China successfully launches 3 new remote sensing satellites.

China on Saturday 06 November 2021 successfully launched three new remote sensing satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the country’s southwestern Sichuan province, official media reported. The satellites, belonging to the Yaogan-35 family, were launched by …

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Barcelona confirm Xavi as new coach.

Barcelona have confirmed that Xavi Hernandez will return to Camp Nou and succeed the sacked Ronald Koeman as coach. Barcelona announced in the early hours of Saturday (06th) that Xavi has agreed to a contract through to 2024 after the former Spain midfielder was released fro…

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NASA, USGS Release First Landsat 09 Images.

Landsat 9, a joint mission between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that launched Sept. 27, 2021, has collected its first light images of Earth. The images, all acquired Oct. 31, are available online. They provide a preview of how the mission will help people manag…

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Yahoo Inc. stops its services in China.

Yahoo Inc. has announced that the company has stopped providing service in mainland China with effect from November 01, 2021, due to the increasingly challenging business and legal environment in the country. With this Yahoo has ended its 22-year presence in the Chinese mar…

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Veteran Australian judge Hilary Charlesworth elected to the International Court of Justice.

Hilary Charlesworth, from Australia, will replace James Crawford, also from Australia, who died in May and had been on the Court since 2014.  She will serve the remainder of Mr. Crawford’s nine-year term, which has some two years remaining.  Professor Charlesworth defeated L…

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China launches world's first Earth-science satellite.

China on Friday 05th November 2021 successfully launched a Guangmu Earth-science satellite via a Long March-6 carrier rocket from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. Guangmu is the world's first Earth-science satellite dedicated to serving the United Nations 2030 Sustainab…

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Britain approves Merck's COVID-19 pill in world first.

Britain on Thursday 04 November 2021 became the first country in the world to approve a potentially game-changing COVID-19 antiviral pill jointly developed by U.S.-based Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N) and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, in a boost to the fight against the pandemic. B…

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World Numbat Day - 06 November 2021.

World Numbat Day is on the first Saturday of November. Accordingly in 2021 the day was 06 November 2021. It is a day to appreciate this amazing yet threatened mammal and encourage the action to conserve the species. The Numbat is Western Australia’s mammal emblem. They are a…

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World food prices reach highest level in more than a decade.

The  FAO Food Price Index , which tracks the international prices of a basket of food commodities, is up 3.9 per cent from September, rising for a third consecutive month.  Cereal prices overall increased by 3.2 per cent, with wheat rising five per cent, due to reduced harvest…

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Former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo has confirmed his international retirement.

Former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo has confirmed he will retire from international cricket after the conclusion of the West Indies' bid for the ICC T20 World Cup.  The West Indies have lost three of their first four matches of the ICC T20 World Cup and hence, can no…

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World's largest hydrogen fuel cell power plant put into service in South Korea.

The world's largest hydrogen fuel cell power plant capable of providing electricity to some 250,000 households per year was put into operation in South Korea's western port city of Incheon. The 78.96 megawatt-class power plant underlines efforts to accelerate the in…

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International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict - 06 November.

On November 6th every year, the UN observes the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. The day seeks to make people aware of the consequences that war and conflict have on the environment. Loss of life and the destruct…

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Rahul Dravid appointed as head coach of Indian men's cricket team.

The BCCI on Wednesday 03 November 2021 appointed former India captain Rahul Dravid as the head coach of team India. He will take charge from the upcoming home series against New Zealand. The board had invited applications for the position on October 26 to appoint Ravi Shast…

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US lawmaker introduces Bill to declare Diwali a national holiday.

United States lawmakers led by Congresswoman Carolyn B Maloney from New York, introduced a bill to declare Diwali a national holiday in the country. The lawmaker announced the Deepavali Day Act in the House of Representatives. The historic legislation is being supported by …

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World Tsunami Awareness Day - 05 November.

Every year on November 5th, countries around the world observe World Tsunami Awareness Day. This day raises tsunami awareness and shares innovative approaches to risk reduction. Tsunamis are rare, but when they do occur, they can be very destructive. Tsunamis are considered …

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Covaxin gets WHO approval for emergency use listing.

