News Highlights: At UN, India says de-escalation of Russia-Ukraine tensions should be immediate priority

The West Bengal government on Tuesday suspended two policemen and a Home Guard for alleged dereliction of duty in connection with the sensitive murder case of student leader Anis Khan, who was killed right in front of his home at Amta in Howrah district on February 18.

The three suspended persons are -- ASI Nirmal Das and Constable Jitendra Hembram of Amta police station, and Home Guard Krishnanath Bera.

The suspension came just a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee formed a three-member Special Investigation Team to probe the death of the student leader.

Banerjee has set a 15-day deadline for the SIT to submit its report.

. A BJP candidate, who contested the urban local body polls from Bhavanisagar town panchayat in Tamil Nadu's Erode district, got only one vote.

A visibly upset Narendran told media persons that even his own family did not cast their votes for him.

"I was literally cheated. My friends, family members, and party cadres did not cast their votes for me even after giving promises that they would vote for me."

The Urban local body polls have thrown interesting results, such as a mother and daughter duo winning in Salem Municipal corporation. Poonkodi Sekar won from ward 41 as a DMK candidate while her daughter, Kanimozhi won from ward 54 in the DMK ticket.

. Security forces on Tuesday arrested a suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district, police said.

They identified him as Danish Shah alias Haris, a resident of Elahipora.

"Based on specific inputs regarding the movement of a terrorist in Aloosa area of Bandipora, police, along with the Army andCRPF, established a special joint checkpoint in the area," a police spokesman said.

During checking of pedestrians and vehicles, Danish, upon noticing the joint forces, tried to flee towards the orchards but was apprehended tactfully by the alert party, he said.

. India has said de-escalation of Russia-Ukraine tensions should be an immediate priority and that "all sides" should exercise "utmost restraint" as it told a UN meeting the mounting crisis can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.

"We cannot afford to have a military escalation,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine on Monday night, and voiced "deep concern" over the escalation of tensions along the Russia-Ukraine border.

Tirumurti also said these developments have the potential to undermine peace and security of the region.

Noting that the safety and security of civilians are essential, he said more than 20,000 Indian students and nationals live and study in different parts of Ukraine, including in its border areas. "The well-being of Indian nationals is of priority to us.”

The Indian embassy in Ukraine also made a fresh appeal on Tuesday to Indian students to leave that country temporarily.

. A Royal Air Force dog who sniffed out mobile phones used to coordinate insurgent attacks in Afghanistan was on Tuesday awarded a British animal charity's top medal for gallantry.

The PDSA Dickin Medal was awarded to Hertz, a 10-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer who is now retired, for his work protecting British and coalition troops in 2013.

Hertz was the first dog in British military history trained to detect electronic communications equipment including mobile phones "which posed a significant threat to the lives of servicemen, women and civilians," said a PDSA statement.

. President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday asked the upper house of parliament for permission to use Russia's armed forces abroad after formally recognising two eastern Ukrainian regions, the chamber's speaker said.

Addressing the chamber during a part of an evening session that was broadcast on the chamber's website, one of Russia's deputy defence ministers said that Russia had been left with no choice, and asked to approve a deployment abroad.

. Mizoram Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati on Tuesday said the government is making all-out efforts to curb the menace of drug trafficking and the police seized narcotic substances valued at Rs 51.83 crore in 2021-22.

Delivering the customary address on the opening day of the budget session, Kambhampati said altogether 2,112 people were arrested in narcotic drugs and prohibition related cases during the financial year.

"Maintaining peace and tranquillity, securing the safety of the citizens and effecting progress and development in all fields have always been among top priorities of my government," he said.

He said that 61,850 rural households in 209 villages have been provided with tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission till December last year.

. Greater power and stronger capabilities should lead to "responsibility and restraint" and ensure economics free of "coercion" and politics devoid of the threat of use of force, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, spelling out challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

. Four BJP/RSS workers arrested in connection with the murder of a CPI(M) worker, Haridasa in Kerala. Political rivalry is the reason behind the murder. Police inquiry is underway: Kerala Police

. Amid rising oil prices, full service carrier Vistara's chief Vinod Kannan on Tuesday emphasised that financial viability will be important in deciding on flying to new international destinations.

