Mid-Day Top News at this hour: Few clean, many filthy civic-run toilets on Eastern Express Highway; Nifty, Sensex start fresh week with gains and more

A well-maintained toilet near Ghatkopar pumping station, on January 5. Pic/Anurag Ahire

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.

Nifty, Sensex start fresh week with gains, earning season for Q3 results start today

Indian stock markets opened almost flat, starting the fresh week in green with a marginally higher opening; however, the outlook is still under pressure. The Nifty 50 index opened at 24,045.80 points with a gain of 41.05 points or 0.17 per cent, while Sensex also opened higher with a gain of 58.54 points or 0.07 per cent at 79,281.65 points.

Mid-Day Test Drive: Few clean, many filthy civic-run toilets from Mulund to Sion in Eastern Express Highway

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has quite a long way to go before it accomplishes its mission of constructing toilets for citizens along the Eastern Express Highway. When mid-day recently conducted an audit of the public lavatories along the stretch, it came to light that two prefabricated toilets at the Airoli junction - in the northern direction and another towards Sion - had not been opened despite being set up more than a year ago. Read more.

Crackdown on illegal Bangladeshis: Crime Branch investigation finds fake Aadhar cards available for Rs 2000

The Mumbai police and the Crime Branch is intensifying the crackdown on Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in the city. In a recent operation, the Ghatkopar police arrested 13 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, while the crime branch apprehended seven more individuals on Sunday for unlawfully residing in the country. Investigations into these cases continue to reveal critical details. The crime branch has also arrested a Bangladeshi national which led to the discovery of a ‘rate card' detailing the amounts paid to agents for illegal entry into India. Read more.

India pay price for poor batting

Just as it's impossible to realistically expect to win a Test match on the back of scores of 185 and 157, to hope for a series victory after being bowled out for less than 200 six times in nine completed innings borders on the wildly optimistic. Read more.

Salman Khan to shoot final leg of Sikandar to make it in time for Eid 2025 release

With the final leg of his long-in-the-making film Sikandar kicking off later this week, Salman Khan is set to race to the finishing line. A source tells mid-day, "The last schedule will start on January 10 in Mumbai. Salman and Rashmika Mandanna will be back on set. Even though the film is due for release in March, the team is confident of comfortably completing it in time." Read more.