Mario Draghi sworn in as Italy's new prime minister.

The ex-head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, has been sworn-in as Italy's next prime minister. Mr. Draghi put together a unity government of the main political parties, following the collapse of the previous administration last month. It was thrown into chaos …

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Indian short film Bittu shortlisted in Live Action Category.

Hindi short film Bittu has been shortlisted in the Live Action Short Film category for the 93rd Academy Awards. Helmed by Karishma Dev Dube, the short film cast includes actors namely Rani Kumari, Renu Kumari, Krishna Negi, Monu Uniyal, Salma Khatoom, Saurabh Saraswat, etc.…

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NASA Assigns Astronauts to Agency’s SpaceX Crew-4 Mission to Space Station.

NASA has assigned two crew members to launch on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission – the fourth crew rotation flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, r…

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A UK lawyer Karim Khan, elected chief prosecutor at International Criminal Court (ICC).

A leading British barrister has been elected the next chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Karim Khan, 50, currently heads a United Nations investigation into war crimes committed by the Islamic State group in Iraq. BBC diplomatic correspondent James La…

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Pakistan Army conducts successful test launch of surface-to-surface Babur cruise missile.

The army successfully test-fired a short range surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of hitting land and sea targets with “high precision” up to 450 kilometres away. The Babur cruise missile IA was launched from a "state of the art Multi Tube Missile Launch Vehic…

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Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) tests satellites developed by private sector for the first time.

Two satellites by Indian startups called SpaceKidz India and Pixxel were tested at the UR Rao Satellite Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru.  This is a first for the space agency, which so far has only taken help in manufacturing and fabricat…

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New methodology to select new Samurdhi recipients.

The government has decided to introduce a non-political and transparent program in registering new recipients of the Samurdhi allowance. Under this new system, eligible Samurdhi beneficiary families who leave the Divisional Secretariat level for various reasons will be repla…

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Mars set for visits from UAE, China and US spacecraft.

Three spacecraft carrying the ambitions and anxieties of three different countries’ space agencies are set to arrive at Mars this month, beginning what scientists hope could be a new wave of exploration of the red planet. The flurry of activity began Tuesday, as the United A…

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External Sector Performance – December 2020.

Merchandise exports recovered in December 2020 from the impact of the second wave of the current pandemic in the country, while merchandise imports continued to decline on a year-on-year basis supported by the continuation of restrictions on non-essential imports and compar…

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UN HRC adopts Myanmar resolution demanding Suu Kyi release.

The top United Nations human rights body has called on Myanmar to release Aung San Suu Kyi and other officials and to refrain from using violence on people protesting against the military coup. The 47-member Geneva forum adopted a resolution brought by Britain and the Europe…

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Rare Nasa photos reveal Amazon 'gold rivers'.

Stunning rare photographs published by Nasa have revealed the extent of gold mining - much of it thought to be illegal - in Peru's Amazon rainforest. The "rivers of gold" captured in the images are actually pits believed to have been dug by unlicensed miners, t…

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Twelve new High Court Judges appointed.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed twelve new High Court Judges, the President’s Media Division said. The new High Court Judges received their letters of appointment from the President at the Presidential Secretariat on 10 Feb 2021. Newly appointed High Court Judges: 1…

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The world's most misunderstood novel.

The Great Gatsby is synonymous with parties, glitz and glamour, but this is just one of many misunderstandings about the book that began from its first publication. Misunderstanding has been a part of The Great Gatsby's story from the very start. Grumbling to his friend …

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Arab spacecraft enters orbit around Mars in historic flight.

A spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates swung into orbit around Mars in a triumph for the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission. Ground controllers at the UAE’s space center in Dubai rose to their feet and broke into applause when word came that the craft, called Amal…

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Over 300 million emails, passwords leaked, check if your account has been hacked.

In another major cyberattack, an online hacking forum has claimed that it has leaked over 300 million emails and passwords.  The compromised credentials belong to users of LinkedIn, Minecraft, Netflix, Badoo, Pastebin and Bitcoin. Significantly, a lot of users who were victi…

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Super Bowl 2021: Tom Brady wins seventh title as Buccaneers beat Chiefs.

