Mid-Day Top News of this hour: Mumbai rain saga continues; markets bearish on Monday and more

Nirmala Sitharaman with red `Bahi Khata`/ Pallav Paliwal

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 climb in early deals ahead of Budget presentation; Sensex climbs 264 points

Stock markets climbed in early trade on Tuesday, with the Sensex climbing over 264 points, ahead of the Union Budget presentation later in the day as investors' sentiment turned buoyant amid foreign fund inflows and a rally in the US peers. The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 264.33 points to 80,766.41 in early trade. The NSE Nifty went up 73.3 points to 24,582.55. Among the Sensex pack, UltraTech Cement, Mahindra & Mahindra, ITC, Larsen & Toubro and NTPC were the biggest gainers.

Union Budget 2024: FM Nirmala Sitharaman to present Modi 3.0 govt's first budget today

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to unveil the Union Budget 2024 in Parliament today at 11 am. This will be her seventh consecutive budget, breaking Morarji Desai's record of six straight budgets. The emphasis is expected to be on improvements to the income tax structure and enhancing the ease of doing business in India. Read more.

Going long to bring Mumbai Pune closer

For the first time in 160 years, a plan for a new rail alignment between Mumbai and Pune to bypass the existing steep ghats and 28 tunnels received the go-ahead last weekend. Calling it the simpler inclines of 1/100 ‘Sreedharan grade,' Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has asked Central Railway to work on it expeditiously. The minister took a ride onboard a three-coach special inspection train with a halt at Lonavala and examined the process of navigating ghats and the operation of banker locomotives. Read More.

Hindu Temple vandalised again in Canada amid rising concerns over extremist activities

In a troubling recurrence of targeted attacks on Hindu places of worship across Canada, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton fell victim once more to vandalism. Member of Parliament for Nepean, Chandra Arya, voiced deep concern over the escalating incidents of hate-fueled violence directed at Hindu-Canadian communities. Read more.

Gulshan Devaiah: ‘It's Janhvi's film, she is front and centre'

During our chat with Gulshan Devaiah, we are seated in front of a large poster of Ulajh. Looking at that, the first thing he tells us is, "It's Janhvi's [Kapoor] film. Her face is front and centre. She is the whole orchestra." What then drove Devaiah to star in Sudhanshu Saria's directorial venture? "It's a great story and an interesting character. Read more.

Gambhir on relationship with Kohli: 'We're on the same page'

Former Test opener Gautam Gambhir remarked that he and Virat Kohli are mature individuals and are on the same page. "What kind of relationship do I share with Kohli? I think it is between two mature individuals. On the field, everyone has got the right to fight for their own team, for their own jersey, and wants to come back to a winning dressing room. But at the moment, you are representing India and representing 140 crore Indians and I am sure we are going to be on the same page and will try to make India proud," Gambhir said during the team's Sri Lanka tour pre-departure press conference on Monday. Read more.