Home Blog Page 4153

Photo of NASA intern with Hindu Gods and Goddesses on her table sparks Hinduphobic meltdown: How Roy was attacked for her Hindu faith

K Bhattacharjee
-
0
Photo of NASA intern with Hindu Gods and Goddesses on her table sparks Hinduphobic meltdown: How Roy was attacked for her Hindu faith

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States of America created quite the flutter on social media recently after they shared photographs of individuals who had received an opportunity to pursue an internship and the space research agency.

While inviting applications for internship, NASA shared the photograph of Pratima Roy, an Indian American, along with others and it is her image that has caused the flutter. The photograph showed Roy with Murthis of Hindu Goddesses on her table and the wall plastered with photographs of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

Such overt expression of Hindu piety irked quite a few self-professed ‘intellectuals’ who were not happy with the devotion that Roy bears towards her Gods. Such ‘intellectuals’ resorted to questioning her ‘scientific temperament’, which one would assume is more than competent, since she earned the opportunity to intern at NASA.

Some even accused NASA of destroying ‘Science’.

The more pompous ones questioned why do Hindus need to surround themselves with Gods and Goddesses, which is equivalent to questioning why do fish need to live in water. They even questioned why NASA had decided to choose that particular image. Ashok Swain appears to have deleted his quoted tweet since then.

Source: Twitter

There are numerous other comments with regards to Roy that make the pulpable Hinduphobia abundantly evident.

All of this only serves to demonstrate the pervasive Hinduphobia that persists. It is quite obvious at this point that if the photograph of a Christian woman or a Muslim had been shared by NASA with the religious symbolism of their personal faith, then it would not have attracted such similar reactions.

There has been great discussion recently regarding Hinduphobia and its implication in institutions. Many have denied that such a phenomenon even exists, even though noted individuals such as former US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has highlighted the Hinduphobia she encountered during her career.

Ashok Swain, one of the ‘intellectuals’ who had the most problem with the Hindu faith of the NASA intern, is an notorious Hinduphobe who had claimed that ‘Hindu supremacists’ were involved in the Capitol Hill riots with ‘White Supremacists’. The person he claimed was a ‘Hindu supremacist’ was actually a Christian. Also, there is no evidence that the Chrisdtian man was involved in any manner of violence at all.

The argument about ‘rationality’ and ‘scientific temperament’ is moot here since we are speaking of NASA and one certainly has to possess the required scientific skills to earn an internship there. Furthermore, Science and Religion do not share an antagonistic relationship in Hindu faith.

Srinavasan Ramanuja, for instance, one of the greatest mathematicians to have ever lived credit his knowledge to visions from his Goddess. He is known to have famously said, “An equation for me has no meaning, unless it represents a thought of God.” He credited his achievements to Mahalakshmi of Namakkal, a family Goddess.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), an institution that has given the country cause for a lot of pride in recent times, has a long tradition of its chief offering prayers at a Temple before the launch of every significant space mission. K Sivan, the head of ISRO, is himself a devout Hindu, as are a great many of top Indian scientists.

UK: Woman sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering ‘paedophile’ husband for allegedly abusing their children

OpIndia Staff
-
0
UK: Woman sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering ‘paedophile’ husband for allegedly abusing their children

On Friday (July 9), the Chester Crown Court in the UK sentenced a 59-year-old woman named Corinna Smith to life imprisonment for murdering her husband with a boiling liquid last year. The woman had attacked her husband after learning that he had sexually abused their children. She has to serve 12 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

As per reports, the accused woman learnt from her daughter that her 80-year-old husband Michael Baines sexually abused her children in their formative years. Smith was taken aback and decided to teach her husband a lesson. On July 14 last year, she boiled two kettles of water and poured them into a bucket containing 3 bags of sugar. The accused went to the bedroom of the house, where her husband was in deep sleep. She then proceeded to pour the boiling mixture of sugar and water on him. The incident took place in Neston near Liverpool in the United Kingdom.

The woman’s husband, Michael Baines, suffered burns to 36% of his body. He was later admitted to the Whiston Hospital Burns Unit, where his condition was stabilised in the ICU. The thick, sticky and viscous nature of the sugar-water mixture caused tremendous damage to the skin of Baines. In all, he spent a total of 5 weeks in hospital before succumbing to the injuries on August 18, 2020. Reportedly, the woman had a son by the name of Craig who committed suicide in 2007. Prior to his death, he was in a state of distress and had attacked been to prison for assault.

