After the recently concluded ICC Men’s Champions Trophy-winning campaign, India skipper Rohit Sharma moved up to third place in the ODI batting rankings chart, led by fellow opener Shubman Gill.

India lifted their third Champions Trophy title with a thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in Dubai, star performers from both teams have been rewarded in the rankings update released on Wednesday.

Rohit, who smashed a match-winning 76 off 83 balls in the final, jumped two places to third. For his impressive performance in the final, Rohit was awarded the Player of the Match trophy. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli, who amassed 218 runs in the tournament, remains in the top five (fifth place) following his haul of 218 runs in the tournament.

New Zealand’s batters also made notable progress. Daryl Mitchell moves up one place to sixth, while young sensation Rachin Ravindra climbs an impressive 14 spots to 14th. Glenn Phillips also makes a leap, advancing six places to 24th.

Investors in India continued to show strong interest in gold Exchange Traded Funds (Gold ETFs), with a net inflow of Rs 1,979.84 crore recorded in February, according to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) on Wednesday.

This marks the 10th consecutive month of net inflows into gold ETFs, driven by stock market volatility and global economic uncertainty.

The rising gold prices and consistent inflows pushed the total assets under management (AUM) of gold ETFs in India to a record Rs 55,677.25 crore by the end of February.

In comparison, the AUM stood at Rs 28,529.88 crore in February 2024 and Rs 51,839.39 crore in January 2025.

Real estate developers across India embarked on an ambitious expansion drive, acquiring 2,335 acres of land valued at a staggering Rs 39,742 crore in 23 key cities during 2024, according to a JLL report released on Wednesday.

These strategic land acquisitions have laid the foundation for potential development of 194 million sq. ft of real estate which will require an estimated investment exceeding Rs 62,000 crore, the report states.

It highlights that while Tier I cities maintained their dominance, accounting for 72 per cent of the land purchases, the year witnessed a significant shift towards smaller urban centres as well. Tier II and III cities claimed a substantial 28 per cent share of the acquisitions, translating to 662 acres of land.

This trend signals a growing recognition of the untapped potential in these emerging markets.

Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is being taken to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, Netherlands, on charges of crimes against humanity, local media reported on Wednesday.

He was arrested under a warrant issued on orders of the ICC at Manila airport on Tuesday morning upon his arrival from Hong Kong. He is facing charges before the ICC for his role in alleged extrajudicial killings committed during his administration's war on drugs.

Human rights groups estimate that more than 30,000 people were killed during the drug war, many of them were accused without evidence and executed without trial.

Philippines Senate President Francis Escudero on Wednesday commended law enforcement, legal representatives, and supporters for the orderly and incident-free serving of the arrest warrant from ICC against former President Duterte.

The Centre on Wednesday informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib, Amritpal Singh, has been granted a “leave of absence for 54 days” for attending the ongoing session of the Lok Sabha.

Singh, who is currently detained in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA), had approached the court seeking permission to attend parliamentary proceedings, fearing that prolonged absence beyond 60 days could lead to his constituency being declared vacant.

During the hearing, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel noted that Singh’s concern had been addressed by a letter dated March 11 from the Lok Sabha Secretariat, granting him the leave of absence. “Since the petitioner’s apprehension regarding disqualification from Parliament due to absence stands alleviated, the relief sought is effectively satisfied,” the bench observed.

The share prices of JSW Steel Limited and Tata Steel Limited fell on Wednesday, leading to a decline in the Nifty Metal index.

This drop comes as the US imposed new tariffs on steel and aluminum, impacting global market sentiment.

US President Donald Trump announced a 25 per cent duty on steel and aluminum imports without any exemptions.

This move is expected to affect metal prices in the international market. Despite concerns raised by American industries, including aluminum giant Alcoa Corp, Trump proceeded with the tariff hike.

Alcoa had warned that these tariffs could put thousands of jobs at risk and drive up costs for American consumers already struggling with inflation.

Violence and waves of displacements have overwhelmed the fragile healthcare system in El-Fasher, the capital of Sudan's North Darfur state, UN humanitarians said.

"More than 200 health facilities in El Fasher are not functioning, and there are severe shortages of medical staff, essential medicines and life-saving supplies," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Humanitarian partners have been trying to provide medical supplies, but their efforts to deliver continue to be impeded by insecurity and access constraints, the office said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that more than 70 per cent of hospitals and health facilities across areas impacted by the hostilities in Sudan are no longer operational, leaving millions without healthcare.

A balloon with a Pakistani flag and name was found on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district on the Indian side of the International Border (IB).

Officials said that a suspicious balloon was found in the Palauna village of the Ghagwal sector of Samba district in the morning, creating a stir.

“The balloon had Pakistan's name and flag mark on it. This balloon was found in the fields by a woman of the village. After finding the balloon, the woman immediately informed the local people and police post Ghagwal. The police team reached the spot and seized the balloon," officials said.

“At present, the police are investigating the matter as to where this balloon came from and whether there is any conspiracy behind it. Earlier also, incidents of finding such balloons have come to the fore in the border areas. Security agencies are seriously investigating the matter”, officials added.

As the maximum temperature in most parts of Rajasthan was recorded above normal, the Meteorological (MeT) Department on Wednesday issued a warning for hailstorms accompanied by rain for March 14 and 15 in parts of the state.

The weather is expected to start changing on March 13, with a yellow alert in place for hailstorms on March 15.

Barmer and Jalore registered extreme heatwave conditions, with temperatures soaring.

In the past 24 hours, Barmer recorded the highest temperature in the state at 41.2 degrees Celsius, while Jalore reached 40 degrees, which is 7 degrees above the average.

Other districts, including Jodhpur, Chittorgarh, Sirohi, Dungarpur, and Pali, also experienced intense heat, with temperatures around 39 degrees. The heatwave persisted for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.