International Day of Charity - 05 September.

International Day of Charity on September 5th encourages organizations and individuals to help others. The day also emphasizes increasing solidarity and promoting social responsibility. The UN recognizes that volunteering and philanthropic work provides social bonding while …

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International Vulture Awareness Day - 04 September 2021.

On the first Saturday in September, International Vulture Awareness Day recognizes the dwindling numbers of vultures. It is being celebrated on 04 September for the year 2021. The day not only raises awareness about vulture numbers, but it educates the public, too. Vultures …

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China develops prototype miniature helicopter for future Mars missions.

China's National Space Science Center has announced that the country has developed a prototype miniature helicopter for surveillance work on future Mars missions. The prototype resembles NASA's robotic helicopter Ingenuity in appearance. The US space agency had used …

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NASA’s Mars Rover snags first rock sample for return.

NASA’s newest Mars rover has successfully collected its first rock sample for return to Earth, after last month’s attempt came up empty. The Perseverance rover’s chief engineer, Adam Steltzner, called it a perfect core sample. A month ago, Perseverance drilled into much softe…

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Germany open Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin.

To better prepare and protect the world from global disease threats, H.E. German Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization Director-General, will today inaugurate the new WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, …

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Yoshihide Suga to step down as Japan's prime minister.

Japan's prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, has said he will not run for re-election as party leader this month, signalling the end of his tenure. Mr Suga had been appointed to the role just a year ago following the resignation of Shinzo Abe. The shock announcement comes as M…

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Brazilian viper venom may become tool in fight against COVID.

Brazilian researchers have found that a molecule in the venom of a type of snake inhibited coronavirus reproduction in monkey cells, a possible first step toward a drug to combat the virus causing COVID-19. A study published in the scientific journal Molecules this month fou…

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The New Development Bank has approved new memberships.

The New Development Bank (NDB), established by BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) in 2015, has approved Bangladesh as a new member. The NDB Board of Governors took this decision in a meeting held on 20 August 2021. NDB’s Board of Governors authorised the B…

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WhatsApp fined $267 million for General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) violations.

WhatsApp was slapped with a 225 million euro fine on Thursday (02) after a GDPR investigation conducted by Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) found that the platform was not transparent about how it shared data with its parent company, Facebook.  The investigation…

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Mullah Baradar to lead new Afghanistan government.

Taliban co-founder Mullah Baradar will lead a new Afghan government that could be announced soon. Baradar, who heads the Taliban's political office, will be joined by Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the son of late Taliban founder Mullah Omar, and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, …

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Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021 announced.

Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021 awardees have been announced, the winners will be formally awarded the Magsaysay Award during the November 28 event at the Ramon Magsaysay Centre in Manila.  The Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia's highest honor and is widely regarded as the region…

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Alejandro Prieto: The grand prize winner of Bird Photographer of the Year 2021

Mexican photographer Alejandro Prieto's image of a bird at the US-Mexico border wall has won a prestigious photo contest. Mr Prieto was named the grand prize winner of the Bird Photographer of the Year competition after his image was selected from 22,000 entries. His winn…

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Hurun Future Unicorn List 2021.

The Hurun Research Institute has released the Hurun Future Unicorn List 2021, a ranking of  start-ups founded in the 2000s. As per the report, number of Unicorns in USA and China is at 396 and 277 respectively while India follows at number three with 51 unicorns. UK is numbe…

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World Sexual Health Day - 04 September.

On September 4th, World Sexual Health Day brings greater awareness of sexual health. Managed by the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS), the day also celebrates sexuality and promotes sexual rights. What exactly is sexual health? Sexual health involves the state of phy…

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UK decides to maintain ban on LTTE.

The Government of Sri Lanka says that it has been made aware that the UK Home Secretary has decided to maintain the proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist organization under the UK Terrorism Act No. 7 of 2000. The Home Secretary’s decision…

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South Korea bans app payment monopolies by Apple and Google.

South Korean MPs on Tuesday passed a law banning Apple and Google from forcing app developers to use the tech giants’ payment systems, effectively declaring their lucrative App Store and Play Store monopolies illegal. The bill was approved by 180 votes to nil in the National…

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Actor Sidharth Shukla dies at age 40.

Actor Sidharth Shukla had always defied the odds when it came to his career. For many in the TV and film industry, appearing in the popular reality show Bigg Boss is a last-ditch — and often futile — effort to arrest a slide into irrelevance. But Shukla, who won the 13th ed…

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World Coconut Day - 02 September.

World Coconut Day is celebrated every year on 2 September. The day is celebrated to highlight and raise awareness about the importance and benefits of coconut. Coconuts have multiple benefits and is one of the most versatile fruit. It is edible, and its oil can also be appli…

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World University Rankings 2022.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 include more than 1,600 universities across 99 countries and territories, making them the largest and most diverse university rankings to date. The table is based on 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators that…

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China expects part of Montenegro's territory as Podgorica struggles to repay debt.

Montenegro may be forced to cede part of its territory to Beijing as the country is staggering under USD 1 billion it owes to the Chinese government. Podgorica had borrowed this mammoth amount in 2015 from Beijing in a bid to pay a Chinese contractor to build a highway allow…

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Sri Lanka receives USD 787 Million SDR from IMF.

Sri Lanka receives Special Drawing Rights (SDR) Allocation of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Initial Disbursements under the Currency Swap Arrangement with the Bangladesh Bank During August 2021, Sri Lanka received its share of the global SDR allocation by the IMF…

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Air pollution shortens life expectancy in India.

