Miscellaneous
1. Russian President Vladimir Putin tells French and German leaders that he has planned to sign a decree recognising two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent. Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, collectively known as the Donbass, broke away from Ukrainian government control in 2014 and proclaimed themselves independent 'people's republics', until now unrecognised. 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. 2. 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. 3. The Indian equity indices plunge sharply as investors turn cautious amid the Russia-Ukraine standoff. Around 9:19 am, the benchmark BSE Sensex tanked 1,004 points or 1.74 per cent to 56,680, while the broader NSE Nifty moved 285 points or 1.66 per cent down to 16,922. Asian share markets also slumped as Japan's Nikkei fell 2.34 per cent, South Korea's KOSPI was down 1.72 per cent and the Shanghai Composite index dropped 1.36 per cent. 4. The killing of a young Bajrang Dal worker in Shivamogga, around 250 km from Bengaluru triggers violent protests across the district, with both his family and some state and national Bharatiya Janata Party leaders labelling it a hate crime motivated by religious identity. Karnataka Police detains one, arrests two in connection with the murder.