Apple, on February 26, unveiled the barricade for Apple Borivali. The Apple Borivali store will be their sixth store in India and second in Mumbai. The first look of the Apple store at the Oberoi Sky City Mall in Borivali features a distinctive peacock-inspired visual identity first introduced at the September 2025 openings of Apple Hebbal in Bengaluru and Apple Koregaon Park in Pune, and more recently at Apple Noida. The design signals confidence, detail, and a sense of arrival, seen through Apple’s lens of creativity. What will be special about Apple's Borivali store? Apple Borivali will serve a growing community of startups and businesses, offering a welcoming space where customers can explore Apple products, unlock creativity, and get expert support from Apple’s store team members. As per the official statement from Apple India, “At Apple Borivali, customers can explore and purchase Apple’s latest product lineup, experience new features, and receive expert support from Specialists, Creatives, Geniuses, and dedicated Business teams.” They also added, “Customers can also take part in Today at Apple sessions – free, daily, in-store experiences, led by Apple Creatives, designed to help people learn, create, and get more out of their devices.” Together with the Apple Store online, the Apple Store app, and services such as Apple Pickup, Apple Trade In, Personal Setup, and help with switching to iOS, Apple Borivali deepens Apple’s commitment to customers in India, offering more personalised, seamless, and secure ways to connect with Apple. The Apple Borivali Store is to open on February 26 Ahead of the opening day, customers are invited to download exclusive Apple Borivali wallpapers, explore a curated Apple Music playlist inspired by the sounds of Mumbai, and learn more about the upcoming store at Borivali on Thursday, February 26, at 1 pm.
13 February,2026 02:44 PM IST | Mumbai | Tarun VermaA fire broke out at a paint manufacturing unit in the Vasai East area near Mumbai on Friday, news agency PTI reported, quoting officials. The blaze broke out around 10.30 am at the factory in Aisha Compound, which houses several industrial units. Thick plumes of smoke and flames rising high into the air were visible from a distance, they added. “Upon receiving information, our teams reached the site with three fire engines. The fire had intensified due to the presence of materials needed to make paint and other highly flammable substances inside the factory,” said a fire official from the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation. The fire has now been brought under control, PTI reported, quoting the official. Though no injuries were reported, property worth several lakhs of rupees appears to have been gutted in the blaze, he added, noting that the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Fire breaks out in Goregaon high-rise; no injuries reported A Level-1 fire broke out in a bedroom on the 9th floor of DB Wood Building on Krushna Vatika Road, Gokul Dham in Goregaon East early on Thursday morning, Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) stated in a press release. The incident was reported by a citizen at 9.11 am. The fire was confined to electric wiring, installations, kitchen items, and household articles in the bedroom of the ground-plus-45-storey residential building. MFB declared it a Level-1 fire at 9.25 am. Firefighting operations were immediately launched with the help of the building’s fixed fire-fighting system. As a precautionary measure, residents were evacuated and shifted to the refuge area and terrace. No injuries have been reported so far. The operation involved an assistant divisional fire officer, two senior station officers, four station officers, four firefighters, four junior firefighters, one assistant water tender operator, one turntable ladder, one hydraulic platform, one heavy rescue fire fighting vehicle, one breakdown van, one quick response vehicle, one water quick response vehicle, and a 108 ambulance. Apart from MFB, local police, staff from the electricity distribution company, 108 ambulance service, and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) staff were also deployed for the firefighting operation. The situation was brought under control quickly and the fire was extinguished by 10.17 am. Further cooling operations were underway to ensure that there are no flare-ups. MFB personnel are investigating the exact cause of the fire. (With PTI inputs)
