Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence said it detected 77 Chinese military aircraft and 17 naval vessels operating around the island as of 6 a.m. local time, during large-scale drills by China’s People’s Liberation Army. Of the aircraft, 35 crossed the median line into Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), the ministry added, and it monitored and responded to the activity. The exercises, dubbed “Justice Mission 2025,” involve joint Army, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force units and have raised concerns about regional stability and risks to civilian air and sea traffic. 

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 )

Actor and politician Divya Spandana, known as Ramya, reacted on social media to a remark made by the Supreme Court during a hearing on stray dog attacks. The court said it is hard to judge “what mood a dog is in the morning” and that this creates a risk of attacks. Referring to the comment, Ramya wrote, “Put all men in jail?” to question how fear should be applied in public policy. Her post was widely shared online. The hearing is part of a case on how states handle rising cases of stray dog bites and the safety of people in public places, especially children and the elderly. (PC: HT)

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. 

US President Donald Trump has backed a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could raise tariffs on countries buying Russian oil, including India. Senator Lindsey Graham said Trump “greenlit” the measure and a vote may come next week. The bill allows the president to penalise nations seen as aiding Russia or blocking peace in Ukraine. It includes visa bans, asset blocks and tariffs of at least 500 percent on some imports. India already faces a 50 percent US tariff after two hikes in 2025 linked to its Russian oil purchases. Trump has said tariffs could rise further if such trade continues. (PC: HT)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited two locations linked to poll firm I-PAC on Thursday as the ED carried out raids in a money laundering case. She first reached the home of I-PAC head Prateek Jain in central Kolkata, then went to the group’s office in Salt Lake. TV images showed her leaving both places with files, including a green folder. Banerjee said the action was ordered to access Trinamool Congress election plans and called it politically motivated. Sources said the ED is probing links between I-PAC and alleged proceeds from the Bengal coal scam. The agency has not yet issued a statement. (PC: India Today)

A male hippopotamus at Alipore Zoo in Kolkata has stayed in its water enclosure for the past 14 days during a cold wave. Zoo officials said the young hippo stopped leaving the pool around Christmas and is eating very little. Vets have tried to draw it out with food, but it returns to the water after feeding. The animal usually comes out before dusk. The hippo arrived from Odisha’s Nandankanan Zoo in September 2024 with a mate, which died days later. Officials are checking if illness or stress after the loss is causing the behaviour. The enclosure is now closed to visitors. (PC: BBC)