A vaccine worry about Delta

A new Oxford University study shows that protection against infection weakens after three months of being fully inoculated with either Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines. In the case of Pfizer, the efficacy drops from 85% to 75%, and with AstraZeneca, it falls from 68% to 61%. The decline was more pronounced among those aged 35 years and older. An added worry: Compared to other variants, the already-vaccinated infected by the Delta variant carry the same viral load as the unvaccinated. What this means: the vaccines may do little to curb the spread of the infection. (Reuters)

Another worrying sign: Israel—which has among the highest vaccination rates in the world—is facing a new surge of cases. A fourth wave of infections is rapidly approaching the levels of Israel’s worst days of the pandemic—and the daily rate of new cases has more than doubled in the last two weeks. Why this matters: “Israeli scientists have found growing evidence of waning immunity, particularly among the older population who were vaccinated first.” Coming up soon: a campaign to administer booster shots similar to the US—which the WHO has strongly condemned, pointing to lower-income countries that are still waiting to get their first set of shots. (New York Times)

Also not effective: Those transparent plastic barriers designed to stop the spread of the virus. According to scientists, they at best offer a false sense of security, and may even make matters worse:

“Under normal conditions in stores, classrooms and offices, exhaled breath particles disperse, carried by air currents and, depending on the ventilation system, are replaced by fresh air roughly every 15 to 30 minutes. But erecting plastic barriers can change air flow in a room, disrupt normal ventilation and create ‘dead zones,’ where viral aerosol particles can build up and become highly concentrated.”

What barriers are good at: Stopping big droplets ejected during coughs and sneezes from splattering on others. (New York Times)

In other Covid-related news: Hong Kong authorities are facing flak for allowing Nicole Kidman to skip Covid protocols. Visitors to the island are required to spend seven days in hotel quarantine—even if they come from ‘low risk’ countries. But Kidman has been given an exemption for “the purpose of performing designated professional work, taking into account that it is conducive to maintaining the necessary operation and development of Hong Kong’s economy.” Of course, folks are very angry at this Covid version of a VVIP pass. That Kidman has been running around shopping doesn’t help. (Firstpost)

The ‘Sulli deals’ app: The latest update

A dreadful app—available on Github—made headlines in July for “selling” Muslim women. It scraped images of well-known and ordinary women and offered them as “deals for the day” (see: our explainer here for details). After some of them filed complaints, the Delhi police launched an investigation—which has now hit a legal hurdle. Github is refusing to turn over IP addresses of the creators of the app, and instead is asking the police to raise a request under the the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT). Why this matters:

“The documents prepared for the requested information will go to the Ministry of Home Affairs, who will then take it to the embassy concerned. The legal aid of the embassy then will take it further. This procedure will delay the information by at least a few months.”

A Tinder India survey

The survey says that users are a lot more engaged on the dating app thanks to the pandemic. Over the past year, there were 11% more swipes and 42% more matches per member. And nearly half had a video conversation with a match. There was more talk of mental health and privacy—with mentions of the word ‘anxiety’ growing by 31%. (Mint)

Ugandan court blocks a mini skirt ban

Back in 2014, the government passed an anti-pornography law that banned a number of things, including wearing miniskirts in public and risque songs. Women were then stripped in public for wearing ‘revealing’ clothes, and some were prosecuted. For example: Ugandan pop star Jemimah Kansiime who was arrested for performing in a music video that showed her in her underwear. The constitutional court has now scrapped the law, saying it is “inconsistent with or in contravention of the constitution of the republic of Uganda.” Women rights activists are delighted. (Al Jazeera)

MJ Akbar’s rehabilitation tour kicks off

The former BJP minister—accused by multiple former employees of sexual harassment—is back in the newsroom. The TV news channel WION has hired Akbar as vice president—even though there hasn’t been any formal announcement. He has been introduced to senior staff, and will likely start regularly attending editorial meetings soon. The mood inside the newsroom: “Some people are wary about Akbar joining, especially the junior staff. They aren’t revolting or anything, but there are murmurs.” Our explainer offers more on the allegations against Akbar. (NewsLaundry)

Spotify wants you to talk & play

The platform’s new Music + Talk feature allows hosts of talk shows to add full-length tracks from its catalogue of 70 million songs. It has been launched in 15 markets including India. (Hindu Business Line) 

A very Messi tissue paper

Earlier this month, Messi broke down while announcing his departure from Barcelona FC—and used tissue paper to wipe away his tears. Now, that tissue paper has been listed for sale for $1 million. The seller says the “used handkerchief” contains “Messi’s genetic material” that can be used to “clone” another Messi. Hain? Also on sale: replicas of that tissue paper as a collectable item, neatly boxed in a plastic wrap, along with a photo of the star footballer getting emotional. We give up. And because you really, really need it, below is the photo of the once-soggy piece of paper. (Indian Express) 

Speaking about overpriced things: How about paying $80,000 a week to visit the bottom of the ocean? Forget going to space with Blue Origin. Opt instead for the ‘Deep Blue Experience’—offered by a yachting company which will take you 3000 feet underwater in a U-boat submarine. Why bother: “There are more people who have traveled into space than who have traversed the ocean bottoms, making deep-sea adventure all the more appealing to travelers seeking a rare experience on a barely explored frontier.” Check out the promo below. (Travel+Leisure)

A miracle shark baby

A smooth-hound shark was born in an aquarium tank in Italy. What’s truly miraculous: The tank only contained two female sharks—which had not encountered a male for a decade. This is the first such example of asexual reproduction in the species. How this happened: “[S]he was the result of parthenogenesis, where the genetic material from a particular cell in the mother is able to fertilise an egg to form an embryo.“ The baby girl has been named Ispera—and DNA tests are being conducted to identify whether she is identical to one of the two female sharks. Daily Mail has more details. See Ispera below: