Brian Urquhart, early leader of United Nations, dies at age 101.

British diplomat Brian Urquhart, an early leader of the United Nations who played a central role in developing the UN practice of peacekeeping has died at age 101. Urquhart, born in Bridport, England in 1919, served in British military and intelligence during World War II. H…

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Greece appoints first openly gay minister.

Greece has appointed its first openly gay minister as part of a cabinet reshuffle.   Nicholas Yatromanolakis made history after he was named the new deputy minister of culture. The 44-year-old was promoted from his role as general secretary of contemporary culture at the same…

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Indian Flag Installed at UNSC as a Non-permanent Member.

The Indian national flag on January 4 was installed at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) stakeout as the country started its tenure at the UN body for the eighth time as a non-permanent member.  India's Permanent Representative to the UN, TS Tirumurti, called th…

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Bajaj Auto becomes world’s most valuable two-wheeler company.

Indian multinational two-wheeler and three-wheeler manufacturing company, Bajaj Auto has become the most valuable two-wheeler company in the world, after it crossed a market capitalization of more than Rs. 1 lakh crore, on January 01, 2021. Bajaj’s share price on NSE closed …

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Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage to represent the Jury of 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

The International Jury for 51st edition of International Film Festival of India has been announced on 05 January 2020 with eminent filmmakers across the world.  According to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Sri Lankan eminent filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage will join …

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Cristiano Ronaldo becomes 1st to get 250 Million Instagram followers.

Superstar footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has  reached 250 million followers on Instagram and making him the first person ever to reach that milestone. Ronaldo is followed by pop star Ariana Grande (214 million followers) and Hollywood actor and wrestling icon Dwayne ‘The Rock…

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Tesla launches the world's largest Supercharger station.

Tesla has launched the world’s largest Supercharger station in Shanghai, China with 72 charging stalls in January 2021.  The 72-stall facility in Shanghai easily bests the 56 stall station the company opened last month in Fresno county, California. The station is located at J…

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Russian scientists discover intact Ice Age woolly rhino in Siberia.

Scientists in Siberia have discovered a well-preserved Ice Age woolly rhino that likely roamed Russia's extreme north thousands of years ago. The carcass was first revealed in August by melting permafrost in the diamond-producing region of Yakutia. The rhino was found on …

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Germany approves over Euro 1 billion in arms deals to Middle East.

The German government approved a total of Euro 1.16 billion ($1.41 billion) in arms exports during 2020 to countries involved in both the Yemen and Libya conflicts. Germany, by December 17 2020, had signed off on permissions to export weapons and military equipment worth Eur…

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US Congress Passes 'Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act' for Pakistani Women.

The US Congress has passed the 'Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act' which will expand the number of scholarships available to Pakistani women to receive higher education under a merit and needs-based programme. Passed by the House of Representatives in March 2020, the…

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India becomes co-chair of Asia Protected Areas Partnership (APAP)

India has been chosen as the co-chair of the IUCN-supported Asia Protected Areas Partnership (APAP) for a period of three years till November 2023.  India will replace South Korea, which held the post for 3 years until November 2020.  As a co-chair, India would be responsibl…

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Bloomberg Billionaires Index - 2021

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world’s richest people. Details about the calculations are provided in the net worth analysis on each billionaire’s profile page. The figures are updated at the close of every trading day in New York. Top 3 in the Bl…

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Slovakian Tennis player Dagmara Baskova banned for match fixing.

Slovakian tennis player Dagmara Baskova has been banned for 12 years by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) and fined USD 40,000 for match-fixing. The TIU said that it uncovered five incidents of match fixing by Dagmara in 2017. Dagmara had a highest WTA ranking of 1117 in singl…

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Stock market begins first trading session of 2021 with positive note. ASPI up by 120 points.