13 February,2026 01:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA Level-1 fire broke out in a bedroom on the 9th floor of DB Wood Building on Krushna Vatika Road, Gokul Dham in Goregaon East early on Thursday morning, Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) stated in a press release. The incident was reported by a citizen at 9.11 am. The fire was confined to electric wiring, installations, kitchen items, and household articles in the bedroom of the ground-plus-45-storey residential building. MFB declared it a Level-1 fire at 9.25 am. Firefighting operations were immediately launched with the help of the building’s fixed fire-fighting system. As a precautionary measure, residents were evacuated and shifted to the refuge area and terrace. No injuries have been reported so far. The operation involved an assistant divisional fire officer, two senior station officers, four station officers, four firefighters, four junior firefighters, one assistant water tender operator, one turntable ladder, one hydraulic platform, one heavy rescue fire fighting vehicle, one breakdown van, one quick response vehicle, one water quick response vehicle, and a 108 ambulance. Apart from MFB, local police, staff from the electricity distribution company, 108 ambulance service, and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) staff were also deployed for the firefighting operation. The situation was brought under control quickly and the fire was extinguished by 10.17 am. Further cooling operations were underway to ensure that there are no flare-ups. MFB personnel are investigating the exact cause of the fire. Massive fire breaks out at Naval Dockyard in south Mumbai A massive fire broke out inside the Naval Dockyard near Gateway of India in south Mumbai on Thursday night. According to preliminary information, the blaze started at around 10.15 pm at waste stockyards within the Naval Dockyard premises. "The blaze was quickly brought under control by Naval fire tenders, who responded swiftly to the incident," a Naval spokesperson said. Officials confirmed that there were no casualties and no injuries have been reported. Sources said that the waste stockyards are located diagonally opposite the Gateway of India in Colaba, one of the city’s prominent landmarks. Following the incident, the Indian Navy officials quickly reached at the site and have launched a firefighting operation. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
13 February,2026 01:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentRajya Sabha Member Akhilesh Prasad Singh on Wednesday raised serious concerns over the growing misuse of deepfakes and artificial intelligence (AI) in spreading misinformation and enabling cybercrime, urging the government to amend existing laws to tackle emerging digital threats. Speaking during Zero Hour in the Upper House, the Bihar-based Congress MP warned that the unchecked use of AI technologies poses a grave risk to citizens, democratic institutions, and public trust, news agency PTI reported. Budget Session 2026: Such technologies used to harass citizens, says Congress MP “Today, the entire world is in grave danger of the misuse of deepfake and artificial intelligence,” Singh said. He noted that such technologies are being used to spread false information, impersonate individuals, influence public opinion, harass citizens, and weaken public confidence in democratic systems. According to Singh, deepfake tools/ or synthetic media capable of generating realistic audio, video and images —that realistically manipulate a person's likeness to make them appear to say or do things they never actually did have created unprecedented challenges for administrative, legal and governance frameworks. Highlighting the dangers, Singh said AI-driven manipulation threatens political identity, facilitates fraud and torture, and spreads large-scale misinformation. “The use of deepfakes on a global scale, the rapid theft of political identity, fraud, and the creation of social illusion is increasing rapidly,” he told the House. He added that the speed at which AI spreads false narratives makes it difficult for authorities to respond effectively. Though the technology has proved to have legitimate applications in entertainment, education and art, its rapid expansion in widespread misuse, particularly in harassment, fraud and political misinformation be it in India or globally cannot be ignored, PTI reported. Budget Session 2026: 'Old law needs to be changed' Citing international incidents, Singh referred to a European Commission report that estimates over 90 percent of online content used in cybercrime will be based on deepfakes. He pointed out that during Slovakia’s 2023 presidential election, AI-generated fake audio in a candidate’s voice was broadcasted just before voting, raising concerns over electoral integrity. Singh also mentioned the 2024 US Election, where voters were urged through deepfake technology not to vote for then-President Joe Biden, prompting a government investigation, PTI reported. Similarly, Taiwan reported deepfake activities linked to foreign elements during its elections, he said. "These events show that AI is very fast at spreading false information. Fraud is happening all over the world. Even in India, the old law needs to be changed," Singh stated. Referring to the Indian context, he stressed the need for urgent legal reforms and emphasised that without updated legal safeguards, citizens, and institutions remain vulnerable to large-scale digital manipulation. (With PTI inputs)
