Wages Board approves wage increase for estate workers.

The Wages Board has determined that estate workers must be granted a Rs.900 daily wage and a Rs.100 daily allowance. The decision was reached at a meeting held with the Labour Commissioner General, estate trade unions and CEOs of estates. Estate representatives had proposed t…

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Vedda chief files petition against acquiring native lands.

Leader of Sri Lanka’s indigenous (Vedda) community Uru Warige Wannila Aththo and the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) have filed a petition at the Court of Appeal seeking a court order preventing the Mahaweli Authority from acquiring the indigenous community’s lands f…

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NASA has appointed its first-ever climate advisor.

NASA has appointed its first-ever senior climate advisor, the space agency announced on Wednesday 03 Feb 2021.  Gavin Schmidt, the director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Science (GISS), will hold the position until the agency makes a more permanent appointment. Among…

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Michael Bloomberg Re-Appointed as United Nations Climate Envoy.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres re-appointed Michael Bloomberg as his Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, in an effort to mobilize global action in the lead-up to a key climate conference in Scotland in November. Bloomberg is the founder and ma…

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Joe Root becomes first player to score 200 in his 100th Test.

England captain Joe Root smashed his fifth double hundred on Day 2 of the first Test against India in Chennai. Following his knock on Saturday 06 Feb 2021, Joe Root became the first batsman to score a double hundred in his 100th Test. 218 by Joe Root is the highest by a bats…

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China to launch public platform to track, crack down on polluters.

China will set up a new information platform to allow the public to track the emissions of polluting enterprises and help authorities prosecute those that break the rules or try to “evade supervision”, the environment ministry said. A total of 2.36 million companies, industr…

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‘Waari Saubhagya’ National Irrigation Programme begins.

The ‘Waari Saubhagya’ National Irrigation Programme began on Friday (Feb. 05) at the Mahamgaswewa in Palugaswewa, Anuradhapura, under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Through the national programme, the government aims to renovate 5000 small irrigation systems …

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Former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks has died aged 67.

Former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, best known for defeating Muhammad Ali in 1978, has died at the age 67 due to a prostate cancers. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Spinks represented the United States during the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada, as a light heavywei…

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International Epilepsy Day - 08 February 2021. (Every year on the second Monday of February)

Every year on the second Monday of February, International Epilepsy Day raises awareness about epilepsy. The day also focuses on epilepsy education and promotes ways to ensure all who need treatment receives it. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that is marked by episodes …

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Country singer Morgan Wallen dropped by WME after racial slur

American country music star Morgan Wallen has been dropped by his booking agency WME following a video surfaced that featured the singer using a racial slur.  The representative for the company confirmed the news to Variety. Apart from this, the singer’s contract with the la…

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IPL: 1,097 including 31 Sri Lankan players register for auction.

As many as 1,097 players have registered for the much-awaited IPL auction to be held in Chennai on February 18 with most entries coming from the West Indies (56) followed by Australia (42) and South Africa (38). The player registration deadline closed on Thursday and the lis…

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Technical Advisory Committee to develop cricket in Sri Lanka.

A Technical Advisory Committee has been appointed to the Ministry of Youth & Sports for the development of cricket in Sri Lanka. The committee was assigned by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Namal Rajapaksa. Chaired by former Sri Lanka batsman Aravinda de Silva, the …

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Sri Lanka settles swap facility with India’s Reserve Bank.

Sri Lanka has settled its currency swap facility with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as scheduled, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) announced on 05 Feb 2021. The Reserve Bank of India in July 2020 signed necessary documents for extending a US$ 400 million currency swap …

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‘Aatmanirbharta’ chosen as Oxford Hindi Word of the Year 2020.

‘Aatmanirbharta’, implying self-reliance, has been chosen by Oxford Languages, which publishes the Oxford English dictionary, as its Hindi Word of Year 2020. The Hindi Word of the Year is a word or expression that is chosen to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of th…

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Bangladesh has moved thousands more Rohingya Muslims to Remote Island.

