News in Short

• Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovichhas made a decision to sell the Premier League club, pledging that proceeds would go to victims of the war in Ukraine.
• The dramatic development comes days after Abramovich said he was handing over control of Chelsea to trustees of its charitable foundation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Abramovich, alleged to have close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has not been named on a growing British sanctions list targeting Russian banks, businesses and pro-Kremlin tycoons.

• India’s merchandise exports rose 22.3% to $33.81 billion in February, while imports shot up 35% to surpass $55 billion, widening the trade deficit to $21.2 billion, as per preliminary foreign trade estimates.
• The trade deficit, which shrank to about $17 billion in January, had earlier hit a record $22.9 billion in November 2021, and had averaged $21.7 billion between September and December.
• Fertiliser imports surged more than sevenfold last month to touch $1.6 billion, while coal imports more than doubled to $2.8 billion.

• A space junk is set to crash on the surface of Moon. It is assumed to be a leftover part of a Chinese launch rocket.
• The leftover rocket will smash into the far side of the moon at 5,800 mph. It may take weeks, even months, to confirm the impact through satellite images.
• The collision poses no threat to humans or other spacecraft. However, there is concern that the moon is becoming a dumping ground for space junk.

• Ukrainian forces have retreated from the city, making Kherson the first major city in Ukraine to fall under Russian control since the invasion began.
• The strategic port city of 290,000 people near the Black Sea came under siege as Russian forces pressed ahead with their offensive across other urban centres.
• Another key Ukrainian port, Berdiansk, has already been seized by Russian troops, while Mariupol has repelled attacks.

• India abstained as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted 141-5 (35 abstentions) to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling on Moscow to unconditionally withdraw its troops.
• The General Assembly session was convened after a similar resolution had failed to pass the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) when Russia exercised its veto.
• The resolution, co-sponsored by 96 countries, needed two thirds of those present and voting to support it, for it to pass.