Planning and Execution of the Crime

Craig had confided in his mother that the person he assaulted was a paedophile, who had sexually abused him. When Corinna Smith learnt from her daughter that Baines used to abuse Craig and her, she sought to take revenge from her husband. During the trial last month, Smith had contested the murder charge and argued in favour of manslaughter due to loss of control. However, the jury had found her guilty of murder for the meticulous planning (boiling two kettles of water for 13 minutes).

It was also noted that the accused wasted time in contacting the neighbour 7 houses away instead of contacting the ambulance directly. Nevertheless, the neighbour called in the ambulance after the accused confided in him that she might have killed her husband. He had also rung the police and waited until the officers arrived. The police discovered Baines in extreme pain in his bedroom. “I am badly burned. I’m burned all over. She poured boiling water all over me. I just want to die,” he said while being taken to the hospital.

Proceedings in the Chester Crown Court

Queen’s Counsel Mark Rhind noted, “The prosecution case is that her actions were deliberate and considered, that whilst she would obviously have been very upset and distressed about what she had heard, the evidence will demonstrate that she was in control and acted in anger and to extract vengeance for what she believed that Michael had done. We say that she intended either to kill Michael or to cause him really serious harm and so she is guilty of murder.”

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Hughes said, “Smith killed her husband Michael in such a painful and cruel way. To throw boiling water over someone when they are asleep is absolutely horrific. To also mix three bags of sugar with the water showed the determination she had to cause serious harm…It left Michael in agony and rather than call the emergency services she wasted time by going to a house nine doors away to tell a neighbour, who she wasn’t close to, what she had done. Michael was an elderly man who fought for his life after the attack but sadly in the end he passed away.”

Gurdaspur lynching case: Army man Deepak Singh was brought back to the Gurdwara to kill him alleging blasphemy, sixth accused arrested

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Gurdaspur lynching case: Army man Deepak Singh was brought back to the Gurdwara to kill him alleging blasphemy, sixth accused arrested

Army personnel Deepak Singh Thakur, who was lynched inside a Gurdwara in a village near Gurdaspur in Punjab, had gone out of the Gurdwara after drinking water, but he was brought back by the accused from a nearby area to kill him. Deepak Singh had entered the Gurdwara to drink water after getting off from a bus at the wrong bus stop, where he was accused of indulging in blashphemy.

SP Harvinder Singh talked to OpIndia and gave details about the case. He said that Jaspinder Singh, Granthi, Gurudwara Sahib noticed Deepak Singh in the Gurudwara premises. He told Deepak to leave immediately, which he did. Later, when other members of Gurudwara, including the main accused Daljit Singh, came, he informed them about Deepak Singh and told them that he suspected blasphemy. Allegedly, they had found some pieces of bricks and stones near the door.

After hearing this, they then went out of the Gurdwara to find Deepak Singh. They located him in front of another Gurdwara in the area, and brought him back on a two-wheeler at around 6 pm. CCTV footage has emerged which show that Deepak was brought back on a motorcycle by two men, and he was seen sitting in middle between the two men.

CCTV footage also shows Jaspinder Singh and Daljit Singh Kashmiri slapping Deepak in front of Gurudwara Tehel Singh. He was standing by the road when the accused arrive on a two-wheeler, stop near him and slap him. After that, they dragged him onto the motorcycle, forcefully made him sit on it and brought him back to the Gurudwara premises, where he was allegedly lynched. Gurjit Singh, Harjeet Kaur and Darkirat Singh are from the same family and manage the Gurudwara located at Tibri Chowk.

Sixth accused arrested, sent to juvenile home

In the meantime, the sixth accused in the case had been arrested by Gurdaspur Police. As the accused has been identified as a 16-year-old minor, he was sent to a juvenile centre after presenting him in the juvenile court in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. The accused is a resident of Guru Nanak Nagar Avenue Colony, Tibri Road Bypass, Gurdaspur. SSP Dr Nanak Singh informed that the accused was arrested from his residence.

