Period drama ‘Bridgerton’ smashes Netflix viewership records.

Netflix has claimed its biggest hit ever with “Bridgerton,” a drama set in Britain in the early 1800s. Some 82 million households watched the drama, based on novels by Julia Quinn, in its first 28 days, Netflix (NFLX) said in a statement on Wednesday. The company also claims …

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U.S. Government commits $40 million loan to support small businesses and empower Sri Lankan women.

The U.S. Government committed a $40 million loan to Sri Lanka’s SDB bank to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and women entrepreneurs. The loan from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the U.S. Government’s development bank, aims to suppo…

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First unmanned space flight set to launch in December.

India’s first unmanned space flight as part of the ‘Gaganyaan’ mission is scheduled to be launched in December this year, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday 01 Feb 2021.   Four Indian astronauts are being trained in Russia. The first unmanned launch, th…

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New species of chameleon is discovered in Madagascar.

New species of chameleon where the males have unusually large genitals for sex with bigger females is discovered. A new miniature species of chameleon where the male is much smaller but has unusually large genitals in order to have sex with the much larger female has been di…

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Australian fast bowler Merv Hughes inducted in the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.

Former Legendary Australian  pacer Merv Hughes has been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame. The Australian and Victorian fast bowler became the 56th inductee after a career that spanned 53 Tests and 33 One Day Internationals for Australia. Fast, fearsome and li…

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A small rocket billed as the world's first commercial booster powered by biofuel has launched from Maine.

The Brunswick-based startup bluShift Aerospace launched its first rocket prototype, called Stardust 1.0, on Sunday (Jan. 31), despite freezing temperatures and two false starts. The rocket didn't reach space (or even a mile up), but marked a major milestone for a compan…

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Emmy-winning Screenwriter & Producer dies.

Emmy-winning producer and writer Allan Burns passed away at the age of 85. Born on June 14, 1935, Allan Burns spent his childhood in Baltimore, Maryland before he made it to the west for attending the University of Oregon in 1953. Burns began his writing career in 1962 as an…

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Nobel laureate and ozone chemist Paul Crutzen dies.

Paul Crutzen, the Dutch atmospheric chemist who was a co-recipient of the 1995 Nobel prize for chemistry for his work on stratospheric ozone destruction, died on 28 January at the age of 87 following several years of illness.  His passing means that all three chemists who wo…

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NASA Appoints Indian-American Bhavya Lal as Acting Chief of Staff.

NASA has appointed Indian-American Bhavya Lal as the space agency's Acting Chief of Staff. As the senior White House appointee at NASA, she served as a member of the Biden Presidential Transition Agency Review Team for the agency, NASA said. Bhavya Lal brings extensive e…

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Nguyen Phu Trong re-elected as Chief of Vietnam for 3rd term.

The ruling Community Party of Vietnam has re-elected its 76-year-old General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong for a third five-year term. He is serving the post since 2011. Trong was granted an exemption to contest in the election, though he was above the age limit of 65. The Gen…

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UN World Tourism Organization confirms 2020 as ‘worst year on record’.

Global tourism suffered its worst year on record in 2020, with international arrivals dropping by 74% according to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Destinations worldwide welcomed 1 billion fewer international arrivals in 2020 than in the previou…

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CSE’s ASPI records biggest single-day drop in history.

The All Share Price Index (ASPI) of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) today (02) recorded the highest drop in a single day in history. The benchmark All Share Price Index crashed down by 561.75 points (or 6.56%) to close at 8,005.32 whilst the S&P SL20 index which feature…

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55th Summit of Asian Development Bank (ADB) to be held in Sri Lanka.

The Cabinet of Ministers has granted the approval for a proposal to hold conduct the 55th Annual Summit of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Sri Lanka, says the Department of Government Information. Nearly 3,000-4,000 participants will be attending the Summit including mor…

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U.S. voting rights activist Stacey Abrams nominated for Nobel Peace Prize.

U.S. voting rights activist and Democratic Party politician Stacey Abrams has been nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for her work to promote nonviolent change via the ballot box, a Norwegian lawmaker said. Abrams, whose work was credited with boosting voter turnout…

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World Wetlands Day - 02 February.

World Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally each year on 02 February. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on 02 February 1971. On February 2nd, 1971 a small group of envir…

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UK applying to join Asia-Pacific free trade pact CPTPP.

The UK will apply to join a free trade area with 11 Asia and Pacific nations on Monday, a year after it officially left the EU. Joining the group of "fast-growing nations" will boost UK exports, the government says. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Tr…

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Hilton Valentine has died at age 77.

The Animals' guitarist Hilton Valentine, best known for the iconic opening riff on the English rock band's arrangement of "The House of the Rising Sun," has died at the age of 77. Valentine began playing guitar as a teenager growing up in North Shields, Nor…

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Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah takes over as President of Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

Jay Shah, the incumbent Secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been appointed as the new President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). He is the youngest person ever to be appointed to the office. He replaces Nazmul Hussain, Chief of Bangladesh Cricke…

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US has discovered a multi-planetary system.

A new study in the US has discovered a multi-planetary system, which researchers say could be an ideal target for studying planetary evolution and exoplanetary atmospheres.   According to the study, the multi-planetary system is home to a rocky ‘super-earth’ and three ‘sub-N…

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Aung San Suu Kyi detained as military seizes control.

Myanmar's military has seized power after detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratically elected leaders. Communications are limited, troops are patrolling the streets and a one-year state of emergency has been declared. The UN said it was a "serious blow to dem…

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Next SpaceX commercial crew mission to launch in April.

The second operational SpaceX commercial crew mission to the International Space Station will now launch in mid-April, carrying astronauts from Europe, Japan and the United States. NASA said Jan. 29 that it set a launch date of April 20 for the Crew-2 mission to the station.…

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Facebook names Henry Moniz as first-ever chief compliance officer.

ViacomCBS Inc’s top compliance official, Henry Moniz, is moving to Facebook Inc as the social media platform’s first chief compliance officer, as Facebook faces scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers. Moniz will join Facebook on Feb. 8 and will report to Jennifer Newstead, t…

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CCPI based Inflation decreased to 3.0 per cent in January 2021.

Headline inflation, as measured by the year-on-year (Y-o-Y) change in the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI, 2013=100)1 decreased to 3.0% in January 2021 from 4.2%in December 2020. This was due to the statistical effect of the high base prevailed during January 2020. Meanwh…

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Unilever Sri Lanka ranked No.1 Employer for 9th consecutive year.

Unilever Sri Lanka, one of the country’s largest fast-moving consumer goods companies, was recently adjudged the No. 1 Employer for the ninth consecutive year, in a university-wide survey conducted by Nielsen. The Employer of Choice survey is conducted annually amongst a stu…

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List of Padma Awardees — 2021.

Padma Awards - one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and…

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UAE to offer citizenship to 'talented' foreigners.

The UAE says it will grant citizenship to foreign residents for the first time, providing they add value to the Gulf state. UAE Vice-President and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum said those eligible would include investors, specialised talents, doctors, eng…

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Grammy-nominated electronic music producer, Sophie Xeon dies.

Grammy-nominated electronic music producer, Sophie Xeon dies at age 34. The Grammy-nominated Scottish disc jockey, producer and recording artist who had worked with the likes of Madonna and Charli XCX, has died following an accident in the Greek capital of Athens.  Sophie, wh…

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Pakistan gets Geographical Indicator tag for Basmati Rice.

Pakistan has received the Geographical Indicator (GI) tag for its Basmati, paving the way for creating a local registry for this particular strain of rice and making a case in the world markets for its protection as a Pakistani product. A GI Tag is a sign used on products th…

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Rare Snowy Owl Spotted in New York’s Central Park.

Rare Snowy Owl Spotted in New York’s Central Park for First Time in 130 Years. A snowy owl was spotted in New York City's Central Park  for the first time in 130 years, The New York Times reported. Snowy owls, found in the high Arctic tundra, are known to venture south du…

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Toyota beats Volkswagen to become World's No.1 car seller in 2020.

Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp overtook Germany’s Volkswagen in vehicle sales last year, regaining pole position as the world’s top selling automaker for the first time in five years. Toyota said its group-wide global sales fell 11.3% to 9.528 million vehicles in 2020. That compa…

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