World Meningitis Day - 24 April.

World Meningitis Day is April 24, every year. The goal is to spread the word about meningitis, how to spot it and what causes it. It’s also a day to promote the importance of vaccines. Meningitis is an inflammation of the fluid and membranes that cover the brain and spinal c…

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World Day for Laboratory Animals - 24 April.

The World Day For Animals In Laboratories (WDAIL); also known as World Lab Animal Day or World Day for Laboratory Animals, is observed every year on 24 April. The day was instituted in 1979 by the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS), as an “international day of commemo…

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Shravan Rathod, of Nadeem-Shravan duo dies at age 66.

Composer Shravan Rathod, of popular music director duo Nadeem-Shravan, passed away on 22 April due to the current pandemic related complications. Nadeem-Shravan were among the most popular music composers in the 90s, giving chartbuster soundtracks in films like Aashiqui (199…

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Human cells grown in monkey embryos spark ethical debate.

Monkey embryos containing human cells have been made in a laboratory, a study has confirmed. The research, by a US-Chinese team, has sparked fresh debate into the ethics of such experiments. The scientists injected human stem cells - cells that have the ability to develop int…

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405th death anniversary of William Shakespeare.

April 23 is the 405th death anniversary of the world’s pre-eminent dramatist, William Shakespeare.  William Shakespeare, who was born in 1564 at Stratford, England, was an English poet, playwright and actor, commonly regarded as the finest master of the English language and …

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UAE's Cricketer Qadeer Ahmed handed five-year ban for corruption.

Qadeer Ahmed, the UAE medium pacer, has been banned for five years by the ICC for committing six breaches of the governing body's anti-corruption code. Ahmed's ban will be backdated to October 16, 2019, when he was provisionally suspended by the ICC along with his c…

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Sri Lanka Ranks 69th in WEF Global Energy Transition Index 2021.

Sri Lanka is placed at the 69th position among 115 countries in the 2021 Energy Transition Index (ETI). The report is published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), prepared in collaboration with Accenture to track nations on the current performance of their energy systems ac…

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NASA's rover makes breathable oxygen on Mars.

An instrument on Nasa's Perseverance rover on Mars has made oxygen from the planet's carbon dioxide atmosphere. It's the second successful technology demonstration on the mission, which flew a mini-helicopter on Monday 19 April 2021. The oxygen generation was perf…

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One of world's biggest arms traffickers recaptured.

One of the world's biggest arms traffickers has been recaptured in Brazil, police say, five months after he escaped from prison using a fake early release document. João Filipe Barbieri was convicted for being part of a gang that smuggled hundreds of rifles from the US h…

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Israel and Greece sign record defence deal.

Israel and Greece have signed their biggest ever defence procurement deal, which Israel said would strengthen political and economic ties between the countries as the two countries’ air forces launched a joint exercise. The agreement includes a $1.65bn contract for the estab…

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World Book Night - 23 April.

Every year on April 23rd, World Book Night brings people from all backgrounds together to celebrate books and reading. It’s also a time to encourage adults to take the time and read at night. An English publisher named Jamie Byng came up with the idea of a World Book Night. …

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Spanish Language Day - 23 April.

Every year on April 23rd, Spanish Language Day celebrates the second most spoken language in the world. It’s also a day to honor the most revered writer in the Spanish language, Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra. The Spanish language originated in Spain. Currently, there are more…

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World Book and Copyright Day - 23 April.

April 23 every year is celebrated as World Book and Copyright Day. Sometimes, it’s called World Book Day, or International Day of the Book. The focus of the day is to promote reading, publishing and copyrighting. World Book and Copyright Day celebrates all things book-relate…

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Muthurajawela to become National Park.

Environment Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe said that a Cabinet paper has already been drafted to convert the Muthurajawela Sanctuary to a National Park. The Secretary was speaking at the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) chaired by Prof. Tissa Vitharana in Parliament…

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English Language Day - 23 April.

On April 23rd, English Language Day explores the development, history, and culture of the English tongue. A Germanic language that began to develop during the 5th and 6th centuries when Anglo-Saxons settled in Britain, English is also influenced by French, Latin, and many ot…

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National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) based Inflation increased in March 2021.

Headline inflation as measured by the year-on-year (Y-o-Y) change in the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI, 2013=100) increased to 5.1 per cent in March 2021 from 4.2 per cent in February 2021. This was due to the statistical effect of the low base prevailed in March 2020…

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NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Takes Flight on Mars.

