Collected photoPARIS, France, Dec 21, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The French presidency on Sundaywelcomed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to speak withEmmanuel Macron, after the French leader said Europe should reach out toRussia again over ending the war in Ukraine. The French presidency stressed, however, that any discussion with Moscowwould be conducted "in full transparency" with Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelensky and European allies, and that its goal remained to secure a "solidand lasting peace" for Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had "expressed readiness to engagein dialogue" with his French counterpart in an interview published Sunday bystate news agency RIA Novosti. "The invasion of Ukraine and President Putin's obstinacy ended anypossibility of dialogue" over the past three years, the Elysee said. The United States is hosting further negotiations aimed at ending theconflict this weekend in Florida.

Photo: BSSRAJSHAHI, Dec 21, 2025 (BSS) - A total of 272 educational institutions, sportsclubs and organisations get sports items free of cost here today. District Administration and District Sports Office distributed the items atLiberation War Memorial Stadium supported by the District Sports Association(DSA). The items included 92 cricket bats, 246 cricket balls, 82 pairs of battinggloves, 61 pairs of batting pads, 41 pairs of wicket keeping gloves, 93abdominal guards, 92 helpmates and 31 stamped bells. Besides, 575 footballs, 168 volleyballs, 69 volleyball nets, 315 badmintonrackets, 76 box badminton shuttles, 76 badminton nets, 56 handballs and 41sets of Chess were also distributed on the occasion. President of the DSA and Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi Afia Akhteraccompanied by District Sports Officer Jahangir Hossain distributed the itemsaimed at generating competitive mentality among the students together withencouraging them towards sports.

In the 17 counties of the Eastern Plains, there is one physician for every 995 residents, compared with one per 295 residents in urban Colorado, according to the Colorado Rural Health Center. There are about 90 oncologists in Colorado with active licenses, according to data from the Colorado Medical Society and the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. Leathers and his wife did have to to travel to Colorado Springs for a 7 a.m. vascular surgery. Gates was a nurse in the U.S. Army for 20 years before her career eventually took her to Colorado Springs. “A lot of patients don’t have cellphones.”Working with rural patients is more rewarding, she said, because they are regularly thanking her for coming to their town.

A photo circulating widely on social media, claiming to show the grave of Shaheed Sharif Osman bin Hadi, spokesperson of the Inqilab Mancha, has been confirmed as fabricated and intentionally created to mislead the public. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in a statement on Sunday clarified that the viral image does not represent the actual grave. The DMP has urged the public to remain cautious and not to be misled by unverified content shared online. Authorities have also appealed to social media users to rely only on confirmed and credible sources for information and to refrain from spreading misinformation that may cause confusion or unrest.

The law and order situation has deteriorated in various parts of the country since the announcement of the schedule for the 13th national parliamentary elections, raising concerns among ordinary citizens about their safety. On December 12, a day after the election schedule was announced, Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Manch and a potential candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency, was shot in the capital. Law enforcement agencies said several people have been arrested in connection with the incident. He added that the situation could still be brought under control through strict enforcement of the law, warning that any laxity by law enforcement agencies could embolden criminals. Election Commission stanceResponding to concerns over law and order, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said the Election Commission will hold a meeting on Sunday with the heads of various law enforcement agencies.

The namaz-e-Janaza of six Bangladeshi peacekeepers, who were killed in a drone attack on a UN peacekeeping base in Sudan’s Abyei region, was held on Sunday morning at the central mosque of Dhaka Cantonment. Representatives from the Chief Adviser, Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Md Nazmul Hassan, and Chief of Air Staff Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, among others, attended the Janaza held at 9:15am. After the janaza, tributes were paid to the slain soldiers on behalf of the president and the chief adviser. The slain peacekeepers are Corporal Md Masud Rana from Natore, Soldier Md Mominul Islam and Soldier Shanto Mondal from Kurigram, Soldier Shamim Reza from Rajbari, Mess Waiter Md Jahangir Alam from Kishoreganj, and Laundry Worker Md Shobuj Mia from Gaibandha. The injured are Lt Col Khondakar Khalekuzzaman, Sergeant Md Mostakim Hossain, Corporal Afroza Parvin Iti, Lance Corporal Mohibul Islam, Soldier Md Mezboul Kabir, Soldier Md Umme Hani Akhtar, Soldier Chumki Akhtar, and Soldier Md Manazir Ahsan.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman visited the grave of martyred Sharif Osman Hadi at Dhaka University (DU) early Sunday. After offering Fajr prayers at the Central Mosque of the DU, the Jamaat chief, accompanied by party leaders and activists, paid homage at the grave and offered prayers seeking forgiveness for the departed soul and acceptance of his martyrdom. Jamaat Secretary General and former MP Mia Golam Parwar, Assistant Secretary General Maulana Abdul Halim, Islami Chhatra Shibir Central President Zahidul Islam, Jamaat Central Executive Council Member Md Mobarak Hossain, Central Working Committee Member and Dhaka Metropolitan South Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Advocate Helal Uddin, Central Working Committee Member and Dhaka Metropolitan South Secretary Dr Shafiqul Islam Masud, Islami Chhatra Shibir Central Office Secretary Sibgatullah Sibga, Dhaka University Central Students’ Union Vice President Shadik Kayem, GS SM Farhad, among other central and metropolitan leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir, were present at the prayer session.

The chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force have sat in a meeting with the Election Commission (EC), led by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, ahead of the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad Election and referendum. The meeting is being attended by Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Nazmul Hassan and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan. Earlier, upon their arrival at the Election Commission, Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed received the three service chiefs separately. Four election commissioners and senior officials of the EC Secretariat are taking part in the meeting. Meanwhile, a separate EC meeting to review the overall law and order situation will be held today at 2:30pm at the conference room of the Election Commission Secretariat in Agargaon.

DHAKA, Dec 21, 2025 (BSS) - A photo circulating widely on social media, claiming to show the grave of Shaheed Sharif Osman bin Hadi, spokesperson of the Inqilab Mancha, has been confirmed as fabricated and intentionally created to mislead the public. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in a statement today clarified that the viral image does not represent the actual grave. The DMP has urged the public to remain cautious and not to be misled by unverified content shared online. Authorities have also appealed to social media users to rely only on confirmed and credible sources for information and to refrain from spreading misinformation that may cause confusion or unrest.

File photoPATUAKHALI, Dec 21, 2025 (BSS) - Five shops were completely gutted in a devastating fire at Dhulia Bazar in Bauphal upazila here in the district. Locals said that the fire broke out around 3:00 am on Saturday night. The shops those were destroyed include a pharmacy owned by Rakib Hossain, a tea stall of Sultan Melkar, a grocery and variety shop of Belal Melkar, a grocery shop of Amin Hossain and a food hotel of Nayan Sharif. Later, two units of Bauphal Fire Service reached the scene and brought the fire under control. By that time, the shops had already been completely turned into ashes.

JHENAIDAH, Dec 21, 2025 (BSS) - A youth was killed and another injured after a motorcycle lost control in front of the Cadet College of the district town last night. The deceased was identified as Tanvir Rahman, 25, while the injured pillion rider is Akash Hossain, 22. Tanvir Rahman is the son of Abul Basar of Hamdah Mollapara in Jhenaidah Poura area, while Akash Hossain is the son of Abdul Majid of Ghorshal village in Sadar upazila. Officer-in-Charge of Arappur Highway Police Mritunjoy Biswas said Tanvir Rahman went out riding a motorcycle with his friend Akash Hossain on Saturday evening. The OC said the body was recovered and sent to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital morgue.

What they said as Australia retain Ashes - reactionADELAIDE, Australia, Dec 21, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Australia retained the Ashes with an 82-run victory against England in the third Test in Adelaide on Sunday for an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. -- Australia captain Pat Cummins. A bit of a flat wicket and they played pretty well but another Ashes win and it's been a great atmosphere all week, all series." He goes down in history as the man who took the wicket to win the Ashes. -- Former England captain Alastair Cook commentating on TV as the final wicket fell"It has been a thoroughly professional.

SAN FRANCISCO, United States, Dec 21, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A huge electricity outage hit San Francisco on Saturday, leaving 130,000 residents without power, the city's main electric utility company said. "We are working with first responders and city officials on an outage in San Francisco affecting approximately 130,000 customers," said Pacific Gas & Electric Company in a statement on X. The city's mayor told residents to stay home and off roads if possible, adding some traffic signals were not working and reporting disruptions to public transport.

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 21, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Unknown gunmen killed 10 people and wounded 10 others in an attack at a township outside Johannesburg, police said Sunday, in the second mass shooting in South Africa this month. "Some victims were randomly shot in the streets by unknown gunmen," a police statement said. The shooting took place near a tavern or informal bar in Bekkersdal, an impoverished area near some of South Africa's major gold mines. On December 6, gunmen stormed a hostel near the capital Pretoria, killing a dozen people including a three?year?old child. South Africa, home to 63 million people, suffers from a high crime rate, including one of the highest murder rates in the world.

MADRID, Dec 21, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Kylian Mbappe matched Cristiano Ronaldo's club record for goals in a calendar year and Jude Bellingham also scored as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0 on Saturday in La Liga. French superstar Mbappe levelled Ronaldo's tally of 59 goals in 2013 by stroking home a late penalty, after Bellingham sent Madrid ahead with a first half header. Courtois twice denied Isaac Romero early in the second half, while Mbappe intensified his search to emulate Ronaldo's record. The forward sent Vlachodimos the wrong way as he stroked in his 59th of the year, to match Ronaldo's record. Elsewhere Celta Vigo rose to seventh even though they could only draw 0-0 at struggling Real Oviedo, while Levante held Real Sociedad 1-1.