Mid-Day Top News at this hour: Pet kidnapped over Rs 4,000 unpaid dues; Woman ‘stripped, slashed, beaten’ by kin over Rs 21 lakh loan and more

Prixy, the Pomeranian with his owner, Aditi Jain, a resident of Rustomjee Ciroc tower in Juhu; CCTV footage of the accused allegedly entering an autorickshaw with the dog; Rajendra Pandharkar, the accused

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.

Mumbai: Pet kidnapped over Rs 4,000 unpaid dues

The security supervisor of a Juhu-based housing society allegedly kidnapped a building resident's pet Pomeranian on April 15, only to use the dog as bait to recover Rs 4000, which he claims was deducted from his salary by his agency the previous month. The accused, Rajendra Pandharkar, 30, was captured by a CCTV camera entering an autorickshaw with the dog, Prixy, and is allegedly demanding Rs 25,000 (which is his monthly salary amount) from the contractor in exchange for the 14-year-old canine. Read more.

Mumbai: Woman ‘stripped, slashed, beaten' by kin over Rs 21 lakh loan

A 43-year-old woman from Kandivli was allegedly lured to a house in Vasai, stripped, brutally assaulted, and filmed by her brother-in-law and his family over a R21-lakh debt dispute. The accused not only inflicted serious injuries but also circulated a video of the assault to shame and silence her, prompting a police investigation after the footage reached the victim's husband. Read more.

Mumbai Fire Brigade's new training centre to prep firemen for blasts, quakes and high-rise rescues

The Mumbai Fire Brigade is upgrading its training infrastructure to meet current and future challenges. A new, advanced training centre is being constructed in Kandivli, designed to offer real-life simulation experiences for firemen and officers. In addition to conventional firefighting, the centre will train personnel to handle bomb blasts, landslides, and other disaster scenarios through immersive simulations. Read more.

Chennai Super Kings on radar after Hyderabad high for Will Jacks

In only his fifth match last year for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in his debut IPL season, Will Jacks made the cricketing world sit up and take notice of his big-hitting abilities. While he sailed smoothly to his half-century, he then shifted gears to race from 50 to 100 in just 10 deliveries. Read more.

Jaat director Gopichand Malineni: ‘No filmmaker wants to hurt people, we want to entertain'

It's not every day that a sequel is announced barely a week after the film's release. That too, when its box-office earnings haven't met expectations. But that hasn't deterred Sunny Deol and director Gopichand Malineni from envisioning Jaat 2, the sequel to their latest actioner Jaat. As we got on a call with the director hours after the announcement, he said that he always intended to take the story forward. Read more.