Chinese flights near the island. Taiwan's Defence Ministry has warned Chinese aircraft, including drones, are flying repeatedly in Taiwan's air defence identification zone, seeking to wear out Taiwan's air force. (With inputs from agencies)

Taiwan loses two fighter jets in collision, third crash in six months 

Europe must take action as Lebanon collapses, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said, adding that he would press EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday to discuss solutions to the economic and political crisis in Beirut.&nbsp;

Paris has spearheaded international efforts to rescue the former French protectorate from its deepest crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war, but after seven months has failed so far to persuade squabbling politicians to adopt a reform roadmap or form a new government to unlock international aid.&nbsp;

The crisis has accelerated in recent days, with the currency plunging in value and some grocery shops temporarily shutting for lack of supplies. President Michel Aoun is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri later on Monday to try and break the deadlock in forming a government.&nbsp;

"France wishes that we discuss the Lebanon question," Le Drian said as he arrived at the EU foreign ministers' meeting. "The country is drifting away, divided ... when a country collapses, Europe must be ready."&nbsp;

French and Western diplomats have said that after months of stalemate, France is now ready to discuss the prospect of sanctions, at EU or national level, on senior Lebanese officials, although it is not likely to be immediate.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Europe must take action as Lebanon collapses, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said, adding that he would press EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday to discuss solutions to the economic and political crisis in Beirut.

Europe must take action as Lebanon collapses, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said, adding that he would press EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday to discuss solutions to the economic and political crisis in Beirut. Paris has spearheaded international efforts to rescue the former French protectorate from its deepest crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war, but after seven months has failed so far to persuade squabbling politicians to adopt a reform roadmap or form a new government to unlock international aid. The crisis has accelerated in recent days, with the currency plunging in value and some grocery shops temporarily shutting for lack of supplies. President Michel Aoun is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri later on Monday to try and break the deadlock in forming a government. "France wishes that we discuss the Lebanon question," Le Drian said as he arrived at the EU foreign ministers' meeting. "The country is drifting away, divided ... when a country collapses, Europe must be ready." French and Western diplomats have said that after months of stalemate, France is now ready to discuss the prospect of sanctions, at EU or national level, on senior Lebanese officials, although it is not likely to be immediate. (With inputs from agencies)

Europe must act as Lebanon collapses: France 

Thousands of Italian parents, children and teachers protested in squares up and down the country on Sunday against what they call the unnecessary closure of schools to try to curb Covid-19 infections.&nbsp;

The protests, the first of any significance against Mario Draghi's national unity government that took office last month, were held in more than 35 squares nationwide including Rome's Piazza del Popolo and Milan's central Piazza Duomo.&nbsp;

Demonstrators in Rome wore dunce's caps to indicate the impact of the closures on students' education, while in Milan pupils' messages and placards were propped against their school rucksacks placed on the ground.&nbsp;

Numbers at each venue were limited due to coronavirus restrictions on gatherings.&nbsp;

"Open schools, whatever it takes," read one placard held aloft by a child in Rome, in reference to Draghi's famous promise to save the euro when he was European Central Bank chief in 2012.&nbsp;

Most Italian schools for all ages have been closed since March 15, when Draghi ramped up efforts to control the virus, with students attending lessons online from home.&nbsp;

"We are asking for one thing: that our schools be given the status of essential public services and immediately reopened," the Rome arm of the 'Open Schools' national network that organised the demonstrations said in a statement.&nbsp;

Since Italy's outbreak began 13 months ago, schools have closed and re-opened at various times depending on age groups and local infection levels, but overall there has been less face-to-face schooling than in most other European countries.&nbsp;

The latest closures were the last straw for millions of parents forced to work from home or pay for child care.&nbsp;

The government says the closures are needed due to rising infection rates, and particularly, the increasing prevalence of the variant first discovered in the UK, in which contagion is high among younger age groups.&nbsp;

Draghi promised on Friday that schools would be the first thing to reopen when current Covid restrictions are eased.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Thousands of Italian parents, children and teachers protested in squares up and down the country on Sunday against what they call the unnecessary closure of schools to try to curb Covid-19 infections.

Thousands of Italian parents, children and teachers protested in squares up and down the country on Sunday against what they call the unnecessary closure of schools to try to curb Covid-19 infections. The protests, the first of any significance against Mario Draghi's national unity government that took office last month, were held in more than 35 squares nationwide including Rome's Piazza del Popolo and Milan's central Piazza Duomo. Demonstrators in Rome wore dunce's caps to indicate the impact of the closures on students' education, while in Milan pupils' messages and placards were propped against their school rucksacks placed on the ground. Numbers at each venue were limited due to coronavirus restrictions on gatherings. "Open schools, whatever it takes," read one placard held aloft by a child in Rome, in reference to Draghi's famous promise to save the euro when he was European Central Bank chief in 2012. Most Italian schools for all ages have been closed since March 15, when Draghi ramped up efforts to control the virus, with students attending lessons online from home. "We are asking for one thing: that our schools be given the status of essential public services and immediately reopened," the Rome arm of the 'Open Schools' national network that organised the demonstrations said in a statement. Since Italy's outbreak began 13 months ago, schools have closed and re-opened at various times depending on age groups and local infection levels, but overall there has been less face-to-face schooling than in most other European countries. The latest closures were the last straw for millions of parents forced to work from home or pay for child care. The government says the closures are needed due to rising infection rates, and particularly, the increasing prevalence of the variant first discovered in the UK, in which contagion is high among younger age groups. Draghi promised on Friday that schools would be the first thing to reopen when current Covid restrictions are eased. (With inputs from agencies)

Italian parents, children protest against Covid school closures 

Thousands protest against Netanyahu ahead of election in Israel

Iran does not trust US promises on lifting sanctions and will only return to its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal once Washington fully removes the measures, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday.&nbsp;

