'Pose' star Mj Rodriguez becomes 1st trans woman up for lead acting Emmy.

Mj Rodriguez has become the first transgender performer to pick up an Emmy nomination in a major acting category. Rodriguez is nominated in the lead drama actress category for her fierce and formidable portrayal of house mother and nurse Blanca Rodriguez on FX's ballroom…

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Fourteen living descendants of Leonardo da Vinci are identified.

Fourteen people alive today in Italy can claim that they are descendants of Leonardo da Vinci, according to a study of the Renaissance genius' family tree. Researchers traced da Vinci's genealogy over nearly 700 years and 21 generations, from 1331 to the present day,…

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Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah announces retirement from Test cricket.

Bangladesh cricketer Mahmudullah Riyad has announced his retirement from Test cricket in the middle of Bangladesh’s one-off Test match against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club. Mahmudullah made his Test debut in 2009 during Bangladesh’s tour of the West Indies. The right-h…

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Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo wins Golden Boot in EURO 2020

Portugal captain and modern-day great Cristiano Ronaldo won the Euro 2020 Golden Boot after finishing as the top-scorer in the tournament.  Despite playing just four games, Ronaldo clinched the top honours as he scored five goals.  Czech Republic's Patrik Schick also ende…

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Sophie Ecclestone, Devon Conway win ICC Player of the Month Award

England Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone has been named as ICC Women Player of the Month for June. She is the second English female to win the title after Tammy Beaumont, who was awarded the title in February 2021. In Men’s category, New Zealand opener Devon Conway has bag…

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Manpreet Singh named captain of Indian men's hockey team for Olympics.

Midfielder Manpreet Singh was named captain of the 16-member Olympic-bound Indian men's hockey team, while experienced defenders, Birendra Lakra and Harmanpreet Singh, were named vice-captains. This will be Manpreet's third Olympics. Under Manpreet's captaincy, th…

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China announced that it had removed giant pandas from its endangered list.

According to an article posted on the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's website, the population of giant pandas living in the wild in China had risen to 1,864 by 2013, up from 1,596 in 2003. The head of the ministry's Department of Nature and Ecology Conservation…

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Govt. to promote use of electric vehicles in Sri Lanka

The Cabinet of Ministers has given the go-ahead to a resolution to draw up a strategic plan for promoting the use of electric vehicles in Sri Lanka. According to the Department of Motor Traffic, the number of vehicles registered in the country by the end of year 2020 has exc…

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Sri Lanka records highest daily vaccinations on Monday, 12 July 2021.

Sri Lanka yesterday (July 12) recorded the highest number of COVID-19 vaccines administered within a single day, according to the Epidemiology Department of the Ministry of Health. Accordingly, a total of 232,526 vaccine doses have been administered yesterday. State Minister …

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Cuba has developed world’s first conjugate COVID 19 vaccine Soberana 2.

Cuba has said its homegrown Covid-19 vaccine Soberana 2 (Sovereign 2), when delivered with a booster shot of Soberana Plus, is about 91 per cent effective against symptomatic Covid-19 cases as demonstrated in its late stage clinical trials. Soon after the results were announ…

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Kiren Rijiju has been appointed as the new Law and Justice Minister in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi  re-shuffled his cabinet on Wednesday, July 7 this is the first such rearrangement in the Council of Ministers since he assumed charge for a second term in May 2019.  36 new people were included in PM Modi's new cabinet. Mansukh Mandaviya wil…

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With a staggering depth of 196 feet, the world's deepest pool is opening in Dubai.

Dubai, home of the tallest skyscraper, now hosts the world's deepest swimming pool, too. Deep Dive Dubai plunges over 196 feet, a depth that has already set the Guinness world record for the "world's deepest swimming pool for diving". The facility beat out …

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Issue of Commemorative Coins to Mark the 65th Anniversary of Sri Lanka – China Diplomatic Relations.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has issued gold and silver commemorative coins of Rupees 1,000, each with same depiction, to mark 65th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the People's Republic of China and the 100th Anniversary of Communist Pa…

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Richard Branson reaches space on Virgin Galactic flight.

Sir Richard Branson, after nearly 17 years of development and over a billion of dollars invested in Virgin Galactic, achieved his dream and reached space. Speaking from the spacecraft’s cabin, Branson called the spaceflight the “complete experience of a lifetime.” The company…

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North Dakota sues Biden for shutting down oil and gas lease sales.

