Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the 2025 IPL champions, have been put up for sale by their owner, Diageo. The franchise plays in both the IPL and Women’s Premier League (WPL). Diageo has started the sale process and expects it to finish by March 31, 2026. RCB has been part of the IPL since 2008 and won the WPL in 2024. Top players like Virat Kohli, Smriti Mandhana, and Josh Hazlewood are in the team. Reports say Diageo is seeking around USD 2 billion. Interested buyers, including Adar Poonawalla, may participate. The team will still play in upcoming auctions. (PC: NDTV)

A Haryana woman, Pinky Juginder Kaushik, denied Rahul Gandhi’s charge of “vote chori” after her voter ID allegedly showed a Brazilian model’s photo. Speaking to India Today TV, she said it was only a printing mistake. “I cast my own vote in 2024 using Aadhaar,” she said. Her brother-in-law called the allegations “propaganda.” Another woman, Munish Devi, faced a similar mix-up and said the error came from election data operators, not voters. Rahul Gandhi had alleged large-scale voter fraud with duplicate entries, but the Election Commission rejected his claims, saying no appeals were filed over Haryana’s rolls. (PC: India Today)

Two US courts stayed the deportation of Subramanyam "Subu" Vedam, 64, who spent 43 years wrongly imprisoned for murder before being exonerated in October. Despite being a legal permanent resident who moved to America at nine months old, ICE detained him immediately after release, citing a 1988 deportation order and a 1984 drug conviction (selling LSD while police investigated the murder case). An immigration judge and US District Court in Pennsylvania granted stays pending appeals review. His lawyers argue 43 years of wrongful imprisonment outweighs his conviction at age 20. Homeland Security's Tricia McLaughlin defended ICE's action, stating "criminal illegal aliens are not welcome." His family emphasizes weak India connections. (PC: BBC)

Beyond Zohran Mamdani's NYC victory, Indian-Americans swept multiple races nationwide. Hyderabad-born Ghazala Hashmi became Virginia's Lieutenant Governor, the first Muslim American woman elected to statewide office anywhere in the US. Aftab Pureval won Cincinnati mayoral re-election, defeating JD Vance's half-brother Cory Bowman. Balvir Singh, New Jersey's first Sikh state representative, secured re-election, while Hoboken mayor Ravinder Bhalla won assembly election. Virginia's JJ Singh and Kannan Srinivasan retained their seats. However, Dini Ajwani lost Hoboken's mayoral race. Looking ahead, Vivek Ramaswamy leads Ohio's Republican gubernatorial race, while Raja Krishnamoorthi could become Illinois's second Indian-origin Senator. Results celebrate America's 4.9-million Indian-American community amid rising racial rhetoric. (PC: VPM, Ideastream & ABC News)

Zohran Mamdani, NYC's first Muslim mayor at 34, represents everything MAGA fears: young, brown, Muslim, democratic socialist, and immigrant. Trump responded to his victory with "AND SO IT BEGINS!" Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa with progressive policies including free childcare, public buses, and city-run grocery stores. He declared NYC will remain "a city of immigrants...led by an immigrant," directly challenging Trump. His Palestine stance, calling Israel's Gaza actions "genocide" and pledging to enforce ICC warrants against Netanyahu infuriates Trump-aligned Republicans. Trump previously mocked Mamdani's appearance, calling him "TERRIBLE" and "not very smart," but Mamdani won decisively, refusing to apologize for any identity.

The government has launched a fresh probe into Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group over alleged diversion of funds. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has handed the case to the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) after finding signs of large-scale fund misuse. Companies under probe include Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Communications, and Reliance Commercial Finance. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also attached assets worth Rs 7,500 crore linked to the group in a separate case. Investigators say loans taken between 2010 and 2012 were misused to repay old debts. The move adds to ongoing actions by the ED, CBI, and SEBI against the group. (PC: India Today)

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow could restart nuclear tests if the United States does so. “If Washington starts testing, we will respond in kind,” Putin said at a security council meeting in Moscow. He ordered defence and foreign ministry officials to “gather information” and prepare “proposals” for possible test preparations. His remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that America would begin nuclear testing “on an equal basis.” Putin said Russia’s nuclear deterrent was “at the highest level,” stronger than any other nation’s. The last full nuclear test in the world was by North Korea in 2017. (PC: Reuters)

Indian-Americans had a strong showing in the 2025 US elections, winning major state and local races. Zohran Mamdani became New York’s first Indian-origin mayor. Hyderabad-born Ghazala Hashmi was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, making history as the first Muslim American woman to win statewide office. Aftab Pureval was re-elected as Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio. In New Jersey, Balvir Singh and Hoboken mayor Ravinder Bhalla won seats in the State Assembly. Other winners included JJ Singh and Kannan Srinivasan in Virginia. The victories mark growing political influence for America’s 4.9 million-strong Indian-origin community across the country. (PC: Bloomberg/ AP)

At least 66 people have died and 26 remain missing after Typhoon Kalmaegi hit the central Philippines, causing severe flooding and destruction. Most deaths were reported in Cebu, where rivers overflowed and people were trapped on rooftops waiting for rescue. Six military officers also died when their helicopter crashed during a relief mission in Mindanao. Over 387,000 residents evacuated before the storm, and Cebu declared a state of calamity to speed up aid. The typhoon brought winds up to 180 km/h and forced the cancellation of 186 flights. The Philippines faces around 20 major storms every year. (PC: Alan Tangcawan/AFP/Getty Images)

Heavy flooding in southwest Wales led to a major incident on Wednesday, with emergency crews rescuing dozens of people and animals. More than 450 emergency calls were made overnight, mainly from the Carmarthenshire area. Forty-eight residents were rescued from a care home, while over 40 others were saved from flooded houses. Firefighters also rescued three people trapped in fast-flowing water and over 30 dogs from a flooded shelter in Kidwelly. Roads were closed, and schools shut down as rivers overflowed. Officials praised rescue teams for their courage and urged residents to stay alert amid ongoing flood warnings across Wales. (PC: MAWWFRS)