Aryna Sabalenka wins her Maiden Madrid Open Women’s singles title.

The world number seven, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, defeated world number one Ashleigh Barty of Australia to win the 2021 Madrid Open women’s singles title.  This Sabalenka’s 10th career WTA singles title, second WTA title of the season and first on clay court. Madrid Open i…

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Alexander Zverev beats Matteo Berrettini to win his 2nd Madrid title.

Alexander Zverev defeated Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem on his way to the Mutua Madrid Open finals.  The victory against Nadal clearly gave him enough confidence to clinch the title.  Entering the tournament, he was not in top contenders’ list, but played great tennis throug…

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2021 Laureus World Sports Awards.

World number two tennis player Naomi Osaka of Japan has been named “Sportswoman of the Year” at the 2021 Laureus World Sports Awards. This is Osaka’s second Laureus Sports Awards. In 2019, she won the “Breakthrough of the Year” award. In the men’s category, World number two …

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Lewis Hamilton wins Spanish Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes produced a brilliant, attacking, strategic race to beat Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the Spanish Grand Prix. Hamilton's victory was third win in this season and the 98th of his career, after he set his 100th pole position, and it extends h…

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Nepal’s Kami Rita scales Everest for record 25th time.

Nepalese climber, Kami Rita has scaled Mount Everest for the 25th time, breaking his own record for the most ascents of the world’s highest peak. Rita, 51, first scaled Everest in 1994 and has been making the trip nearly every year since then. He is one of many Sherpa guide…

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International Day of Argania - 10 May.

In 2021, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 10 May the International Day of Argania. The resolution, submitted by Morocco, was co-sponsored by 113 member states of the United Nations and adopted by consensus. The argan tree (Argania Spinosa) is a native species …

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Sri Lanka bans blending of coconut oil.

The extraordinary gazette issued under the provisions of the Consumer Affairs Authority Act No. 09 of 2003 comes into effect from the 7th of May 2021. Accordingly, coconut oil used for cooking CANNOT be mixed with other oils. “Acting under the powers vested in it by Section 1…

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China’s emissions exceeded those of all other developed nations combined.

China emits more greenhouse gas than the entire developed world combined, a new report has claimed.  The research by Rhodium Group says China emitted 27% of the world's greenhouse gases in 2019. The US was the second-largest emitter at 11% while India was third with 6.6% …

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SpaceX accepts Dogecoin as payment to launch ‘DOGE-1 mission to the Moon’.

SpaceX will carry a commercial payload to the moon on its Falcon 9 rocket and be paid entirely in the cryptocurrency Dogecoin. Geometric Energy Corporation (GEC) has collaborated with SpaceX on the DOGE-1 Mission, which will launch a 40kg miniature satellite called a cubesat…

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Importation of chemicals for non-agricultural sectors allowed on approval.

The import of chemicals for non-agricultural industries will be allowed only on the prior approval of relevant authorities, says the Controller General of Imports and Exports. Sri Lanka had banned the importation of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides with effec…

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Archaeologists uncover Neanderthal remains in caves near Rome.

Archaeologists found the fossil remains of nine Neanderthal men in a cave near Rome, Italy's Culture Ministry said on Saturday. Eight of them date to between 50,000 and 68,000 years ago, while the oldest could be 90,000 or 100,000 years old, the ministry said in a statem…

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Actress Tawny Kitaen dies at age 59.

Julie E. “Tawny” Kitaen, who famously appeared in several music videos for the rock group Whitesnake in the ‘80s, has died. The Orange County, Calif. coroner’s office, which listed her as Tawny Finley, stated that she died at her home in Newport Beach on Friday morning, but…

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Europe Day - 09th May.

Every year on May 9th, Europe Day recognizes the diversity of the world’s 2nd smallest continent. It’s also a day that the European Union (EU) celebrates peace and unity in Europe. Europe is divided into the southern, northern, eastern, and western hemispheres. According to …

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Chinese rocket debris lands in Indian Ocean.