13 February,2026 12:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMumbai woke up to slightly chilly Friday morning. However, the city is likely to experience warm conditions ahead as the maximum temperature is likely to reach 35 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) latest weather update. The minimum temperature is expected to hover at 19 degrees Celsius. According to the weather bureau's latest predictions issued at 10 am, Mumbai is likely to witness "partly clear skies in the city and suburbs". Meanwhile, Mumbai's overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 114 on Friday morning, placing it in the ‘moderate’ category. According to the Centre's SAMEER app, pollution levels varied significantly across locations, with Bandra-Kurla Complex recording an AQI of 126, Borivali East 61, Andheri East 125, Chembur 104, Deonar 137, Kandivali East 104, and Kurla 110. All these areas reported AQI in the ‘moderate’ category, while Colaba (93), Bhandup West (94), Mulund West (77), and Powai (67) were in the 'good' category. Delhi air quality improves to ‘moderate’ as AQI falls to 183 The national capital’s air quality showed slight improvement on Friday, with the air quality index (AQI) recorded at 183, placing it in the ‘moderate’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Delhi had registered a ‘poor’ AQI of 209 on Thursday and 294 on Wednesday morning. CPCB data showed that several monitoring stations across the city continued to record moderate to poor air quality levels. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 236, Bawana 215, Chandni Chowk 176, DTU 202, Dwarka Sector-8 194, IGI Airport (T3) 144, Jahangirpuri 252, Mandir Marg 145, Mundka 237, Narela 229, Okhla Phase-2 180, Patparganj 193, Pusa 209, R.K. Puram 199, Rohini 232, Shadipur 261, Sonia Vihar 211, Vivek Vihar 211 and Wazirpur 215. Meanwhile, the national capital recorded a temperature of 12 degrees Celsius around 7 am, with humidity at 95 per cent, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). As per AQI classification, readings between 0 and 50 are considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’. Delhi has been witnessing warmer afternoons over the past few days, though light mist in the early mornings continues to bring a chill. With daytime temperatures gradually rising, the city appears to be moving out of the harsher phase of winter. According to the IMD, the minimum temperature is expected to hover around 11 degrees Celsius, while the maximum may climb to 27 degrees Celsius on Friday. (With inputs from IANS)
13 February,2026 11:05 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentWith 90 days to go before the onset of the monsoon, the BMC administration has sought a larger role from the newly elected representatives in its ongoing Rs 17,000 crore road concreting work. In an administrative review meeting conducted by Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani on Wednesday, following the elections of Mumbai’s mayor and her deputy, the administration has been directed to keep elected representatives informed of the status of all ongoing road work and to take routine feedback back from them. “The feedback received from citizens can be easily communicated to the administration through elected representatives, adding an extra layer of quality checks,” an official said. The BMC has also said all work on all excavated roads will be completed before the monsoon season, to avoid exposing unfinished sections to the rain. According to the civic body, the incidence of potholes due to rain on concrete roads is minimal, resulting in significant savings in maintenance and upkeep costs. Top directives>> Ensure work started from October 1, 2025, is completed by the rainy season>> Complete all excavation work before the monsoon>> It is mandatory for engineers to be present at concreting work sites>> Quality work includes ensuring that all conditions are strictly met at every level Status of workPhase 1Number of roads: 700Completion: 77%Phase 2Number of roads: 1420Completion: 52%Combined length of roadsconcreted so far: 410 km Project detailsTotal cost: Rs 17,000 crTotal no of r ads: 2121Total length of roads: 696.85 kmTimeline of project: January 2023 to 2027Percentage of work completed: 63 per cent Top 4 wards where work has been completed R CentralCompleted: 131In progress: 44Pending: 10P NorthCompleted: 102In progress: 35Pending: 8 P SouthCompleted: 81In progress: 40Pending: 16 K WestCompleted: 78In progress: 54Pending: 15
