The great pandemic: A quick update
- The number of daily new cases in the UK has passed 100,000 for the very first time.
- While the UK is not going to lockdown, China has issued a stay-at-home order to 13 million residents of Xi’an. The reason: There are 140 confirmed cases in the city.
- Oxford University and AstraZeneca have begun work on an Omicron-targeted version of their vaccine.
- Meanwhile the US military is testing a vaccine that could be effective against all variants of Covid.
- The US has authorised the first home treatment for Covid—a Pfizer pill called ‘Paxlovid’ which offers 90% reduction in hospitalizations and deaths among patients susceptible to severe disease.
- The government has ordered the mandatory genome sequencing of all Covid samples from eight cities in its effort to track Omicron. The cities: Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Calcutta, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune.
The Zee-Sony merger is official
Despite the efforts of its biggest shareholder—US-based Invesco—the merger has gone through. Sony will own a 50.86% stake while Zee Entertainment’s promoters—Subash Chandra’s family—will own 3.99% and its public shareholders will own the remaining 45.15%. But the deal is not set in stone yet. It will take at least eight-ten months to complete—and will require shareholder and other regulatory approvals. In other words, Invesco will have other opportunities to stall the merger. Mint has more details on the deal and Economic Times looks at the legal hurdles it may face.
In other streaming-related news: Disney+Hotstar is testing two new mobile-only plans: One is a Rs 99/month deal offered at a discount at Rs 49; the other is a six-month Rs 299 plan offered at an initial discount of Rs 199. You can thank Netflix—which slashed its prices by 60%—for this new-found generosity. (Indian Express)
The first injectable HIV drug
The US has approved the first ever injectable medicine for HIV prevention. Apretude—generically known as cabotegravir extended-release injectable suspension—marks the “first option to prevent HIV that does not involve taking a daily pill.” The first two doses are administered a month apart—and then it’s one jab every two months. (Quartz)
Brigitte Macron is getting ready to sue
The First Lady of France is furious at persistent and popular rightwing rumours that she was born a man—under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux:
“The lies about the 68-year-old have been spread by accounts opposed to her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, including those on the political far-right, anti-vaccine groups and from the QAnon conspiracy movement.”
Why this matters: French elections are due to be held in spring—and Macron’s decision to sue may well add fuel to this conspiracy theory fire. (BBC News)
IT raids target Oppo and Xiaomi
The Income Tax Department conducted raids on the premises of the two Chinese mobile companies in Delhi, Greater Noida, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru—on the suspicion of tax evasion. Both companies have promised their cooperation. (The Hindu)
Speaking of phones: WhatsApp’s got new features. Leaked images suggest it may get a new interface, quick replies and more controls for admins. Indian Express has more details.
Mountains of trash
New research shows that microplastic has reached the top of France’s Pyrenees mountains—10,000 feet above sea level. Why this matters:
“We found plastic is now in the pollution superhighway that is the free troposphere. That’s the air mass above the clouds. Its low humidity and fast winds means long distance travel. We showed that these small plastic particles are moving transcontinental and transatlantic.”
Also read: The Telegraph reports on Jamling Tenzing Norgay—son of the famous Everesteer Tenzing Norgay Sherpa—whose team of sherpas cleared 1500 kilograms of waste from the peak.
Speaking of polluters: The annual brand audit from the NGO Break Free From Plastic puts Coke at the top of the world’s worst plastic polluters—followed by Pepsi, of course. Gizmodo has the others.
Dog-killing monkeys captured
Two monkeys allegedly killed hundreds of puppies in Maharashtra—in what villagers claim is revenge for the death of an infant monkey:
“The monkeys were reported to have left puppies on roofs and in trees where they would die from lack of food and water, and in other incidents they would be thrown down and killed. The locals said the monkeys had been so thorough that there were no puppies left in Lavool village.”
The good news is that they have now been captured—and will be released into a nearby forest. (The Guardian)
In related news: Animal activists are trying to block the opening of the first ever octopus farm in Spain. The reason: It is cruel to rear wild octopuses in tanks, and there is no scientifically validated method for their humane slaughter. BBC News has more details.
A perfume made of carbon emissions
A four-year-old start-up captures and converts carbon dioxide—which it then uses in all its products. Its latest creation is Air Eau de Parfum—the first fragrance made largely from air. How this works:
“What Air Company is able to do is transform carbon dioxide into a very pure form of ethanol. And with the addition of water and fragrance oil, you get perfume made primarily from air.”
The company’s previous carbon-based products include a vodka and a hand sanitiser. (New York Times)
Two things to see
One: Scientists have unveiled a beautifully preserved dinosaur embryo found in a fossilized egg. Dubbed “Baby Yingliang,” it was identified as an oviraptor—which is closely related to modern birds. A paleontologist calls it “one of the most beautiful fossils I have ever seen.” (Gizmodo)
Two: Among the many year-end lists, here’s a very good one: The worst ads of 2021. Like this one for La Dolce Velveeta.