NASA successfully flew its tiny helicopter Ingenuity on Mars, the first powered flight on another planet and a feat a top engineer called “our Wright brothers’ moment.” Data and images from the autonomous flight were transmitted 173 million miles (278 million kilometres) ba…

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World Press Freedom Index 2021.

Sri Lanka has been placed at 127th position among 180 countries in the latest World Press Freedom Index 2021. Sri Lanka was at 127th position in 2020 as well. Norway has retained its top spot for the fifth year running, followed by Finland and Sweden at second and third pla…

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Queen Elizabeth II marks 95th birthday in private just days after husband's funeral.

Days after the funeral of her husband of 73 years, Queen Elizabeth II turned 95 Wednesday, marking a milestone birthday without Prince Philip by her side. While there may have been plans for a private, low-key event to mark the occasion in a normal year, the Duke of Edinburg…

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Plymouth Sound volunteers plant seeds to restore seagrass meadows.

Volunteers have worked to restore undersea meadows in England's largest seagrass planting effort. Around 16,000 bags of seeds and 2,200 seedlings have been planted in Devon's Plymouth Sound National Marine Park since 7 April. The £2.5m project aims to grow eight hecta…

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Republic of Chad's President Idriss Déby has died.

Chad's President, Idriss Déby, has died from wounds sustained in combat, the country's military has said. He was a one of Africa's longest-serving leaders. Déby, 68, spent more than three decades in power and was one of Africa's longest-serving leaders. Idriss…

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European Union targets to cut CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030.

The EU has adopted ambitious new targets to curb climate change, with a pledge to make them legally binding. Under a new law agreed between member states and the EU Parliament, the bloc will cut carbon emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. The EU parli…

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Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium will host T20 World Cup Final.

Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium will host the T20 World Cup Final in November 2021. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has selected in on eight places for the October-November T20 Cup, together with Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Dharamsha…

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International Mother Earth Day - 22 April.

On April 22, people unite to celebrate International Mother Earth Day. The day is to focus on the responsibility to rebuild our troubled relationship with nature. It recognizes that “the Earth and its ecosystems are our home” and that “it is necessary to promote harmony wit…

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International Girls in ICT Day - 22 April (Fourth Thursday in April)

Every year on the fourth Thursday in April, International Girls in ICT Day draws attention to the critical need for more girls and women in the area of information communication technology (ICT). It’s also a day to encourage girls to look into this field of study. In 2010, t…

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Indonesian submarine goes missing in north of Bali.

An Indonesian navy submarine has gone missing with 53 people on board, military officials say.  The submarine was conducting a drill north of the island of Bali on Wednesday (21th), but it failed to report back and contact was lost. Indonesia's military chief said warshi…

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TikTok sued for billions over use of children's data.

TikTok is facing a legal challenge from former children's commissioner for England Anne Longfield over how it collects and uses children's data. The claim is being filed on behalf of millions of children in the UK and EU who have used the hugely popular video-sharing…

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Sri Lanka marks two years since deadly Easter attacks.

Sri Lanka is marking one of its darkest days in history today (April 21), with the second commemoration of the deadly Easter Sunday terror attacks which claimed the lives of more than 250 and injured at least 500 others. The country was left devastated on the 21st of April 2…

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China and US pledge climate change commitment.

China and the US say they are committed to working together and with other countries on tackling climate change. It comes after several meetings between Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and his US counterpart John Kerry in Shanghai last week. They both agreed on further spec…

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Henley Passport Index 2021 released.

The Henley Passport Index has released with a list of the most powerful passports. The index ranks the countries based on how strong their passport is. Sri Lanka stands at number 99 on the list, as the Sri Lankan citizens can visit Visa-Free or Visa-on-Arrival in over 42 pl…

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Stefanos Tsitsipas wins Monte Carlo 2021 Title.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has secured his first ATP Masters 1000 series title with a 6-3, 6-3 victory against Andrey Rublev in Monte Carlo without even conceding a break point. Stefanos had lost his previous two finals at this level, with Rafael Nadal denying him in Toronto and Nov…

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New Zealand Makes World’s 1st Climate Change Law for Financial Firms.

New Zealand is about to become the world’s first country to bring a law into force that demands environmental accountability from financial firms by asking them to report on how their businesses affect climate change. The aim is to bring the financial sector on board with t…

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World Creativity and Innovation Day - 21 April.