North Dakota is suing the Biden administration over its halting of new oil and gas leases on federal land and water. The shutdown will cause significant damage to the state's economy, and North Dakota has already lost tens of millions of dollars in revenue. Joe Biden shu…

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Malala Day - 12 July.

Every year on July 12th, the world celebrates the birthday of Malala Yousafzai. At age 17, Malala was the youngest recipient ever of the Nobel Peace Prize. The day also honors the rights of children and women. Malala Yousafzai was born in Mingora, Pakistan, on July 12th, 199…

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Italy crowned European champions after shootout win over England.

Italy claimed the European Championship for the first time since 1968 as penalties came back to haunt England at Wembley on Sunday 11 July 2021, Gianluigi Donnarumma saving twice as the Azzurri won a shootout 3-2 after the game finished 1-1 following extra time. The giant go…

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The 130-Degree Fahrenheit Reading in Death Valley Ties for the Hottest Temperature Ever Reliably Recorded.

There’s one thing that many Americans can affirm right now: It’s freaking hot. In case you still had any doubts, Death Valley, California—the hottest, driest, and lowest place in the country—experienced a temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 degrees Celsius) on Frida…

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Ethiopia election: Abiy Ahmed wins with huge majority.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has won the country's delayed elections with an overwhelming majority, the election board said on Saturday 10 July 2021. The board said Mr Abiy's Prosperity Party won 410 out of 436 seats, giving him another five-year term in offic…

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World Population Day - 11 July.

World Population Day on July 11th focuses on balancing a healthy human race and planet. The pace of population growth places reproductive rights and gender equality at the forefront of sustainability concerns. As the population grows, the demand for resources increases as we…

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Colombo Stock Market launches second phase of digitalisation

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) along with the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) continue to drive digital advancement in Sri Lanka’s capital market with the launch of the second phase of the digitalization of the Stock Market on 07th July 2021 under th…

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Copa America 2021: Argentina beats Brazil.

Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in Saturday’s Copa America final to secure the national team’s first title in 28 years. Argentina’s winning goal at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro came in the 22nd minute after Rodrigo De Paul made a long pass to Angel Di Maria. Lionel Messi …

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Ashleigh Barty wins first Wimbledon title.

World number one Ashleigh Barty became the first Australian woman to win the Wimbledon singles title for 41 years on Saturday 10 July 2021 when she defeated Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-3 6-7(4) 6-3 in the final. The 25-year-old Barty, who won her maiden Grand Slam at Roland Ga…

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Sweden’s Lofven re-elected PM in narrow parliamentary vote.

Swedish Social Democrat leader Stefan Lofven was narrowly re-elected as prime minister by parliament. Lofven needed to avoid a majority voting against him in the Swedish Riksdag. He avoided rejection by two votes in the 349-seat parliament, with one parliamentarian breaking …

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Louisiana's Zalia Avant-garde becomes first African American to win Scripps National Spelling Bee.

14-year old Zalia Avant-garde became the first African American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The New Orleans native correctly spelled murraya, which is a type of tree, to win the 93rd installments of the iconic competition. Avant-garde also correctly spelled wor…

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US military mission in Afghanistan will end August 31.

The US military mission in Afghanistan will end on August 31, President Joe Biden announced Thursday 08 July 2021, as Afghan commandos battled the Taliban for control of a provincial capital in the most brazen assault by the militants since Washington stepped up its troop w…

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The report ‘The Hunger Virus Multiplies’.

11 people are likely dying every minute from hunger, now outpacing COVID-19 fatalities, warns Oxfam. A new Oxfam report issued on 09 July 2021 says that as many as 11 people are likely dying of hunger and malnutrition each minute. This is more than the current global death r…

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‘Jewish state law’ upheld by Israeli court.

A controversial law that defines Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people was upheld by the Supreme Court, which rejected claims by opponents that it discriminates against minorities. The court acknowledged shortcomings in the so-called Nation State Law.  The law was a…

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Global Energy Independence Day - 10 July.

Every year on July 10th, Global Energy Independence Day promotes awareness for alternative forms of energy. The day also offers opportunities to learn more about renewable forms of energy, such as solar, wind, and geothermal. In 2006, Michael D. Antonovich proclaimed July 10…

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ICC releases Manu Sawhney as CEO

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has discontinued the services of Manu Sawhney as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with immediate effect. The decision was taken by the ICC Board during its meeting. Geoff Allardice will continue as Acting CEO supported by the Leaders…

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