Rāgā, elevates Sri Lankan "Kithul" Industry to the next level.

Rāgā, an innovative line of organic, kithul-based products was launched by Agri Deshiya (Pvt.) Ltd. – a local company committed to elevate Sri Lanka through value-added agricultural products of Sri Lankan origin to international fame. The official launch took place on the 1…

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Sri Lanka’s ‘Dumbara Weaving’ recognized as a UNSECO World Cultural Heritage.

Sri Lanka’s traditional craftsmanship of making Dumbara Ratā Kalāla (Dumbara Weaving) has been recognized at the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. The recognition was given at the 16th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural H…

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New chairperson and member appointed to HRCSL.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has made two key appointments to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL). Accordingly, retired Supreme Court Justice Rohini Marasinghe has been appointed as the new chairperson of this independent commission. Meanwhile, Venerable Kalupaha…

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International Tea Day - 15 December.

Every year on December 15th, tea-producing countries celebrate International Tea Day. The day seeks to draw the attention of governments and citizens around the world to the impact that tea trade has on workers and growers. The tea-producing countries that celebrate Internat…

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Elon Musk named Time's 2021 'Person of the Year'.

Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk was named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" for 2021, a year that saw his electric car company become the most valuable carmaker in the world and his rocket company soar to the edge of space with an all-civilian crew. Musk i…

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Dubai becomes 1st ever govt to implement 100% paperless strategy.

In a major step towards sustainability, Dubai crown prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Saturday announced that Dubai has implemented the 100% paperless strategy. Pointing at savings of 1.3 billion Dirham ($350 million) and 14 million man hours, the p…

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Gothic novel author Anne Rice passes away.

American gothic-fiction writer Anne Rice, best known for The Vampire Chronicles novel series, passed away at  the age of 80. Anne Rice's debut novel, published in 1976, Interview with the Vampire revolves around a vampire named Louis de Pointe du Lac, who narrates the sto…

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New chairman appointed to Board of Investment.

Raja Edirisooriya has been appointed as the new chairman of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI). The appointment came two weeks after the BOI chairman along with several other top officials including the members of the Board of Directors and the Director-General tende…

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Mahela Jayawardena appointed Sri Lanka’s Consultant Coach.

Sri Lanka Cricket has announced the appointment of former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena as the ‘Consultant Coach’ for the National Teams, effective 1st January 2022. Jayawardena, in his new role, which is effective for a period of one year, will be in charge of the ov…

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Changes to Criminal Procedure Code to not impose death penalty on minors in Sri Lanka.

The Cabinet of Ministers has given the approval to amend Section 281 of the Code of Criminal Procedure which refers to ‘punishment of detention in lieu of death for persons under eighteen years of age.’ Section 281 states; “Where any person convicted of an offence punishable…

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Max Verstappen has won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen has won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, giving him his first ever Formula One championship title after a season-long battle with reigning champ and seven-time winner Lewis Hamilton. With both drivers heading into the last 2021 F1 race of the season on equal points …

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North and South Korea agree ‘in principle’ on formal end of war.

South and North Korea, China and the US have agreed “in principle” to declare a formal end to the Korean war, almost 70 years after the conflict ended in a shaky truce, the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, has said. But Moon conceded that talks on the 1950-53 war were be…

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Grammy-winning Mexican singer Vicente Fernández passess away.

Grammy-winning singer Vicente Fernández, the prolific and beloved Mexican artist who sold more than 50 million records in his career, died Sunday 12 December 2021 at age 81 in Mexico. A cause of death was not released for Fernández, who was injured in a fall in August. Born i…

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Norway's Magnus Carlsen takes home fifth World Chess Championship Title.

Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen retained his world chess title on December 10 with fourth win over Russian challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi. The world number 1 sealed victory by winning the 11th game of the 14-game series in their €2 million match in Dubai. Carlsen, who tur…

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World Talent Ranking Report - 2021

International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitive Centre published its “World Talent Ranking Report”.  In the report, Europe has dominated the ranking in 2021. Switzerland leads the top 10 economies in the IMD 2021 World Talent Ranking 2021, showing …

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Harnaaz Sandhu crowned as 70th Miss Universe 2021.

Indian Actor-model Harnaaz Sandhu made history as she was crowned Miss Universe 2021 beating contestants from 80 countries, 21 years after India last brought home the title. While Paraguay’s Nadia Ferreira, 22, finished second, South Africa’s Lalela Mswane, 24, came third. O…

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Chile same-sex marriage: Law overwhelmingly approved by parliament.

Chile has approved a landmark law allowing same-sex marriage in the historically Catholic country. The legislation, overwhelmingly approved by parliament on Tuesday, also enables gay couples to adopt children. The bill was supported by President Sebastián Piñera, who has to s…

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US State Department designates 12 foreign officials for human rights violations.

The State Department of the United States has designated two members of Sri Lanka’s security forces over their “involvement in gross violations of human rights”. According to a statement issued by the department on Friday (Dec. 10), Sri Lankan naval intelligence officer Chan…

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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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