The administration of US President Joe Biden is exploring ways to restore the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with major world powers, but which was abandoned in 2018 by President Donald Trump, who reimposed sanctions. Iran retaliated by breaching the terms of the accord in a step-by-step response.&nbsp;

The United States and the other Western powers that signed up to the 2015 deal appear to be at odds with Tehran over which side should return to the accord first, making it unlikely that US sanctions, which have crippled Iran's economy can be quickly removed.&nbsp;

"We trusted America at the time of (former US President Barack) Obama and fulfilled our commitments. But they didn’t. The Americans said on paper that sanctions will be lifted, but they didn’t lift sanctions in practice," Khamenei said in a speech on state TV. "Their promises have no credibility for us."&nbsp;

"On paper, they said the sanctions were lifted but they told any company that wanted to sign a contract with us that this was dangerous and risky. They scared away investors," Khamenei said.&nbsp;

"The Americans must lift all sanctions. We will verify it and if sanctions are ... really cancelled, we will return to our obligations without any problems," Khamenei said. "We have a lot of patience and we are not in a hurry."&nbsp;

Khamenei, who has the final say in matters of state, said Iranian planners should act on a worst-case scenario that sanctions would not be lifted soon.&nbsp;

"You should assume that sanctions will remain in place and plan the country's economy based on sanctions," Khamenei said, addressing current officials and those who might take over after the country's presidential election in June.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Iran does not trust US promises on lifting sanctions and will only return to its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal once Washington fully removes the measures, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday.

Iran does not trust US promises on lifting sanctions and will only return to its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal once Washington fully removes the measures, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday. The administration of US President Joe Biden is exploring ways to restore the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with major world powers, but which was abandoned in 2018 by President Donald Trump, who reimposed sanctions. Iran retaliated by breaching the terms of the accord in a step-by-step response. The United States and the other Western powers that signed up to the 2015 deal appear to be at odds with Tehran over which side should return to the accord first, making it unlikely that US sanctions, which have crippled Iran's economy can be quickly removed. "We trusted America at the time of (former US President Barack) Obama and fulfilled our commitments. But they didn’t. The Americans said on paper that sanctions will be lifted, but they didn’t lift sanctions in practice," Khamenei said in a speech on state TV. "Their promises have no credibility for us." "On paper, they said the sanctions were lifted but they told any company that wanted to sign a contract with us that this was dangerous and risky. They scared away investors," Khamenei said. "The Americans must lift all sanctions. We will verify it and if sanctions are ... really cancelled, we will return to our obligations without any problems," Khamenei said. "We have a lot of patience and we are not in a hurry." Khamenei, who has the final say in matters of state, said Iranian planners should act on a worst-case scenario that sanctions would not be lifted soon. "You should assume that sanctions will remain in place and plan the country's economy based on sanctions," Khamenei said, addressing current officials and those who might take over after the country's presidential election in June. (With inputs from agencies)

US promises have no credibility for Iran: Khamenei  

Even as Americans across the country hunt for a lifesaving shot in a bid to get back to a semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy, more than a quarter of members of Congress, just a phone call away from receiving a coronavirus vaccine, have turned it down.

Lawmakers who have continued to meet in person during the pandemic, often in violation of public health advice, have had access to the Pfizer vaccine since late December. But in the House, about 25% of lawmakers have not received a vaccination, the top Republican wrote this week to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, citing data from the Office of the Attending Physician. It is unclear how many senators have been vaccinated, although a handful of Republicans have said they do not intend to get one.

The hesitance around receiving the vaccine mirrors a broader trend across the United States, where there are differing degrees of opposition to being inoculated against the coronavirus, but polling suggests that Republicans are far more skeptical. Because vaccinations are confidential health information, there is no breakdown of which lawmakers have received one or what their party affiliations are. But in recent weeks, several Republicans have publicly rejected the idea of being vaccinated.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a former ophthalmologist, said he was “going with the science on this one” in refusing a vaccine.

“I have not chosen to be vaccinated because I got it naturally,” Paul, who tested positive for the virus last March, recently told reporters. (The science says the opposite; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people get vaccinated even if they have already had the coronavirus.)

“I had COVID,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. “I think that probably provides me the best immunity possible actually having the disease.”

The reluctance is just the latest barrier that Congress is confronting as leaders consider how to begin reinstating a sense of normalcy on Capitol Hill, where partisanship has become inextricably tied to health decisions and offices amount to their own fiefs, each with their own rules and perceptions of risk. It is emerging at a time when many aides on Capitol Hill — some of whom work for lawmakers who expect them to show up in person to the office — are themselves struggling to find a vaccine dose amid uneven policies about who should get one.

Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters Friday that the House should be aiming for “100%” of members to be vaccinated but lamented that she could not force anyone to accept a shot. If Republicans refused, she said, it would simply take longer to get the House back to normal, as members of that party have been pushing to do.

“You can’t tell anybody to do anything, least of all around here,” Pelosi said. “The more people who get vaccinated, the shorter time we have to stay separated on the floor.”

Lawmakers appear to have varying rationales for declining the vaccine, with some in both parties feeling uneasy about obtaining one at a time when many of their constituents are unable to do so. But Republicans have been particularly vocal in expressing misgivings about the vaccine and other virus precautions.

Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, a first-term Republican who has styled herself in former President Donald Trump’s image and proudly carries her pistol through the halls of Congress, has said it is “not the proper role of government to force injections of any kind in anyone.”

On Thursday, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., a former obstetrician-gynecologist, stood maskless in the Senate basement and read Dr. Seuss’ “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” aloud in an apparent attempt to call attention to his argument that people who have been vaccinated should not have to wear masks.