Other accused that have been arrested by the Police include the main accused Daljit Singh Kashmir alias Bobby, Gurjit Singh, Harjeet Kaur, Darkirat Singh and Jaspinder Singh. Reportedly, a Special Investigation Team was formed by the SSP in the case. SP Harvinder Singh, DSP Sukhpal Singh and the station in-charge, Sumeer Singh, are part of the SIT.

Deepak Singh Lynching Case

As per reports, Army personnel Deepak Singh Thakur returned home from his post in Arunachal Pradesh on the night between July 1 and July 2. He accidentally stepped out of his bus on the wrong bus stand. He went to the Gurudwara to drink water, where he was later accused of alleged blasphemy. Deepak was mercilessly lynched in the Gurudwara premises. When Police was informed, they rushed to the spot and took Deepak to the nearest hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The Police had been rejected blasphemy since the beginning of the investigation. However, the radicals kept alleging that blasphemy had happened, and are justifying the murder.

Benedetta: Movie about lesbian nuns with racy sex scenes gets into trouble over accusations of blasphemy

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Benedetta: Movie about lesbian nuns with racy sex scenes gets into trouble over accusations of blasphemy

Benedetta, an erotic lesbian nun drama by Paul Verhoeven, the 82-year-old director of Hollywood blockbuster movies like Basic Instinct and Showgirls, was premiered at the 74th edition of the Cannes Film Festival on Friday night to great fanfare. Though the movie, which revolves around a steamy relationship between two lesbian nuns in a convent, was described as a cinematic masterpiece by many viewers, it did not go down well with others.

As per reports, a particular scene in the movie where a wooden effigy of the Virgin Mary is being used as a sex toy especially, leading some to accuse the maker of blasphemy.

The maker, in turn, lambasted his critiques. “I do not understand really how you can be blasphemous about something that happened… You cannot basically change history after the fact. You can talk about that was wrong or not, but you cannot change history. I think the word blasphemy for me in this case is stupid,” he said.

The movie is said to be an adaption of an acclaimed non-fiction book by Judith C. Brown, “Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy.” In the movie, the Belgian actor Virginie Efira stars as Benedetta Carlini, a 17th-century French nun who communicates directly with Jesus and who falls in love with a farm girl saved by the convent, staring Daphné Patakia. 

The movie revolves around the lesbian nun couple’s explicit love affair with plenty racy sex scenes, including one where a character uses a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary as a dildo.

When asked by one reporter how Verhoeven managed to pull off the scene involving using an effigy of Virgin Mary as a sex toy, the maker remarked: “Well, you saw the movie.” The director has never shied away from in-your-face sexual content, from “Basic Instinct” to “Elle.”

When questioned about the unabashed nudity shown in the movie, Verhoeven added, “Don’t forget, in general, people, when they have sex, they take their clothes off. So I’m stunned basically by the fact that we don’t want to look at the reality of life. Why this puritanism has been introduced — it is in my opinion wrong.”

NIA raids multiple locations including a Darul Uloom in Kashmir Valley in terror funding case

OpIndia Staff
-
0
NIA raids multiple locations including a Darul Uloom in Kashmir Valley in terror funding case

As per reports, National Investigation Agency (NIA) has raided multiple locations in Kashmir Valley in connection with terror funding case. Some alleged accused persons have been arrested in different cases. Reports suggest that the raids took place in Srinagar, Anantnag and Baramulla. A Darul Uloom affiliated with Darul Uloom Lucknow, in Nawabazar in Srinagar was one of the locations raided by NIA along with Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF. Adnaan Ahmad Nadvi, son of Noor Din Bhat, a resident of Hawal who is the chairman of Darul Uloom, was arrested for further investigation.

In the Anantnag district of South Kashmir, raids were conducted at several locations, including Pushroo Achbal, Magray Pora Achabal, Sunsooma Achabal with the support of J&K Police and CRPF. Some important documents and laptops were also seized by NIA for further investigation. According to The Kashmir Walla, arrested accused include Javid Ahmad Mir, son of Mohammad Shaban Mir (23), resident of Sunsooma Achabal, Umar Bhat, son of Nissar Bhat, a resident of Magray Mohalla, Owais Ahmad Baht, son of Nissar Ah Bhat resident of Magray Mohall Achabal, Taveer Ah Bhat Son of Gul Mohammad Bhat, a resident of Goori Mohalla Achabl and Zeeshan Amin Malik, son of Mohammad Amin Malik, a resident of Pushroo Nowagam.

