Morning news brief: Hindu monk's advocate 'attacked' in Bangladesh; Trudeau govt's $3.5bn error and more

Amid rising attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh, an advocate defending a detained Hindu monk was allegedly brutally thrashed by some people at his home. ISKCON Kolkata’s Radharamn Das said that advocate Ramen Roy, who is helping Chinmoy Krishna Das fight legal cases, was attacked at his home and was now in critical condition.

An audit report tabled in the Canadian Parliament has revealed a massive $3.5 billion error in the Covid relief scheme that the Justin Trudeau government rolled out during the pandemic to help support small businesses. The programme saw the distribution of more than $49 bn in loans to over 900,000 small businesses.

In the US, a Congressional enquiry has claimed that the coronavirus may have come from a Chinese lab.

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Bangladesh communal tensions: Advocate defending detained Hindu monk ‘brutally attacked’

A spokesperson for the Hindu spiritual organisation International Society for Krishna Consciousness, known as ISKCON, said Monday (Dec 2) that an advocate of detained Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu was brutally attacked in Bangladesh.

Massive $3.5bn error revealed in Trudeau’s Covid relief scheme for Canadian businesses

The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau splashed billions in loan to ineligible recipients during the COVID-19 pandemic, an audit report revealed Monday (Dec 2). 

Israel-Hamas war: Biden slams 'Hamas's campaign of cruelty,' expresses outrage over US-Israeli soldier's death

US President Joe Biden expressed deep sorrow and anger on Monday following Israel's confirmation that the body of a soldier killed during Hamas's October 7 attack last year — an American citizen — was held by Hamas in Gaza.

Wuhan lab leak likely behind Covid pandemic, finds US investigation

Two years after the Covid pandemic devastated the world, a US enquiry has concluded that the coronavirus was likely leaked from a Chinese laboratory.
 

Watch: Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Deal: Netanyahu Accuses Hezbollah Of Violation

A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has officially taken effect, ending months of intense conflict. The agreement aims to bring peace to the region, but key details of the deal remain critical to understanding its long-term impact.