News in Short

• India’s Adani Group has signed a deal for two large power projects in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province.
• The projects were aimed at generating combined capacity of 500 MW, at a cost of $ 500 million. Both projects are in the Northern Province.
• The agreement was inked on the same day that the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of India and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) agreed to set up a 100 MW solar power project in Sampur, in the eastern Trincomalee district.

• Saudi Arabia has executed 81 men, including seven Yemenis and one Syrian in the kingdom’s biggest mass execution in decades.
• Saudi Arabia has the fifth highest execution rate in the world behind China, Iran, Egypt and Iraq.
• Rights groups have accused Saudi Arabia of enforcing restrictive laws on political and religious expression, and criticised it for using the death penalty, including for defendants arrested when they were minors.

• Faf du Plessis has been named captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore for IPL 2022 starting March 26, the franchise revealed.
• The appointment puts to rest speculations that ViratKohli, who stepped down as RCB’s captain at the end of last season, will return to lead.
• He led South Africa in 115 internationals out of which the country emerged victorious 81 times. South Africa won 25 of the 40 T20Is played under du Plessis.

• Indian sugar mills signed contracts to export 550,000 tonnes of sugar in recent days, as surging global prices and a weak rupee made overseas sales lucrative.
• Higher exports from the world’s second-biggest sugar producer could check the rally in global prices, which have been buoyed by a spike in crude oil prices and lower output in top exporter Brazil.
• India had exported a record 7.2 million tonnes of sugar in the previous season, taking advantage of government subsidy for overseas sales. But this year, mills could export 7.5 million to 8 million tonnes without government incentives.

• The Supreme Court appointed Justice A K Sikri as the chairperson to oversee widening of roads under the Centre’s ?12,000 crore ambitious Char Dhamproject.
• Justice Sikri is already chairing the oversight committee set up by the apex court. This panel is tasked with ensuring that the government implements the remedial measures recommended by the high-powered committee for the environment.
• The judgment had upheld the government’s mandate to broaden three Himalayan highways considered crucial by the Ministry of Defence for quick troop build-up along the Indo-China border.