No risk of oil leak from cargo ship distressed at Little Basses.

Divers of the Sri Lanka Navy are currently monitoring the condition of the cargo ship that had run aground near the Little Basses Reef on the south-east coast of Sri Lanka. The monitoring process commenced this morning (January 24) and the investigations have revealed that t…

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Tesla moves to launching in India.

Tesla has moved closer to its launch in India later this year by registering a company in the country. Tesla Motors India and Energy Private Limited was incorporated last week with registered offices in Bengaluru. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk tweeted in October about a for…

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International Day of Education - 24 January.

Every year on January 24th, the International Day of Education celebrates the role of education in global peace and sustainable development. The third International Day of Education (January 24) will be marked on Monday 25 January 2021 under the theme ‘Recover and Revitalize…

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Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) urges licensed banks to cut back non-essential expenditure.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has requested licensed banks in the country to cut back non-essential expenditure while exercising diligence and prudence when incurring capital expenditure. Having observed the varied views published recently on discretionary payments in…

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Veteran US talk show host Larry King dies aged 87.

Larry King, giant of US broadcasting who achieved worldwide fame for interviewing political leaders and celebrities, has died at the age of 87. King conducted an estimated 50,000 interviews in his six-decade career, which included 25 years as host of the popular CNN talk sho…

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Biden issues executive order expanding LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections.

President Joe Biden issued an executive order Wednesday night that will extend existing federal nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ people. Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group, called it “the most substantive,…

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Hall of Famer Hank Aaron dies at age 86.

Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, who battled racial prejudice and hatred on his way to breaking the major leagues' career home run record, has died at the age of 86, the Atlanta Braves announced. According to a person with knowledge, Aaron died Friday (22) morning afte…

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2021 Military Strength Ranking.

Global powers ranked by potential military strength. The finalized Global Firepower ranking below utilizes over 50 individual factors to determine a given nation's PowerIndex ('PwrIndx') score with categories ranging from military might and financials to logisti…

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Juventus wins Italian Super Cup.

On Wednesday 20 January 2021 night, the 33rd edition of the Italian Super Cup saw Juventus defeat Napoli 2-0 thanks to goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Álvaro Morata. It is the first trophy for Andrea Pirlo at the helm of Juventus and the first time that an American soccer pla…

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Microsoft partnered with GM’s Cruise on self-driving cars.

Microsoft has entered into a long-term strategic relationship with General Motors and Cruise, the automaker’s majority-owned autonomous car unit, to accelerate the commercialization of self-driving vehicles. As part of the partnership, the tech giant will join GM, Honda Moto…

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The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) named world’s largest derivatives exchange for 2020.

The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) has emerged as the world’s largest derivatives exchange in 2020 in terms of the number of contracts traded, according to data maintained by Futures Industry Association (FIA). The exchange has been adjudged the first rank for th…

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IFFCO ranks first among top 300 cooperatives of the world.

The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has stepped up to 65th position in overall turnover ranking from 125th position in last financial year and now is at the top spot among 300 leading cooperatives in the world. The ranking is based on the ratio of turno…

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SpaceX Converts Two Ultradeepwater Rigs into Rocket Launch Pads.

Commercial space flight operator SpaceX has purchased two oil rigs from Valaris for conversion into seagoing rocket launch pads, according to multiple reports and court records. Orbital launch trajectories are heavily affected by location, and a sea-based launch site allows …

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The Global Risks Report 2021.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released the Global Risks Report 2021, 16th Edition. The findings of the report are based on the Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) undertaken by over 650 members of WEF’s diverse leadership communities. The Report is prepared with Stra…

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Andaman and Nicobar Command to conduct joint military exercise ‘Kavach’.

The Indian Army is to conduct a large scale joint military exercise Kavach in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal. The exercise is to be held under the aegis of Andaman and Nicobar Command.  The Joint Military Exercise Kavach will involve Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air F…

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Indian and French airforces exercise Desert Knight-21.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) and French Air and Space Force are set to participate in Exercise Desert Knight-21. The bilateral air exercise will be held at Jodhpur Air Force station in Rajasthan, India, from 20 to 24 January. Exercise Desert Knight-21 aims to improve interopera…

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Apple's latest patent for Face ID, which uses facial heat mapping.

Apple has just been granted a new patent that is related to its Face ID biometric security system. The patent details a next gen advancement in facial recognition technology, which apparently uses facial heat mapping for authentication. According to a PatentlyApple report, t…

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SpaceX delivers 60 more Starlink satellites in first launch of 2021.

SpaceX has launched its seventeenth batch of Starlink satellites during its first mission on 20 January 2021. It has used a Falcon 9 rocket that was flying for the eighth time, and that landed again, recording a record for its reusability program.  This puts the total Starlin…

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Iran and six other African Nations lose right to vote in UNGA over Unpaid Dues.

Iran and six other nations have lost their voting rights in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) over unpaid dues, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.  According to reports, Iran has to pay over $16 million in dues to the UNGA, a delay the country has blamed on…

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US President Biden revokes Keystone XL pipeline permit.

US President Joe Biden has cancelled permits for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office. The pipeline had been projected to carry oil nearly 1,200 miles (1,900km) from the Canadian province of Alberta down to Nebraska, to join an existing pipeline. …

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Iran holds ballistic missile, drones drill amid tensions.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces held a military exercise involving ballistic missiles and drones in the country’s central desert, state TV reported, amid heightened tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program and a US pressure campaign against the Islamic Republi…

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Hayleys Group announces massive share sub division.

