Heavy rainfall pounded several parts of Delhi-NCR on Wednesday morning, throwing life out of gear as office-goers and schoolchildren struggled with traffic jams and widespread waterlogging across the national capital.

The downpour brought vehicles to a crawl and disrupted routine movement in many parts of the city.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert for the entire region, forecasting moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30 to 40 kmph.

The NCR areas under red alert included Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad, besides Delhi.

In the national capital areas, including Northwest and Southwest Delhi, and adjoining areas of Haryana and Rajasthan, remained under an orange alert, as the MeT department predicted light to moderate showers and gusty winds for those regions.

The southwest monsoon made an early entry into Gujarat this year, a week ahead of schedule. However, rainfall distribution across the state has been highly uneven over the past month and a half.

In the last 24 hours alone, 90 talukas recorded rainfall, with the highest recorded in Jalalpore (Navsari district) at 5.24 inches. Navsari city witnessed 4.25 inches of rain, while Mahuva in Surat and Gandevi in Navsari received 2.20 and 2.13 inches, respectively. In total, 11 talukas saw more than 1 inch of rainfall, while 79 talukas received under 1 inch.

As of now, Gujarat has recorded 54 per cent of its seasonal average rainfall, approximately 19 inches. Yet, regional disparities persist.

Kutch has fared slightly better with 64 per cent of the average, while central and eastern parts of Gujarat have received only 51 per cent. Saurashtra's 11 districts have together received 16 inches, accounting for 53.48 per cent of the expected rainfall.

Bhavnagar has received 80 per cent of its seasonal quota, whereas Patan has seen only 34 per cent, highlighting the significant variation in rainfall across districts. While some areas are reporting satisfactory rain, several parts of the state continue to wait for a more consistent downpour.

The Indian stock market opened in the green on Wednesday as auto stocks led amid mixed global cues.

At 9.29 am, Sensex was up 178 points or 0.23 per cent at 82,381 and Nifty was up 64 points or 0.26 per cent at 25,125.

Auto stocks were leading the market, while media and realty were lagging behind. Bank stocks showed moderate gains up to 0.09 per cent.

Midcap and smallcap stocks saw selling pressure. Nifty midcap 100 index was down 0.13 per cent at 59,028 and Nifty smallcap 100 index was down 0.35 per cent at 18,826.

Among the sectoral indices, PSU bank, financial services, metal, energy and private bank were in the green. Realty, media and FMCG were in the red.

Russia has significantly expanded its entry ban list mainly targetting European officials, in response to the European Union's recent 17th and 18th package of sanctions against the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Council of the European Union approved the 17th and 18th packages of sanctions on Russia on May 20 and July 18, respectively, over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In a fratricide incident, at least five cadres of a militant group were killed in a fierce gun battle in Manipur’s Noney district on Tuesday, officials said.

A senior official in Imphal said that in an intra-group fight of a militant outfit, at least five militants were killed at Daveijang jungle areas near Longpi village in Noney district of western Manipur.

Preliminary information said that the gun battle took place among the cadres of the Chin Kuki Mizo Army (CKMA), which has not signed any Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government. The mountainous area is a very remote area and hardly any communication is there, the official said, adding that further details are awaited.

Afghan national army has thwarted attempts to smuggle drugs and detained three alleged drug smugglers in the southern Afghanistan Helmand province, said an army spokesman in the region, Jawed Agha, on Tuesday.

The contraband, which included 730 kg of opium poppy and was placed in the cavities of a vehicle, was identified and confiscated by the army personnel, the official added.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday vowed to ensure exemplary punishment for the perpetrators behind the unpardonable crime of sending threatening emails to the holiest Sikh shrine, Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple.

“People from across the globe visit this sacred place and pray for the progress and security of their families and friends. How can we allow anyone to issue threats to this holy place?” said the Chief Minister after paying obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib. The Chief Minister said the government is investigating the matter and has obtained vital clues.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday approved the Tourism Department’s proposal to organise a three-day Teej Mahotsav from July 25 to July 27, at Dilli Haat, Pitampura.

The event aims to promote women empowerment, cultural enrichment and community harmony, said Minister for Tourism and Art Kapil Mishra.

He said CM Gupta will inaugurate the festival on July 25.

Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has been slapped with a Rs 258.67 crore penalty by the GST and Central Excise authorities for allegedly underpaying compensation cess on certain SUV models between September 2017 and March 2020, the carmaker confirmed on Tuesday.

As rains continue to sweep across Laos, the government has issued warnings of an increased risk of flash floods and landslides.

The warnings were issued as Typhoon Wipha, the sixth typhoon of the year, is expected to bring heavy rainfall, strong winds, and thunderstorms across the country. Citizens were advised to closely follow official forecasts and warnings, according to a report from the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, under the Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, on Tuesday.