| | 1. Wild celebration! Hundreds parade with serpents as annual Nag Panchami festival kicks off in Bihar07:36[-/+]Категория(?) | "Hundreds of people attended annual Nag Panchami festival on Friday in Samastipur, located in the state of Bihar, as the worshippers were seen carrying venomous snakes during the procession.
Footage shows locals marching through the streets of the city with the reptiles on their necks as well as diving in a local river during the event.
"Thousands of devotees come here every year to attend and see this festival. The devotees are not just from Bihar; people who stay outside of Bihar in Assam, west Bengal, Delhi, and Mumbai are all coming here for this festival. Not only devotees but even media from all over come here to cover this festival," explained Pankaj Patha, one of the event attendees.
According to local media reports, participants have been collecting snakes from all over the district for a fortnight and storing them in pots in anticipation of the procession.
Although snake catching is illegal in India, locals ignore the rules and hold the festival every year in the lunar month of Shravan. At the end of the festival, the snakes are released back into the forest.
The Nag Panchami festival sees spell casters and their disciples celebrate the victory of the Hindu God Lord Krishna over the Kaliya Nag (the black cobra).
According to Hindu mythology, the Hindu god Lord Krishna emerged victorious in his encounter with Kaliya Nag, a venomous serpent, after being attacked by Kaliya near the Yamuna River while playing.
Recognizing Krishna's divine nature, the snake and his wives pleaded for mercy. Upon their pledge to cease troubling the inhabitants of Gokul, Krishna spared their lives. Nag Panchami is commemorated to honour Krishna's triumph over Kaliya Nag.
The ritual is believed to help chase away evil and nullify bad karma. Nag Panchami is celebrated by thousands of people across the country." Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
7. Cars submerged in water as roads flood amid heavy rainfall in China's Shenyang00:40[-/+]Категория(?) | "Heavy rainfall left roads flooded, properties damaged and cars submerged in water on Friday in Shenyang, the largest city of China's Liaoning Province.
Footage shows local residents walking in the flood. Meanwhile, some vehicles can be seen trapped in the water while others brave the floods as the rainfall continues.
Over 14,500 people in Liaoning Province have been relocated after the city sent out an orange alert, the second-highest level alert for rainstorms.
According to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters, Liaoning recorded a total precipitation of up to 240.1 millimetres and an hourly rate of 55.3 millimetres in the hours between 5 p.m. local time (9:00 a.m. GMT) on Thursday to 6:00 local time (10:00 GMT).
By 8 a.m. local time (12 GMT) Friday, Liaoning had suspended 24 road transport routes. 102 ships along with 25 ferries have also reportedly halted operations. Additionally, heavy rainfall has disrupted traffic on nine rural highways, according to the provincial transportation department.
A total of 11 cities and 70 county-level areas across Liaoning have reportedly activated local emergency responses to flooding. Among them, the provincial capital, Shenyang, has elevated its emergency response to Level 2." Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
10. 'Police officers from all over the world' - Tourists comment on tight security in Paris amid claims of high risk of 'terrorist attack', protestsПт, 26 июл[-/+]Категория(?) | "Parisians and tourists commented on the heightened security measures amid the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on Friday.
Footage shows dozens of police officers patrolling the city before the opening ceremony, checking attendees' documents and tickets, and visitors queuing to watch the event. Police vehicles parked along the roads and barriers could also be seen all over the streets of Paris.
"We did try to move around. Obviously, there is a place that is blocked off as a spectator," claimed Raul Rojas, the tourist from the US, adding that overall, he feels 'protected here'.
"It is a little bit more tough to go with the subway station, to go to the subway station because many of them are closed," stated Rik, the Olympics attendee from the Netherlands.
"I had to park my scooter like 45 minutes away from here, but like, walking and everything - they just ask [for] the QR code," expressed Paolo Caumeau, remarking that "we need a little bit of security in the world where we are living in."
"We see that there is a lot of security, that there are police officers from all over the world," shared Andres Hernandez, tourist from Mexico.
In the run-up to the Olympics, the Paris authorities implemented unprecedented security measures, including a ban on free movement around the city and the introduction of special QR codes, which reportedly caused the city to get paralysed.
According to media reports, around 30,000 police officers, 20,000 security guards, and 10,000 military personnel are deployed as part of a massive operation to secure the safety of the Olympic Games.
Following the statements of the French intelligence services, the warning of a high risk of a 'terrorist attack' and protests is still remaining.
The 2024 Olympic Games are held in Paris from July 26 to August 11. It's the third time the French capital has hosted the Summer Olympics, after 1900 and 1924." Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
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