Mumbai: For the first time in Maharashtra, the Zika virus has been confirmed. A 50-year-old woman from Purandar in the Pune district was infected with the virus. The Maharashtra Health Department said they did not have any significant health problems and there was no cause for concern.

Currently, the woman and her family members who have been diagnosed with the disease have no symptoms. Since early July, several people have been suffering from fever in Belsar village in Purandar tehsil. Five samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV).

Subsequent tests revealed that three of them had chikungunya. Then, between July 27 and 29, a team of NIV experts visited the villages of Belser and Parinche and collected blood samples from 41 people. Of these, 25 were diagnosed with chikungunya, three with dengue, and one with Zika. Those who have been diagnosed with the disease are being monitored. 

Doha: The Indian Embassy in Qatar has renewed an air bubble agreement between India and Qatar to operate flights with special permission in the wake of the travel ban following the expansion of Covid.

Following the expiration of the current agreement on July 31, the two countries reached an agreement to extend it for another month. The Indian embassy said on Twitter that the contract had been extended to August 31.

Last year, India banned foreign flights due to the spread of covid in various parts of the world. In this context, the opportunity to travel was provided based on a special agreement.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation of India has announced a ban on international flights until August 31. In light of this, it was decided to renew the Air Bubble contract.

Srinagar: Five kilograms of explosives were seized during an NIA raid at 14 places in Jammu and Kashmir. The IEDs were seized during simultaneous raids by several groups in Pulwama, Shopian, Srinagar, Anantnag, Jammu, and Banihal.

Last February, seven kilograms of IEDs were found near the Jammu bus stand. Weeks later, Malik, a member of the Lashkar-e-Mustafa militant group, was arrested by the NIA.

The NIA team conducted the raid in connection with the case where the explosives were found and the arrest of Malik in Hidayat. Search is ongoing. Unidentified drones crossing the border also led to the inspection.

Three drones were found in suspicious circumstances yesterday. The drones had been spotted in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir for several weeks. The drones crossed the border and were shot down by security forces. Security officials said one of the drones found yesterday had entered Pakistani territory and two had disappeared quickly. Two weeks ago, suspicious drones were spotted at four locations in Samba district and Jammu.

Washington: Covid’s Delta variant is reported to be seriously affecting the body and spreading like chickenpox. U.S. media reported, citing U.S. health experts. The Washington Post reports that the Delta variant is equally prevalent among those who receive the covid vaccine and those who do not, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Delta variant was first reported in India. It also warns that the Delta variant has a greater transmission potential than diseases such as MERS, SARS, and Ebola. Of the 35,000 people who receive the vaccine each week in the United States, the Delta variant is confirmed with symptoms. The actual incidence is likely to be even higher. But the report says that vaccines can help prevent serious infections and that the vaccine is limited in preventing the spread of the disease.

At the same time, the number of covid cases is rising in China as the Delta variant is reported. The covid cluster, which formed in the Chinese city of Nanjing, is now reported to have spread to about five provinces and Beijing. The Chinese government is preparing to announce a lockdown to overcome the crisis. Authorities say the covid 19 Delta variant, which was reported in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, is spreading rapidly.

Srinagar: The army has killed Mohammad Ismal Alvi, the mastermind of the Pulwama terror attack. A relative of Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Masood Azhar was killed by security forces during a clash in Kashmir. 49 CRPF jawans were martyred in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. The clash between the terrorists and the security forces took place this morning. Two terrorists were killed in the clash. The details of the terrorists were later released by the police.

The deceased, Mohammad Ismail Alvi, was also the commander of Jaish-e Muhammad. He has been working in the field since 2018. He played an important role in making youths in part of the Jaish-e Muhammad. He had special training in bomb-making, including from the Taliban. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Alvi was behind several attacks on security forces.

The NIA’s investigation has found that he was the one who made the bomb and delivered the explosives for the Pulwama attack. Alvi was charged in the charge sheet but could not be apprehended. Police later confirmed that one of the two people killed in Saturday’s clash was Mohammed Ismail Alvi. This is an important achievement for the military in the fight against terrorism.

New Delhi: The Central government has permitted to open cinema theaters in the country. Theaters, which closed in April following the second wave of Covid, will reopen. According to reports 4,000 theaters across the country are in the first phase. The decision was made to admit 50 percent of the people following the covid norms.

Theaters are not allowed to open in Maharashtra and Kerala. The preliminary conclusion is that it is not possible to open theaters in Kerala as there is no reduction in the number of patients per day. In Telangana alone, 100 percent of the people are allowed to enter.

Meanwhile, theaters in Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab will have 50 percent admission from Friday. The latest releases are the Hollywood movie Mortal Compact and the Telugu movies Ishq, Thimmarusu, and Narasimhapuram.

Bangalore: Karnataka has made RTPCR compulsory for entry into the state from other states including Kerala. Those who have received two doses of the vaccine must produce an RTPCR certificate.
Those coming to Karnataka from Kerala by air, bus, train, taxi, and private vehicles should produce the RTPCR negative certificate taken within 72 hours.

Earlier, the Karnataka government had relaxed the RTPCR negative certificate requirement for those coming to Karnataka from Kerala. Those who received two doses of the vaccine could travel to Karnataka with a vaccine certificate. Those who did not get the vaccine were required to have an RTPCR negative certificate taken within 72 hours. That order has now been revised.

The government also directed the respective district administrations to tighten inspections at all places like airports, railway stations, and district boundaries. The state government has said that a case will be registered against those violating the law under the Disaster Prevention Act.

Thiruvananthapuram: The last date for payment of fees for the Higher Secondary SAY / Improvement examination to be held in August has been extended. Exam fees will be accepted until August 3. The last date to apply for the SAY/ Improvement Examination at the parent school without penalty is August 3. You can apply till August 5 with a fine of Rs 600. The due date for payment of fees by the respective school principals to the treasury is August 6th. The last date for online registration through the departmental portal is August 6.