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Ukraine’s top military commander says his forces now control 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Russia’s neighboring Kursk region, the first time a Ukrainian military official has publicly commented on the gains of the lightning incursion that has embarrassed the Kremlin.

Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi made the statement in a video posted Monday to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Telegram channel. In the video, he briefed the president on the front-line situation.

“The troops are fulfilling their tasks. Fighting continues actually along the entire front line. The situation is under our control,” Syrskyi said.

Russian forces are still scrambling to respond to the surprise Ukrainian attack after almost a week of fierce fighting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the incursion, which has caused more than 100,000 civilians to flee, is an attempt by Kyiv to stop Moscow’s offensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region and gain leverage in possible future peace talks.

Zelenskyy confirmed for the first time that the Ukrainian military is operating inside the Kursk region. On Telegram, he praised his country’s soldiers and commanders “for their steadfastness and decisive actions.”

He did not elaborate. He also suggested that Ukraine would offer humanitarian assistance in the region.

Speaking Monday at a meeting with top security and defense officials, Putin said the attack that began Aug. 6 appeared to reflect Kyiv’s attempt to achieve a better negotiating position in possible future talks to end the war. He insisted Moscow’s army would prevail.

Putin said Ukraine may have hoped that the attack would cause public unrest in Russia, but that it has failed to achieve that goal, and he claimed that the number of volunteers to join the Russian military has increased because of the assault. He said Russian forces will carry on with their offensive in eastern Ukraine regardless.

“It’s obvious that the enemy will keep trying to destabilize the situation in the border zone to try to destabilize the domestic political situation in our country,” Putin said. Russia’s main task is “to squeeze out, drive the enemy out of our territories and, together with the border service, to ensure reliable cover of the state border.”

Acting Kursk Gov. Alexei Smirnov reported to Putin that Ukrainian forces had pushed 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) into the Kursk region across a 40-kilometer (25-mile) front and currently control 28 Russian settlements.

Smirnov said 12 civilians have been killed and 121 others, including 10 children, have been wounded in the operation. About 121,000 people have been evacuated or left the areas affected by fighting on their own, he said. The total planned number of evacuations is 180,000.

Tracking down all the Ukrainian units that are roaming the region and creating diversions is difficult, Smirnov said, noting that some are using fake Russian IDs.

The governor of the Belgorod region adjacent to Kursk also announced the evacuation of people from a district near the Ukrainian border.

Ukrainian forces swiftly rolled into the town of Sudzha about 10 kilometers (6 miles) over the border after launching the attack. They reportedly still hold the western part of the town, which is the site of an important natural gas station.

The Ukrainian operation is under tight secrecy, and its goals remain unclear. The stunning maneuver that caught the Kremlin’s forces off guard counters Russia’s unrelenting effort in recent months to punch through Ukrainian defenses at selected points along the front line in eastern Ukraine.

Russia has seen previous incursions into its territory during the nearly 2 1/2-year war, but the foray into the Kursk region marked the largest attack on its soil since World War II, constituting a milestone in the hostilities. It is also the first time the Ukrainian army has spearheaded an incursion rather than pro-Ukraine Russian fighters.

The advance delivered a blow to Putin’s efforts to pretend that life in Russia has been largely unaffected by the war. State propaganda tried to play down the attack, emphasizing the authorities’ efforts to help residents of the region and seeking to distract attention from the military’s failure to prepare for the attack and quickly repel it.

Kursk residents recorded videos lamenting they had to flee the border area, leaving behind their belongings, and pleading with Putin for help. But Russia’s state-controlled media kept a tight lid on any expression of discontent.

Retired Gen. Andrei Gurulev, a member of the lower house of the Russian parliament, criticized the military for failing to properly protect the border.

“Regrettably, the group of forces protecting the border didn’t have its own intelligence assets,” he said on his messaging app channel. “No one likes to see the truth in reports, everybody just wants to hear that all is good.”

The combat inside Russia rekindled questions about whether Ukraine was using weaponry supplied by NATO members. Some Western countries have balked at allowing Ukraine to use their military aid to hit Russian soil, fearing it would fuel an escalation that might drag Russia and NATO into war.

Though it’s not clear what weapons Ukraine is using across the border, Russian media widely reported that American Bradley and German Marder armored infantry vehicles were there. The claim could not be independently verified.

Ukraine has already used U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in an interview published Monday that the weapons provided by his country “cannot be used to attack Russia on its territory.”

Meanwhile, German Defense Ministry spokesperson Arne Collatz said Monday that legal experts agree that “international law provides for a state that is defending itself also to defend itself on the territory of the attacker. That is clear from our point of view, too.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday that reinforcements sent to the area backed by air forces and artillery had fended off seven attacks by Ukrainian units near Martynovka, Borki and Korenevo during the previous 24 hours.

The ministry said Russian forces also blocked an attempt by Ukrainian mobile groups to forge deep into the Russian territory near Kauchuk.

