Mid-Day Top News at this hour: Man uses ‘live-in agreement’ to get bail in rape case; MSRTC employees launch state-wide strike and more

The agreement (L) and advocate Sunil Pandey (R)

Welcome to Mid-Day's Top News at this hour! We bring you a curated selection of the most significant and compelling news from around the globe. Stay informed with the latest developments in the nation, Mumbai, entertainment, sports, and more. Let's dive into the headlines shaping our world today.

Markets decline in early trade after record rally

IN PHOTOS: One dead, 9 injured after drunk man turns steering wheel of BEST bus in Mumbai`s Lalbaug

2 months agoPHOTO GALLERY

Benchmark equity indices declined in early trade on Tuesday due to emergence of profit-taking after a record rally. Weak trends from Asian peers also contributed to the tepid investors' sentiment in the domestic equity market during the early deals. The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 78.28 points to 82,481.56 in early trade. The NSE Nifty dipped 23.6 points to 25,255.10.

Man uses ‘live-in agreement' to get bail in rape case

A sessions court recently granted bail to a 46-year-old Colaba resident accused of raping a 29-year-old woman. According to the police, the accused had produced a seven-point, 11-month agreement that he claimed the complainant had signed, which included a clause exempting him from taking responsibility of any sort if they ended up having a physical relationship. The woman's lawyer, meanwhile, stated in court that the signature on the document was not hers. Read more.

Maharashtra: MSRTC employees call for a strike from today

Employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), which operates one of India's largest bus fleets, have called a strike to press for their pending demands. This action follows an agitation led by the action committee of 11 labour unions. As of 8 am on September 3, out of the 251 bus depots, 35 are completely closed, while the remaining depots are either partially or fully operational. Read more.

Nitesh's patience pays off with gold

India's Nitesh Kumar clinched his maiden gold medal at the Paralympics, defeating Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in a gripping men's singles SL3 badminton final here on Monday. The 29-year-old from Haryana showcased incredible resilience and tactical brilliance, overcoming Tokyo silver medallist Bethell in a nail-biting contest that lasted an hour and 20 minutes, with the final scoreline reading 21-14, 18-21, 23-21. The SL3 category is reserved for players with severe lower limb disabilities and played on a half-width court. Read more.

Makers of Salman Khan's Sikandar replicate Dharavi in Mumbai's Goregaon

Only a few weeks ago, mid-day had reported that Salman Khan would start an action-packed schedule of Sikandar in Mumbai, in the last week of August (Salman's flight-and-fight response, Aug 21). While director AR Murugadoss kicked off the schedule as planned, the unit over the next few weeks will straddle two key locations - the SRPF Ground in Goregaon, and a hospital in Marol. Sources say that the production team has designed a massive set replicating Dharavi at the Goregaon venue. Read more.