Gukesh Dommaraju: Indian Teen Becomes The World’s Youngest Chess Champion

Published

1 year ago

December 14, 2024

Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju has become the youngest-ever world chess champion after beating defending champion China’s Ding Liren in a dramatic turn on Thursday.

Dommaraju, 18, is four years younger than the former record-holder, Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he won the title in 1985.

The Chennai prodigy has long been a superstar in the chess world, having attained the status of chess grandmaster at the age of 12.

But he was seen as the outside challenger going into the final round of the FIDE World Chess Championship, held in Singapore this year.

Playing on black, Dommaraju won the game after Ding, who had been in a solid position, made a fatal move that gave up his last powerful piece.

His blunder delivered victory to the 18-year-old, who until now had been ranked fifth in the world and second in his own country.

The 14-game World Championship competition had been closely watched by chess fans around the world this past fortnight.

Sri Lanka wins first international Tamil debating title in Malaysia

Published

4 weeks ago

December 27, 2025

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Sri Lankan school Tamil debaters have created history by winning their first-ever international championship, securing the title at the Sampanthan Paindhamizh Chudar 5.0 competition in Malaysia.

The victory was achieved by the National Development Squad of the Tamil Debaters’ Council of Sri Lanka, making them the first non-Malaysian team to win the prestigious championship, organised by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). The achievement marks a major milestone for Sri Lankan Tamil debating on the global stage.

Education

University of Colombo discovers plant-based Cancer Drug

Published

4 months ago

October 3, 2025

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After nearly 17 years of continuous research since 2008, the Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of the University of Colombo has successfully developed a nutrient-based drug capable of destroying cancer cells.

The breakthrough was led by Professor Sameera R. Samarakoon and his research team, who discovered that a combination of five medicinal plants — Vernonia zeylanica, Nigella sativa, Hemidesmus indicus, Leucas zeylanica, and Smilax glabra — has the potential to kill cancer cells.

This discovery marks a significant step forward in cancer research, highlighting the value of traditional medicinal plants in modern scientific innovation.

Education

First Sri Lankan earns U.S. Navy SEAL pin

Published

6 months ago

July 26, 2025

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Lieutenant Koyan Chamitha of the Sri Lanka Navy’s Special Boat Squadron (SBS) has made history by becoming the first Sri Lankan to complete the U.S. Navy SEAL training program and earn the prestigious SEAL Trident pin.

The rigorous training, which lasted 14 months, is widely considered one of the most challenging military programs in the world, with a dropout rate exceeding 75%.