World’s largest natural corundum Blue Sapphire found in Sri Lanka.

The largest single natural corundum as a single crystal (Blue Sapphire) in the world has been found in Sri Lanka. With a weight of around 310 kilograms (1.550,000 carats), it has been named as the “Queen of Asia”. The National Gem and Jewellery Authority says that the gemston…

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Israeli study finds Pfizer booster vaccine protects against omicron.

Israeli researchers said on Saturday 11 December 2021 they found that a three-dose course of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine provided significant protection against the new omicron variant. The findings were similar to those presented by BioNTech and Pfizer earlier in…

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International Universal Health Coverage Day - 12 December.

Every year December 12th marks International Universal Health Coverage Day as a way to urge countries to accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The day also seeks to promote the idea that access to affordable quality health care is a human right. Univers…

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International Day of Neutrality - 12 December.

Every year on December 12th, the International Day of Neutrality promotes the importance of peaceful, friendly, and mutually beneficial relations between countries. When a country is neutral, it means they are not taking a side in times of war or conflict. One of the best-kn…

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Thilanka Palangasinghe clinches bronze at Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.

Sri Lankan weightlifter Thilanka Palangasinghe has secured a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Friday.  The 28-year-old weightlifter competed in the men’s 61kg category. He has successfully lifted 145kg in clean and …

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Senior White House official Catherine Russell appointed new UNICEF chief.

UN Secretary‑General António Guterres announced on Friday (10th), that Catherine Russell of the United States will become the next Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). She will succeed Henrietta Fore, who said she was “delighted to hand over to someone …

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International Mountain Day - 11 December.

Every year on December 11th, International Mountain Day aims to increase awareness about the importance of mountains. The conservation of mountains is a key factor in sustainable development. Mountains cover 27% of the earth’s landmass. According to the United Nations, 15% o…

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UNICEF Birthday - 11 December.

Each year on December 11th, the world celebrates the UNICEF Birthday commemorating the day it was created in 1946. Headquartered in New York City, UNICEF is a member of the United Nations Development Group and its Executive Committee. Since its founding, UNICEF has provided …

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South Africa Plans Regulations for Cryptocurrencies.

South Africa’s financial regulator is planning to unveil a regulatory framework covering cryptocurrencies early next year to help protect vulnerable members of the society from highly risky assets. The rules, designed in concert with peers like the prudential authority and t…

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International Animal Rights Day - 10 December.

Each year on December 10th during International Animal Rights Day, animal rights advocates around the world seek to persuade people that kindness and respect are owed to all sentient beings. This, of course, includes animals. Most people understand that animals can feel pain…

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Human Rights Day - 10 December.

Human Rights Day on December 10th annually seeks to honor the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Representatives from different cultural backgrounds all over the world drafted the UDHR. Once the United Nations formed, it was one of its first signif…

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Nobel Prize Day - 10.11.201

On December 10th, Nobel Prize Day recognizes the annual award established by Alfred Nobel. Alfred Nobel signed his third and last will at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris on November 27, 1895. When it was opened and read after his death, the will caused a lot of controve…

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Forbes’ 2021 List of World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.

Forbes’ 18th annual list of power women includes 40 CEOs, 19 world leaders, an immunologist and, for the first time in more than a decade, a new number one. In 2021, the state of female power around the world looks a bit different than it did just one or two years ago. Women…

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DRDO test-fired air version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

India successfully test-fired the air version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the integrated test range of Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. The air version of the missile was test-fired from supersonic fighter aircraft Sukhoi 30 MK-I.  BrahMos is a joint ven…

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Japanese billionaire Maezawa blasts off into space.

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa set out to became the first space tourist in more than a decade to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) when he blasted off on Wednesday, a voyage he sees as a dry run for his planned trip around the moon with Elon Musk's S…

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World population set to decline for the first time in centuries.

According to a new study published in the Lancet journal, the world population will decline for the first time in the next century. The world’s population is currently estimated to be at 7.8 billion people. According to the estimate, the global population would peak at aroun…

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China warns nations will 'pay price' for Olympic boycott.

China has warned countries who have announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics that they "will pay the price for their mistaken acts". The US, UK, Australia and Canada will not send government representatives to the Games because of concerns over…

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Asia Power Index 2021.

The annual Asia Power Index launched by the Lowy Institute in 2018 to measures resources and influence to rank the relative power of states in Asia.  The project maps out the existing distribution of power as it stands today, and tracks shifts in the balance of power over ti…

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World Inequality Report 2022.

The latest World Inequality Lab’s report presents the most complete data on the various facets of inequality worldwide: global wealth, income, gender and ecological inequality. The analysis is based on several years’ work by more than one hundred researchers from around the…

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Canada, UK, Australia all join US in diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics.

Canada on Wednesday 08 December 2021 joined a growing list of countries refusing to send government officials to the Beijing Winter Olympics. The US, UK and Australia already have all said they won't send official delegations to the Games in response to China's human…

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Wasantha Karannagoda appointed new Governor of North Western Province.

Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda has been appointed as the Governor of the North-Western Province, says the President’s Media Division (PMD). He was sworn in before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat today (December 09). Karannagoda has prev…

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Italy watchdog fines Amazon €1.13 billion.

Italy’s competition regulator said today it had fined e-commerce giant Amazon €1.13 billion for alleged abuse of market dominance. In a statement, the watchdog said Amazon had harmed competing operators in the e-commerce logistics service. The watchdog said it would impose on…

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Srimali wins gold medal at Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.

Sri Lankan weightlifter Srimali Samarakoon won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Thursday 02 December 2021.  The twenty-two-year-old talented weightlifter was competing in the women’s 45kg category.  The Commonwealth…

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New Species of Bird Discovered in South America.

Flatbill flycatchers are members of the genus Rhynchocyclus in the exclusively New World family Tyrannidae. Four known species in the genus are distributed from southern Mexico to northeastern Bolivia, eastern Venezuela, and Brazil. Rhynchocyclus currently includes four speci…

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Major General Vikum Liyanage appointed Army’s new Chief of Staff.

Major General Vikum Liyanage has been appointed as the 59th Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, with effect from December 07, 2021. The appointment was made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the recommendations of Army Commander General Shavendra Silva and the Defence Min…

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International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime - 09 November.

Each year on December 9th, the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime seeks to raise awareness of the Genocide Convention. It’s also a day to commemorate and honor the victims of genocide. Un…

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International Anti-corruption Day - 09 December.

Every year on December 9th, International Anti-corruption Day raises public awareness for anti-corruption. It also encourages the public to work on innovative solutions aimed at winning the battle against corruption. Corruption is defined as dishonest or fraudulent conduct. …

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UAE becomes first country to transition to 4-and-half day work week.

The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday 07 December 2021 announced to change its existing five-day workweek to a four-and-a-half day starting January 1, becoming the world's first country to make the employee-friendly transition as part of its efforts to improve productivit…

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SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Charter Day - 08 December.

The SAARC observes December 8 each year as the establishment day of the regional body. On this day in 1985, SAARC Charter was adopted in Dhaka, during the first summit of the group. Since then, 08 December every year is commemorated as the SAARC Charter Day. This year marks…

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Russia beats Croatia to win third Davis Cup.

Russia claimed its third Davis Cup title on Sunday after Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev both won their singles matches to defeat Croatia. Medvedev’s 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 victory over Marin Cilic came after Rublev had prevailed 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) over Borna Gojo, giving Russia an un…

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