Notably, eleven government officials were recently dismissed on the charges of terror connection including two sons of Hizbul chief.

Former Samajwadi MLA gives ‘peshab’ threat to police, claims he made police drink urine, booked

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Former Samajwadi MLA gives ‘peshab’ threat to police, claims he made police drink urine, booked

A video has gone viral on social media where former MLA from the Samajwadi Party, Vijay Singh, can be heard telling a police officer that when he was in power, he used to make policemen drink urine and they should be mindful of it. The video was shared on Twitter by Shalabh Mani Tripathi, adviser to UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

The former MLA has also been booked in connection with the matter for threatening the police. He apparently resorted to threatening the Police after his candidate lost the block pramukh election.

The comment by Singh comes on the heels of the incident in Lakhimpur where an entire police team was suspended for failing to carry out their duties. Uttar Pradesh government had decided to suspend the entire police team working in the Lakhimpur police station after two men allegedly tried to disrobe a Samajwadi Party leader on Thursday.

The victim had alleged that the police was present, yet did nothing. Consequently, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the suspension of all policemen from Lakhimpur police station.

‘See China as a friend, will not help Uyghur Muslim militants from Xinjiang’: Says Taliban as it eyes huge Chinese investments in Afghanistan

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘See China as a friend, will not help Uyghur Muslim militants from Xinjiang’: Says Taliban as it eyes huge Chinese investments in Afghanistan

Amidst the withdrawal of US forces from war-torn Afghanistan, the Taliban has said that it sees China as a “friend” to Afghanistan and hoped that China invests in the reconstruction of the war-torn country.

Speaking to South China Morning Post, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said the radical Islamic group now controls 85 per cent of Afghan territory and would guarantee the safety of Chinese investors and workers. The comments came at a time when the Taliban has been making huge territorial gains in the war-torn country amidst US forces’ withdrawal, threatening the progress the country made in the last two decades.

During the interview, Shaheen said that the Taliban has assured China that it would not host Uyghur militants from the Xinjiang province, some of whom had previously entered Afghanistan to escape from Chinese persecution. The Taliban would also prevent al-Qaeda or any other terrorist group from operating there, he said.

Reportedly, China is concerned that Afghanistan, under Taliban rule, may become a hub for the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a separatist outfit aligned to Al-Qaeda, which is leading an insurgency in Xinjiang autonomous area. The northwest Xinjian region, which is home to Uyghur Muslims, shares about an 8- km-long border with Afghanistan.

“We have been to China many times and we have good relations with them,” Suhail said while speaking to Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, as he recalled his frequent trips to China as part of Taliban delegations.

Taliban views China as a friendly country and we welcome it for reconstruction and developing Afghanistan, said Suhail Shaheen, adding that “If (the Chinese) have investments, of course, we will ensure their safety”.

China looking to make investments in Afghanistan

China is looking to make big-ticket investments in Afghanistan as it is home to one of the world’s largest unexploited reserves of copper, coal, iron, gas, cobalt, mercury, gold, lithium and thorium, valued at more than US$ one trillion. China has already invested in oil exploration and mining in Afghanistan. In 2011, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) won a US$400 million contract to drill three oil fields for 25 years, containing about 87 million barrels of oil.

In addition, some Chinese firms have also gained rights to mine copper at Mes Aynak in Logar province. However, observers believe that China will remain very cautious and concerned about the Taliban delivering on its promises. Experts believe that China’s biggest concern in its dealings with the Taliban will always be the Taliban’s indirect support for was sheltering Uyghur Muslims.

The ongoing persecution against Uyghurs in Xinjiang has angered the native Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, who are crossing the border towards Afghanistan. The US, the EU and several international human rights organisations have accused Beijing of committing genocide in the province, however, China is keen to keep its Muslim population in check for security reasons.

Meanwhile, China has reacted strongly against the US decision to pull out its troops without achieving any substantial peace process in Afghanistan. Earlier this week, China had asked its close ally Pakistan to step up cooperation in Afghanistan to contain the possible security risks in Afghanistan after US forces withdraw.

“(China and Pakistan) need to defend regional peace together. Problems in Afghanistan are practical challenges that China and Pakistan both face,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, addressing a meeting of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Pakistan.