The main index of the Colombo Stock Exchange, the All Share Price Index (ASPI) has got off to a strong start in its first trading session of 2021. The ASPI surged 120.76 points (or 0. 1.78%) to close at 6,894.98 and S&P SL20 Index of more liquid stocks gained 54.38 point…

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National Development Banking Corporation to be established by merging three state banks.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) will work closely with the Government in facilitating the establishment of the proposed National Development Banking Corporation (NDBC) by merging the State Mortgage and Investment Bank (SMIB), the Housing Development Finance Corporation…

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Sri Lanka economy to contract 3.9% in 2020.

Sri Lanka's economy will contract around 3.9% in 2020, Central Bank Governor Deshamanya Professor W D Lakshman said. “With observed developments in the fourth quarter, we expect the economy to record an annual contraction of around 3.9%,” Governor Lakshman said whilst de…

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British Airways touches down at MRIA for the first time.

A special British Airways flight (BA9110) carrying the England Cricket team arrived at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) yesterday ( 03 January 2021 ). "The arrival of British Airways to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport yesterday is significant as it i…

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Currency swap deals with China and India to boost foreign reserves.

Sri Lanka will shortly opt for currency swap deals with China and India in order to boost country’s foreign currency reserves. According to Finance Ministry sources, Sri Lanka would be receiving $ 1.5 billion from People’s Bank of China and $ 1 billion from India’s Reserve B…

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Business Sentiment Index ends year on a Low Note.

Business sentiment continues its downward trajectory as the year draws to a close. Following a gruelling nine months for business in general and tourism in particular, the authorities finally announced that Sri Lanka would resume selected international flights beginning from…

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Kazakhstan abolished death penalty after nearly 20-year moratorium.

Kazakhstan has abolished the death penalty, making permanent a nearly 20-year freeze on capital punishment in the Central Asian country, according to a notice on the presidential website. The notice published on Saturday 02 January 2020 said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev h…

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Japan to join "Five Eyes".

The Japanese government is to join the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing alliance. Five Eyes is a network of five nations -- Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the US who collaborated to better respond to increasing threats by North Korea and China. Japan had provided…

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WHO clears Pfizer vaccine for emergency use.

The World Health Organization on has listed the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for emergency use, making it the first to receive such status since the pandemic began. The WHO Emergency Use Listing opens the door for countries to fast-track their own regulatory approval to import an…

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World Hypnotism Day - 04 January.

World Hypnotism Day on January 4th promotes the truth and benefits of hypnotism. The day also aims to remove myths and misconceptions about hypnotism. Hypnosis is defined as a state of highly focused attention. It’s usually associated with relaxation and heightened suggestib…

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World Braille Day - 04 January.

Every year on January 4th, World Braille Day reminds us of the importance of accessibility and independence for those who are blind or visually impaired. About 36 million people around the world are blind. By 2050, the number of people diagnosed with blindness is predicted t…

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Hollywood Director Joan Micklin Silver dies at age 85.

Joan Micklin Silver, who forged a path for female directors and independent filmmakers with movies including Hester Street and Crossing Delancey, has died. She was 85. Silver died from vascular dementia at her home in New York, her daughter Claudia Silver told. She used a co…

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Iran plans 20% uranium enrichment ‘as soon as possible’.

Iran intends to start enriching uranium to 20% purity, the UN's atomic watchdog says - its most significant breach of an international nuclear deal so far. This remains short of the 90% required to make a nuclear bomb. But under the 2015 agreement Iran was supposed to ke…

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New York Stock Exchange delisting 3 Chinese companies under Trump order.

Three Chinese companies will be booted off the New York Stock Exchange this month under an executive order signed in November by President Donald Trump. The exchange says China Telecom Corp. Limited, China Mobile Limited, and China Unicom Hong Kong Limited will be delisted f…

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Russian sumo wrestler, once world's heaviest child, dies aged 21.

Russian sumo wrestler Dzhambulat Khatokhov, who entered the Guinness World Records as the world’s heaviest child in 2003, has died at the age of 21. Betal Gubzhev, head of the body governing sumo wrestling in the southern Kabardino-Balkaria region, announced Khatokhov’s deat…

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Australia changes word in national anthem to reflect Indigenous history.