Vistara, which commenced its international operations less than three years ago, currently flies to 11 overseas destinations.

"For the remaining ones, I think it is really a matter of two things. One is air bubble arrangements will continue till when and when scheduled operations will start; secondly, financial viability.

"With fuel cost being higher, we have to review where we should be looking at for additional operations," he told PTI in an interview.

Oil prices have surged in recent days in the wake of escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia.

"... fuel price is almost USD 100 per barrel. That is a very significant increase compared to where we were last year. So different set of challenges but from a demand perspective, things are coming back," Kannan said.

Noting that the airline will continue to review its operations in any case, he said that financial viability is important.

. The Delhi High Court Tuesday sought response of the Centre, SEBI, and RBI on a plea seeking to restrain the promoter of Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd from selling or transferring any further stake in the company.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notices to the Ministries of Finance, Corporate Affairs, National Housing Bank, Reserve Bank of India, Serious Fraud Investigation Office, Securities, and Exchange Board of India, IBHFL, and its promoter Sameer Gehlaut on the application filed by an NGO.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on March 21.

The application filed by NGO Citizens Whistle Blowers Forum sought to restrain Sameer Gehlaut from selling or transferring any further stake in the company

. Oil prices surged nearly 5% and stock prices dropped after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered forces into separatist regions of eastern Ukraine, bringing a long-feared invasion a step closer.

Russia is a major energy producer and the tensions over Ukraine have brought wide swings in volatile energy prices, on top of the inevitable risks of a broader conflict.

Oil prices already had surged recently to their highest level since 2014. By early Tuesday, US benchmark crude oil had advanced 4.9% to $94.64 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The price of Brent crude, the standard for international oils, jumped 3.9% to $99.07 per barrel.

US markets were closed Monday for Presidents Day, but markets in Europe and Asia shuddered as Putin moved to secure Russia's hold on Ukraine's rebel regions, adding to fears of a full-scale invasion.

. EUambassadors have been discussing a sanctions package on Russia consisting of four parts which could be agreed by the bloc's foreign ministers at a meeting later on Tuesday in Paris, anEUCommission source told Reuters.

The package, proposed by theEU's executive Commission, includes banning the trade in Russian state bonds in the European market and kicking the break-away regions in eastern Ukraine out of a free trade deal between theEUand Ukraine.

It also comprises sanctions on several hundred members of Russia's state Duma who voted for the recognition of the break-away regions in eastern Ukraine, as well as on companies and banks involved in the financing of separatist activities in the these regions.

. Western powers reacted swiftly to Monday's decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognise the independence of the two self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine, condemning Moscow and calling for sanctions.

. Tech giant Apple is likely delaying its foldable iPhone until 2025 as the company has reportedly shifted its focus towards foldable MacBooks.

According to GizmoChina, Apple is yet to launch a foldable iPhone but there were reports about such a device getting launched soon. However, a new report indicates that the foldable iPhone has been delayed.

A new report from Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) analyst Ross Young suggests that Apple's foldable iPhone is delayed until 2025. The reason given for this is that the company is exploring all-screen foldable MacBooks.

. Britain on Tuesday summoned Russia's ambassador for talks, after the Kremlin ordered troops into two Moscow-backed rebel regions of Ukraine.

"This morning the foreign office has summoned the Russian ambassador," Boris Johnson's official spokesman told reporters, after the prime minister said London would "hit Russia very hard" with targeted sanctions.

. Family members of deceased Disha Salian, former manager of Bollywood actor the late Sushant Singh Rajput, on Tuesday said that politicians are maligning the young woman's name by questioning the circumstances surrounding her death in 2020.

