A country cannot progress if schools are out of bounds for girls

Afghan girls listen their teacher at Tajrobawai Girls High School, in Herat, Afghanistan, on November 25, 2021. While most high school girls in Afghanistan are forbidden to attend class by the country's Taliban rulers, one major exception are those in the western province of Herat. APShow less

With reference to the report Taliban renege on promise to open high schools to girls in Afghanistan (March 23): this really disappointed me, especially as a Muslim woman. Education is very important and Islam encourages that. Whatever reasons the Taliban have to leave this young generation uneducated are unfair. A country will never develop if it does not educate both genders.

Aliyu Mekudi, Ibadan, Nigeria

Western nations must band together for Ukraine ceasefire

With reference to the Thomas Harding's report Sabre rattling over Russia's nuclear options but no 'button' sits ready to push (March 23): the last time that the world came close to a nuclear War was in October 1962, at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. US President John F Kennedy had quarantined all shipments to Cuba and asked Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev to remove Soviet missiles from Cuba. Fortunately, good sense prevailed on all sides. Russia removed its missiles from Cuba and the US removed its missiles from Turkey.

Once again, as in 1962, the world is confronted with the possibility of a nuclear conflagration. Meanwhile, in its second month, the war is Ukraine is approaching inhuman and tragic levels. Four million people may have fled to Europe and the US as refugees. However, 40 million Ukrainians are in the country and are bearing the brunt of the shelling. Homes, buildings, schools, hospitals, shopping malls, are being razed to the ground. A whole generation of young people across the world have not seen the destruction war can wreak, except in movies. Now we see pain and suffering on our televisions, round the clock.

Let's hope the endeavours of Nato leaders pay off and they can perhaps talk to the warring sides and negotiate a settlement. US President Joe Biden is to visit Poland this week. The western group of nations must ensure a ceasefire to end this war.

Rajendra Aneja, Dubai

Water girl makes the residents of her former city proud

With reference to Fehmida Zakeer's article Meet 'the water girl of India' helping the world to cut consumption (March 22): it was really good to read about the enterprise of 21-year-old Garvita Gulhati. It is quite an achievement to devise clever ways to cut water consumption and the views of the engineering graduate were interesting. In developing the app, she, like so many of her generation's climate volunteers, has shone bright and made India proud.

People need to be much more conscious of how much water they use, and not just on a few days a year when the spotlight is on the issue. It makes me happy to see that she studied in Bengaluru. She makes the city and resident like me very proud.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India