Mumbai: ushered in the New Year 2026 with an unexpected spell of rain, as heavy showers lashed several parts of South Mumbai early on Thursday morning. Many areas in SoBo witnessed intense rainfall at dawn, while the suburbs experienced light to moderate showers. As the morning progressed, the rain gave way to clearer skies, gentle winds and reduced humidity, creating a pleasant, almost winter-like atmosphere that offered residents a welcome respite from the usual heat and pollution.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast a partly cloudy sky with haze for the day, predicting temperatures to range between 16°C and 29°C. The sudden rainfall played a crucial role in improving Mumbai’s air quality, which had deteriorated sharply in the preceding days.

According to air quality monitoring platform AQI.in, Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 115 during the early hours of Thursday, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. However, this marked a noticeable improvement compared to the previous day, when air quality levels across several parts of the city had plunged into the ‘severe’ to ‘hazardous’ range. Such high pollution levels are known to pose serious health risks, particularly for children, senior citizens and individuals with respiratory or heart-related conditions.

The spike in pollution is largely due to construction dust and fine particulate matter. Mumbai is currently witnessing extensive government-led infrastructure development, including metro rail corridors, flyovers, coastal road extensions and large-scale road widening projects. Alongside these, aggressive private real estate construction has significantly increased dust emissions. Vehicular exhaust, especially during peak traffic hours at major junctions, has further worsened air quality.

Several localities emerged as pollution hotspots despite the improvement. Chembur recorded an alarming AQI of 293, categorised as ‘unhealthy’, indicating conditions that could adversely affect even healthy individuals. Deonar and Worli followed with AQI levels of 157 and 153, respectively, both falling in the ‘poor’ category. Colaba registered an AQI of 143, while Malad, a key residential and commercial area, recorded 140.

In contrast, many suburban areas saw substantial improvement, with air quality moving into the ‘moderate’ range. Borivali West recorded an AQI of 65 and Charkop stood at 72. Kandivali East (75), Santacruz (77) and Govandi (78) also reported moderate air quality, offering some relief to residents.

As per standard classifications, AQI levels between 0–50 are considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘moderate’, 101–200 ‘poor’, 201–300 ‘unhealthy’, and above 300 ‘severe’ or ‘hazardous’.

Navi Mumbai, Dec 31: The Navi Mumbai Police Crime Branch has busted an overseas job fraud racket by raiding three bogus HR and manpower supply companies in CBD Belapur that were allegedly cheating unemployed youth by luring them with foreign job offers without possessing the mandatory licence from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). During the coordinated operation, police seized 154 passports and arrested eight persons.

The action followed a tip-off received by MEA official Rajeshkumar, who alerted the Navi Mumbai Police after learning that several offices in CBD Belapur were illegally collecting money from job aspirants and falsely promising employment abroad despite lacking the required MEA authorisation.

Acting on the information, Crime Branch Unit-2, under the leadership of Senior Police Inspector Anil Patil, formed three teams and conducted simultaneous raids on December 26.

Police raided HR Global at Vishnu Complex in Sector 15, Vision Arabia HR Solution at Hilton Centre in Sector 11, and Bright Tech Marine Services at Sai Chambers.

During the searches, officers recovered 136 passports from HR Global, 18 passports from Bright Tech Marine Services, and several important documents from Vision Arabia HR Solution.

Investigations revealed that the owners and staff of all three firms were operating without the mandatory MEA licence and were illegally charging candidates while making false promises of overseas employment.

Accordingly, the Crime Branch registered a case at CBD Police Station under Sections 318(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 10 and 24 of the Emigration Act, 1983.

The arrested accused include Rochak Joshi (30), Sachin Sathale (45), Amit Kadam (41), Devidas Dhangar (38), Sagar Chorat (33) and three others.

“The accused were running fake recruitment operations and collecting passports and money from candidates without any legal authority to send Indian citizens abroad for employment. We have seized a large number of passports and documents, and further investigation is underway to identify more victims,” said Senior Police Inspector Anil Patil.

Police said the exact number of people cheated by the racket is yet to be ascertained, and efforts are underway to trace victims of the fraud.

Meanwhile, the Navi Mumbai Police have urged citizens to remain cautious and verify the MEA licence of any overseas recruitment agency before making payments, warning that strict action will be taken against those involved in such fraudulent activities.

New Delhi, Dec 31: As the eventful 2025 draws to an end and the New Year arrives, triggering spirited celebrations across the world, the Modi Archive – a popular social media handle on X, has shared a collection of ‘life lessons’ from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which could serve the youth well in navigating through their lives.

Wading through various speeches and quotes by PM Modi over the decades, the Modi Archive has shared a rare collection of his inspirational messages – reflecting his courage and determination to bring a turnaround in the lives of people, while also inspiring enough to be emulated by others.

“As 2025 ends, we revisit enduring words on hope and resolve from @Narendra Modi, spoken across decades,” the X handle said in a post.

The video, the ‘words of wisdom’ by PM Modi, revealed the power of positive thinking, never-say-die attitude, overcoming insurmountable challenges, shaping lives through one’s thoughts and also lighting a lamp for the unprivileged.

Emphasising the power of positive thinking and its ability to change our lives, PM Modi said, “We should always be optimistic about life, and there shouldn’t be any space for negativity. This happens when we encourage and instil positive thinking in ourselves as well as our surroundings. There is inherent power in positive thinking, and it has the potential to change the world around you.”

He further said, “If a storm arises in the ocean, we can’t change it, but we can certainly alter the course of the ship we are sailing on; we know for sure how to change its direction.”

In the video, PM Modi is also heard sharing the “real formula” of success.

“If your heart is clear, if you have clarity in your ideas, have conviction to do and have courage to face the odds, I am sure one can achieve his/her goals,” he said in the undated speech.

Sharing insights on turbulence and turmoil in one’s life and how to ward it off, he explained, “just like the weather undergoes routine change throughout the year, life has its own ups and downs. As we navigate through any phase, clouds come and pass, sometimes the sun shines bright, while at times, moonlight takes away the spotlight. One should stay focused on the goal and shouldn’t waver from one’s path. One should keep following his path with conviction. There is no need to doubt yourself, as sooner or later, this will become a reality.”

He also underlined the importance of putting effort above monetary returns, stating that once this priority is set, it automatically paves the way for success.

“The desire to do good work should override the desire to earn good money. If one desires to do good work, it automatically leads to better outcomes,” he explained.

Highlighting the fact “your thoughts shape your future”, he said, “Our future doesn’t hinge on our future action, rather it’s an outcome of our present work. What shapes tomorrow is the way we think about it today. Those who keep whining about the past can never build a beautiful tomorrow.”

He further advised fellow workers and youth to keep chasing success by putting in maximum effort and not worrying about it.

“We must move forward with a positive attitude. If we keep trying with conviction and dedication – success does follow, it is my firm belief,” he said.

The video concluded with his message for lighting a lamp in the lives of those, where darkness has taken over.

“There might be a thick layer of darkness with no relief in sight, but is it forbidden to lighten a lamp? Come forward, take a step to light up those homes where there are no lights,” the Prime Minister said in a moving message.