World Creativity and Innovation Day has been celebrated in over 46 countries since 2002. People in businesses, organizations, schools, and communities take part in this day to generate new ideas for a brighter future. Marci Segal, a creativity specialist, came up with the id…

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British National Tea Day - 21 April.

On April 21st, the United Kingdom celebrates National Tea Day, their drink of choice for the past two centuries. National Tea Day is the time Britain takes to celebrate its longstanding relationship with the steeped drink. Their love for tea is so deep that collectively they…

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China and US pledge climate change commitment.

China and the US say they are committed to working together and with other countries on tackling climate change. It comes after several meetings between Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and his US counterpart John Kerry in Shanghai last week. They both agreed on further spec…

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A New Super-Earth detected orbiting a red dwarf star.

In recent years there has been an exhaustive study of red dwarf stars to find exoplanets in orbit around them.  These stars have effective surface temperatures between 2400 and 3700 K (over 2000 degrees cooler than the Sun), and masses between 0.08 and 0.45 solar masses.  In …

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U.S. will boost ‘Do Not Travel’ advisories to 80% of world.

The U.S. State Department said it will boost its “Do Not Travel” guidance to about 80% of countries worldwide, citing “unprecedented risk to travelers” from the current pandemic. The State Department already listed 34 out of about 200 countries as "Level 4: Do Not Trave…

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India added to coronavirus ‘red list’ for travel.

India has been added to a “red list” of countries from which most travel to the UK is banned, over fears of a new Covid variant, the health secretary has said. From 04:00 BST on Friday 23 April, most people who have traveled from India in the last 10 days will be refused ent…

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Bank of England to consider digital money plan.

The Bank of England and the Treasury have announced they are setting up a taskforce to explore the possibility of a central bank digital currency. The aim is to look at the risks and opportunities involved in creating a new kind of digital money. Issued by the Bank for use by…

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Syria to hold presidential election in May.

Syria is to hold a presidential election next month, the country's parliament says - a move likely to maintain President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power. Mr Assad is not expected to face serious opposition despite continuing conflict and a growing economic crisis. Aft…

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Brazil 'needs $10bn to reach zero emissions'.

Brazil's environment minister says the country needs $10bn (£7.2bn) a year in foreign aid in order to reach zero emissions by 2050. The move would mean that Brazil could achieve the symbolic figure 10 years earlier than currently planned. It comes ahead of US President Jo…

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Facebook creates Clubhouse clone Live Audio Rooms.

Facebook has announced it will roll out a series of audio features in the next few months. This includes Live Audio Rooms, its version of the popular app Clubhouse that allows people to listen and participate in live conversations. Audio-only networks have become increasingly…

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Cuba leadership: Díaz-Canel named Communist Party chief.

Cuba's Communist Party has announced Miguel Díaz-Canel will succeed Raúl Castro as the party's first secretary. Mr Díaz-Canel, who in 2018 succeeded Mr Castro as Cuba's president, had been widely tipped for the arguably more influential post of party leader. The t…

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancels India trip.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has cancelled his delayed trip to India scheduled to take place last week of April 2021, as coronavirus cases continue to surge in India. Instead, Prime Ministers Modi and Johnson will speak later this month at a virtual meeting to agree …

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Former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale dies.

Walter Mondale, a leading liberal Democratic voice of the late 20th century who was U.S. vice president under Jimmy Carter and lost in a landslide to Ronald Reagan in the 1984 presidential election, died  at age 93. Mondale, the first major U.S. party presidential nominee to…

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List of banned sports stimulants to be tabled in Parliament.

The official text of the prohibited list, including banned stimulants, introduced by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2021 for various sports is scheduled to be presented to Parliament for its approval on April 21, states Youth and Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa. The Ministe…

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France drafts 'ecocide' bill to punish acts of environmental damage.

The French National Assembly approved the creation of an "ecocide" offence as part of a battery of measures aimed at protecting the environment a nd tackling climate change. The ecocide measure was passed by 44 votes to 10 in France's lower house of parliament …

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Dilanka Isuru Kumara bags Silver and Bronze at Asian Weightlifting Championships.

Sri Lanka’s Dilanka Isuru Kumara has bagged two medals at the Asian Weightlifting Championships 2021 currently being held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. During the event, Kumara managed to snatch the Bronze medal for the Men’s 55kg Overall category. He also secured the Silver medal…

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