His choice of children’s book also reflected how many Republicans have taken to deriding coronavirus precautions as part of what they call liberal hysteria run amok. Marshall appeared to be tying them to a recent decision by author Theodor Geisel’s estate to stop selling works he wrote that include racist material, which conservatives complained was a symptom of “cancel culture.”

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who tested positive for the coronavirus in October, has taken to wearing a mesh mask to demonstrate his disdain for the safety measure.

Some Democrats and Republicans have publicly and privately said they were uncomfortable about the optics of getting vaccinated before their constituents could and would refrain from it until access was more widespread.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., argued on Twitter that lawmakers “are not more important” than teachers and other front-line workers and should not be able to skip the line.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., became an unwitting example of the political downside of accepting the shot after he posted a photograph on Twitter of himself getting one in December, a move intended to bolster public confidence in the vaccine. Instead, critics on Twitter piled on, accusing him of playing down the threat of the virus only to rush to protect himself before others had the chance.

“There were some genuine internal struggles by some members of Congress who had the vaccination,” said Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif., an emergency medicine physician. “Guilt of being vaccinated when others in their district weren’t able to get vaccinated.”

Even ensuring that lawmakers’ aides have access to the vaccine has been a charged proposition. Members of Congress were initially told that only two staff members from each office could receive the jab, setting off an uncomfortable round of actuarial calculations and decisions.

One office sent around a Google document to gauge interest; others wrestled with whether to prioritize vaccinating lower-level aides who had been working from home but had health conditions that made them more vulnerable to the virus, or more senior aides who wanted to come in to the office.

This week, the Capitol physician announced a significant expansion of vaccine availability, saying that each member’s office would be able to obtain shots for six aides. That prompted a flood of calls from hopeful congressional staff members, with multiple aides reporting listening to hold music — a medley of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Hail to the Chief” on repeat — for one to two hours as they waited to schedule their appointments.

The scattershot approach reflects the lack of consistent procedures for protecting Congress from the coronavirus, a challenge that has persisted throughout the pandemic. While Democratic leaders in the House have imposed a series of strict guidelines governing the use of masks on the floor and have pivoted to proxy voting and remote hearings, there are no requirements for how each office should function.

Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician, urged lawmakers in a memo late last month to continue teleworking, saying remote work would “continue indefinitely for significant numbers of staff” and pleading with lawmakers to avoid in-person meetings whenever possible.

But congressional offices have largely patched together a case-by-case set of rules guiding their transitions back to work. While many Republican offices have brought staff back, Democratic offices have largely maintained skeleton crews, and some aides returning to the Capitol complex said they were appalled to see staff from neighboring offices walking through the halls without masks.

House Republicans, who have been impatient to return to work as normal, argue that because lawmakers have been granted the special dispensations afforded to essential workers, they should be required to show up to perform their jobs in person.

They have been particularly alarmed by what they see as bipartisan abuse of telework that they fear could become the new status quo. Lawmakers in recent weeks have appeared remotely during hearings from trains, boats and, in one case, an automobile they were operating on what appeared to be a freeway; a group of Republicans used proxy voting to cast their votes from the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida.

Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 House Republican, said that the report that 75% of all House members had been vaccinated was an argument for a return to normalcy and that “there is a strong desire to get back to a regular schedule here on the floor.”

Democratic leaders are not so convinced. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, told reporters this week that leaders wanted to be careful not to “put the cart before the horse” and return to normal operations before it was fully safe. He pointed to variants of the virus spreading around the world and suggested that even if most lawmakers were vaccinated, they could still pose a risk to the thousands of staff who work in the Capitol complex who may not be.

“At some point in time, it will come to an end, but I don’t know the timeline and I don’t think anyone knows the timeline,” Hoyer said. “What we don’t want to risk is that happening, a third sort of surge of the virus and its mutations, its variants.”

Marissa Baker, a professor at the University of Washington’s public health school who specializes in occupational health, said that Congress was a particularly difficult workplace to protect because of the large number of in-person interactions across the nation that constitute lawmakers’ routines.

“It’s not really a light switch where we can pretend it's 2019 again,” Baker said. “It needs to be considered more as a gradual return to baseline.”

Ruiz said a “hybrid model” would most likely persist for some time.

“We’re not going to be back to normal, where we’re taking public meetings in our office, where people are touring the Capitol — like the hustle and bustle of Capitol Hill was prior to the pandemic — for a very long time,” he said.

Even as Americans across the country hunt for a lifesaving shot in a bid to get back to a semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy, more than a quarter of members of Congress, just a phone call away from receiving a coronavirus vaccine, have turned it down.