Australia has changed one word in its national anthem to reflect what the prime minister called "the spirit of unity" and the country's Indigenous population. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on New Year's Eve announced that the second line of the anthem, Adva…

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Singapore and Malaysia terminate high-speed rail project.

Singapore and Malaysia terminated a multibillion dollar high-speed rail project after the two countries failed to reach agreement after Kuala Lumpur sought changes because of the economic impact of the current pandemic. The train line would have connected the 350 km stretch …

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China’s Zhong Shanshan becomes Asia’s richest man.

China’s top businessman Zhong Shanshan rose to become Asia’s richest man with a worth of nearly $77.8 billion. According to Bloomberg assessment, Zhong, 66, a bottled water and vaccine tycoon, is the 11th richest person on the planet. It was a one of the fastest accumulations…

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Adobe Flash Player shuts down permanently.

The notice stated that Adobe will stop supporting Flash Player after December 31st, and will only support content running on the platform until January 12th, 2021. This development isn't necessarily recent. Adobe has been announcing plans to disband Flash Player since 20…

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China finishes track-laying work for Sichuan-Tibet railway line close to Arunachal.

China completed the track-laying work for a railway line linking the cities of Lhasa and Nyingchi in Tibet, close to the Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh, official media here reported. The Sichuan-Tibet Railway will be the second railway into Tibet after the Qinghai-Tibet …

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Army undertakes national driving licences printing process.

Sri Lanka Army undertook the printing production of national driving licences from January 01 and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Motor Traffic at Werahera. The special MoU was inked between Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Tr…

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India Elected Non-Permanent Member of UN Security Council.

India was elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for a two-year term, winning 184 votes in the 193-member General Assembly. Along with India, Ireland, Mexico and Norway also won the Security Council elections. There were 192 Member States pres…

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Lewis Hamilton knighted in UK's New Year Honours List.

Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton capped a remarkable year on and off the track after he was awarded a knighthood in the UK's New Year's Honours List. This year, Hamilton won his seventh F1 driver's championship title, equaling the great Michael Schumacher's …

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Cristiano Ronaldo wins player of century award.

Cristiano Ronaldo was named player of the century at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards. Defeating Barcelona's Leo Messi and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Ronaldo was voted best player of the 2000s by a 23-person jury, including coaches and former players and worldwide fan v…

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Global Family Day - 01 January.

Global Family Day, (One Day of Peace and Sharing) is celebrated every January 1 as a global day of peace and sharing. It is a day where individuals and families share food with friends (especially the needy), make personal pledges of nonviolence, and spread a message of pea…

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New Year’s Day - 01 January.

Nearly the entire world recognizes New Year’s Day on January 1st. It’s also one of the most celebrated holidays of the year.  Celebrations will begin in the Pacific Ocean with Samoa celebrating the New Year before the rest of the world.  The new year has been celebrated for m…

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Euro Day - 01 January.

Every year on January 1st, Euro Day celebrates the issuance of the monetary unit of the European Union. This monetary unit is called the euro. The euro is one of the newer types of currency. The euro was born in 1999. However, the notes and coins didn’t begin to circulate un…

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China to overtake US to be world's biggest economy by 2028.

China will overtake the US to become the world's largest economy by 2028, five years earlier than previously forecast, a report says. The UK-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said China's "skilful" management of current global pandemic…

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Biden names Kathleen Hicks as first woman deputy defense secretary.

President-elect Joe Biden nominated Kathleen Hicks to be his deputy defense secretary, making her the first woman to hold the position if she is confirmed by the Senate. Joe Biden's transition team announced on Wednesday 30 December 2020 that former Obama Pentagon offici…

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Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice 2020.

Harmony Foundation hosted the Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice. The Awards in its 16th year is the only award endorsed by Sister Prema, the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, the organization started by Mother Teresa.  The theme for this year’s …

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Prof. Lalith Gamage appointed as new Chairman of ICTA.

Prof. Lalith Gamage has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Information & Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA). He takes over from Jayantha De Silva, who will be leaving as the Secretary to the newly created Ministry of Technology.  Prof. Gamage is s…

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