Mid-Day Top News at this hour: This 74-year-old woman has been assisting cops for free for over 30 years; Over one million cyber attacks on India since Pahalgam terror attack and more

Anuradha Kulkarni, the septuagenarian who has been helping the police. Pic/Ashish Raje

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 surges 120 points, Sensex gains 520 points amid positive global cues

Indian equity benchmarks opened with gains on Friday, with global cues remaining broadly positive, the uncertainty on the domestic front capped gains for Indian indices due to tensions on the India-Pakistan border. The Nifty 50 index surged to 24,395.90, marking a modest gain of 55.30 points or 0.2 per cent. On the other hand, the BSE Sensex saw an uptick, opening almost flat at 80,290.34 but gained 360 points to 80,607 at the time of filing this report.

Mumbai: This 74-year-old woman has been assisting cops for free for over 30 years

Anuradha Kulkarni, a 74-year-old resident of Santacruz, has been helping the Mumbai police manage traffic, solve cases, and assist accident victims for the past 30 years - all without any salary. Despite walking with a slight bend due to a back issue, she actively stops motorists from entering the wrong lanes and recently helped the Bandra police catch a thief by chasing him on her bike along with the victim. Read more.

Hackers strike hard: Over one million cyber attacks on India since Pahalgam terror attack

In the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India now faces a new threat in the form of cyber warfare. A recent report titled ‘Echoes of Pahalgam', prepared by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, has revealed a sharp surge in cyber attacks targeting India, with nearly 10 lakh attempted breaches recorded since April 23. The report indicates that the education, defence, banking, and communication sectors are the primary targets. Read more.

All gone for Rs 8.5L to Indian-origin bizman!

Sydney-based businessman of Indian origin, Ram Chhabra won bids for all three Indian cricket related items that were auctioned for charity at The Chappell Foundation's (TCF) eighth annual dinner in Sydney on Wednesday. Australian-born Chhabra, 48, bought India opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal's 2024-2025 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series bat (AUD 6000, approx Rs 3.25 lakh), a bat signed by members of the Indian team which participated in the same series for AUD 4500 (approx Rs 2.43 lakh) and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant's helmet for AUD 5000 (approx Rs 2.70 lakh). In all, he spent AUD 15,500 (approx Rs 8.5 lakh). Read more.

Varun Dhawan and Kartik Aaryan to collaborate on Mujhse Shaadi Karogi 2: Report

Varun Dhawan's Bhediya 2 and Kartik Aaryan's Naagzilla have been announced as Independence Day 2026 releases, thus paving the way for a box-office clash. While the two actors would be rivals over that weekend, buzz suggests they may soon be co-stars. We've heard that Dhawan and Aaryan are the top contenders to play the leads in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi 2, the sequel to the 2004 comedy that saw Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar's characters in a game of one-upmanship as they wooed their ladylove, essayed by Priyanka Chopra. Read more.