Microsoft names CEO Satya Nadella as chairman.

Microsoft Corp on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, named Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella as its new chairman, in place of John Thompson. Mr. Nadella, who took over as CEO in 2014 from Steve Ballmer, has been instrumental in scaling up its business including billion-dollar acq…

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The new Atlantic Charter signed.

US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday 10 June 2021 signed a new Atlantic Charter meant to reflect the shifting threats facing the world 80 years after the original document was signed during World War II. It was a historic declaration o…

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World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought - 17 June.

Every year on June 17th, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought highlights methods to prevent desertification. It’s also a day to focus on finding ways to recover from drought. Desertification is the process by which fertile land becomes desert. This is usually …

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China's Shenzhou-12 delivers first crew to Tianhe module.

China has launched three astronauts into orbit to begin occupation of the country's new space station. The three men - Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo - are to spend three months aboard the Tianhe module some 380km (236 miles) above the Earth. It will be China…

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Germany and Australia sign accord to boost hydrogen production.

Germany and Australia on Sunday 13 June 2021 signed a bilateral alliance on hydrogen production and trade to try to facilitate a renewable energy-based hydrogen supply chain between the two countries. Economy Minister Peter Altmaier and Education and Research Minister Anja K…

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Facebook launches ‘Report it, Don’t share it!’ initiative.

Social media giant Facebook has launched a new initiative ‘Report it, Don’t share it!’ that encourages people to report child abuse content on its platforms and not to share it. The initiative 'Report it, don't share it' is in collaboration with civil society or…

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2021 NATO Summit Held in Brussels, Belgium.

The leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) held a face-to-face summit on NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The 2021 Brussels summit of NATO was the 31st formal meeting of the heads of state and heads of government of the alliance. The summit of the 3…

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Cristiano Ronaldo breaks Euro scoring record for most goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo's record-setting day came in front of the first packed crowd of this year's European Championship. The Portugal great set the record for most career goals at the tournament in the 87th minute from the penalty spot and then added another in injury ti…

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NATO leaders declare China a ‘constant security challenge’.

NATO leaders have declared China a constant security challenge and said the Chinese are working to undermine global order, a message in sync with President Joe Biden’s efforts to get allies to speak out with a more unified voice against China’s trade, military and human rig…

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Iran approves first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine.

Iran has approved an emergency use of its first domestically developed coronavirus vaccine called "COVIran Barakat" that could bring the hardest-hit country in the Middle East closer to inoculating its citizens against COVID-19. The emergency authorization was appr…

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The world’s first wooden satellite should be in space by the end of 2021

WISA Woodsat, a nanosatellite that measures 4 by 4 by 4 inches (10 by 10 by 10 centimeters) and weighs about 2.2 lbs. (1 kilogram), uses a special type of coated plywood (called WISA) for its surface panels.  The wooden satellite will launch as part of a mission, designed by…

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Global Wind Day 2021 - 15 June.

Every year the Global Wind Day is celebrated worldwide on 15 June to spread awareness about wind energy, the various uses of wind energy, and the ways and possibilities as to how wind energy can help change the world. Global Wind Day was first observed as Wind Day in 2007. …

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International Day of Family Remittances - 16 June.

Every year on June 16th, the International Day of Family Remittances recognizes the contributions that migrants make to improve the lives of their family members back home. It’s also a day for realizing the impact these contributions make on households, communities, countri…

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Details of WTC prize money announced.

The winners of the much-awaited ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final between India and New Zealand will take home a purse of $ 1.6 million along with the ICC Test Championship Mace, the International Cricket Council announced. The losing team will get $ 800,000 for finish…

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World Giving Index - 2021

Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has been producing its World Giving Index for more than a decade. The first CAF World Giving Index was published in the wake of the global financial crisis, and now this long running study has given us the opportunity to look at how a new glob…

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Alberta recognises India’s 75th independence anniversary celebrations.

Alberta has now become the first Canadian province to formally recognise the 75-week celebrations of 75th anniversary of India’s Independence Day. A ministerial statement has been recorded in the legislature of the province marking the 75-week global celebrations, which was …

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Pritzker Prize Laureate Gottfried Bohm passed away.

