Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman addressed a large public rally in Dhaka, outlining his roadmap to restore democracy and peace in the country. Speaking after years in exile, Rahman declared “I have a plan,” stressing the need to rebuild democratic institutions, ensure public safety and protect citizens’ rights. He called for national unity beyond political, religious and social divisions, urging people to work together for a stable and inclusive Bangladesh. Rahman emphasized peaceful political change, justice and democratic participation as key pillars of his vision for the nation’s future.

A 30-year-old migrant labourer from Murshidabad in West Bengal, identified as Juel Sheikh, was beaten to death in Sambalpur district’s Shanti Nagar area on Wednesday night while returning from work. The assault followed an altercation with a group of men who stopped Sheikh and his co-workers, allegedly over a request for a bidi (cigarette) that escalated into violence. Sheikh sustained serious head injuries and died at a hospital. Odisha police have arrested six suspects and are investigating. While West Bengal leaders say the attack was due to suspicion of being a Bangladeshi immigrant, police deny this motive and call the incident a sudden provocation. (PC: The Hindu)

Kolkata marked Christmas this year with open street celebrations that drew people from many faiths and communities. Park Street and Bow Barracks again became key centres as markets stayed open late and crowds filled public spaces. Churches such as St Paul’s Cathedral and Sacred Heart held services that spread onto nearby streets. City agencies arranged traffic control and extended transport to manage the rush. Vendors sold cakes, lights, and festive items across neighbourhoods. The celebrations came amid reports from other states of curbs and incidents linked to Christmas events. In Kolkata, the festival remained a public affair, with streets, homes, and churches all taking part in the season. (PC: India Today)

A Hindu advocate plans to contest the Gopalganj-3 seat once held by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh’s February 12 election. Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, general secretary of the Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote, will file his nomination on December 28 as an independent. He told local media he is a “neutral person” with no party links and wants to speak for common people. Several candidates from BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party and other groups are also in the race. The polls will be held under an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, amid reports of rising attacks on minority communities after Hasina’s removal last year. (PC: NDTV)

Round one of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on December 24 produced a rare flood of men’s List A records across India. Bihar smashed 574 for six against Arunachal Pradesh, the highest team total ever in the format. Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi struck a 59-ball 150, the fastest in List A history, and also became the youngest centurion. Bihar captain Sakibul Gani added a 32-ball hundred, the quickest by an Indian. Karnataka chased down 413, the highest successful run chase in the tournament. Virat Kohli reached 16,000 List A runs in the fewest innings, while Rohit Sharma equalled the record for most 150-plus scores. The day also produced 22 centuries and a fielding first, as Vignesh Puthur took six catches in one match. (PC: X)

A Cardiff couple who invited a homeless man into their home for Christmas in 1975 ended up living with him for 45 years. Rob and Dianne Parsons opened their door to Ronnie Lockwood, who arrived with a bag of belongings and a frozen chicken. Lockwood, who had autism, had lived on the streets since his teens. The couple planned to let him stay for one night but later helped him find work and become part of their family. He supported them with childcare and church work and left money to charity when he died in 2020 at age 75. A new centre in Cardiff now carries his name. (PC: BBC)

India on Tuesday tested the K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile from the nuclear-powered submarine INS Arighaat in the Bay of Bengal. Officials said the trial took place off the coast of Visakhapatnam. The missile is designed to strike targets up to 3,500 kilometres away. The K-4 was inducted into the Navy in August 2024. It is adapted from the Agni-III land missile for underwater launch. The weapon can rise from a submarine silo, reach the surface, and then ignite its rocket motor. The missile can carry a nuclear payload and can be launched from Arihant-class submarines. The test adds to India’s sea-based nuclear strike capability.

Top CPI (Maoist) leader Ganesh Uike was killed in an encounter with security forces in Odisha on Thursday. Police said Uike carried a reward of ₹1.1 crore and led Maoist operations in the state. The operation took place in Kandhamal district after teams received specific intelligence on Maoist movement. Three more Maoists, including a woman cadre, were also killed in separate exchanges of fire in nearby forest areas. Their bodies were recovered during search operations on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Arms and equipment were seized from the sites. No injuries were reported among security personnel. Combing operations have been intensified in the region. (PC: HT)

A 44-year-old Indian-origin man, Prashant Sreekumar, died in Edmonton after waiting about eight hours for treatment at Grey Nuns Hospital. He had complained of severe chest pain while at work on December 22 and was taken to the hospital by a client. Doctors performed an ECG and said nothing serious was found. He was given Tylenol and asked to wait. His father later joined him and said Prashant told staff his pain was “15 out of 10”. Nurses checked his blood pressure during the wait. When he was finally taken into the emergency room, he collapsed within seconds and died. The hospital expressed sympathy but declined to comment on care. (PC: India Today)

US authorities say they have found more than one million additional records that may be linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case. The FBI and federal prosecutors in New York told the Department of Justice about the discovery. The department said lawyers are reviewing the files and making required redactions to protect victims. It plans to release the records in stages in the coming days and weeks. The disclosure follows criticism over delays in publishing Epstein files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed into law last month. The law orders the public release of records while protecting victim identities and active investigations. The department did not explain how the new material was located. (PC: BBC)