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.

Stock markets decline in early trade after sharp rally in previous session

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade on Friday amid emergence of profit-taking after a sharp rally in the previous trading session. Markets were dragged lower due to selling in IT stocks and a largely weak trend in Asian markets. After a weak start to the day, the 30-share BSE benchmark gauge Sensex further declined 252.97 points to 82,277.77 in early trade. The NSE Nifty dropped 67.6 points to 24,994.50.