UK and Australia agreed on historic free trade agreement.

A new free trade agreement with the UK will deliver more Australian jobs and business opportunities for exporters, bringing both countries closer together in a changing strategic environment. Prime Ministers Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson have agreed on the broad outlines …

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Cabinet approves setting up of ‘Small Claims Court’.

The Cabinet of Ministers this week approved the establishment of a ‘Small Claims Court’ with the jurisdiction to hear cases below a specific monetary threshold.  The goal is to ease the caseload of the District Court which would then be able to hear disputes of a higher valu…

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Prof. Munasinghe selected as a recipient for Blue Planet 2021 Prize.

Sri Lankan physicist and economist Professor Mohan Munasinghe has been selected as a recipient for this year’s Blue Planet Prize, the top international award considered to be equivalent to an Environmental Nobel Prize.  This year marks the 30th awarding of the Blue Planet Pr…

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Five digital parks to expose youth talent to world.

It has been planned to build five digital parks around the country, in Galle, Kandy, and Kurunegala districts, with the goal of exposing the youth to the world of technology and digital, according to Digital Technology and Enterprise Development State Minister Namal Rajapak…

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CPC to build new storage facility at Hambantota International Port.

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG), last week to develop Hambantota Port as a strategic energy center in Sri Lanka.  The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Energy, with to…

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Autistic Pride Day - 18 June.

The Autistic Pride Day is observed annually on 18th June. The most important fact about this event is that it is established by the Autistic people themselves. It is a “community event and not a day for other organisations to promote themselves by stifling autistic people.”…

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World Sustainable Gastronomy Day - 18 June.

World Sustainable Gastronomy Day on June 18 recognizes the practices and principals associated with sustainable food consumption combined with the art of collecting, preparing, and consuming the food we eat. As part of the observance, the day acknowledges the social, cultur…

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NATO says attack in space could trigger mutual defense clause.

NATO leaders on Monday 14 June 2021 expanded the use of their all for one, one for all, mutual defense clause to include a collective response to attacks in space. Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty states that an attack on any one of the 30 allies will be considered an att…

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India extends USD 100 million Line of Credit to Sri Lanka for solar energy projects.

India has extended a USD 100 million Line of Credit to Sri Lanka to help the island nation finance various projects in the solar energy sector and ensure that the country's 70 per cent power requirements are fulfilled by renewable energy sources by 2030.  An agreement si…

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US, Russia to resume arms control talks.

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed at their first summit to resume arms control talks and to return ambassadors to each other's capitals after they were withdrawn earlier this year. The summit at the lakeside Villa La Grange in Geneva…

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Former World Number 04 Tenis Player Kiki Bertens announces retirement.

Former World No. 4 Kiki Bertens announced Wednesday 16 June 2021 that she will retire at the end of the 2021 season. The 10-time winner from the Netherlands underwent Achilles surgery last October. Bertens, 29, said she plans to play Eastbourne, Wimbledon and the Olympics in…

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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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