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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Indian Government lists bill to ban Cryptocurrency.

The Indian Government has listed a bill which prohibits the use of private cryptocurrency. It has decided to issue its own digital currency – a stablecoin backed by rupee – and proposed to ban cryptocurrency. The cryptocurrency ecosystem in India has always been a grey area …

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Corruption Perception Index 2020.

Sri Lanka Secures 94th Rank in Corruption Perception Index among 180 countries in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2020, released by Transparency International. Sri Lanka is jointly sharing its 94th position with 07 other countries by reaching 38 score results. Those cou…

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Cloris Leachman - Emmy and Oscar winning actor, dies at age 94.

Emmy & Oscar winning-actor Cloris Leachman has passed away. She died of natural causes at her home in Encinitas, California. The late star was known as one of Hollywood’s most prolific performers having won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and eight Primetime Emmy…

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Brand Finance Global 500 2021 Ranking.

Brand Finance evaluates the strength and value of more than 5000 global brands every year. Brandirectory holds all of the Brand Finance rankings, specialist reports and whitepapers published since 2007. With over 40 sectors and industries covered in 46 countries, Brandirecto…

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Asia-Pacific Personalised Health Index.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released ”Asia-Pacific Personalised Health Index‘’. The index measures the progress towards personalised healthcare for 11 countries. Singapore (1st), Taiwan (2nd), Japan (3rd) and Australia (4th) also performed well in overall readi…

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World Leprosy Day - 31 January (Last Sunday of January)

Every year on the last Sunday of January, World Leprosy Day seeks to increase public awareness of leprosy, a chronic infectious skin disease. The day also helps to debunk common myths associated with leprosy. Unbeknownst by many, leprosy was renamed Hansen’s disease in 1873.…

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Black Lives Matter movement nominated for Nobel peace prize.

The Black Lives Matter movement has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel peace prize for the way its call for systemic change has spread around the world. In his nomination papers, the Norwegian MP Petter Eide said the movement had forced countries outside the US to grapple wit…

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Martyr's Day: 73rd Death Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Mahatma Gandhi, the 'Father of the Nation', was assassinated on January 30, 1948 at the age of 78 years by Nathuram Godse. 30th January 2021 marks this great leader's 73rd death anniversary.  India marks the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, as Martyrs' Da…

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U.S. to provide health rooms for 120 schools in Sri Lanka.

The United States has initiated a project to set up health rooms at 120 schools in Sri Lanka, the U.S. Embassy in Colombo said today (January 29). The initiative is launched in coordination with zonal and provincial education and health services authorities, to support the h…

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World's tallest dog dies.

Freddy the Great Dane, who held the record for tallest dog living (male), has sadly passed away. He was 8 and a half years old.  The gentle giant was a much adored and pampered pet who became an international superstar when his record was announced in 2016. When measured by a…

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