Russian air forces and artillery also struck concentrations of Ukrainian troops and equipment near Sudzha, Kurilovka, Pekhovo, Lyubimovo and several other settlements, it said. Warplanes and artillery hit Kyiv’s reserves in Ukraine’s Sumy region across the border, the ministry added.

Pasi Paroinen, an analyst with the Finland-based Black Bird Group open-source intelligence agency, which monitors the war, said the toughest phase of Ukraine’s incursion is likely to begin now as Russian reserves enter the fray.

WB CM Mamata Banerjee addresses the media after meeting parents of a postgraduate trainee doctor who was sexual assaulted and killed

 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vowed to transfer the alleged rape and murder case of a woman physician inside a Kolata hospital to the CBI if the police failed to solve it by Sunday, amid public outrage.

Supporting the cease work by junior doctors at that hospital, interns and postgraduate trainees at other state-run medical establishments across the state vowed to continue their agitation, now in its fourth day, until the culprits are brought to justice.

Banerjee’s promise, however, did not placate the protesting students, who criticized the chief minister for setting a seven-day deadline to address the alleged rape and murder of a fellow doctor.

They demanded a judicial inquiry, capital punishment for the culprits, adequate compensation for the victim’s family and stronger security measures at hospitals.

A two-member team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) this afternoon arrived in Kolkata and met officers of the Kolkata police and the family members of the victim.

The body of the woman post-graduate trainee, who was allegedly raped and murdered inside a seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, was found on Friday morning. Junior doctors began a cease work from the evening that day.

A civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday in connection with the case.

At least three Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were also filed before the Calcutta High Court, demanding that the investigation be transferred to the CBI.

A division bench, presided over by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, will hear these PILs on Tuesday.

Visiting the residence of the deceased doctor, the chief minister vowed to seek the death penalty for those responsible for the crime.

Banerjee said the family members of the deceased doctor suspect that an insider was involved.

“I want the police to arrest the culprits as soon as possible. If they are unable to crack the case by Sunday, we will hand it over to the CBI. I don’t have an issue with the central agency taking over, but its success rate is low,” Banerjee said.

The chief minister pointed out several high-profile cases that the CBI has failed to solve, expressing scepticism about the agency’s effectiveness.

She also emphasized the need for the case to be tried in a fast-track court.

City Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, who accompanied Banerjee to the victim’s residence, assured the public that the investigation was proceeding with all due urgency.

“We are certain that if there are other culprits, they will be arrested within the next four to five days,” he said.

The Kolkata police on Monday summoned seven doctors for questioning and five others, who were known to the arrested civic volunteer.

Among those summoned is one assistant professor who was the first person to call up several people to inform them about the death of the doctor.

Police claimed that during the investigation, it was revealed that the accused was addicted to “hardcore pornography.”

The arrested man, who began working as a civic volunteer in 2019, had been married at least four times and was known to be a “womaniser”, police officers said.

The incident has sparked widespread protests, with junior doctors and healthcare workers expressing deep concern over their safety and the handling of the case by the authorities.

Facing backlash for the perceived failure to ensure the safety of the hospital’s staff, the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, resigned from his post and government service on Monday.

“I cannot take this insult anymore. All the allegations raised against me are false and fabricated. A student movement has been incited to remove me. There is a political mind behind this,” Ghosh said in his resignation letter.

His departure follows the earlier removal of the medical superintendent-cum-vice-principal Sanjay Vashisth.

Across West Bengal, hospital services have been disrupted as junior doctors continued their cease work, refusing to resume duties until their demands for a thorough investigation and greater security measures are met.

The protestors also demanded an apology from Kolkata Police for allegedly spreading rumours about the investigation and sought the removal of all senior hospital officials, insisting they should not be reassigned elsewhere.

Initially, the police had suspected the death was a suicide but later revised their stance.

The junior doctors, later in the evening, hit the streets raising slogans: “No Safety, No Duty”.

The protesting doctors also demanded that the post-mortem examination report of the victim and the CCTV footage near the seminar hall be made public.

While senior doctors have been called back from leave to handle the influx of patients, the situation remains tense, with outpatient departments struggling to address the situation.

Support for the striking doctors has poured in from across the country.

The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association of India (FORDA) has endorsed the strike and called for a nationwide halt to elective services.

A group of intellectuals took out a rally in the city, demanding the strictest punishment against the culprits.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh

 Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday said Hindenburg Research has defamed the country in alliance with Congress and the “strictest action” will be taken against the US short-seller.

Hindenburg on Saturday launched a broadside against markets regulator Sebi chairperson Madhabi Buch, alleging she and her husband Dhaval had stakes in obscure offshore funds used in the alleged Adani money siphoning scandal.

The duo has denied the allegations as baseless and asserted their finances are an open book.

The Adani Group termed the latest allegations malicious and based on manipulation of select public information. The company said it has no commercial relationship with the Sebi chairperson or her husband.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Singh, the Union Minister for Textiles, also came down heavily on Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh.