It is expected that the withdrawal of American troops and resurgence of the Taliban will strategically benefit China as the Taliban shares close ties with Pakistan, one of the patrons of the radical Islamic terror group, which now hold power in the warn-torn country.

Taliban takes control of Afghanistan after US forces pull out, India evacuates its citizens

As the US forces prepare to exit Afghanistan after 20 years since the 9/11 attacks, the Taliban takes control of at least 85 per cent of the war-torn country. According to local officials, Taliban fighters, stirred by the withdrawal, have already captured vital districts across the country.

Thousands of Afghan security personnel and refugees have continued to flee from Afghanistan across the border to neighbouring countries of Iran and Tajikistan, inviting large scale humanitarian concerns. The crisis has fuelled a concern across the world about the imminent takeover of the country by the radical Islamic group, whose members could infiltrate Central and South Asian countries.

In the view of the Taliban fighters rapidly seizing control of the region, triggering security concerns, the Indian government is taking necessary precautionary measures and have evacuated around 50 diplomats, and other staff members working at the Kandahar consulate in Afghanistan.

In the wake of a security threat, the Indian government has also temporarily closed the Kandahar consulate. The personnel were flown out on an Air Force plane. Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs said India was carefully monitoring the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and its implications on the safety and security of Indian nationals.

A large number of Taliban terrorists, joined by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, have been present in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand. This has resulted in the Indian government’s decision to pull out the diplomats and security personnel from the city. According to a recent estimate, more than 7,000 Lashkar fighters are fighting alongside the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.

Lucknow: ATS raids house in Kakori, two suspected Al Qaeda terrorists arrested

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Lucknow: ATS raids house in Kakori, two suspected Al Qaeda terrorists arrested

As per reports, on July 11, Anti Terrorist Squad, Uttar Pradesh and Lucknow Police have raided a house in Kakori, Lucknow.

Dog quad and bomb disposal squad have also reached the location. According to reports, two terrorists linked to terrorist organization Al-Qaeda have been arrested by the ATS.

The commandos have reportedly blocked the lane.

Media coverage of live operation questioned by netizens

Netizens have raised eyebrows on the live reporting of the ongoing search operations. Several news channels are streaming live scenes of the commandos’ position at the scene, putting the whole operation in jeopardy.

Reportedly, similar reporting tactics were highly criticized during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack when several news channels showed how commandos were proceeding to eliminate the terrorists. Their live feed allegedly made it easier for the terrorists to counter security forces’ action against them.

This is an ongoing operation. More details awaited.

‘Congress is fundamentally anti-Hindu and pro-Muslim party, stops me from doing puja’: Uttar Pradesh Congress MLA Rakesh Singh

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Congress is fundamentally anti-Hindu and pro-Muslim party, stops me from doing puja’: Uttar Pradesh Congress MLA Rakesh Singh

Congress MLA from Harchandpur in Rae Bareli, Rakesh Singh, has accused his party of being anti-Hindu and pro-Muslim. Trying to weigh in the reasons for Congress losing its grip in the Sonia Gandhi bastion Rae Bareli, after BJP swept the Block panchayat chief polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress MLA from Harchandpur said that his party believes in only appeasement politics.

‘Congress’ pseudo-secularism is something I find unacceptable’, Congress MLA from Harchandpur

Rakesh Singh said that despite being a member of the Congress party, he does not approve of the policies and ideologies of his party. Also, expressing his disapproval for the party in charge Kishori Lal Sharma, said to be a close aide of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Singh criticised his own party for indulging in politics of caste and religion. Rakesh Singh opined that Congress is fundamentally an anti-Hindutva and pro-Muslim party and despite being its member, he said that Congress’ pseudo-secularism is something he finds unacceptable.

Rakesh Singh heaps praises on Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath

Singh also heaped praises on Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and said that there is no CM who is as honest and venerable. He said that though he belongs to the rival party, Yogi Adityanath has never denied any sought of help. He said that on the contrary, his own party has often gotten “angry with him for doing good work”, rued Rakesh Singh.