The World Health Organisation granted the much-awaited Emergency Use Listing (EUL) to Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech, a move that will allow people inoculated with Covaxin to travel abroad without restrictions. Covaxin vaccine was also reviewed by WHO’s Strategic Advisory Gr…

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Booker Prize 2021: Damon Galgut wins top literary award for astonishing novel "The Promise".

Novelist and playwright Damon Galgut has won the 2021 Booker Prize for his novel The Promise. The news was announced on Wednesday (3 November) during a ceremony in London. The South African writer had been shortlisted for the third time this year, after being a finalist in 20…

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UNEP, European Union launch observatory to curb methane emissions.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched a new methane observatory as it looks to drive action on reducing emissions of the greenhouse gas. The International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) was launched at the G20 Summit over the weekend, with suppor…

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SpaceX's Starlink sets up subsidiary in India.

Starlink, which is one of the leading companies that is launching small satellites to build a low-Earth orbiting network to provide low-latency broadband internet services, is planning to serve rural communities in India, Elon Musk said in a tweet.  World's most prospero…

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An asteroid barely missed Earth last week, and no one knew it was coming.

An asteroid about the size of a refrigerator shot past Earth last week, and astronomers didn't know the object existed until hours after it was gone.  It was a close call (from a cosmic perspective); the space rock's trajectory on Oct. 24 carried it over Antarctica w…

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Wanindu Hasaranga tops T20 bowlers’ rankings.

Sri Lanka leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has topped the ICC Men’s T20I bowling charts for the first time in his career after two successive three-wicket hauls against South Africa and England.  He replaces South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi, who was at the top since 10 April this …

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“Kamala Harris: Phenomenal Woman” by Chidanand Rajghatta.

Renowned journalist and writer Chidanand Rajghatta have authored a new book “Kamala Harris: Phenomenal Woman”, a biography of Kamala Harris, the first women Vice President of the United States of America (USA). The book features the life incidents of Kamala Harris, a woman o…

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Alan Davidson, former Australia all-rounder, passes away aged 92.

Australia's former all-rounder, Alan Davidson, who made his Test debut during the 1953 Ashes series, passed away at the age of 92. Davidson was the first player to score 100 runs and take 10 wickets in a single Test match, and he achieved this feat while playing against…

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James Michael Tyler, who played Gunther on 'Friends,' has died.

James Michael Tyler, best known as the coffee shop manager Gunther on the hit show "Friends," died peacefully at his home, according to his representative Toni Benson. He was 59. Tyler passed away at his Los Angeles home after a battle with prostate cancer, which w…

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Bangladesh to share ‘climate prosperity plan’ at COP26.

Bangladesh plans to present its “climate prosperity plan” aimed at mitigating the effects of global warming on economic development at the forthcoming UN climate talks in Glasgow, a Bangladeshi climate official says. The plan envisions boosting renewable energy, making agric…

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Alec Baldwin fatally shoots woman with prop gun.

A woman has died and a man has been injured after actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on the set of new Western movie Rust. The woman has been named as Halyna Hutchins, a 42-year-old director of photography, and the injured man is Joel Souza, the film's director…

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Sri Lankan Rugby legend Chandrishan Perera passes away.

Sri Lankan Rugby legend Chandrishan Perera, who had provided an invaluable service to uplift the sport in the country, has passed away on 24 October 2021. He had reportedly passed away after being admitted to a hospital in Negombo.  A former star rugby player who had also cap…

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The World Health Organization (WHO) is tracking 20 sublineages of the Delta variant

The World Health Organization (WHO) is tracking 20 sublineages of the Delta variant which is still dominant in global circulation, a leading epidemiologist said.   WHO Technical Lead on Covid-19 Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove said there are four variants being tracked the Delta vari…

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Sri Lanka's First airport hotel coming up at Katunayake Airport.

Sri Lanka’s first-ever Airport hotel is to be constructed within the Airport and Aviation Services premises at Katunayake. The Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka has entered into an agreement with the Colombo International Airport Hotels Pvt. Ltd (CIAH) for this purpose. …

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Gayanthika Abeyrathna sets two new Sri Lanka records.

Sri Lanka Navy's Gayanthika Abeyrathna has set two new Sri Lanka records in women's 1500m and 5000m at the 99th National Athletics Championships held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium. The Asian Gold Medalist set these two new records in respective events held today …

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