Indore has once again emerged as India's cleanest city, securing the top spot in the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 for the eighth consecutive year.

The results of the Central government's annual cleanliness survey were announced in New Delhi, where President Droupadi Murmu conferred the awards at a ceremony organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs at Vigyan Bhawan.

Surat and Navi Mumbai followed Indore, grabbing second and third positions, respectively, reaffirming their strong performance in urban sanitation.

In the 3–10 lakh population category, Noida secured the top spot as the cleanest city, with Chandigarh coming in second and Mysuru ranking third.

This year's survey, the ninth edition of Swachh Survekshan, assessed over 4,500 cities using a rigorous framework of 10 parameters and 54 indicators, with a focus on sanitation, waste management, and service delivery.

In a tragic incident, a 13-year-old boy was electrocuted while trying to retrieve his footwear from the school's rooftop in Kerala on Thursday.

Just before classes began at the state-supported Boys School, Thevelekkara, the schoolchildren were playing on the ground when the footwear of a student got stuck on top of a roof.

The electric line was passing over the roof where the footwear was lying.

Mithun, a Class 8 student, climbed onto the top of the roof but slipped and came in contact with a live electric wire.

Despite the best efforts, Mithun's life could not be saved.

In a tragic incident, a 25-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide in Uttar Pradesh's Balia District on Thursday.

Acting on the information about the suicide, a police team and a forensic team rushed to the spot and found the body of the young woman hanging with a dupatta from the ceiling.

Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Jha said the body of the woman has been sent for post-mortem examination.

The police also found a suicide note left at the spot by the deceased who has been identified as Priya Giri, daughter of Surender Giri, a resident of Narsinghpur.

The police said that the cause of the death of the woman will be confirmed after the post-mortem examination report is received.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Kolkata Zonal Office, has restituted ten immovable properties and nine movable asserts worth of Rs 9.56 crore (approximately) to the legitimate claimant -- the official liquidator of Kaushik Global Logistics Ltd, appointed by the NCLT, Kolkata.

In a major crackdown on corruption, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three Income Tax officials, including an IRS officer, for accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh in Patna, an official said on Wednesday.

The arrested officials include an Assistant Director (IRS), Income Tax (Investigation), an Inspector, and a Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) of the Income Tax Department.

On July 15, 2025, CBI registered a case against the officials following allegations that they demanded Rs 2 lakh as a bribe for releasing a previously seized amount of Rs 13 lakh and for not initiating further inquiry against the complainant.

In a major crackdown under ‘Operation Chakra-V’, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches across seven states on July 16 - Delhi, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan - as part of its ongoing efforts to dismantle cyber fraud syndicates.

In a major crackdown on terror operatives and their support structures, the police in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district have attached three properties belonging to Pakistan-based terrorist handlers (JKNOP) located in Khag, Chewa Beerwah, and Harwani Khansahib in presence of concerned Executive Magistrates, a police statement said on Wednesday.

"The action was carried out in connection with case FIR No. 58/2024 under section 7/25 Indian Arms Act, 18, 20, 23 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) of Police Station Khag, and under proceedings-initiated U/S 25 of UAPA for attachment of properties used in terrorist activities," the statement mentioned.

In a swift and decisive operation, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Crime Branch, Delhi Police, has arrested a budding gangster Shivam alias Laddu, foiling a possible gangwar incident in the capital’s Jahangirpuri area.

The arrest comes amid heightened tensions between rival gangs operating in North Delhi.

According to Delhi Police, a team led by Inspector Nitesh Kumar and comprising SI Soamya Kulhar, Head Constables Vikrant, Pramod, and Gulshan, acted on a tip-off that Shivam was planning a violent strike to assert his dominance.

He was apprehended from the service road near Sadaiv Atal on July 15. A country-made pistol and two live cartridges were recovered from his possession.

A case has been registered under FIR No. 177/25 at the Crime Branch police station under relevant sections of the Arms Act. Shivam is no stranger to the police. He has been previously involved in two criminal cases—FIR No. 564/25 at Adarsh Nagar and FIR No. 678/25 at Jahangirpuri, both related to armed assaults and gang rivalry.

Torrential rains over the past three days have severely affected life in Bihar, causing flooding in many areas and washing away infrastructure.

In Munger’s Haveli Kharagpur, the temporary diversion over the Dangri River near Kachhi Mor on the Kharagpur-Tarapur main road was washed away on Wednesday due to a strong current.

The diversion was being used while a bridge was under construction for the past five to six months.

With the diversion gone, traffic on this crucial route has come to a complete halt, affecting over one lakh people.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai has forecast rainfall in eight districts of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, offering some respite from the prevailing dry spell in many parts of the state.

According to weather updates, moderate rainfall is expected in four hilly and western districts -- Nilgiris, Theni, Tenkasi, and Tiruppur.

These regions, known for their undulating terrain and forested areas, are likely to receive intermittent spells of rain throughout the day.