SUNDAY FEATURE

Ukraine's economy could collapse and contract by as much as 35 per cent if Russia continues its war against the east European nation, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday. It further said conflict may also jeopardise food security globally. 

Russia's military campaign against its pro-West neighbour is in its third week now.

A staff report, prepared ahead of the IMF's approval of $1.4 billion in emergency financing, said Ukraine had an external financing gap of $4.8 billion, but its financing needs were expected to grow and it would require significant additional concessional financing.

Despite Shiromani Akali Dal’s worst-ever performance in the recent Punjab Assembly polls, the party’s core committee on Monday unanimously expressed “ full faith and pride in the firm and far-sighted leadership of the party president Sukhbir Singh Badal.”
“The core committee is especially proud of the brave, selfless and tireless manner in which the President led the party from the front in true Panthic traditions during the six-month-long campaign for the just concluded poll for the Punjab Assembly,” said a resolution passed at the meeting of the committee. The SAD won only three seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly.

Addressing the meeting, Badal said that the party will continue its fight to safeguard the interests of Punjab, Punjabis and Punjabiat, upholding the glorious traditions and values of the Khalsa Panth.

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress party (TMC) formed an election review committee on Sunday to review Goa election results for the party.

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee wrote to party members and set up the committee, which will be headed by MP Sushmita Deb. Haryana leader Ashok Tanwar will also be a part of the committee.

The TMC drew a blank in Goa, where it contested the Assembly election for the first time this year.

The first conclave of this meeting will happen on March 26.

Pincipal Secretary to Prime Minister PK Mishra dedicated a newly-developed building of a government upper primary school in Odisha's Sambalpur district. This is also the school where he studied himself. He further went on to laud the National Education Policy 2020, adding that its objective is inclusive education. In partnership with the district administration, the principal secretary worked to upgrade the school with contemporary teaching facilities through NTPC-CSR.

While giving an address to the students present, the principal secretary went on to recall memories from the time when he studied for three years.

A team of the BKC cyber police in Mumbai recorded the statement of senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis for almost two hours at his residence on Sunday (March 13) in connection with a case of alleged illegal tapping of phones. 

Talking to the media after recording his statement, Fadnavis said, "A police team recorded my statement in the transfer, posting case. I answered all questions. Maharashtra govt had been brushing aside the case for the past six months. I am a whistleblower of this case."

"I submitted the documents regarding State's transfer case to Union Home Secretary. I haven't shared the documents with the media," he stated.