Days earlier, Union minister and BJP leader Narayan Rane had addressed a press conference in which he made certain claims regarding the death of Disha Salian. However, despite the emotional appeal made by Disha's family members, claims and counter-claims on the issue are being made, with Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil saying that the truth behind Disha's death will be exposed after March 7.

"...no politics is happening over the Disha Salian case. Everything will be crystal clear after March 7. Don't worry. All the evidence will come out. Who was involved, who will have to go to jail... (everything will be exposed). What exactly happened in the Salian case is currently confined but it will come out after March 7," Patil told reporters in Kolhapur.

Earlier in the day, Disha Salian's mother Vasanti Salian made an emotional appeal to politicians to refrain from maligning the name of her daughter by questioning the circumstances surrounding her death. "I have lost my only daughter. These people are defaming us. They are dragging my daughter's name in their politics. This should stop. Let us live peacefully," Disha's mother Vasanti Salian told reporters at her residence in Mumbai while struggling to fight back tears.

. Stressing that India stands for peace, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the Russia-Ukraine dispute should be resolved through talks.

On the sidelines of an election meeting at Banshi Bazar here, Singh said "As per information received, the US president has said that they are ready to hold talks with the Russian president."

"The US president has taken some initiative on his behalf. India wants peace to be established in any way. We are sure that when talks take place, some way or the other will come out," Singh said.

When asked about India's stance, he said, "We want peace. We have always been in favour of world peace."

India has called for restraint on all sides as tensions between Russia and NATO escalated further after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognised the independence of two states of Ukraine.

. Click here to follow live court proceedings on the hijab row in Karnataka

. Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its alliance partners are headed for a landslide win in the elections to urban local bodies held on February 21, decimating the principal opposition party AIADMK.

The DMK is poised to win around 90 per cent of the 12,800 wards/seats, which will result in the party heading majority of the municipal corporations, municipalities, and town panchayats. While the AIADMK emerged as a distant second, the BJP and PMK, both contesting alone after breaking away from AIADMK, secured third positions in many seats across the state.

The icing on the cake for the DMK is a near sweep it is poised to register in western Tamil Nadu, a region that let down the party in the 2021 Assembly polls.

. Rs 2 lakh, each, from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund will be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the tragic factory mishap in Himachal Pradesh. Rs 50,000 will be given to the injured, the Prime Minister's Office said.

. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting orderedblocking of apps, website and social media accounts linked to banned organisation Sikhs For Justice in view of the ongoing State Assembly Elections.

. The Supreme Court asked the Maharashtra government to hold back on the ongoing investigation against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh until March 9. The court said it will take a final call on the transfer of the probe to the CBI on March 9.

(ANI)

. West Bengal Police constitutes a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by ADGP CID Gyanwant Singh,to probe the murder of student leader Anish Khan. The SIT has been set a deadline of 15 days to submit its report

. "Congress is behind the murder of Harsha. He was killed because of DK Shivakumar, BK Hariprasad and other Congress leaders. I urge Home minister to hand over the case to NIA. I will give the compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family," said MP Renukacharya, BJP MLA from Honnali, Karnataka.

(ANI)

. DMK wins in 14 wards, AIADMK 4 wards, PMK 4 wards, AMMK 1 ward and independents three in Vellore Corporation.

(ANI)

. A POCSO court in Morigaon district sentenced a 23-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for repeatedly raping his sister.

(ANI)

. "Russia's decision to recognize Donetsk, Luhansk violates Ukraine's territorial integrity," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

. Construction workers at a building site in northern Gaza have uncovered 31 Roman-era tombs dating from the first century AD, the Palestinian territory's Islamist rulers Hamas said Monday.

News Highlights: At UN, India says de-escalation of Russia-Ukraine tensions should be immediate priority

Anis Khan murder: WB govt suspends two cops, one Home Guard

TN urban polls: BJP candidate gets only one vote, says all cheated him

Opposition silent on blasts case verdict: Modi; alleges SP govt didn't want ban on terror groups

Putin says possible actions of Russian military in Donbass will depend on situation on the ground

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