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Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha dies aged 47 after more than three years in coma
King Vajiralongkorn's eldest daughter, a Cornell-trained lawyer and UNODC ambassador, collapsed in December 2022 from a mycoplasma heart infection.
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Trump says Iran deal is close after calling off strikes; Brent crude drops to $89
Trump told reporters at the Oval Office 'we just made a great settlement'. Brent fell 4.4%, but Iran called the reports speculative and not finalised.
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UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture to make second visit to Sri Lanka June 15–24
UN SPT four-member delegation begins second visit to Sri Lanka Monday under OPCAT, meeting ministers, officials, HRCSL and civil society over ten days.
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USS Canberra docks in Colombo after April role in US blockade of Iran
The Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship made a brief stop to refuel before continuing its Indo-Pacific deployment, the US Embassy said.
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South Korea court sentences ex-President Yoon to 30 years over North Korea drone incursion
Seoul court found Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of aiding the enemy and abuse of power over a 2024 drone incursion tied to his failed martial law declaration.
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Emirates to offer travel insurance to lure passengers back to Dubai amid Iran war
Emirates President Tim Clark said Dubai is losing about £450 million a day in tourism revenue and will guarantee passengers a way home if hostilities escalate.
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Sri Lanka climbs 30 places to 67th on Global Peace Index 2026
Sri Lanka rose from 97th to 67th globally, ranking second most peaceful in South Asia behind Bhutan, the Institute for Economics and Peace said.
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Iran announces full closure of Strait of Hormuz, threatens to fire on any vessel
Iran's top joint military command declared a complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz from Thursday, warning any vessel attempting passage will be shot at.
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Iran strikes US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain; Kuwait shuts airspace
Tehran said it attacked US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for Wednesday's second-day CENTCOM strikes, prompting Kuwait to close its airspace.
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Third Indian-crewed ship in a week catches fire off Oman as Hormuz blockade bites
MT Jalveer with 20 Indian sailors aboard caught fire near Shinas Port off Oman, the third Indian-crewed vessel attacked or disabled near the Gulf this week.
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NOAA declares El Niño has officially begun, with 63% odds of super El Niño
US scientists confirmed Wednesday that El Niño is underway for the first time since 2023-24, with a 63 percent chance of a super El Niño category.
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Pentagon locked down after hazardous materials air quality alert
The Pentagon was locked down Thursday after safety systems detected an air quality issue, CNN reporting floors two to five in corridors four to seven.
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Seven arrested in Kuwait drug bust, including three Sri Lankans
Kuwait police seized 2.55kg hashish, 150g heroin and 20g methamphetamine, arresting seven including three Sri Lankans, two Kuwaitis and an Indian.
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Trump cancels further Iran strikes after deal framework reached; naval blockade stays
Trump says planned bombings were called off after talks reached Iran's highest leadership and 10 countries approved a deal framework. The Hormuz blockade.
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UK defence minister John Healey resigns over Starmer military spending dispute
UK Defence Secretary John Healey quit, accusing Keir Starmer and the Treasury of failing to commit resources to defend the country amid Russian incursions.
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US diplomat found dead in Yangon; Thai woman detained, State Department confirms
The US State Department confirmed a diplomat was found dead in Yangon and a Thai woman is in custody, with no cause of death yet disclosed.
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US disables Settebello tanker in Gulf of Oman; three Indian sailors missing
CENTCOM fired precision munitions into the Palau-flagged Settebello off Oman; three Indian crew were missing and 21 rescued, India summoned US mission's.
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US launches fresh overnight strikes on Iran after Trump warns 'very hard' attacks
US CENTCOM struck multiple Iranian targets including Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Sirik and Minab after Trump warned Tehran would 'pay the price' for stalling.
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World Bank cuts 2026 global growth to 2.5%, slowest since COVID, on Iran war shock
Higher energy prices, sticky inflation and tighter credit will drag global growth to the lowest rate since the pandemic onset, the World Bank said Thursday.
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AKD congratulates Modi as Indian PM marks 4,399 days as longest continuously serving premier
President Dissanayake calls Modi's 12-year milestone a testament to the trust the people of the world's largest democracy have placed in his leadership.
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Tamil director Bharathiraja dies at 84; CM Vijay announces full state honours
Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja, who reshaped Indian cinema with rural landscapes and launched stars Radikaa and Karthik, died in Chennai aged 84.
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Indian naval ship INS Sharda arrives in Colombo for operational turnaround
Indian offshore patrol vessel INS Sharda, commanded by Commander Kartik Sachdeva, arrived at the Port of Colombo for an operational turnaround visit on.
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Pakistan launches air strikes in Afghanistan; Taliban reports 11 children among 13 dead
Pakistan claimed 26 militants killed in border strikes on Afghan hideouts; the Taliban reported 13 dead, including 11 children, across three provinces.
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Indian High Commissioner holds twin Wednesday calls with Ali Sabry and Industry Minister Handunnetti
Santosh Jha discussed bilateral trust with the former Foreign Minister and supply-chain linkages with Industry Minister Sunil Handunnetti the same day.