Even as Americans across the country hunt for a lifesaving shot in a bid to get back to a semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy, more than a quarter of members of Congress, just a phone call away from receiving a coronavirus vaccine, have turned it down. Lawmakers who have continued to meet in person during the pandemic, often in violation of public health advice, have had access to the Pfizer vaccine since late December. But in the House, about 25% of lawmakers have not received a vaccination, the top Republican wrote this week to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, citing data from the Office of the Attending Physician. It is unclear how many senators have been vaccinated, although a handful of Republicans have said they do not intend to get one. The hesitance around receiving the vaccine mirrors a broader trend across the United States, where there are differing degrees of opposition to being inoculated against the coronavirus, but polling suggests that Republicans are far more skeptical. Because vaccinations are confidential health information, there is no breakdown of which lawmakers have received one or what their party affiliations are. But in recent weeks, several Republicans have publicly rejected the idea of being vaccinated. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a former ophthalmologist, said he was “going with the science on this one” in refusing a vaccine. “I have not chosen to be vaccinated because I got it naturally,” Paul, who tested positive for the virus last March, recently told reporters. (The science says the opposite; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people get vaccinated even if they have already had the coronavirus.) “I had COVID,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. “I think that probably provides me the best immunity possible actually having the disease.” The reluctance is just the latest barrier that Congress is confronting as leaders consider how to begin reinstating a sense of normalcy on Capitol Hill, where partisanship has become inextricably tied to health decisions and offices amount to their own fiefs, each with their own rules and perceptions of risk. It is emerging at a time when many aides on Capitol Hill — some of whom work for lawmakers who expect them to show up in person to the office — are themselves struggling to find a vaccine dose amid uneven policies about who should get one. Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters Friday that the House should be aiming for “100%” of members to be vaccinated but lamented that she could not force anyone to accept a shot. If Republicans refused, she said, it would simply take longer to get the House back to normal, as members of that party have been pushing to do. “You can’t tell anybody to do anything, least of all around here,” Pelosi said. “The more people who get vaccinated, the shorter time we have to stay separated on the floor.” Lawmakers appear to have varying rationales for declining the vaccine, with some in both parties feeling uneasy about obtaining one at a time when many of their constituents are unable to do so. But Republicans have been particularly vocal in expressing misgivings about the vaccine and other virus precautions. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, a first-term Republican who has styled herself in former President Donald Trump’s image and proudly carries her pistol through the halls of Congress, has said it is “not the proper role of government to force injections of any kind in anyone.” On Thursday, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., a former obstetrician-gynecologist, stood maskless in the Senate basement and read Dr. Seuss’ “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” aloud in an apparent attempt to call attention to his argument that people who have been vaccinated should not have to wear masks. His choice of children’s book also reflected how many Republicans have taken to deriding coronavirus precautions as part of what they call liberal hysteria run amok. Marshall appeared to be tying them to a recent decision by author Theodor Geisel’s estate to stop selling works he wrote that include racist material, which conservatives complained was a symptom of “cancel culture.” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who tested positive for the coronavirus in October, has taken to wearing a mesh mask to demonstrate his disdain for the safety measure. Some Democrats and Republicans have publicly and privately said they were uncomfortable about the optics of getting vaccinated before their constituents could and would refrain from it until access was more widespread. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., argued on Twitter that lawmakers “are not more important” than teachers and other front-line workers and should not be able to skip the line. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., became an unwitting example of the political downside of accepting the shot after he posted a photograph on Twitter of himself getting one in December, a move intended to bolster public confidence in the vaccine. Instead, critics on Twitter piled on, accusing him of playing down the threat of the virus only to rush to protect himself before others had the chance. “There were some genuine internal struggles by some members of Congress who had the vaccination,” said Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif., an emergency medicine physician. “Guilt of being vaccinated when others in their district weren’t able to get vaccinated.” Even ensuring that lawmakers’ aides have access to the vaccine has been a charged proposition. Members of Congress were initially told that only two staff members from each office could receive the jab, setting off an uncomfortable round of actuarial calculations and decisions. One office sent around a Google document to gauge interest; others wrestled with whether to prioritize vaccinating lower-level aides who had been working from home but had health conditions that made them more vulnerable to the virus, or more senior aides who wanted to come in to the office. This week, the Capitol physician announced a significant expansion of vaccine availability, saying that each member’s office would be able to obtain shots for six aides. That prompted a flood of calls from hopeful congressional staff members, with multiple aides reporting listening to hold music — a medley of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Hail to the Chief” on repeat — for one to two hours as they waited to schedule their appointments. The scattershot approach reflects the lack of consistent procedures for protecting Congress from the coronavirus, a challenge that has persisted throughout the pandemic. While Democratic leaders in the House have imposed a series of strict guidelines governing the use of masks on the floor and have pivoted to proxy voting and remote hearings, there are no requirements for how each office should function. Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician, urged lawmakers in a memo late last month to continue teleworking, saying remote work would “continue indefinitely for significant numbers of staff” and pleading with lawmakers to avoid in-person meetings whenever possible. But congressional offices have largely patched together a case-by-case set of rules guiding their transitions back to work. While many Republican offices have brought staff back, Democratic offices have largely maintained skeleton crews, and some aides returning to the Capitol complex said they were appalled to see staff from neighboring offices walking through the halls without masks. House Republicans, who have been impatient to return to work as normal, argue that because lawmakers have been granted the special dispensations afforded to essential workers, they should be required to show up to perform their jobs in person. They have been particularly alarmed by what they see as bipartisan abuse of telework that they fear could become the new status quo. Lawmakers in recent weeks have appeared remotely during hearings from trains, boats and, in one case, an automobile they were operating on what appeared to be a freeway; a group of Republicans used proxy voting to cast their votes from the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 House Republican, said that the report that 75% of all House members had been vaccinated was an argument for a return to normalcy and that “there is a strong desire to get back to a regular schedule here on the floor.” Democratic leaders are not so convinced. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, told reporters this week that leaders wanted to be careful not to “put the cart before the horse” and return to normal operations before it was fully safe. He pointed to variants of the virus spreading around the world and suggested that even if most lawmakers were vaccinated, they could still pose a risk to the thousands of staff who work in the Capitol complex who may not be. “At some point in time, it will come to an end, but I don’t know the timeline and I don’t think anyone knows the timeline,” Hoyer said. “What we don’t want to risk is that happening, a third sort of surge of the virus and its mutations, its variants.” Marissa Baker, a professor at the University of Washington’s public health school who specializes in occupational health, said that Congress was a particularly difficult workplace to protect because of the large number of in-person interactions across the nation that constitute lawmakers’ routines. “It’s not really a light switch where we can pretend it's 2019 again,” Baker said. “It needs to be considered more as a gradual return to baseline.” Ruiz said a “hybrid model” would most likely persist for some time. “We’re not going to be back to normal, where we’re taking public meetings in our office, where people are touring the Capitol — like the hustle and bustle of Capitol Hill was prior to the pandemic — for a very long time,” he said.

