The Maharashtra government on Wednesday appointed IPS officer Deven Bharti as the new Police Commissioner of Mumbai.

Bharati, who has been the Special Police Commissioner since 2023, will take over from the incumbent Vivek Phansalkar, who retires from the service on Wednesday.

The names of senior police officers, including Sadanand Date, Sanjay Varma and Archana Tyagi, were also doing the rounds for the Mumbai CP’s post.

Bharti, a 1994 batch IAS officer, has held significant positions in the Mumbai police, including a long tenure as Joint Commissioner of Police, Law and Order and Additional Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch. He has headed the Maharashtra State Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and was involved in the investigations of major crimes, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and journalist J. Dey's murder.

Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued a strong warning to the public against using opinion trading platforms, saying these platforms operate outside its regulatory oversight and offer no protection to investors under securities laws.

In an advisory, SEBI said that some online platforms, referred to as ‘opinion trading platforms’, allow users to trade on the outcomes of yes-or-no events.

The payout depends on whether a certain event happens or not. For example, users may place trades on whether a sports team will win, or if a particular political decision will be taken.

These platforms often use financial terms like ‘profits’, ‘stop loss’ and ‘trading’, giving the impression that they are legitimate investment platforms, SEBI added.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday said that the successful conduct of the multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) by Manila and its allies, US and Australia, demonstrates the "growing synergy" between partner nations.

"The 9th MMCA demonstrates the growing synergy among like-minded partners in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. These exercises are vital in strengthening our collective defence posture and operational readiness," AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said.

Additionally, the Philippines said there was nothing provocative about the MMCA conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), together with allies from the United States and Australia.

"The AFP stands firm in exercising our sovereign rights within our maritime domain. The conduct of joint exercises and maritime domain awareness operations within our territorial waters and exclusive economic zone is not a provocation -- it is preparedness," AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said on Wednesday.

With a severe heatwave sweeping across western Rajasthan, the Meteorological Department has issued a public advisory, warning of serious health risks associated with the extreme temperatures.

R.S. Sharma, Director of the Jaipur Meteorological Centre, said that vulnerable groups -- including the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing health conditions -- are at greater risk of heat-related illnesses.

“People working long hours outdoors or under direct sunlight are particularly susceptible to heat exhaustion and heatstroke,” he noted.

Sharma also highlighted the broader impact of the heatwave. “Intense heat conditions can cause significant stress to crops and vegetables, potentially affecting agricultural productivity. Domestic animals, birds, and wildlife are also at risk,” he said.

Gold prices could climb to $3,300 per ounce in 2025, driven by concerns over slowing economic growth in the US, increasing geopolitical tensions, and rising fiscal deficits, a new report said on Wednesday.

This has led to renewed interest in gold as a safe investment option, especially as equity markets see corrections, as per a report by Capitalmind Financial Services Private Limited.

The report highlights that gold has proven to be a strong and reliable asset for Indian investors over the long term.

Despite its price volatility in global markets, gold has consistently delivered positive returns in Indian rupee (INR) terms.

In fact, the study points out that gold has never had a negative decade in INR, while it faced two decades of negative returns in US dollar (USD) terms.

Occupier and investor demand for commercial real estate remains solid, with office space absorption continuing across key markets such as India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, according to a Cushman & Wakefield report on the Asia-Pacific region, released on Wednesday.

Net absorption of office space across Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the first quarter of 2025 recorded a robust 20 per cent increase to 26 million square feet (msf) from 22 msf in the same quarter last year, the report states.

U.S. dollar strength and relatively attractive yields are driving increased global capital inflows into APAC real estate, particularly into stable sectors like logistics, data centres, and multifamily.

The downward trajectory in interest rates will also boost investments into the commercial real estate sector, according to the report.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that Bangladesh will tour Pakistan in May for a five-match T20I series The series will be played in Faisalabad and Lahore from May 25 to June 3.

Initially scheduled as a three-ODI and three-T20I series under the Future Tours Programme (FTP), the tour has been revised to include five T20Is.

"The series, which is part of the Future Tour Programme (FTP), originally consisted of three ODIs and three T20Is. However, with the ICC Men's T20 World Cup scheduled for next year, both the boards have mutually agreed to replace the ODIs with two additional T20Is," PCB said in a statement.

Iqbal Stadium, which has previously hosted 24 Tests and 16 ODIs between 1978 and 2008, will welcome back international cricket after a 17-year hiatus. The historic venue’s last international fixture was an ODI between Bangladesh and Pakistan in April 2008.

Jensen AckleS, Eric Dane and Jessica Camacho’s upcoming action series “Countdown” will stream from June 25 on Prime Video.

The streaming platform announced the premiere date and released first-look images for its new action series Countdown, created by Derek Haas The series will debut worldwide on Wednesday, June 25, with a three-episode premiere. New episodes will follow weekly, leading up to the season finale on Wednesday, September 3.

The cast is led by Jensen Ackles, known for his work in The Boys and Supernatural. He is joined by Grey’s Anatomy fame Eric Dane, and Jessica Camacho of The Flash fame. The series also stars Violett Beane , Elliot Knight, and Uli Latukefu.

According to the synopsis, “Countdown” follows an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum, portrayed by Ackles, is recruited to a secret task force, alongside undercover agents from all branches of law enforcement, to investigate.”

After two matches against the Australia A side, the Indian women’s hockey team is set to face the senior team in their next three friendlies at the Perth Hockey Stadium on 1 May. India will be looking to improve upon their performance after suffering two defeats in their first two games against Australia A.

In the first match, India fought valiantly but fell short and were dealt a 3-5 defeat by the Australia A team.

The winning side took an early lead, scoring four goals in the first half. India did well to reduce the deficit but couldn’t make a comeback over the next two quarters. Mahima Tete (27’), Navneet Kaur (45’), and Lalremsiami (50’) scored goals for India, while Neasa Flynn (3’), Olivia Downes (9’), Ruby Harris (11’), Tatum Stewart (21’), and Kendra Fitzpatrick (44’) recorded goals for Australia A.

A judicial inquiry has been initiated following the alleged custodial death of a 19-year-old youth, identified as Ravi Sahni alias Ravi Kaliya, a resident of Samalka, New Delhi.

The incident occurred on Tuesday while he was being transported to a police station after his arrest.

According to a statement released by Delhi Police, the incident began at around 3 p.m. when a motorcycle patrol team observed two individuals on a bike acting suspiciously near the Palam area.

When signalled to stop, the duo allegedly attempted to flee but were apprehended after a brief chase.

The suspects were identified as Vikas alias Majnu (28) and Ravi Sahni alias Ravi Kaliya (19), both residents of Samalka. After a search, the police claim to have recovered a country-made pistol and one live cartridge from Vikas.