13 February,2026 09:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Eeshanpriya MSThe political rift between Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) seems to be widening. On Thursday, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande accused Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators of supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Chandrapur mayoral election in exchange for money. Deshpande claimed that each Sena (UBT) corporator was allegedly offered R1 crore for their support. “Through my sources, I have learnt that Sena (UBT) corporators were offered remuneration for supporting the BJP mayoral candidate in the Chandrapur municipal corporation,” the MNS leader added. A Shiv Sena (UBT) leader from Chandrapur, however, has dismissed Deshpande’s accusations, calling them “baseless.” The leader challenged Deshpande to provide proof if his claims were genuine. Sandeep Deshpande, MNS leader. PIC/X/@SandeepDadarMNS Meanwhile, Deshpande also took a sharp swipe at senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and member of Parliament Sanjay Raut, who had earlier criticised the MNS for backing deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC). mid-day reported on February 7 about the tensions between the cousins’ factions following the civic elections, with workers from both parties accusing each other of helping rivals after the polls. A fragile alliance? The splitIn 2005, Raj Thackeray, protesting against the ‘coterie’ surrounding his cousin Uddhav, left the Shiv Sena, which was founded by his uncle Bal Thackeray in 1966, to float the MNS The reunionIn December last year, Raj and Uddhav reunited for the causes of Marathi and Maharashtra pride, contesting civic polls against the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena The reasonInitially, MNS supported the Shinde Sena in the Kalyan Dombivli and Nashik municipal corporations for electing the mayor. Later, likewise, Sena (UBT) supported the BJP in the Chandrapur civic body The takeawayThe renewed alliance is under strain, and post-poll alliances in general are becoming unpredictable in Maharashtra politics Mutual discontentAfter the election, MNS workers accused Shiv Sena (UBT) of not working for its party’s candidates. Both camps allege the other supported rivals, flouting alliance dharma Feb 11Day Chandrapur mayor was elected
13 February,2026 09:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Sanjeev ShivadekarFirst you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you,” a quote by American novelist F Scott Fitzgerald was relied upon by the Bombay High Court while refusing compensation to an intoxicated man who was injured in a railway accident. A single bench of Justice Jitendra Jain, in an order passed on Wednesday, a copy of which was made available on Thursday, said alcohol ruins everything. The court dismissed an appeal filed by a lab assistant with Bombay Hospital, challenging a 2014 order of the Railway Claims Tribunal denying him compensation for injuries suffered at a railway platform on March 10, 2001. It said the applicant was barred relief because the injury was due to an act committed in a state of intoxication. “Alcohol ruins everything. Physical and mental health, relationships, career disruption and has severe long-term lifestyle consequences,” the HC said in its order.
13 February,2026 09:52 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesThe Bombay High Court on Thursday expressed concerns over increasing encroachments on public roads in the city terming the situation “grim”, and remarked that in the future residents would be forced to ride bicycles and horses. A bench of Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Abhay Mantri wondered what would become of the city in the next two decades if squatting and illegal encroachments continued unchecked, and slammed the BMC, saying it seems to lack courage to remove them. “If a stop is not put to this [illegal structures], in the future people would be forced to use only bicycles or horses on roads which would be taken over by encroachers,” the court observed. The court made the remarks while hearing a plea filed by a Powai school over BMC’s inaction against encroachments in the institute’s vicinity. