A viral video claiming to show a giant Santa Claus created by thousands of drones near the Burj Khalifa during Christmas celebrations has been debunked as fake. The clarification was reported by Khaleej Times, which confirmed that the clip was created using visual effects and did not depict a real event in Dubai.

India on Friday said it flagged its concerns to the US over cancellation of pre-scheduled H1B visa interviews of a large number of Indians and that both sides are engaged on the issue to address the disruptions caused by Washington ordering enhanced vetting of applicants.

China on Friday opened to traffic a 22.13-km-long tunnel, which it claimed to be the "world's longest", in Xinjiang province.

A Hindu man has been lynched in Bangladesh over alleged extortion, according to media reports, days after another man from the minority religion was lynched in the country.

A 20-year-old Indian doctoral student has been shot dead near the University of Toronto Scarborough campus, with authorities probing the case as a homicide, officials said.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday called on countrymen to join hands to maintain law and order, in his first address to party supporters hours after his arrival in Dhaka after a gap of 17 years. 

China on Thursday denounced a Pentagon report, which accused Beijing of leveraging reduced border tensions with India to undermine US-India ties while deepening defence ties with Pakistan as an attempt to sow discord with false narratives.

Christmas celebrations returned to Bethlehem after a two-year suspension, on Wednesday evening. Scout troupes marched through Manger Square and surrounding streets, with carols, drums and brass music, blending Christian tradition with Palestinian cultural identity.