China says rocket debris landed in Indian Ocean west of Maldives. Remnants of China’s biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean on Sunday, with the bulk of its components destroyed upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, according to Chinese state media, ending days of sp…

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Ushan Thiwanka sets new Sri Lanka and South Asia high jump record.

USA-based Sri Lankan athlete Ushan Thiwanka  Perera has set a new South Asian and Sri Lankan high jump record at the 2021 Lone Star Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, in Texas.  The 23-year-old, who represents Texas A&M University-Commerce, set the recor…

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World Ovarian Cancer Day - 08 May.

Every year on May 8th, World Ovarian Cancer Day increases global awareness for this deadly disease. The day also unites those living with ovarian cancer, as well as survivors and their families. In 2018, the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition estimated nearly 300,000 cases of ov…

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World Fair Trade Day - 08 May. (Second Saturday in May.)

Every year on the second Saturday in May, World Fair Trade Day highlights small-scale producers in the fair trade movement. It’s also a day to recognize how global small-scale producers contribute to healthy and sustainable communities. Producers, shoppers, advocates, and co…

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Oldest known human burial site in Africa uncovered by archaeologists.

Just over 78,000 years ago, a three-year-old child was laid to rest in a small pit at the entrance of Panga ya Saidi, a leafy cave located 15 kilometres from Kenya's south-east coast. Members of the ancient local community folded the child's knees up to their chest a…

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New duck-billed dinosaur species discovered in Japan.

A new type of duck-billed dinosaur has been identified on one of Japan’s southern islands.  In 2004, an amatuer fossil hunter found the preserved lower jaw, teeth, neck vertebrae, shoulder bone and tail vertebra in an approximately 72-million-year-old layer of sediment on Ja…

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IBM creates the world’s first 2 nm chip.

IBM claims it has taken a major step forward in chip technology by making the first 2nm chip. The company says it has squeezed 50 billion transistors onto a chip the size of one's fingernail. The architecture can help processor makers deliver a 45 percent performance boo…

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Kanishka Raffel elected new Archbishop of Sydney.

Kanishka Raffel has been elected as the next Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, the first person from a non-European background to hold the position. Mr Raffel has been the Dean of Sydney for the past six years and previously led a large Anglican church in Perth for 16 years. He …

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World Migratory Bird Day – 08 May 2021 & 09 October 2021. (Second Saturday in May and Second Saturday in October.)

World Migratory Bird Day is observed twice a year during the second Saturday in May and again on the second Saturday in October. The goal is to raise awareness of issues affecting migratory birds and to inspire action around the world to take measures for their conservation…

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International Thalassaemia Day - 08 May.

Every year on May 8th, International Thalassaemia Day commemorates Thalassaemia patients who are no longer with us. It’s also a day to celebrate the patients that are alive and fighting for a better quality of life. Thalassaemia is a genetic hemoglobin disorder. Hemoglobin i…

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World Red Cross Day - 08 May.

Every year May 8 is celebrated as World Red Cross Day to honor the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement founder Henry Dunant, who was born on this day in 1828. He was the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize. The day aims to broaden the public’s understandi…

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Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War - 08-09 May.

May 8 and May 9 have been designated as “The Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War.” The days are set aside to urge non-governmental organizations and individuals’ to pay tribute to the victims of World War II. It …

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Japan to establish no-fly zone over Olympic venues during Tokyo 2020.

The Japanese government will set up a no-fly zone over Olympic venues from July 21 to September 5 as part of anti-terrorism measures during the summer games in Tokyo. According to the ministry, the no-fly zone will be set up two hours before the start of the competition or c…

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The Parker Solar Probe detects natural radio signal.

The Parker Solar Probe is on a mission to study the sun, but it keeps discovering new, intriguing things about our mysterious planetary neighbor Venus. The NASA spacecraft flew by Venus last summer and detected a natural radio signal from Earth's twin. This signal reveal…

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Archaeologists Excavate 100 Million Old Dinosaur Fossils in Meghalaya

Dinosaur bones that date back to at least 100 million years have been discovered by researchers in Meghalaya.  Fossil bone fragments of sauropod dinosaurs have been discovered by researchers in the West Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya. The discovery has been made by the re…

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First ship controlled by artificial intelligence prepares for maiden voyage.

