National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) based Inflation decreased in January 2021

Headline inflation as measured by the year-on-year (Y-o-Y) change in the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI, 2013=100)1 decreased to 3.7 per cent in January 2021 from 4.6 per cent in December 2020. This was due to the statistical effect of the high base prevailed in Januar…

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Pakistani PM Imran Khan arrives in Sri Lanka.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday arrived in Sri Lanka for a two-day official visit to island. The Pakistani premier, who was invited by his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa, is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including members of the Federal Cab…

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Upul Tharanga retires from international cricket.

Senior Sri Lankan cricketer Upul Tharang on Tuesday 23 Feb 2021 announced his retirement from international cricket.  The left-handed batsman, who last played for Sri Lanka in March 2019, had been an integral part of white-ball cricket for Sri Lankan national team over the y…

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India signs $50 million defence deal with Maldives.

India on Sunday 21 Feb 2021 reiterated its commitment to the Maldives' security and signed a $50 million defence Line of Credit agreement with it to boost the maritime capabilities of the strategic island nation. The $50 million credit line agreement for defence projects…

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Supreme Court allows release of Trump tax returns to New York prosecutor.

The Supreme Court cleared the way for a New York prosecutor to obtain former President Donald Trump's tax returns, dealing a massive loss to Trump who has fiercely fought to shield his financial papers from prosecutors. The documents will be subject to grand jury secrecy…

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NASA rover beams back first sounds ever recorded from the surface of Mars.

NASA's Perseverance rover has recorded the first audio clips captured on the surface of Mars, beaming back to Earth guttural sounds of wind gusting on the red planet. The first-of-its-kind audio was released Monday, along with extraordinary new video footage of the rover…

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Indian and Indonesian Navies conduct PASSEX Exercise in Arabian Sea.

The Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy on Thursday 18 Feb 2021 conducted bilateral military exercise PASSEX in the Arabian Sea. The exercise was conducted with a view to enhancing interoperability & strengthening Bilateral Maritime Cooperation between the two navies.  I…

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UN Climate Change Conference 2021.

The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 01 – 12 November 2021. The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The…

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Hyundai’s Ultimate Mobility Vehicle has launched as TIGER X-1.

The Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion Robot (TIGER) is Hyundai Motor Group’s second Ultimate Mobility Vehicle (UMV) and the first one to operate autonomously. The UMV is designed to carry various types of payload while travelling over challenging terrain. The “X” in…

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US officially rejoins the Paris climate accord.

The United States officially rejoined the landmark international accord to limit global warming known as the Paris Agreement on Friday 19 Feb 2021. Hours after he was sworn-in on January 20, President Joe Biden signed an executive order beginning the 30-day process for the U…

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First million-year-old DNA extracted from Siberian mammoth teeth.

For the first time, preserved DNA has been recovered from animal remains from Siberia over a million years old. The DNA belonged to two mammoths that lived around 1.2 million years ago. The genetic sequences change our understanding of mammoth evolution. They reveal that, at…

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World Thinking Day - 22 February.

World Thinking Day, formerly Thinking Day, is celebrated annually on February 22 by all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. It is also celebrated by Scout and Guide organizations and some boy-oriented associations around the world. It is a day when they think about the their '…

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Naomi Osaka Claims her Second Australian Open Title.

Naomi Osaka defeats Jennifer Brady in the women's final of the 2021 Australian Open. The victory gives Osaka her 21st win in a row and she becomes the first woman to win her first four Grand Slam titles since Monica Seles in 1991 Naomi Osaka has given Jennifer Brady a le…

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Russia detects world’s 1st case of H5N8 avian flu transmission to humans.

Russia said on Saturday 20 Feb 2021 that its scientists had detected the world's first case of transmission of the H5N8 strain of avian flu from birds to humans and had alerted the World Health Organization. In televised remarks, the head of Russia's health watchdog …

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Bengaluru had third worst air pollution among Indian cities in 2020.

Bengaluru emerged as the third worst city in India to be affected by air pollution in 2020 with 12,000 estimated deaths, according to a Greenpeace Southeast Asia analysis.  Delhi fared worst with 54,000 such estimated deaths followed by Mumbai at 25,000 deaths.  Greenpeace sa…

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Elise Mertens, Aryna Sabalenka win Australian Open doubles title.

Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka won the Australian Open women's doubles final to collect their second Grand Slam trophy as a team. Sabalenka, a top 10 player with nine WTA singles titles, wants to focus on the singles at the majors but plans to combine with Mertens for…

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Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Unveils India's BRICS Website.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday 19th Feb 2021 launched India's website for five-nation grouping BRICS. India assumed chairmanship of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) this year when the bloc is celebrating its 15th anniversary. BRICS is known…

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Facebook blocks Australian users from viewing or sharing news.

Facebook has blocked Australian users from sharing or viewing news content on the platform, causing much alarm over public access to key information. It comes in response to a proposed law which would make tech giants pay for news content on their platforms. The Australian go…

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International Mother Language Day - 21 February.

Every year on February 21st, International Mother Language Day draw awareness for linguistic and cultural diversity. It’s also a day to promote multilingualism. A mother language is the first language that someone speaks. A person’s mother language helps to define a person’s…

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World Pangolin Day - 20 February. (03rd Saturday of February)

World Pangolin Day is an opportunity for pangolin enthusiasts to join together in raising awareness about these unique mammals — and their plight. Pangolin numbers are rapidly declining in Asia and Africa. The demand for pangolins comes mostly from China, where pangolin scal…

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World Day of Social Justice - 20 February.

World Day of Social Justice is a day recognizing the need to promote efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion and unemployment. The United Nations General Assembly has decided to observe 20 February annually, approved on 26 November 2007 and starting in 2009, as …

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Honda CEO Hachigo to step down.

Honda said CEO Takahiro Hachigo will step down and will be succeeded by Toshihiro Mibe, the head of the automaker's research and development arm, on April 1. Hachigo will remain on the board, Honda said in a statement. Mibe, 59, joined Honda in 1987, with stints in engine…

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Kings XI Punjab renamed as Punjab Kings ahead of IPL auction

The IPL Franchise, Kings XI Punjab has formally been renamed as Punjab Kings ahead of the Indian Premier League auction. The new brand name and logo of the team was officially released by the management. The Punjab-based IPL franchise ‘Punjab Kings‘ is co-owned by Bollywood …

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Police hotline to receive complaints on environmental destruction.

Sri Lanka Police has introduced a hotline to receive complaints regarding illegal felling of trees, sand mining, deforestation and other activities that destroying the environment. Thereby, members of the public can lodge relevant complaints via the hotline 1997.

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Sri Lanka saves world's only known wild specimen of a species of tree from expressway project.

Sri Lankan authorities Wednesday 17 Feb 2021 agreed to save the world's only known wild specimen of a species of tree that was due to be chopped to clear the way for a four-lane expressway. The Sri Lanka Legume (Crudia zeylanica) -- a flowering tree from the legume famil…

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Aitken Spence’s Western Power Company Launches Sri Lanka’s First Waste-to-Energy Power Plant.

Sri Lanka’s first Waste-to-Energy Power Plant was officially launched in Kerawalapitiya on the 17th of February 2021, by the Hon. Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, together with the Hon. Minister of Power, Dullas Alahapperu…

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Chris Morris becomes most expensive player in IPL auction 2021.

Chris Morris, the South Africa allrounder, and New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson were the biggest winners at the 2021 IPL auction. Morris became the IPL’s most expensive overseas player ever signed at an auction when he was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for INR 16.25 cro…

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New Zealand schools to offer free sanitary products.

All schools in New Zealand will offer free period products from June, as part of efforts to stamp out period poverty. Authorities are concerned that some female students are skipping classes because they cannot afford products such as tampons and sanitary pads. The move follo…

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The prime minister of Georgia has resigned.

The prime minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia has resigned over plans to arrest an opposition leader. The 45-year-old Gakharia served as the Prime Minister from 08 September 2019 to 18 February 2021.  The prime minister of Georgia has resigned over plans to arrest an opposit…

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Japan Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto appointed head of Games.

Japan's Seiko Hashimoto has been appointed the next Tokyo 2020 president, after her predecessor quit over sexist comments he made. The former Olympics Minister is a seven time Olympian herself, having competed as a cyclist and a speed skater. Former chief Yoshiro Mori res…

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