Bangladesh authorities on moved more than 1,750 Rohingya Muslims to a controversial island in the Bay of Bengal despite complaints made by refugees already there. Officials said over 3,000 Rohingya would be taken by boat to Bhashan Char island from congested camps on Banglad…

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Sthalekar joins Australian icons in Hall of Fame.

The former Australia captain, multiple World Cup winner and advocate for change and professionalism in the women's game, has become only the fourth female cricketer inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, the country's cricket board said. Sthalekar is the…

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Hunter Biden to Release Memoir 'Beautiful Things'.

Hunter Biden is publishing a memoir about his struggles with addiction and drug abuse — from his first sips of alcohol as a child, when he was dealing with the aftermath of family tragedy, to his crack-cocaine use. The book, titled “Beautiful Things,” is scheduled to be publ…

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PayPal says to shut domestic payments business in India.

PayPal Holdings Inc will wind down its domestic payments business in India from April 1, the company said in a statement on Friday 05 February 2021. San Jose, California-based PayPal will instead focus on its cross-border payments business, which means global customers will …

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World’s First ‘Energy Island’ to be built by Denmark.

The Danish government has reportedly approved plans for the construction of the first artificial “energy island” in the North Sea. The island would act as a hub for offshore wind development, built 80km off the coast of Denmark in the North Sea. The island covers an area of …

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Actor Christopher Plummer dies at 91.

Christopher Plummer, the Canadian-born Shakespearean actor who starred in films including “The Sound of Music” and “Beginners,” died on Friday 05 Feb 2021 morning at his home in Connecticut. He was 91. An imposing theatrical presence with a well-cultivated, resonant voice, t…

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Biden says Trump should no longer receive classified intelligence briefings.

President Joe Biden doesn't believe former President Donald Trump should receive classified intelligence briefings, as is tradition for past presidents, citing Trump's "erratic behavior unrelated to the insurrection." Former presidents traditionally have be…

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SpaceX Starlink internet service now has 10,000 users.

SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service now has more than 10,000 users, the company said. In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, Elon Musk's Starlink said its network is also already providing 100/20Mbps internet speeds or above. SpaceX aims to …

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Dr. Pritesh Gandhi, picked by Joe Biden as DHS chief medical officer.

Dr. Pritesh Gandhi, who was the U.S. House candidate picked by Biden as DHS chief medical officer. An Indian - American doctor Dr. Pritesh Gandhi, who was a Democratic congressional candidate last year, was selected by President Joe Biden to join his administration, accordin…

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UN chief and peace activist honored with Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and French-Moroccan activist Latifa ibn Ziaten are the co-recipients of the this year’s Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, it was announced on Wednesday 03 Feb 2021. Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is presented in recognition of efforts …

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Boeing to start Boeing 737 fin structure production in India.

On February 5, 2021, a joint venture between Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems (TAS), Tata Boeing Aerospace (TBA), said it would start a new production line, marking a major step towards the joint venture’s expansion in India. Tata Boeing would manufacture complex vertical fi…

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World’s tallest swing ride opens in Dubai.

The world’s tallest swing ride, Bollywood Skyflyer has opened in Dubai, reaching heights up to 460 feet. The Bollywood Skyflyer is part of the Bollywood Parks Dubai and opened to the public this week. It’s even bigger than the 450-foot Orlando Starflyer in Florida, which was…

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Myanmar's New State Administration Council.

The regime in Myanmar headed by the army has announced a new State Administrative Council. The council headed by the Army Chief General Min Aung Hlaing has eleven members out of which 8 are from the military. Earlier, addressing the meeting of the Union government, General M…

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International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - 06 February.

International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation is a UN-sponsored awareness day that takes place February 6 each year. It is an effort to make the world aware of female genital mutilation (also called FGM) and to promote its eradication. According to data fr…

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Iran launches new satellite-carrying rocket.

Iran's defence ministry said it has test launched a new satellite carrier with its "most powerful" solid-fuel engine. The test was "the first launch of the Zoljanah hybrid satellite carrier for sub-orbital testing". Zoljanah can put satellites in a &qu…

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Democracy Index 2020

The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Democracy Index provides a snapshot of the state of world democracy for 165 independent states and two territories. The Democracy Index is based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, the functioning of …

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