As Republicans shun vaccines, Congress toils to return to normal

President Joe Biden has begun reviewing a list of finalists to serve as key ambassadors as he seeks to cut down on the number of political appointees his predecessor Donald Trump installed at embassies abroad, and to send a signal to career Foreign Service officials that they are valued once again.

That has left hundreds of donors and former lawmakers, who have not been Foreign Service officers but do have close relationships to the president, clamoring for about 35 ambassadorship slots available, according to people familiar with the process. It has also led to a push and pull between the desires of the diplomatic and political worlds.

The tension between those spheres has been most prominently on display in internal deliberations about who to appoint as ambassador to China, one of the most important embassy postings, especially after an extraordinarily rancorous meeting in Anchorage between top Chinese and American diplomats signaled a newly confrontational Beijing.

Biden, people familiar with the process said, has expressed interest in choosing someone he views as a “principal” who could be a political fighter, in other words, a former elected official who would send a different kind of message than a career diplomat would.

Rahm Emanuel, a former Chicago mayor and White House chief of staff in the Obama administration, has been in the running for the position after being passed over for transportation secretary, people familiar with the process said. He remains close to Biden and other senior officials in the White House.

But the diplomatic world is pushing for R. Nicholas Burns, a veteran Foreign Service officer and a former ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to get the post, arguing for a career professional over someone whose work has been steeped in domestic politics. Emanuel, who is also said to be under consideration as ambassador to Japan, declined to comment on the state of internal deliberations. Burns did not respond to a request for comment.

Biden has yet to be presented with or weigh in on the full list of posts overseas, according to an administration official. But he has been reviewing a “partial list,” with some candidates for crucial jobs, and intends to be deeply involved in the selection process. Unlike President Barack Obama, who advisers said never dove deeply into his diplomatic nominees and left the jigsaw puzzle of appointments to his staff, Biden was described as an “Irish politician” with great personal interest in where his large network lands.

“Biden has been deeply enmeshed in the foreign policy world his whole life,” said David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to Obama. “He spent a lot of his time with ambassadors. It would mean a lot to him.”

The administration is expected to move its first slate of nominees — which is likely to include more substantive posts like NATO ambassador and European Union ambassador, along with posts to some European and other key countries — by mid-April, an administration official said.

So far, the only ambassador appointment Biden has made is to the United Nations, with Linda Thomas-Greenfield taking over in February as the United States’ top representative.

That puts the president at least a month behind the Obama administration, which began announcing appointments in March 2009. Trump, for his part, left some assignments, like U.S. envoy to Singapore, vacant for the entirety of his administration, after his initial pick, K.T. McFarland, stalled in the Senate. She withdrew her nomination after Democrats accused her of misleading lawmakers over whether she had known about discussions between former national security adviser Michael Flynn and a Russian diplomat.

Democrats said the dissolution of the United States’ standing abroad over the past four years would make Biden’s selections more important and more scrutinized.

“It is hard to quantify the extent of the damage caused by Donald Trump’s reckless fixation with installing unvetted, unqualified, incapable and often times offensive political allies to serve in some of the most consequential national security posts of our government,” said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., chair of the Foreign Relations Committee.

There are people who are viewed as “must dos” for ambassadorships in the Biden administration, including Cindy McCain, the widow of former Sen. John McCain; David Cohen, a Comcast executive who was an early Biden donor; and Mark Gitenstein, a close friend of Biden’s and former ambassador to Romania, who is said to be in the running for ambassador to the European Union.

Other close Biden friends who were expected have had their first pick for positions overseas, like Ted Kaufman, the former Delaware senator, and Christopher Dodd, the former Connecticut senator who was seen as a front-runner for Ireland, have taken themselves out of consideration.

Many donors and political appointees eager for help in the process have leaned on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., to call the White House and advocate them.

Because of the challenge of installing a diverse group representative of the United States in such posts, Biden administration officials have told candidates to name more than one country in which they would be willing to serve.

Biden has a smaller network of big donors than many politicians, making the musical chairs of selecting ambassadors slightly less complicated than it would have been for Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee, known for her close relationships with donors who funded both her own political career and her husband’s.

During a 2020 campaign that was almost all virtual, it was difficult for donors to develop close personal relationships with a presidential candidate they had to meet over video chat instead of host in their living rooms.

What Biden does have, however, is a huge political circle, which is making the stakes more competitive. Former Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Emanuel and Vicki Kennedy, the widow of former Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, are people Biden feels close to and who could make substantive arguments for being appointed to coveted posts abroad. McCaskill declined to comment on her interest in such a posting.

The donor bucket, filled with people who are perceived as simply buying themselves a comfortable perch overseas, and the political bucket, filled with appointees who might have some relevant experience, are often unfairly conflated.

“The professional Foreign Service cares a lot about having competent, professional people in the roles,” said Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Center for a New American Security. “You have political appointees with experience and access to the president or senior staff. Then you have another group that would struggle to find the country they were nominated for on an unmarked map. That’s the problematic group.”

Briefing books, which include two or three options for every post, have been compiled by Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, and Cathy Russell, director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, are also involved in the selection process.

In a post-Trump world, the nominations are arguably more important to the president’s overall mission than ever before.

“There are more questions all over the world now about where America is going,” said Fontaine, noting that ambassadors would have to explain what Trump-era policies would stay or change.

“Whatever people thought of the past four years, they do have questions about how much was about Trump and how much was about America,” Fontaine added. “They want to know if Trump was the aberration from normal or if Biden will be the aberration from normal. Those are the kinds of things ambassadors are going to have to communicate.”