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 February,2026 09:47 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesThane, Dombivli, and Diva rank among the top three stations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region on Central Railway to have experienced an explosion in terms of passenger numbers in the past five years. Among key stations between Thane and Thakurli, the former recorded the highest increase in daily footfall — rising from 1.23 lakh passengers in 2021-22 to 2.65 lakh in 2024-25, an increase of over 1.42 lakh commuters. Thane railway station saw its daily passenger footfall increase from 1.23 lakh in 2021-22 to 2.65 lakh in 2024-25. Pic/Rajendra B Aklekar Passengers and commuter organisations have expressed concern and called for better public transport options in addition to increasing suburban services, with some attributing excessive crowding in local trains, inadequate safety measures, and negligence towards the safety of passengers for the rising number of accidents on the railway network. Five projects that will increase capacity 1 Platform extension to accommodate 15-coach trains at 34 stations on the CSMT-Kalyan fast corridorWhat will it lead to: A 25% increase in passenger-carrying capacityDeadline: Early 2026 2 Ongoing Kalyan yard remodellingWhat will it lead to: Segregation of rail traffic, improving local servicesDeadline: March 2027 3 Parel-Kurla 5th and 6th lineWhat will it lead to: A dedicated suburban train corridor between the Parel-Kalyan section and beyondDeadline: Work is slowly happening in a phase-wise manner at the zonal level 4 Kalyan-Kasara 3rd and 4th line and Kalyan-Karjat 3rd and 4th lineWhat will it lead to: A dedicated express train corridor beyond Kalyan, making space for suburban trains.Deadline: Phase 1, late 2026 5 Panvel-Karjat projectWhat will it lead to: New suburban corridor connectivityDeadline: 2026 Words of concern Advocate Sushma Dhakane, member, Karjat Grievance Redressal Committee’Additional local trips should be increased between sensitive places other than Kalwa-Mumbra during rush hours. There should be an effective mechanism in place to control passengers standing near the door during rush hour, and a focused campaign run for students and passengers’ Siddhesh Desai, vice-president, Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh‘Not a single politician is taking action regarding passenger issues. Why are there separate legislators for five lakh teachers but none for Mumbai’s 70 lakh railway passengers?’ Lata Argade, president, Federation of Suburban Passengers’ Association‘There is an urgent need to change daily office hours, complete the Kalwa-Airoli link project, build a Metro line from Kalyan to Thane and run shuttle services between Thane, Kasara, and Karjat’
13 February,2026 09:47 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarOn Valentine’s Day tomorrow (February 14), Mumbai runner Kishore Sarangula is set to show some love for our Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel who perished in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. Going solo As a tribute to the fallen personnel, Sarangula on Saturday will run solo for 12 hours from 5 am to 5 pm. The Mahim resident will be running around Shivaji Park “to show people, youngsters, especially, that they may have plans to celebrate Valentine’s, but they need to take a few minutes off to show love for 40 of our brothers who perished in Pulwama,” said Sarangula. Runner Kishore Sarangula is stepping up for our bravehearts Sarangula, 56, said, “I also want to send a message that age is a number, and so are timings. The important thing is pushing through barriers and persevering towards goals, being more than you thought you could ever be.” About the venue, he said, “I will be taking rounds of the Maidan. The entire Shivaji Park is my running club and my family.” Talking about the 12-hour time of his run, he said, “I start at dawn and finish before sunset, because I want to run with the sun.” The poster announcing the run and motivation behind it In support Sarangula, a make-up artist by profession, said, “Anybody who is at the park, if they wish to, is welcome to run with me, even symbolically to show support.” “I will also be placing a tribute book near the Shivaji Park Gymkhana [SPG] for people who may not run but want to pen down a message for the CRPF in solidarity. Even a ‘Jai Hind’ is enough; keep it simple,” said Sarangula, who does not have a ‘support’ team on his run, but the SPG is with him. He has permission to use their washroom and drinking water facilities during that 12-hour run. A date which lives in infamy It has been seven years since the Pulwama attack. On February 14, 2019, a vehicle-borne suicide bomber attacked a convoy of Indian security personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The incident occurred in the Lethapora village in the Pulwama district of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. At least 40 CRPF personnel were killed along with the perpetrator, Adil Ahmad Dar, a local Kashmiri from the Pulwama district.
13 February,2026 09:47 AM IST | Mumbai | Hemal AsharADVERTISEMENT
-1770204271552_d.png "Rajya Sabha Congress member Akhilesh Prasad Singh. Pic/X @akhileshPdsingh")
