The great pandemic: A quick update
- India’s Omicron tally has jumped to 73—with Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal reporting their first cases of the variant. (Hindustan Times)
- US health authorities have warned that the rapid spread of Omicron “could peak in a massive wave of infections as soon as January”. The prevalence of the variant has jumped sevenfold in just a week. (Washington Post)
- US colleges are therefore going back to square one—and “are starting to require booster shots, extend mask mandates, limit social gatherings and, in some cases, revert to online classes.” (Associated Press)
- A new study shows that more than 40% of those who test positive do not show any symptoms. This also means they rarely get tested—and represent only 0.25% of the tested population. This means “hundreds of millions of people around the world” could be “falling through the cracks.” (USA Today)
- An internal Google memo shows that the company has told its employees to get vaccinated by January 18—or else they will be first put on ‘paid administrative leave’ for 30 days, then put on unpaid leave for up to six months, and eventually fired. (CNBC)
Two big diplomatic spats
One: Germany has expelled two Russian diplomats after a court found that a Chechen dissident was murdered in Berlin at orders of the Russian authorities. Russian president, Vladimir Putin had rejected claims of a state-sanctioned killing as “absolutely groundless.” Russia is expected to retaliate by kicking out German diplomats in turn. Point to note: The relationship between the two countries is already icy cold these days—thanks to the Russian troops massed on the Ukraine border (explained here). And Germany recently nixed a Russian oil pipeline deal, as well. (The Guardian)
Two: The UAE is threatening to pull out of a $23 billion aircraft deal with the US. The reason: Washington’s security requirements to safeguard the high-tech weaponry from Chinese espionage are too burdensome. Why this matters: “The collapse of the deal would fuel perceptions within the Middle East and elsewhere that America’s decades-long role as security provider of choice in the region is diminishing.” (Wall Street Journal)
A new legal age for marriage
The cabinet has passed a proposal to raise the age from 18 to 21 for women—making it the same as men. The change is apparently based on recommendations of a task force—which insists it extensively consulted young people, especially women. Indian Express has more on the decision, while NPR reports on why many oppose the move—and say it might backfire.
Say bye-bye to Pegasus?
The Israeli cybersecurity company NSO Group that made the world’s most infamous snoopware (explained here) may either sell it or shut it down:
“NSO is in talks with two US-based investment funds about a potential sale or refinancing plan… Options being discussed include NSO sharply limiting the countries to which it sells spyware or using the technology and human talent in its Pegasus unit to create a cyber defensive product instead.”
Why this change of heart: The US recently blacklisted the company due to Pegasus—and NSO is now in danger of defaulting on its debts. (Wall Street Journal via Mint)
bell hooks has died
The pathbreaking author, activist and feminist died at the age of 69. The Guardian profiles her incredible career and contribution. Min Jin Lee pays personal tribute in this New York Times essay.
In equally sad news: Group Captain Varun Singh—the lone survivor of the helicopter crash that killed CDS General Bipin Rawat—has also passed away. He succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday morning. (The Telegraph)
Solar probe ‘touches’ the Sun
The Parker Solar Probe flew through the outer atmosphere of the Sun—dipping briefly into the region known as the corona. And it survived the intense heat and radiation. Launched three years ago, the probe’s goal is to make repeated, and ever closer, passes–travelling at incredible speeds. This is the closest it has come to the Sun. NASA officials said:
“Just as landing on the Moon allowed scientists to understand how it was formed, touching the Sun is a gigantic stride for humanity to help us uncover critical information about our closest star and its influence on the Solar System.”
BBC News has more details.
Meanwhile, on the moon: China is studying samples brought back by its moon rover for signs of an isotope called helium-3. The reason: it has the potential to one day provide safer nuclear energy as it isn’t radioactive. And while rare on Earth, scientists think it may be abundant on the moon. (Mint)
Meanwhile, on Earth: There is more bad news about ice melting on the poles. New research shows that the Thwaites ice shelf in Antarctica could collapse within the next three to five years—“unleashing a river of ice that could dramatically raise sea levels.” (Washington Post)
A good therapy for nonbinary people
Gender-affirming hormone therapy aims to align a person’s sex characteristics with their gender identity—and often includes taking hormones such as testosterone or estrogen. A new study found that it lowers rates of depression, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary youth—lowering the likelihood of a suicide attempt by as much as 40% for kids under 18. (TIME)
iPhone has a morbid update
On Monday, Apple released iOS 15.2 which includes a Legacy Contact setting. It allows you to specify who can access your Apple account—everything from your photos to notes, mail and more—when you die. So choose wisely. How to do it: Go to Settings > General > Software Update, then follow the prompts. This is only for iPhones and iPads. (Wall Street Journal)
Also rolling out something new: Adidas which has released a shopping app in India—with Augmented Reality tools to help you try that sneaker on. It also offers the latest sneaker drops and has a live chat option. (Mint)
An ape-sized error
The Bored Ape Yacht Club is a collection of 10,000 NFTs, each depicting an ape with different traits. It is one of the most expensive in the world—with lots of celebrity collectors. All this to explain why it’s noteworthy that one guy made a monumental ‘fat finger’ error—when he listed his Bored Ape for 0.75 ether instead of 75 ether, which is $300,000—at one hundredth the intended price. Even unluckier for him: “It was bought instantaneously.” Also: Why we absolutely hate online banking. (Cnet)
Speaking of primates: New research shows that baboons are very good at breaking up—and they do it peacefully, and over a period of time—which may be useful for us humans to know. (NPR)
Four things to see
One: Union minister of state Ajay Mishra Teni had a full-on meltdown when a reporter asked him to comment on the investigation into his son’s role in the deaths of eight people in Lakhimpur Kheri. It’s quite a sight to see. The Telegraph has more details on the incident.
Two: South Korea's biggest dairy brand has been forced to apologise over this dreadful advert where males are voyeurs and women are… cows?! Yes, they had to apologise and pull the ad. BBC News has more on the controversy.
Three: Keeping with that dismal theme, a South Dakota bank and ice hockey team held a ‘Dash for Cash’ promotion—supposedly as a way for teachers to get money to decorate their classrooms. The event forced teachers to crawl around on an ice rink to get dollar bills. Everyone apologised after—but it is still a shocking reminder of how underpaid government-funded school teachers are everywhere. (BuzzFeed News)
Four: Did you know that we now have therapy penguins? The local zoo in Oxfordshire, England, took these two Humboldt penguins—Charlie and Pringle—to visit residents of a local care home. (Sky News)