President Joe Biden has begun reviewing a list of finalists to serve as key ambassadors as he seeks to cut down on the number of political appointees his predecessor Donald Trump installed at embassies abroad, and to send a signal to career Foreign Service officials that they are valued once again.

President Joe Biden has begun reviewing a list of finalists to serve as key ambassadors as he seeks to cut down on the number of political appointees his predecessor Donald Trump installed at embassies abroad, and to send a signal to career Foreign Service officials that they are valued once again. That has left hundreds of donors and former lawmakers, who have not been Foreign Service officers but do have close relationships to the president, clamoring for about 35 ambassadorship slots available, according to people familiar with the process. It has also led to a push and pull between the desires of the diplomatic and political worlds. The tension between those spheres has been most prominently on display in internal deliberations about who to appoint as ambassador to China, one of the most important embassy postings, especially after an extraordinarily rancorous meeting in Anchorage between top Chinese and American diplomats signaled a newly confrontational Beijing. Biden, people familiar with the process said, has expressed interest in choosing someone he views as a “principal” who could be a political fighter, in other words, a former elected official who would send a different kind of message than a career diplomat would. Rahm Emanuel, a former Chicago mayor and White House chief of staff in the Obama administration, has been in the running for the position after being passed over for transportation secretary, people familiar with the process said. He remains close to Biden and other senior officials in the White House. But the diplomatic world is pushing for R. Nicholas Burns, a veteran Foreign Service officer and a former ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to get the post, arguing for a career professional over someone whose work has been steeped in domestic politics. Emanuel, who is also said to be under consideration as ambassador to Japan, declined to comment on the state of internal deliberations. Burns did not respond to a request for comment. Biden has yet to be presented with or weigh in on the full list of posts overseas, according to an administration official. But he has been reviewing a “partial list,” with some candidates for crucial jobs, and intends to be deeply involved in the selection process. Unlike President Barack Obama, who advisers said never dove deeply into his diplomatic nominees and left the jigsaw puzzle of appointments to his staff, Biden was described as an “Irish politician” with great personal interest in where his large network lands. “Biden has been deeply enmeshed in the foreign policy world his whole life,” said David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to Obama. “He spent a lot of his time with ambassadors. It would mean a lot to him.” The administration is expected to move its first slate of nominees — which is likely to include more substantive posts like NATO ambassador and European Union ambassador, along with posts to some European and other key countries — by mid-April, an administration official said. So far, the only ambassador appointment Biden has made is to the United Nations, with Linda Thomas-Greenfield taking over in February as the United States’ top representative. That puts the president at least a month behind the Obama administration, which began announcing appointments in March 2009. Trump, for his part, left some assignments, like U.S. envoy to Singapore, vacant for the entirety of his administration, after his initial pick, K.T. McFarland, stalled in the Senate. She withdrew her nomination after Democrats accused her of misleading lawmakers over whether she had known about discussions between former national security adviser Michael Flynn and a Russian diplomat. Democrats said the dissolution of the United States’ standing abroad over the past four years would make Biden’s selections more important and more scrutinized. “It is hard to quantify the extent of the damage caused by Donald Trump’s reckless fixation with installing unvetted, unqualified, incapable and often times offensive political allies to serve in some of the most consequential national security posts of our government,” said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. There are people who are viewed as “must dos” for ambassadorships in the Biden administration, including Cindy McCain, the widow of former Sen. John McCain; David Cohen, a Comcast executive who was an early Biden donor; and Mark Gitenstein, a close friend of Biden’s and former ambassador to Romania, who is said to be in the running for ambassador to the European Union. Other close Biden friends who were expected have had their first pick for positions overseas, like Ted Kaufman, the former Delaware senator, and Christopher Dodd, the former Connecticut senator who was seen as a front-runner for Ireland, have taken themselves out of consideration. Many donors and political appointees eager for help in the process have leaned on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., to call the White House and advocate them. Because of the challenge of installing a diverse group representative of the United States in such posts, Biden administration officials have told candidates to name more than one country in which they would be willing to serve. Biden has a smaller network of big donors than many politicians, making the musical chairs of selecting ambassadors slightly less complicated than it would have been for Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee, known for her close relationships with donors who funded both her own political career and her husband’s. During a 2020 campaign that was almost all virtual, it was difficult for donors to develop close personal relationships with a presidential candidate they had to meet over video chat instead of host in their living rooms. What Biden does have, however, is a huge political circle, which is making the stakes more competitive. Former Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Emanuel and Vicki Kennedy, the widow of former Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, are people Biden feels close to and who could make substantive arguments for being appointed to coveted posts abroad. McCaskill declined to comment on her interest in such a posting. The donor bucket, filled with people who are perceived as simply buying themselves a comfortable perch overseas, and the political bucket, filled with appointees who might have some relevant experience, are often unfairly conflated. “The professional Foreign Service cares a lot about having competent, professional people in the roles,” said Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Center for a New American Security. “You have political appointees with experience and access to the president or senior staff. Then you have another group that would struggle to find the country they were nominated for on an unmarked map. That’s the problematic group.” Briefing books, which include two or three options for every post, have been compiled by Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, and Cathy Russell, director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, are also involved in the selection process. In a post-Trump world, the nominations are arguably more important to the president’s overall mission than ever before. “There are more questions all over the world now about where America is going,” said Fontaine, noting that ambassadors would have to explain what Trump-era policies would stay or change. “Whatever people thought of the past four years, they do have questions about how much was about Trump and how much was about America,” Fontaine added. “They want to know if Trump was the aberration from normal or if Biden will be the aberration from normal. Those are the kinds of things ambassadors are going to have to communicate.”

