Sri Lanka to revive scrapped Japan-funded LRT project.

The Sri Lankan government has decided to initiate diplomatic discussions with Japan on the revival of the Japan-funded Light Rail Transit (LRT) project. The Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday (July 04) approved a proposal made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on the matter. Acc…

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Tuesday (04) was world’s hottest day on record.

World temperature records have been broken for a second day in a row, data suggests, as experts issued a warning that this year’s warmest days are still to come – and with them the warmest days ever recorded. The average global air temperature was 17.18C (62.9F) on Tuesday, …

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Brazil soccer star Neymar fined $3.5 Mn. for environmental offense.

Brazilian authorities said on Monday that soccer star Neymar was fined 16 million reais ($3.33 million) for breaching environmental rules during the construction of his coastal mansion in southeastern Brazil. The luxury project violated rules regarding the use and movement o…

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Australian tennis great Ash Barty announces birth of first child.

Former world number one tennis player Ash Barty has announced the birth of her first child.  The Queenslander and her husband Garry Kissick posted a picture of the "beautiful boy" on social media on Tuesday night. Australian tennis player Maddison Inglis and footbal…

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Global Peace Index (GPI) - 2023

The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) has published the 2023 Global Peace Index (GPI), compiling the annual ranking of the most peaceful countries in the world. This is the Sydney-based global think tank’s 17th edition of the Global Peace Index which ranks 163 independ…

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Jens Stoltenberg to stay as Nato chief for another year.

The Taliban have ordered hair and beauty salons in Afghanistan to shut in the latest restriction faced by women. A Vice and Virtue Ministry spokesman told the BBC businesses had one month to comply, starting from 2 July when they were first informed of the move. Women's f…

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US court orders $146m penalty over 500,000 missing silver coins.

A US court has ordered two precious metals companies to pay almost $146m (£115m) after more than 500,000 American Silver Eagle coins went missing. The firms and their owner Robert Higgins have been accused of running a "fraudulent and deceptive scheme". They had all…

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Taliban ban women's beauty salons in Afghanistan.

The Taliban have ordered hair and beauty salons in Afghanistan to shut in the latest restriction faced by women. A Vice and Virtue Ministry spokesman told the BBC businesses had one month to comply, starting from 2 July when they were first informed of the move. Women's f…

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NASA now recycles 98% of astronauts’ urine and sweat.

NASA has announced that it successfully recovered 98% of clean water by processing the urine of astronauts aboard the International Space Station. NASA engineers have been working for years on a filtration system that allows the creation of potable water on ships due to weig…

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CSE’s ASPI crosses 10,000-point mark after significant gains.

Colombo Stock Market’s All-Share Price Index (ASPI) has crossed 10,000 points after gaining over 560 points shortly after 12 p.m. on Tuesday (July 04). Accordingly, the ASPI climbed by 562.12 points (5.95%) to end up at 10,005.07 during mid-day trading. Meanwhile, the S&P…

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Meta to launch new rival app to Twitter.

Facebook owner Meta is launching its new app to rival Twitter and says it will go live on Thursday. The app, which is called Threads and is available for pre-order on the Apple App Store, will be linked to Instagram. Screengrabs show a dashboard that looks similar to Twitter.…

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Astronomers had discovered 62 new moons around the ringed planet Saturn.

Astronomers recently announced that they had discovered 62 new moons around the ringed planet Saturn and another has just been added to the list.  Ever since humanity began looking skywards, our Moon has stared back at us from its orbit a relatively short distance from our p…

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July supermoon appears brighter than usual in the sky.

The Moon has left people gazing up at the sky after appearing brighter and larger than usual on Monday evening. July's supermoon is appearing full for up to three days, according to Nasa. Known as a Buck Moon, it is closer than normal in its orbit around the Earth. This is…

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41 Countries ready to accept BRICS Currency.

The list of countries ready to join the BRICS alliance and accept the new currency is growing. From a set of 19 countries in April, the numbers have spiked to 41 by the end of June. A total of 22 new countries expressed interest to enter the bloc and ditch the U.S. dollar i…

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Alan Arkin, Oscar-winning actor, dead at 89.