German architect Gottfried Böhm, designer of the brutalist Church of the Pilgrimage, has passed away aged 101. Böhm, who was the eighth winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, was widely known for his concrete churches that were largely built in Germany. The co…

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Kathryn Bryce and Mushfiqur Rahim voted ICC Players of the Month for May 2021.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month Awards for May which recognise and celebrate the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket throughout the year. About the…

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India ties with Russia as fourth largest forex reserves holder.

India's foreign exchange reserves crossed $600 for the first time. As on June 4, the foreign exchange reserves stood at $605 billion, almost tying with Russia as the fourth largest reserve holder in the world. While India’s forex reserve was $605.008 billion, Russia’s wa…

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Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, UAE Elected To UN Security Council.

Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates were elected unopposed to the powerful UN Security Council on Friday 11 June 2021 as non-permanent members for the 2022-23 term. The 193-member UN General Assembly held elections to elect five non-permanent members w…

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European Space Agency to Launch ‘EnVision’ Mission to Venus in 2030.

Following NASA’s footsteps, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced that it has selected EnVision as its next orbiter that will visit Venus sometime in the 2030s.  EnVision is an ESA led mission with contributions from NASA. It is likely to be launched sometime in the 2030…

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Nobel laureate Amartya Sen 's memoir to release in July.

One of the world's leading public intellectuals of our time, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has penned his memoir 'Home in the World'. The book will be published in July by Penguin Random House. In 'Home in the World', Sen shares details from his life and exp…

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Sri Lanka Ranks 40th in Coursera’s Global Skills Report 2021.

As per the ‘Global Skills Report 2021’ released by Coursera, Sri Lanka has been ranked 40th overall globally.  The report is based on performance data of about 77 million learners (from across 100 countries) on the platform collected since the onset of the pandemic. It bench…

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Israel will become the World’s First Mask-Free Country from June 15.

Israel will become the world’s first mask-free country in the Corona period. Here the rule of applying masks in closed places will end from June 15. This was announced by Israel’s Health Minister Yuli Edelstein.  The rule of applying masks outside has already been abolished …

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47th G7 Summit held in Cornwall, United Kingdom (UK).

The 47th G7 Leaders’ Summit 2021 (Outreach Session of the G7 meeting) took place in a Hybrid format from June 11-13, 2021 at Cornwall, United Kingdom (UK). It was hosted by the United Kingdom (UK) as it holds the Presidency of G7 for 2021.  Key highlights of the summit: The T…

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US President Joe Biden nominates Julie Chung as US envoy to Sri Lanka.

US President Joe Biden has announced on 15 June 2021 his intent to nominate the following individuals – including four career members of the Senior Foreign Service – as ambassadors to represent the United States on the world stage: Julie Chung, Nominee for Ambassador Extraor…

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Peru leftist Pedro Castillo claims presidential election victory.

Peruvian socialist candidate Pedro Castillo claimed victory in the presidential election on Tuesday 15 June 2021 after clinging on to a narrow lead as the lengthy vote count ended, although his right-wing rival pledged to fight the result and has yet to concede. Castillo end…

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Sri Lanka regrets adoption of resolution in EU Parliament.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its regrets over the adoption of a resolution on Sri Lanka in the European Parliament on 10 June 2021. The resolution entitled “The Situation in Sri Lanka, in particular the arrests under the Prevention of Terrorism Act”, contain…

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Rebeca Grynspan appointed as UNCTAD’s secretary-general.

The U.N. General Assembly has approved the appointment of Costa Rican economist Rebecca Grynspan, as the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). She will serve a four-year term of office. She is the first woman and Central Ameri…

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UN General Assembly adopted a Political Declaration to stop Global AIDS Epidemic by 2030.

World leaders in the General Assembly today committed to “urgent and transformative action” to end the gender inequalities, restrictive laws and multiple forms of discrimination that perpetuate the global AIDS epidemic, adopting a lengthy Political Declaration that spells o…

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