Insiders jockey for whittled-down ambassadorship slots

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan. His visit has come just weeks before the May 1 deadline for US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.&nbsp;Meanwhile,&nbsp;Pope Francis urged people to fight&nbsp;organised&nbsp;crime such as the 'mafias'&nbsp;on Sunday. He warned that criminals were using coronavirus pandemic for their own benefit.&nbsp;Read this and more in Top 10 World News at this time.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-austin-pays-unannounced-visit-to-afghanistan-report-372092">US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin pays surprise visit to Afghanistan&nbsp;</a>

<img alt="Austin" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f8ee5b5a-f669-4e70-b43d-4143edd152c7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%202.jpg" />

Austin's reported Afghanistan visit has come on the heels of him being in India&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-nuclear-arms-plan-is-illegal-russian-envoy-372084">UK nuclear arms plan is illegal: Russian envoy&nbsp;</a>

<img alt="Russia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dfde1f60-4442-46aa-a94b-683640f749f0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%203.jpg" />

The Kremlin said at the time that it regretted the British nuclear decision, which it suggested would harm international stability, while the Russian foreign ministry described the move as a serious blow to international arms control&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-vs-mafia-holy-father-urges-people-to-fight-organised-crime-372097">Pope Francis vs Mafia? Holy Father urges people to fight&nbsp;organised&nbsp;crime&nbsp;</a>

<img alt="Pope" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b3eda3c7-daa9-4125-ab9a-e46d72c5c92e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%204.jpg" />

Italian police say that crime clans are using coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to win&nbsp;favour&nbsp;with people&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/astrazeneca-clarifies-its-vaccine-has-no-pork-derived-ingredients-372044">AstraZeneca clarifies its vaccine has no pork-derived ingredients&nbsp;</a>

<img alt="Vaccine" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3cd89fea-22d0-42bb-8b6f-4e70083d22d9" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%205.jpg" />

Indonesia’s highest Muslim clerical council, the Indonesia Ulema Council, said on its website Friday that the vaccine is "haram" because the manufacturing process uses "trypsin from the pork pancreas."

&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-and-japan-affirm-cooperation-over-taiwan-emergency-372064">US and Japan affirm cooperation over Taiwan emergency&nbsp;</a>

<img alt="US, Japan" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cd3684d8-b290-4df7-879e-fdbecea8e86d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%206.jpg" />

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province awaiting reunification, by force if necessary. To this end, Tokyo’s policy on China-Taiwan relations has always been to encourage dialogue for a peaceful solution to cross-strait tensions.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-pm-pledges-to-prevent-coronavirus-resurgence-as-emergency-measures-end-372098">Japan PM pledges to prevent coronavirus' resurgence as emergency measures end</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

<img alt="Suga" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a0b3bc2d-4145-478a-aeeb-aef454e69888" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%207.jpg" />

Suga on Thursday announced that the months-long emergency measures for Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama would end at midnight on Sunday, a move underscoring his government's eagerness to&nbsp;minimise&nbsp;burdens on businesses and keep the economy going, despite concerns raised by experts about the potential for an upsurge

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-pilots-bumpy-all-terrain-rig-on-siberian-holiday-372096">Putin pilots bumpy all-terrain rig on Siberian holiday&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>

<img alt="Putin" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2599a2bd-9bf9-49ef-9190-0136e6d71b25" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%208.jpg" />

Video released by the Kremlin from inside an all-terrain vehicle showed the president at the wheel of a vehicle that pulled branches from overhanging trees as it&nbsp;barrelled&nbsp;over snow-laden tracks through dense forests of birch&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russias-us-envoy-anatoly-antonov-returns-to-moscow-after-killer-row-372093">Russia's US envoy Anatoly Antonov returns to Moscow after 'killer' row&nbsp;</a>

<img alt="Russia US envoy" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8fa8a4f6-1945-4ba8-9e0d-51c6e430221d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%209.jpg" />

Russia's envoy to the United States Anatoly Antonov landed at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport Sunday morning, Russian news agencies reported, after he was recalled last week over the spat&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/paraguay-president-survives-impeachment-bid-by-opposition-over-pandemic-372087">Paraguay president survives impeachment bid by opposition over pandemic&nbsp;</a>

<img alt="Paraguay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="22b1e2fb-1321-4acd-8f24-cf2f60b7ab5f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%2010.jpg" />

Abdo's conservative government has faced fierce protests in recent weeks as a surge in Covid-19 cases has left hospitals on the brink of collapse and out of drugs, while the country has been slow to secure vaccines&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-stares-into-the-abyss-as-covid-19-surge-pushes-hospitals-to-brink-of-collapse-372071">Brazil stares into the abyss as Covid-19 surge pushes hospitals to brink of collapse&nbsp;</a>

<img alt="Brazil" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="42feffde-0b1b-43ca-bf09-735f699044ec" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%2011.jpg" />