A different team in a different conference, yet Tom Brady continues to add to his remarkable legacy. The 43-year-old claimed his fifth Super Bowl MVP award Sunday, passing for 201 yards and three touchdowns as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throttled the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 at…

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Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori resigns.

The head of the Tokyo Olympics resigned after a scandal over sexist remarks he made about women threatened to overshadow preparations for the pandemic-hit games. “As of today I will resign from the president’s position,” Yoshiro Mori said to open a meeting of the Olympic Com…

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President Biden Revokes Trump's National Emergency Declaration Used to Fund Border Wall.

President Joe Biden on Thursday 11 Feb 2021 revoked a national emergency declaration that was being used to fund construction for former President Donald Trump's Mexico border wall project. In a letter to Congress, Biden wrote that it was now the White House's police…

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Import restrictions on vehicles to continue in Sri Lannka.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) says restrictions on non-essential imports including vehicles will remain in place until the balance of payment issues are resolved. CBSL Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman noted that the government’s interest and determination to move away fro…

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Bumble’s CEO Becomes a Rare Female Billionaire.

A company catering to women and led by women has made its 31-year-old female founder CEO Whitney Wolfe, a billionaire.  Shares of Bumble Inc., the owner of the dating app where women make the first move, soared 67% in its trading debut to $72 at 1:03 p.m. in New York, valuin…

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Biden administration to rejoin U.N. Human Rights Council.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the U.S. is rejoining the United Nations Human Rights Council, reversing yet another of the Trump administration's moves to exit multilateral organizations and pacts. President Joe Biden instructed the State Department &qu…

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Robert Irwin wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year - 2021.

Robert Irwin has won the coveted Wildlife Photographer of The Year People's Choice Award for his incredible photo of Australia's bushfires. The 17-year-old shared the exciting news, and noted that his image was a reminder of the human impact on the nature.  His photog…

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Valentine Day - 14 February.

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly known as Valentine's Day, or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most of them. St. Valentine's Day began as a…

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Sri Lanka Cricket conducts ‘2km Run Fitness Test’ for national squad.

Sri Lanka Cricket yesterday (February 12) carried out the ‘2 KM Run Fitness Test’ for the National Players to ascertain their fitness levels. Accordingly, 32 of the players out of a 36-member provisional squad, who are training for the Tour of West Indies, which is under dis…

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World Radio Day - 13th February.

Every year on February 13th, World Radio Day celebrates radio as the mass media reaching the widest audience in the world. The day also recognizes the power of radio to promote diversity and build a more inclusive world. Marconi vs. Tesla There is some debate over who actuall…

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Pakistani PM to address Lankan parliament amid Muslim human rights concerns.

Sri Lankan Muslim community leaders were pinning their hopes on Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan addressing their human rights concerns during his historic visit to the island nation later this month. Premier Khan is due to arrive in the capital Colombo on Feb. 23 where h…

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All Share Price Index (ASPI) of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) posts record single-day jump.

The All Share Price Index (ASPI) of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) today recorded its highest daily points gain in history.  The ASPI gained 387.19 points compared to the previous day as the index closed at 7985.00 today when trading ended. This is a gain of 5.10% from the …

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Chinese New Year 2021

Chinese New Year falls on February 12 in 2021. Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is China's most important festival. It is time for families to be together and a week of an official public holiday. Chinese New Year 2021 falls on Friday, F…

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Tesla buys $1.5 billion in bitcoin.

Tesla announced Monday (08) it has bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said it bought the bitcoin for “more flexibility to further diversify and maximize returns on our cash.” Tesla also said it will start…

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The U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Gets Its First Female CEO In Suzanne Clark.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday appointed Suzanne Clark as CEO, effective March 11, 2021. In taking the job, Clark will become the first woman to helm the organization in its 109-year history.  Clark, who has served as the U.S. Chamber’s president since 2019, will re…

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