Mid-day Top News at this hour: Rupee slips against USD in early trade; 250 more local trains in next 5 yrs and more

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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 nation, Mumbai, entertainment, sports, and more. Let's dive into the headlines shaping our world today.

The rupee slips to an all-time low of 83.72 against the US dollar in early trade

The rupee opened on a sombre note and plummeted to an all-time low of 83.72 against the US dollar on Thursday, pulled down by the American currency's strength in the outside market and large foreign fund outflows. Forex dealers said the decline in the domestic unit followed a big slump in the Indian equity markets, which was triggered by the government's decision to raise the capital gains tax rate.

SPECIAL| Mumbaikars weigh in on rly's new Mumbai-Pune rail alignment

Can Mumbai and Pune be connected via a shorter rail route? In response to an exclusive story on how the Ministry of Railways has sanctioned a new rail alignment between the two metro cities, mid-day has received an overwhelming number of ideas. Professor Farzan Mazda, a reader, suggested building an Atal Setu-like rail bridge across the Thane creek along the harbour line. For the first time in 160 years, a plan for a completely new rail alignment between Mumbai and Pune to bypass the existing steep ghats and 28 tunnels received a go-ahead over the weekend. Calling it the simpler inclines of 1/100 ‘Sreedharan grade', Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has asked Central Railway (CR) to work on it expeditiously. Read more.

Mumbai: 250 more local services in the next five years

Announcing a plan to reduce the headway of trains by 30 seconds, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday, for the first time, set a deadline for improving suburban services in Mumbai. He unveiled a blueprint that stated the Railways would accommodate 250 more services in the next five years through various ongoing projects such as advanced cab signalling, additional rail corridors, and more termini while reducing the headway from 180 seconds to 150 seconds. Read more.

KIFF back for a new edition

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced yesterday that the 30th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) will be held from December 4 to 11. Appointing acclaimed filmmaker Goutam Ghose as KIFF chairman and Bengali film icon Prosenjit Chatterjee as vice chairman, Banerjee asserted that like in previous years, the best work in the world and Indian cinema would be showcased during the festival. Read More.

It's day won for Bosco boys

Don Bosco High School (Matunga) launched their title defence on a winning note. The Matunga boys registered a hard-fought 2-1 win over Bombay Scottish (Mahim) in a U-16 Group-B match on the opening day of the MSSA inter-school football tournament at the St Francis D'Assisi High School ground (Borivli), on Wednesday. Read more.