Moscow, March 14: Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his gratitude to several world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, for their continued attention to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

During a press briefing on Thursday, Putin acknowledged the efforts of these leaders and others for their commitment to seeking peace in the war-torn region, despite the many global challenges they face.

“I would like to start by offering my sincere thanks to President Trump of the US for his focus on the Ukraine situation. Many state leaders, including President Xi Jinping of China, Prime Minister Modi of India, and the Presidents of Brazil and South Africa, have been dedicating significant time to this issue. We appreciate their contributions, as it is all for the noble cause of stopping the conflict and preventing further loss of life,” Putin stated.

Prime Minister Modi has been stressing and reiterating about bringing peace in the region thereby clearly setting India’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. During his recent meeting with Trump at the White House, PM Modi made it clear that India was not neutral in the matter, emphasising that India sides with peace.

“This is not an era of war but of dialogue and diplomacy,” PM Modi had said, underscoring India’s commitment to diplomatic efforts. PM Modi has also maintained open channels of communication with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, repeatedly stressing the need for peaceful resolution.

The US has proposed a 30-day ceasefire, urging Russia to accept the deal without any conditions.

Putin, while expressing support for a ceasefire, acknowledged there are “nuances” that need to be addressed, adding that he had “serious questions” about how the proposal would be implemented.

In response, US President Donald Trump referred to Putin’s comments as “promising”, but also noted that the statement was “not complete”, suggesting that further discussions were necessary.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has agreed to the ceasefire proposal during talks held in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, following mounting pressure after a meeting between Trump and Zelensky in February.

The war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has caused immense devastation, with hundreds of thousands dead or injured and millions displaced. The conflict has led to severe economic and geopolitical tensions between Russia and the West, with the ceasefire discussions now offering a glimmer of hope for a resolution.

Dhaka, March 13: The 8-year-old rape victim passed away on Thursday at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka, after fighting for her life for a week, according to local media reports.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced that she died at the CMH around 1:00 pm, reports the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star.

She had suffered several cardiac arrests as of Thursday morning while on life support at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of CMH, according to the office of the interim government’s Chief Advisor.

On Thursday morning, the victim suffered two more cardiac arrests after already experiencing four on Wednesday.

The Bangladesh Army issued a statement on social media on Wednesday and stated that the condition of the 8-year-old remains critical and her blood pressure and oxygen levels are dangerously low.

The army urged people to pray for her, however, the child succumbed to her injuries.

The incident occurred when the victim was raped by her sister’s father-in-law in Magura last week.

The victim, who sustained critical injuries, was initially treated in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital before being transferred to CMH Hospital for advanced care.

In recent days several students and teachers from different universities across the country, including Dhaka University, North South University, Independent University, Bangladesh, and Rajshahi University, demonstrated against the rising rape incidents, including that of the eight-year-old child in Magura, and demanded exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the crime.

Outraged over the rising incidents of gender-based violence across Bangladesh, the ‘University Teachers’ Network’ also held a gathering last week at Dhaka University’s Aparajeyo Bangla, where teachers and students of six universities nationwide participated.

The protestors condemned ongoing violence against women, discussed its root causes, and criticised government failures.

Dhaka University Professor Tasneem Siraj Mahboob called for the dismissal of the Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, instead of his resignation, emphasising that she had demanded this months ago.

“Resignation is an honourable exit. He doesn’t deserve that honour,” leading Bangladeshi daily The Dhaka Tribune quoted her as saying.

The statistics on violence against women in Bangladesh have exposed the grim reality in the country under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim regime.

Addressing the situation of violence against women in Bangladesh that remained troubling in 2025, with shocking numbers reported in the first two months, Fauzia Moslem, President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, speaking to The Daily Star, said, “Society is descending into chaos, where lawlessness and criminal impunity are growing. The failure of law enforcement, compromises, and lack of accountability are empowering criminals.”

Several cases of violence against women have been reported from across Bangladesh since the Yunus-led interim government came to power in August 2024.

The incompetence of the interim government in curbing gender-based violence sparked public outrage, with many demanding the resignation of Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and holding the interim government led by Yunus accountable for degrading the law and order situation across the nation.

Prayagraj, March 12: The Allahabad High Court has allowed the committee of Sambhal’s Shahi Jama Masjid to paint the outer walls of the mosque. The court partially accepted the application of the mosque committee and ordered that painting can be done only on the outer walls of the mosque.

Apart from this, the High Court said that lighting can also be installed on the outer walls, but this work should be done without damaging any structure.

The mosque committee had filed this petition in the Allahabad High Court, in which they had sought permission to get the painting done. A single bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal ordered this work to be done within a week and directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to ensure it.

This order is based on the argument that the outer walls of the mosque can be beautified, provided no structural changes are made or any historical structure is not damaged.

Earlier, the Allahabad High Court had refused to give permission to paint the mosque. In the Jama Masjid case, the Muslim side had demanded painting. Actually, a petition was filed in the Allahabad High Court on behalf of the mosque committee. In this petition, they had sought permission to paint the mosque, on which the High Court had asked the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to submit a report.