Bangladesh police have arrested Yasin Arafat, a 25-year-old former madrasa teacher and imam, as a key suspect in the lynching and burning death of Hindu garment worker Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka upazila on December 18. Authorities said Yasin played a leading role in gathering and inciting a mob that beat Das to death, dragged his body, and set it on fire, triggering widespread outrage and concerns over minority safety. He was captured in Dhaka after nearly two weeks on the run. The total number of arrests in the case has now reached at least 21. Investigations continue.

Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was the woman shot dead by a US immigration agent in Minneapolis. City leaders said she was a legal observer of ICE activity. The White House said she interfered with officers. Her family said she was “kind and compassionate.” Good was an award-winning poet who studied creative writing at Old Dominion University. She later worked as a dental assistant and at a credit union, but had stayed home in recent years. She had moved to Minneapolis last year from Kansas City. A fundraiser for her children raised more than $370,000 within hours. (PC: BBC)

Bangladesh police have arrested another suspect in the killing of Hindu garment worker Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh. The detective branch said Mohammad Yasin Arafat, 25, was held from Dhaka’s Sarulia area on Wednesday. A senior officer said Yasin “played a leading role” in the murder and went into hiding for nearly two weeks after the attack. He was working as an imam and also taught at a madrasa, police said. Officers added that his role was confirmed by other accused and witnesses. So far, 21 people have been arrested in the case, with most sent to jail. (PC: HT)

The United States said it will oversee sales of Venezuelan oil and keep the proceeds in US Treasury accounts. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Washington will first sell stored crude and then handle future output. “We’re going to market the crude coming out of Venezuela,” he said. President Donald Trump added that Caracas would hand over up to 50 million barrels for sale. The White House said revenue will be held in accounts in Venezuela’s name. Officials also said sanctions are being eased to allow US firms to help rebuild oil facilities, while talks continue with state firm PDVSA over sales arrangements. (PC: NDTV)

Poland has voiced support for India as Washington threatens steep tariffs over New Delhi’s Russian oil imports. Speaking in Paris, Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski said he was “satisfied that India has reduced Russian oil imports,” adding that such trade “is fuelling Putin’s war machine.” He made the remarks after India joined the Weimar Triangle talks with France and Germany. The comments come as the US weighs penalties that could reach 500 per cent on countries buying Russian energy. President Donald Trump has already imposed duties of up to 50 per cent on some Indian goods and warned of further action. (PC: X )

Protests broke out in Minneapolis after a US immigration agent shot dead 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good on Wednesday morning. Videos show ICE officers approaching her car in the middle of a street. As the vehicle moved, at least two shots were fired. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Good had blocked officers and tried to use her car as a weapon. The Minneapolis City Council said she was helping neighbours when she was killed. Hundreds of ICE agents are now in the city under a federal immigration drive. Mayor Jacob Frey urged the agents to leave. The FBI is investigating the shooting. 

A 37-year-old woman, Renee Nicole Good, was fatally shot by a US immigration agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning. Federal officials said she tried to run over officers with her car. City leaders said the agent acted recklessly. Videos online show agents approaching her SUV parked on a residential street. As the vehicle moved, at least two shots were fired and the car crashed into another vehicle. The FBI is leading the investigation. The injured agent was treated and released from hospital. Protests followed across the city, and schools cancelled classes for the week due to safety concerns. ICE operations in Minneapolis will continue.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed Pakistan won't need IMF loans within six months due to surging fighter jet orders following the May 2025 India-Pakistan mini-war. However, experts dismiss this as unrealistic. Political scientist Ayesha Siddiqa noted Pakistan only manufactures 35% of JF-17's airframe, sharing revenues with China. Pakistan's total debt exceeds $280-300 billion, with debt servicing consuming over half of federal revenues. Economist Qaiser Bengali stated Pakistan has "already defaulted," surviving only by taking new loans to repay old ones. Pakistan recently sold its national airline PIA for Rs 4,300 crore under IMF pressure, contradicting Asif's optimistic claims about economic independence through jet sales.

Pakistani PhD student Zorain Nizamani's op-ed "It Is Over" went viral after being removed from The Express Tribune hours after publication, allegedly under military pressure. The article argued Pakistan's ruling elites have lost influence over younger generations, stating forced patriotism through seminars and speeches no longer works. Nizamani claimed Gen Z and Gen Alpha see through propaganda thanks to internet access and education, despite state efforts. He noted frustrated youth are leaving Pakistan rather than challenging authorities. The censorship sparked massive backlash, with former PM Imran Khan's PTI and activists condemning the removal as proof of the article's truth. Nizamani, son of actors Fazila Qazi and Qaiser Khan Nizamani, became a national hero online. 

Russia strongly condemned the US seizure of Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera (formerly Bella 1) in the North Atlantic, asserting no state has authority to use force against lawfully registered vessels on the high seas. Russia's Ministry of Transport stated the vessel received a temporary Russian flag permit on December 24, 2025, per international law, before US Naval forces boarded it outside territorial waters. Citing the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Moscow emphasized freedom of navigation rights. The US European Command confirmed seizing the sanctioned tanker after weeks of Coast Guard pursuit, executing a federal court warrant. The vessel had evaded a US blockade near Venezuela for over two weeks, escalating US-Russia maritime tensions. (PC: AP)