The Hayleys Group of Companies has decided to increase the number of shares by way of a sub division . Accordingly, the existing shares of each company will be subjected to the following sub divisions. HAYLEYS PLC - 1:10 DIPPED PRODUCTS PLC - 1:10 ALUMEX PLC - 1:2 REGNIS (LANKA…

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Biden sets to work on reversing Trump policies with executive orders.

US President Joe Biden has begun to undo some of Donald Trump's key policies, hours after being sworn in. In his initial acts as the 46th US president, he signed 15 executive orders - the first to boost the federal response to the current pandemic  crisis. Other orders re…

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Electric car batteries with five-minute charging times produced.

Batteries capable of fully charging in five minutes have been produced in a factory for the first time, marking a significant step towards electric cars becoming as fast to charge as filling up petrol or diesel vehicles. Electric vehicles are a vital part of action to tackle…

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Colombo Stock Exchange's (CSE’s) All Share Price Index (ASPI) surpasses 8,000 points for the first time history.

The main index of the Colombo Stock Exchange, the All Share Price Index (ASPI) crossed the 8,000 point mark for the first in history today (21) , breaking all the previous records. The ASPI gained 246.80 points (or 3.13%) closing the day on 8,131.25. Meanwhile, The S&P S…

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Sri Lanka reopens its borders for tourists.

Sri Lanka reopened its airports for foreign tourists today (21) after a nearly 10-month pandemic closure that cut deeply into the nation's lucrative travel industry. As Sri Lanka opens the borders for international tourists detailed safety protocols and processes have be…

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Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) saves USD. 300 million in foreign exchange in 2020.

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has saved USD 300 million in foreign exchange for the year 2020, CPC Chairman Sumith Wijesinghe told the Parliament Committee on Public Enterprisers (COPE) recently. He stated that the government was able to take advantage of this due to t…

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Lasith Malinga retires from franchise cricket.

Lasith Malinga, the leading wicket-taker in the history of the Indian Premier League, has opted to retire from franchise cricket, his former IPL team Mumbai Indians confirmed on Wednesday. The development comes hours after MI released Malinga from their squad, with the franc…

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IMF chief sees ‘high degree of uncertainty’ in global outlook.

The head of the International Monetary Fund on Monday said the global lender needed more resources to help heavily indebted countries, citing a highly uncertain global economic outlook and a growing divergence between rich and poor countries. IMF Managing Director Kristalina…

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Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) to introduce priority sector lending targets for MSMEs.

The Central Bank will be introducing priority sector lending targets for the micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) to support a broad based economic revival, in consultation with the banking community, Chandranath Amarasekara, Director of Economic Research at th…

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New Zealand Captain Sophie Devine hits Fastest Century in Women's T20 History.

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine hit the fastest century in women's Twenty20 history on Thursday 14 January 2021, taking just 36 balls to reach 100 in a domestic match in Dunedin. Devine tore apart the Otago Sparks bowling attack, hitting nine sixes and seven fours to …

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Xiaomi and 8 More Chinese Companies Blacklisted by US Government.

The US government has blacklisted Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi and China's third-largest national oil company for alleged military links, heaping pressure on Beijing in President Donald Trump's last week in office. The Department of Defense added nine companies to…

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Selling rate of US $ exceeds Rs.198 mark.

According to the daily exchange report of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), the current buying rate of the US Dollar today (20) stands at Rs.192.85 and selling rate of the US dollar stands at Rs.198.26. Meanwhile, commenting on the continuous depreciation of the rupee ag…

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Joe Biden sworn in as 46th president of the United States.

Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States in inaugural ceremonies on the west front of the Capitol that have begun in Washington, D.C. on 20  January 2021.  The ceremonies have been scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic, with heightened security…

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India beats Australia and wins Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Gabba.

India has scored a famous victory in the Test series against Australia. India successfully chased the 328 on the last day of the final game at the Gabba to win the series 2-1 and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Explosive wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who was not picked for th…

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Netherlands PM Mark Rutte and his entire cabinet quits.

The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte and his entire Cabinet has resigned recently over the childcare subsidies scandal, in which thousands of families were wrongly accused of child welfare fraud. However, the Rutte government will stay on in a caretaker role until parliamen…

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Government of India decides to celebrate January 23 as Parakram Diwas.

The birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, on January 23, as ‘Parakram Diwas’ every year, the Ministry of Culture announced. The day is celebrated to honour and remember Netaji’s indomitable spirit and selfless service to the nation. Earlier this month, the Minis…

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Adani group signs concession agreement with Airports Authority of India (AAI)

Adani Group has announced that it has signed a concession agreement with Airports Authority of India(AAI) for Jaipur, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram airports. The concession period is 50 years from the commercial operation date. Adani Group had emerged as the highest bidder for…

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Tariff concession for Mongolia.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Trade for awarding tariff concession as well as conduct discussions with Mongolia for identifying tariff concessions that be mutually agreed upon between the two parties, the state information o…

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Drafting of Sign Language Bill approved.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal to make necessary provisions through an Act of Parliament for making Sign Language a recognized means of communication and to advise the legal draftsman to draft the relevant bill. The proposal has been tabled by Prime Minis…

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