Alan Arkin, a veteran US actor known for his remarkable talent and a career that spanned over six decades died due to heart problems. Arkin, who received multiple Academy Award and Emmy nominations, left an indelible mark on both the film and television industry. His unforg…

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Shah Rukh Khan undergoes surgery in the US.

Shah Rukh Khan reportedly had a surgery in the US after he met with an accident in Los Angeles during a shoot. According to the report, the actor is back to India and he is recuperating at home.  ETimes quoted a source as saying, “SRK was shooting in Los Angeles for a project…

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Author Michael Rosen wins 2023 PEN Pinter prize for ‘fearless’ body of work.

Renowned children’s writer and performance poet, Michael Rosen, aged 77, has been honored with the esteemed PEN Pinter Prize 2023. This prestigious award is bestowed upon a writer hailing from the United Kingdom, Ireland, or the Commonwealth, whose body of work fearlessly u…

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New Zealand bans plastic bags for fresh produce in supermarkets.

New Zealand has become the world's first country to expand its ban on plastic bags in supermarkets to thin bags, which are typically used to hold fruits or vegetables. The move, which took effect on Saturday, is part of a wider government campaign against single-use plas…

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Chinese candidate Qu Dongyu re-elected as FAO director-general.

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for the next four years was elected at the 43rd session of the FAO Conference held on July 2 in Rome, Italy. The 43rd session of conference of United Nation Food and Agriculture Organiz…

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Chamari Athapaththu becomes first Sri Lankan to top women's ODI rankings

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu has been rewarded for her superb recent form by becoming the new No.1 ranked batter on the latest MRF Tyres ICC Women's ODI Batting Rankings. Athapaththu claims top billing from Australia opener Beth Mooney on the back of her excelle…

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United States Independence Day - 04 July.

Each year on July 4th, the United States celebrates Independence Day. This federal holiday commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.  For nearly 250 years, the country has been cele…

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Sri Lanka launch program to gauge resistance of buildings against earth tremors.

A program to gauge the resistance of buildings and new constructions against earth tremors is being conducted across Sri Lanka, the country’s Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) said on Monday. Several small tremors have been felt in the country in the past year, said …

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ADB appoints Takafumi Kadono as new Country Director for Sri Lanka.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Takafumi Kadono as the new Country Director for Sri Lanka, who has assumed office in Colombo today (03 July).  Mr. Kadono succeeds Mr. Chen Chen who ended his term as Country Director on 30 June 2023.  In a career spanning 23 yea…

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Austrian Grand Prix 2023

Max Verstappen, the reigning Formula One champion, continued his impressive performance by securing a commanding victory at the Austrian Grand Prix 2023. This win further solidified his pursuit of a third consecutive world title. Starting from the pole position for the four…

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International Plastic Bag Free Day - 03 July.

International Plastic Bag Free Day is July 3 on the National day Calendar and we are encouraging people to try to cut down on the use of plastic bags. Today, let’s all make a little extra effort to help save our environment. International Plastic Bag Free Day is observed ann…

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World Sports Journalist Day - 02 July.

World Sports Journalist Day is celebrated worldwide on July 2nd each year. Sports holds great significance in the overall growth of individuals, serving as both a recreational pursuit and a potential career path. Certain individuals possess a deep passion for both sports an…

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World Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) Day - 24 June and 02 July.

World UFO Day commemorates two separate dates. The first, on June 24th, recognizes the first widely reported UFO sighting on this same day in 1947 by aviator Kenneth Arnold. On July 2nd, the date commemorates the incident that took place in Roswell, New Mexico, in the same …

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International Reggae Day - 01 July.

Every year on July 1st, International Reggae Day celebrates reggae culture and its influence on Jamaican music. Reggae developed in the 1960s and evolved into a popular style of music. With its roots in Jamaica, Reggae music is an integral part of the Jamaican culture. It is…

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International Day of Cooperatives - 01 July.

Every year on the first Saturday of July, the International Day of Cooperatives celebrates the cooperative movement. The day also highlights the complementary goals, objectives, and contributions of cooperatives around the world. Cooperatives are organizations established to…

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300,000-year-old footprints are some of the oldest in Europe.

More than a quarter of a million years ago, ancient humans wandered a shallow lake alongside prehistoric elephants and rhinos in what is now Lower Saxony, a region in northwest Germany. Proof of their existence is from three fossilized footprints they left behind that are am…

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