“Whenever I do puja or recite the Akhand Ramayana, my party stops me from doing it. Congress is 100 per cent anti-Hindutva. They somehow have always been disapproving of any good work done for the constituency”, Singh said, adding that he is not intending to leave the party but wants to warn them that if they continue to offend 85 per cent of the population and please only 15 per cent, the time is not far when many loyal members of the party would be compelled to leave.

Rakesh Singh said that if his party does not give him a party ticket for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, he would independently fight and win from his constituency. When asked whether he had plans to join the BJP, Rakesh Singh said that it is too pre-mature.

Speaking about the leadership and organisational deficiencies of the Congress party, Rakesh Singh said that in 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, no one even knows the name of the district presidents of the party.

BJP sweeps UP Block panchayat polls, Congress’ dismal performance continues

It is pertinent to note here, that BJP registered an unparalleled win in the polls to the posts of block and district panchayat chiefs, bagging 635 of 825 seats. Congress on the other hand had to settle for only 2 seats.

Like most other districts, in Rae Bareli also, BJP candidates won 11 seats. The Samajwadi Party won two seats and independents captured five. Sadly, the Congress party did not even secure a single seat in Rae Bareli, known to be a stronghold of Sonia Gandhi.

Interestingly, Vaishali Singh, mother of the rebel Congress MLA of Rae Bareli, Aditi Singh won the Amwan seat and Piyush Pratap Singh, son of ex-Congress loyalist Dinesh Pratap Singh bagged the Harchandpur seat in Rae Bareli.

After the results of the Uttar Pradesh Block panchayat polls, Rakesh Singh said that Congress must have definitely got a reality check. Until now, they were living under the misconception that Rae Bareli is their bastion and they are unshakable from the district. But least do they know that they cannot win from Rae Bareli without the support of the Panchavati family.

Panchvati happens to be the name of the house of Dinesh Pratap Singh and his five siblings, and a force to reckon with in Rae Bareli. The family, popularly known as ‘Panchvati Parivar,’ is now a part of the saffron party. The main accusation of Singhs against Congress high command was its indifference to local leaders. The Singhs who were Congress loyalists felt demeaned and strangulated by the party high command, forcing their exit from the Congress in July 2019, despite years of service and loyalty.

Interestingly, Dinesh Pratap Singh, after joining BJP, contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections against Sonia Gandhi. While Dinesh Pratap Singh had picked up 3,67,740 votes, Sonia Gandhi had managed to win the seat with 5,34,918 votes.

Argentina fans in Kerala go wild after the South American country wins Copa America, flout Covid-19 norms even as cases soar

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Argentina fans in Kerala go wild after the South American country wins Copa America, flout Covid-19 norms even as cases soar

Amidst the rising cases of Coronavirus infection in the State of Kerala, Argentinian fans took to the streets to celebrate the victory of the country against Brazil in the Copa America 2021 final.

A video of football enthusiasts from Kerala, flouting Coronavirus protocols, and hitting the streets in jubiliation has now gone viral on social media. The contentious footage was shared by Congress worker Sudhi Punna. In the video, fans could be seen wearing Argentina’s jerseys, carrying the country’s flag, blocking roads, and doing stunts on motorbikes. It must be mentioned that Argentina secured the first title in 28 years after scoring the winning goal at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

The video was also shared by the official Twitter handle of ESPN Argentina.

Many can be seen without the masks even as the Chinese coronavirus pandemic rages unhinged in Kerala.

As of July 11, the State has recorded 1,15,706 active cases and 14,489 total fatalities. The most affected districts include Malappuram (16,338), Ernakulam (14,106), Kozhikode (13,445), Thrissur (9,226), Thiruvananthapuram (8,986). Between July 4 and July 10, Kerala witnessed a 10.5% test positivity ratio. Besides Covid-19, the first case of the Zika virus was reported from Kerala on Thursday. 

However, on Friday, Kerala reported 13 more cases of mosquito-borne Zika virus in Thiruvananthapuram, causing a worry to authorities in the state. The Kerala government said they had sent 19 samples to the institute, out of which 13 were found to be positive for Zika. The authorities have collected all the samples from Thiruvananthapuram that tested positive for the Zika virus and has been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. The samples of a 24-year-old pregnant woman who sought treatment late last month with symptoms like fever, headache, and red marks on the skin, have also been sent to NIV in Pune.

1...4,1524,1534,154...7,678Page 4,153 of 7,678