“This is a gang to defame the country, Rahul (Gandhi) and Jairam Ramesh. Hindenburg defames us. We will not tolerate this insult to the nation. These people are enemies of the country. Now strictest action will be taken against Hindenburg,” Singh said.

Calling Gandhi ‘Bade Baap Ka Beta’, the minister said: “Rahul does not know anything about the state and direction of the nation”, and cautioned that the countrymen should “beware” of such people who try to create confusion and fear.

Asked about demands by Congress for a JPC probe in the Hindenburg matter, Singh said: “This Congress is behind Hindenburg. Hindenburg is a tool kit to ruin India and people like Rahul Gandhi are involved in it”.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) inquiry into the charges against Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi ) chief Madhabi Buch in the latest Hindenburg report.

The Congress leader issued a stark warning regarding the integrity of India’s stock market following the latest allegations made by Hindenburg.

“Rahul Gandhi even defames the nation when he goes abroad. When at home, he (Rahul) creates confusion and fear among the countrymen… The countrymen should beware of such people. Creating confusion can be an act committed by anti-nationals. It is not appropriate, no patriot can do such a thing,” Singh said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the ‘Handloom Expo’ here.

 A female can also face criminal proceedings under POCSO for committing the offence of “penetrative sexual assault” on a child, and the offence is not restricted to only male offenders, the Delhi High Court has held.

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani said the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was enacted to protect children from sexual offenses, “regardless of whether an offense is committed upon a child by a man or a woman”. There was no reason why the word “person” appearing in section 3 (penetrative sexual assault) should be read as referring only to a “male”, he added.

The court’s decision was delivered last week on a plea by an accused in a POCSO case, who argued that since she was a woman, the offences of “penetrative sexual assault” and “aggravated penetrative sexual assault” can simply not be made out against her.

The accused, while assailing the framing of charges against her, contended that a plain reading of the provision showed that it only, and repeatedly, used the pronoun “he”, meaning that the intent of the legislature was only to make a man liable for the offense.

However, the court said there is no reason why the word “person’ appearing in section 3 of the POCSO Act should be read as referring only to a “male”.

“It is accordingly held that the acts mentioned in sections 3 and 5 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act are an offence regardless of the gender of the offender, provided the acts are committed upon a child,” the court said in the judgment.

“Giving due regard to the fact that the Legislature enacted the POCSO Act in order to provide protection to children from sexual offenses – regardless of whether an offense is committed upon a child by a man or a woman – the court must not interpret any provision of the statute that derogates from the legislative intent and purpose,” it stated.

The court noted that under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the pronoun “he” and its derivatives are used for any person, whether male or female, and the POCSO provision must not be interpreted in a manner that restricts the offense only to a man.

“When viewed from this lens, the only rational inference is that the pronoun ‘he’ appearing in section 3(a), 3(b), 3(c) and 3(d) must not be so interpreted as to restrict the offense engrafted in those sections only to a ‘man’.

“It is extremely important to note that the said provisions include within the ambit of penetrative sexual assault, the insertion of any object or body-part; or the manipulation of any body part of a child to cause penetration; or the application of the mouth. It would therefore be completely illogical to say that the offense contemplated in those provisions refers only to penetration by a penis,” the court observed.

The court, on a prima-facie consideration of the material, therefore, ruled that the offence of “aggravated penetrative sexual assault” was made out against the petitioner, even though she was a woman.

“The petitioner is therefore required to be put to trial for the offenses as charged. The petition is accordingly dismissed,” held the court.

Article 25 of the Constitution pertains to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra agreed to examine the issue.

The plea was of a Muslim constable of Maharashtra State Reserve Police Force (SRPF). He was suspended for keeping a beard, violating the Bombay Police Manual of 1951.

“This is an important issue of the Constitution… We will list the matter for hearing on a non-miscellaneous day,” the CJI said, after being told that the case was before the Lok Adalat and remained unresolved.

Zahiroddin S Bedade had approached the top court in 2015.

Earlier, the bench had offered to revoke his suspension if he agreed to shave his beard. The petitioner, however, had then refused to accept the condition.

New Delhi: Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor praised the Indian government’s decision to provide refuge to Sheikh Hasina after she stepped down as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister following violent protests. Tharoor further said that the recent political shift in Bangladesh should not harm India-Bangladesh relations, highlighting India’s longstanding commitment to the welfare of the Bangladeshi people since 1971.

Tharoor expressed confidence in the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, noting that there is no reason for India to be concerned. He acknowledged the potential influence of Pakistan and China but downplayed the likelihood of any immediate threats. Tharoor also lauded the Modi government’s quick action in offering help to Sheikh Hasina, describing it as a necessary step in upholding India’s reputation as a reliable ally.

In response to concerns about attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, Tharoor acknowledged the incidents but pointed out positive reports of solidarity among communities. He voiced hope that Yunus’s call for peace and protection of minorities would be effective in stabilizing the situation.

Sheikh Hasina, who resigned after protests against a reservation policy escalated, has been in India for almost a week. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has briefed Opposition leaders on the situation, with the Opposition pledging full support to the government’s approach.