It is being reported that the Covid intensive care units in virtually all of Brazil’s 26 states and the federal district containing the capital, Brasília, are now either at, or perilously close to capacity.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan. His visit has come just weeks before the May 1 deadline for US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan. His visit has come just weeks before the May 1 deadline for US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Pope Francis urged people to fight organised crime such as the 'mafias' on Sunday. He warned that criminals were using coronavirus pandemic for their own benefit. Read this and more in Top 10 World News at this time. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin pays surprise visit to Afghanistan Austin's reported Afghanistan visit has come on the heels of him being in India UK nuclear arms plan is illegal: Russian envoy The Kremlin said at the time that it regretted the British nuclear decision, which it suggested would harm international stability, while the Russian foreign ministry described the move as a serious blow to international arms control Pope Francis vs Mafia? Holy Father urges people to fight organised crime Italian police say that crime clans are using coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to win favour with people AstraZeneca clarifies its vaccine has no pork-derived ingredients Indonesia’s highest Muslim clerical council, the Indonesia Ulema Council, said on its website Friday that the vaccine is "haram" because the manufacturing process uses "trypsin from the pork pancreas." US and Japan affirm cooperation over Taiwan emergency China regards Taiwan as a renegade province awaiting reunification, by force if necessary. To this end, Tokyo’s policy on China-Taiwan relations has always been to encourage dialogue for a peaceful solution to cross-strait tensions. Japan PM pledges to prevent coronavirus' resurgence as emergency measures end Suga on Thursday announced that the months-long emergency measures for Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama would end at midnight on Sunday, a move underscoring his government's eagerness to minimise burdens on businesses and keep the economy going, despite concerns raised by experts about the potential for an upsurge Putin pilots bumpy all-terrain rig on Siberian holiday Video released by the Kremlin from inside an all-terrain vehicle showed the president at the wheel of a vehicle that pulled branches from overhanging trees as it barrelled over snow-laden tracks through dense forests of birch Russia's US envoy Anatoly Antonov returns to Moscow after 'killer' row Russia's envoy to the United States Anatoly Antonov landed at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport Sunday morning, Russian news agencies reported, after he was recalled last week over the spat Paraguay president survives impeachment bid by opposition over pandemic Abdo's conservative government has faced fierce protests in recent weeks as a surge in Covid-19 cases has left hospitals on the brink of collapse and out of drugs, while the country has been slow to secure vaccines Brazil stares into the abyss as Covid-19 surge pushes hospitals to brink of collapse It is being reported that the Covid intensive care units in virtually all of Brazil’s 26 states and the federal district containing the capital, Brasília, are now either at, or perilously close to capacity.

Top 10 world news: Austin in Afghanistan, Pope asks to fight crime and more 

The spike protein of the novel coronavirus, which enables it to infect human cells, is more stable in faster spreading versions of the virus, such as the ones first reported in the UK and South Africa, compared to the original form of the pathogen from Wuhan, China, says a new study.&nbsp;

Researchers, including those from the Boston Children's Hospital in the US assessed the structure of the coronavirus spike protein down to the atomic level, and found how it changed with the D614G mutation, which is carried by the Brazil, South Africa and UK variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.&nbsp;

The results, published in the journal Science, showed that the mutation makes the spike more stable as compared with the original SARS-CoV-2 virus from Wuhan, enabling the variants to spread more quickly.&nbsp;

According to the scientists, the spike proteins in the original virus would bind to the ACE2 receptor on human cells, and then dramatically change shape, folding in on themselves and enabling the virus to fuse its membrane with host cells.&nbsp;

However, they said the spikes would sometimes prematurely change shape and fall apart before the virus could bind to cells.&nbsp;

While this slowed the virus down, the researchers said this shape change also made it harder for the human immune system to contain the virus.&nbsp;

"Because the original spike protein would dissociate, it was not good enough to induce a strong neutralising antibody response," said study co-author Bing Chen from the Boston Children's Hospital.&nbsp;

In the variant forms, the scientists said the mutation stabilises the spike by blocking the premature shape change and making the spikes bind weaklier to the ACE2 receptor.&nbsp;

According to the researchers, since these spikes are less apt to fall apart prematurely, the virus overall is rendered more infectious.&nbsp;

"Say the original virus has 100 spikes. Because of the shape instability, you may have just 50 per cent of them functional. In the G614 variants, you may have 90 per cent that are functional, so even though they don't bind as well, the chances are greater that you will have infection," Chen explained.&nbsp;

Based on the findings, the scientists suggested that redesigned vaccines incorporate the code for this mutant spike protein.&nbsp;

They believe more stable spike shapes could make vaccines based on these virus proteins more likely to elicit protective neutralising antibodies. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The spike protein of the novel coronavirus, which enables it to infect human cells, is more stable in faster spreading versions of the virus, such as the ones first reported in the UK and South Africa, compared to the original form of the pathogen from Wuhan, China, says a new study.

The spike protein of the novel coronavirus, which enables it to infect human cells, is more stable in faster spreading versions of the virus, such as the ones first reported in the UK and South Africa, compared to the original form of the pathogen from Wuhan, China, says a new study. Researchers, including those from the Boston Children's Hospital in the US assessed the structure of the coronavirus spike protein down to the atomic level, and found how it changed with the D614G mutation, which is carried by the Brazil, South Africa and UK variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The results, published in the journal Science, showed that the mutation makes the spike more stable as compared with the original SARS-CoV-2 virus from Wuhan, enabling the variants to spread more quickly. According to the scientists, the spike proteins in the original virus would bind to the ACE2 receptor on human cells, and then dramatically change shape, folding in on themselves and enabling the virus to fuse its membrane with host cells. However, they said the spikes would sometimes prematurely change shape and fall apart before the virus could bind to cells. While this slowed the virus down, the researchers said this shape change also made it harder for the human immune system to contain the virus. "Because the original spike protein would dissociate, it was not good enough to induce a strong neutralising antibody response," said study co-author Bing Chen from the Boston Children's Hospital. In the variant forms, the scientists said the mutation stabilises the spike by blocking the premature shape change and making the spikes bind weaklier to the ACE2 receptor. According to the researchers, since these spikes are less apt to fall apart prematurely, the virus overall is rendered more infectious. "Say the original virus has 100 spikes. Because of the shape instability, you may have just 50 per cent of them functional. In the G614 variants, you may have 90 per cent that are functional, so even though they don't bind as well, the chances are greater that you will have infection," Chen explained. Based on the findings, the scientists suggested that redesigned vaccines incorporate the code for this mutant spike protein. They believe more stable spike shapes could make vaccines based on these virus proteins more likely to elicit protective neutralising antibodies. (With inputs from agencies)

Sturdier protein may have led to some coronavirus variants' faster spread: Scientists 

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