In a significant breakthrough, railway authorities in Assam foiled a human trafficking operation at Tinsukia railway station, rescuing 26 minor girls and young women who were reportedly being trafficked to Tamil Nadu using forged documents, officials said on Friday.

The joint operation, carried out by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRPF), was part of a routine inspection.

Incessant rainfall lashed parts of Bihar on Friday, leading to waterlogging in several areas and disrupting normal life.

With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a heavy rain and thunderstorm alert for large parts of the state, residents have been advised to step out only if necessary.

The IMD has issued an orange alert in 19 districts, including Patna, Gaya, Jamui, Aurangabad, Khagaria, Banka, Vaishali, Samastipur, and Nawada for the next 48 hours.

The situation has already begun to deteriorate in several areas, with waterlogging reported in low-lying parts of Patna and other districts since early morning.

According to the IMD, strong winds of 30-40 km/h and thunderstorms with lightning are likely to accompany the rain.

In a remarkable display of dedication and compassion, the South-West District Police successfully traced and reunited 142 missing individuals, including 61 children and 81 adults, with their families during the month of July under ‘Operation Milap’.

Between July 1 and July 31, the police launched intensive search operations immediately upon receiving reports of missing or kidnapped individuals.

Their efforts included local enquiries, CCTV surveillance, and outreach at bus stands, railway stations, and public transport hubs.

Heavy rains in Rajasthan have brought disaster with them. In Dholpur, a driver and cleaner along with a mini-truck were swept away on Friday morning. The vehicle sank into the Parvati river on the Ranoli culvert of Maniyan police station area. The driver and cleaner also drowned with it.

The lives of the labourer and the contractor travelling in the vehicle were saved in the nick of time, while a search is on for the bodies of the driver and cleaner till the time of filing of this report. The police is busy searching for both, said officials.

In Jasnagar of Nagaur district, the administration has had to close National Highway-458 for the third time in the last 12 days as the water of the Luni river is flowing 6 inches above the Jasnagar culvert.

Therefore, in order to prevent any mishaps, the administration has had to close the National Highway once again. Due to this, Nagaur has lost connectivity with Pali and Beawar districts.

In a decisive move following recent accidents in Jhalawar and Jaisalmer, the Rajasthan Department of Autonomous Governance has ordered the sealing and demolition of 2,699 dangerously dilapidated buildings across the state.

The action comes as part of a statewide monsoon preparedness campaign, with officials instructed to conduct ground inspections, warn the public, and prevent any untoward incidents. The above decision has been taken in the wake of recent accidents in Jhalawar and Jaisalmer -- where incidents related to unsafe infrastructure and torrential rains raised serious safety concerns -- the Department of Autonomous Governance in Rajasthan has moved into high alert mode.

Responding swiftly to the growing threat of structural collapses, especially during the monsoon season, the department has undertaken a comprehensive and statewide review of building safety and disaster preparedness across urban areas.

A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper has gone missing from his battalion headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar.

Officials said that the trooper identified as Sugam Choudhary of the 60th BSF battalion went missing from his battalion headquarters in Srinagar late Thursday evening.

“A massive search operation was launched to trace the missing BSF trooper who was posted in the Panthachowk area of Srinagar. The trooper belonging to the 60th Battalion was stationed at Panthachowk. However, despite extensive efforts in nearby areas, he remains untraceable," the officials said.

Following this, a missing report has been lodged, and further investigation is underway, the officials added.

The incessant rain, which has been battering Kolkata and several South Bengal districts, will continue till next week, with no immediate respite in sight, weather officials said on Thursday.

According to the Met office, Kolkata and seven districts of south Bengal will receive heavy rains on Thursday due to a cyclonic circulation over Gangetic West Bengal. In the remaining districts, thunderstorms with lightning will occur with wind speeds reaching 40 kilometres per hour.

On Thursday morning, the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata's Alipore said that the cyclonic circulation positioned over Gangetic West Bengal and adjacent Bangladesh is located between the northwest Bay of Bengal and Odisha coasts.

A flood threat looms over rural areas of Dholpur district after heavy rainfall in Hadoti and surrounding regions led to the release of nearly 5 lakh cusecs of water into the Chambal River — first from Kota and later from the Navnera Barrage.

As a result, the water level in the Chambal rose sharply, reaching 141.10 metres by 10 P.M. on Wednesday, according to the Water Resources Department. The old Chambal bridge has submerged under the rising waters, prompting the district administration to call in the Army, which is expected to arrive in Dholpur on Thursday.

With Chambal water entering villages in the Sarmathura and Rajakheda subdivisions, the risk of flooding has significantly increased.

Continuous rainfall in Delhi-NCR on Thursday has brought much-needed respite from the sweltering heat, while simultaneously delivering a remarkable improvement in air quality.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), July 2025 has recorded the cleanest air in over a decade, with Air Quality Index (AQI) readings falling below 50 in several parts of the region -- a level categorised as “very good”.

This drastic improvement is largely attributed to the frequent rain showers over the past week, which have significantly reduced dust and airborne pollutants. However, while the rains have cleansed the atmosphere, they have also led to waterlogging and traffic congestion, posing a major challenge for the municipal authorities and daily commuters.