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.

 Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman returned home to a rousing welcome on Thursday after over 17 years in self-exile, a move that is expected to energise his party workers ahead of the February 12 parliamentary elections.

A 30-year-old Indian woman has been murdered here, prompting police to investigate and search for a suspect on charges of first-degree murder, a press release issued by Toronto Police has said.

An Indian-origin former lawyer M Ravi, widely known for representing death row inmates, including Malaysians, in Singapore, has died on Wednesday at 56.