Mid-Day Top News at this hour: Dating scam gang strikes in Pune; US charges Hamas for Oct 7 attacks and more

mid-day reporter Shirish Vaktania with one of the women from the dating app site during the sting-op. Pic/Satej Shinde

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.

Sensex, Nifty slump in early trade tracking weak global markets

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled in early trade on Wednesday after a record-breaking rally, tracking extremely weak trends from the global markets. The 30-share BSE Sensex tumbled 721.75 points to 81,833.69 after a weak beginning to the trade. The NSE Nifty tanked 196.05 points to 25,083.80.

Dating scam gang escapes to Pune

Following a sting operation by mid-day that exposed a dating app scam in Mumbai, the gang involved has reportedly relocated to Pune and resumed its fraudulent activities there. A source in the know told mid-day, "The gang has shifted to Pune to continue its operations. Eighteen months ago, the gang was active in various clubs, especially in the Someshwarwadi and Pashan areas of Pune. They are reportedly now active in the Koregaon Park area of Pune." Read more

US charges Hamas chief, other leaders over October 7 attack on Israel

The United States has charged Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar among five other senior leaders of the Palestinian group and a designated foreign terror organization in connection with its deadly attack in Israel on October 7, last year. The US Justice Department on September 3 said it was indicting six Hamas members with seven charges that include murders and kidnappings of countless innocent civilians, including American citizens. It also accuses Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah of providing financial support and weapons to Hamas.

IC 814 Row: I&B Ministry asks makers to update disclaimer with this key information

On September 3, Monika Shergill, Vice-President of content, Netflix India, met members of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) regarding the controversy surrounding IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. The I&B Ministry had summoned her, citing concerns over the hijackers' portrayal in the Vijay Varma-led series that retells the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 from Kathmandu. In the show, two hijackers are shown using aliases Bhola and Shankar, which drew the ire of a section of the population. Read more

Hadap beats Samat to become MCA Secretary

Abhay Hadap beat his fellow Apex Council member Suraj Samat by 55 votes to become the Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) Secretary, in an interest-filled election at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. Read more