Air pollution is likely to reduce the life expectancy of about 40% of Indians by more than nine years, according to a report released by a U.S. research group on Wednesday. More than 480 million people living in the vast swathes of central, eastern and northern India, includ…

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Rajni Kaul, BBC’s First Hindi Newsreader, Dies At 93.

Rajni Kaul, Indian media personality known for being the first broadcaster to have read the BBC‘s Hindi bulletin, has passed away in New Delhi, reports confirmed Wednesday. She was 93 and is survived by her daughter. Though famous for her association with the British Broadca…

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India Conducts Maritime Partnership Exercise with Algerian Navy.

India and Algeria have conducted a maiden joint military maritime exercises, the Indian defense ministry said on Tuesday (31). The drills took place in the Mediterranean Sea near the Algerian coast on Sunday (29). The Indian Naval Ship, INS Tabar, is on her goodwill visit to…

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Dale Steyn announces retirement from all cricket.

South African cricketer Dale Steyn has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket with immediate effect on August 31, 2021, ending his 20 years long cricket journey. The 38-year-old Proteas (South Africa national cricket team) pacer last played for South Africa in T…

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WHO says it is monitoring a new Covid variant called ‘mu’.

The World Health Organization is monitoring a new coronavirus variant called “mu,” which the agency says has mutations that have the potential to evade immunity provided by a previous Covid-19 infection or vaccination. Mu — also known by scientists as B.1.621 — was added to …

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Cristiano Ronaldo breaks men’s international goal scoring record.

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has scored his 110th international goal to overtake Iran’s Ali Daei as the top men’s career international goal scorer. The newly minted Manchester United player’s record mark arrived in the 89th minute of Portugal’s World Cup qualifier against th…

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China clamps new rules to regulate foreign ships in its waters.

China on Sunday (29) notified new maritime rules warranting vessels carrying radioactive materials, bulk oil, chemicals and a host of other supplies to report the details of the cargos upon their entry into Chinese waters. The new rules are expected to increase tensions if C…

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Small cracks found in International Space Station module.

Russian cosmonauts have discovered small cracks in a module on the International Space Station (ISS), leading to fears that they could widen and cause air leaks. Small cracks have been discovered in the International Space Station's Zarya module, according to a new repor…

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Taiwan Plus Launched as English-Language Streaming Platform.

Taiwan has launched a government-backed English-language streaming platform that is intended to carry a mixture of news, international affairs and local stories. Taiwan Plus went live on Tuesday (31) after a Monday launch event. The project was commissioned by Taiwan’s Minis…

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08th Meeting of Agricultural Experts of BIMSTEC Countries.

India hosted the 8th Meeting of Agriculture Experts of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Countries through video conferencing. The meeting was chaired by Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Res…

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The Pulitzer Prize Board Awards Special Citation to Honor and Assist Afghanistan Journalism Workers.

The Pulitzer Prize Board announced a special citation for people in Afghanistan who risked their safety to help produce news stories and images from their war-torn country. “From staff and freelance correspondents to interpreters to drivers to hosts, courageous Afghan reside…

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Paris shrinks speed limit to protect climate.

The speed limit for most of Paris is now 30 kilometers per hour (less than 19 miles per hour).  The new rule takes effect Monday (30) almost everywhere in the city except for a few wide avenues like the Champs-Elysees and the bypass circling the capital. It’s the latest init…

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Russia warns of increase in cases of West Nile Virus.

On Monday (30), Russia warned of a likely spike in West Nile Virus (WNV) infections this autumn, citing mild temperatures and copious rainfall as favorable circumstances for mosquitos that spread the virus. More than 80% of Russia’s West Nile fever cases are in its southwest…

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United Nations Security Council adopts resolution on Afghanistan.

The United Nations Security Council, under the current Presidency of India, on Monday, August 30, 2021, adopted a resolution on the situation in Afghanistan, demanding that the war-torn country not be used to threaten or attack any nation or shelter terrorists. The resolutio…

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The Final U.S. Military Plane has left Afghanistan as America's longest war ends.

The United States announced the end of its 20 years old war in Afghanistan before the deadline of August 31, 2021. The last U.S. plane departed Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai International Airport, marking the end of America's longest war and leaving the country's fu…

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Max Verstappen wins Belgian Grand Prix 2021.

Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) has been declared the winner of the Belgian Grand Prix 2021. The Belgian Grand Prix was stopped due to rain and only two laps were completed. The winner was decided based on progress made in these two laps. George Russell, Williams ca…

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CCPI based Inflation increased to 6.0 per cent in August 2021.

Headline inflation, as measured by the year-on-year (Y-o-Y) change in the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI, 2013=100), increased to 6.0 per cent in August 2021 from 5.7 per cent in July 2021. This was driven by monthly increases of prices of items in both Food and Non-foo…

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Sri Lanka, Norway discuss potential for investment partnerships in renewable energy.

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Sri Lanka Trine Jøranli Eskedal paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris on Monday (August 31) at the Foreign Ministry. During discussions, the foreign minister appreciated the mutually beneficial partnership exist…

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CSE’s ASPI closes above 9,000 points for first time in history.

The Colombo Stock Exchange’s All Share Price Index (ASPI) surpassed 9,000 points today (Sep. 01). The ASPI closed at 9,163.13 points as at the end of the day, marking an increase of 165.53 points (1.84%) compared to yesterday’s trading, according to the country’s main stock …

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