The "Mayflower 400", the world's first intelligent ship, bobs gently in a light swell as it stops its engines in Plymouth Sound, off England's southwest coast, before self-activating a hydrophone designed to listen to whales. The 50-foot (15-metre) trimaran…

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Jeff Bezos sells $2.5 Billion of Amazon's Shares.

Jeff Bezos sold about $2.5 billion of Amazon.com Inc. stock, his first big disposal this year after offloading more than $10 billion worth of shares in 2020. Bezos sold around 739,000 shares this week under a pre-arranged trading plan, according to U.S. Securities and Exchan…

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Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is auctioning off a seat on its first space tourism flight.

The Amazon founder's rocket company, Blue Origin, announced that the first flight aboard its New Shepard rocket, designed to carry up to six tourists per flight, will take place July 20 and one seat will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The money raised will be do…

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Ethereum co-founder becomes world's youngest crypto billionaire.

Vitalik Buterin , 27-year-old co-founder of Ethereum , became the youngest crypto billionaire in the world after the electronic currency surpassed three thousand dollars on Monday, May 3. Ethereum hit an all-time high, surpassing the $ 3,000 mark and outperforming Bitcoin…

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SpaceX Starship rocket prototype achieves first safe landing.

SpaceX achieved the first successful touchdown of its prototype Starship rocket during the latest test flight of the next-generation launch vehicle in south Texas on Wednesday 05 May 2021, after four previous landing attempts ended in explosions. The feat marked a key milest…

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Singer Pink bags Icon Award at Billboard Music Awards.

Pink has been selected to receive the Icon Award at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, which will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, May 23. Nick Jonas is hosting the show for the first time. Pink, 41, is the 10th artist to receive the Icon Awa…

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International No Diet Day - 06 May.

International No Diet Day is observed on May 6, and its symbol is a light blue ribbon. It is an annual celebration of body acceptance, including fat acceptance and body shape diversity. It means recognising that your body is beautiful exactly as it is and worry less about y…

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Lightest-known form of uranium created.

Scientists have discovered a new type of uranium that is the lightest ever known. The discovery could reveal more about a weird alpha particle that gets ejected from certain radioactive elements as they decay. The newfound uranium, called uranium-214, is an isotope, or a var…

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American birth rate falls by 4% to its lowest point ever..

The American birth rate fell for the sixth consecutive year in 2020, with the lowest number of babies born since 1979, according to a new report. Some 3.6 million babies were born in the US in 2020 - marking a 4% decline from the year before, found the US Centers for Disease…

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Maria Ressa conferred UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize 2021.

Investigative journalist and media executive Maria Ressa of the Philippines has been named as the 2021 laureate of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, following the recommendation of an international jury of media professionals. The Award Ceremony will take…

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WHO, Germany launch new global hub for pandemic and epidemic intelligence.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Federal Republic of Germany will establish a new global hub for pandemic and epidemic intelligence, data, surveillance and analytics innovation. The Hub, based in Berlin and working with partners around the world, will lead innova…

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Sri Lankan gymnast Milka Gehani qualifies for Tokyo Olympics.

Artistic gymnast Milka Gehani de Silva has become the second Sri Lankan to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The 18-year-old is set to compete at the Tokyo Olympics after qualifying through the continental quota. She was the first reserve ahead of Indian gymnast Pranati Na…

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Philippines suspends travelers from four countries including Sri Lanka.

The Philippines has banned the entry of travelers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka to avert the spread of the double mutant variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 into the country. In a memorandum signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, President Rod…

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Cabinet grants approval for 'National Week on Road Safety'.

The Cabinet has granted approval for a proposal presented by the Minister of Transportation for the implementation of a National Week on Road Safety. The National Week on Road Safety will be held from 21 November 2021, and private institutions, school children, drivers and t…

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Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa elected as Chair of ADB’s Board of Governors.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has been elected as Chair of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors for the year 2021/2022 during the 54th Annual Meeting that was held virtually this afternoon (May 05). PM Rajapaksa, as the Minister of Finance, serves as the Go…

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