Miscellaneous
1. Karnataka Police , arrests three in connection with the killing of a young Bajrang Dal worker in Shivamogga. A minister also says the murder would be investigated from 'all angles including the hijab row'. 2. Russian President Vladimir Putin recognises the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, Donetsk, and Lugansk. The move prompts several countries in the West. Meanwhile, the United States announces financial sanctions against rebel territories freshly recognized by Russia in eastern Ukraine and warns that more are ready if necessary. 3. India says that the escalations of tensions between Russia and Ukraine are a matter of great concern. At an emergency meeting called by the United Nations Security Council, India says that the immediate priority should be deescalation of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. TS Tirumurti, India's Permanent Representative to United Nations, says at the UN Security Council Meeting, 'we need to give space to the recent initiatives undertaken by parties which seek to diffuse tensions. In this context, we welcome the intense efforts underway, including through the Trilateral Contact Group and under the Normandy format. We need Parties to exert greater efforts to bridge divergent interests. We cannot afford to have a military escalation'.