Mother and cub

Lolo, a black jaguar, plays with Ward, her 14-month-old spotted cub, inside their enclosure at the zoo in Amman May 12, 2011. REUTERS

Sand sculptures the G8 leaders

A visitor walks at the Great Roman Empire sand sculpture exhibition in Moscow's Kolomenskoye open-air museum, on May 12, 2011. According to the sculptures’ creators the statues depict G8 leaders in Roman togas, (R-L) Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, US President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. AFP

UNP to launch Buddhist revival program

UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya at the media conference where he announced then party’s program to mark the 2600th Sambuddha Jayanthi. Pic By Nisal Baduge

Another day in Court

The former army chief Sarath Fonseka is seen surrounded by prison officials as he enters the Colombo High Court in Colombo today. The case was put off for May 19, after Fonseka developed a minor throat irritation while making a statement. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

IUBF protest walk

A protest walk was organized by the Inter University Bhikkhu Federation (IUBF) this afternoon calling for an inquiry into the recent death of a student monk of the Anuradhapura Buddhasrawaka Bhikkhu University. The picture shows members of the IUBF during the protest walk. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana

Accept nominations

Court of appeal today directed returning officer and election commissioner to accept all 19 UPFA nomination papers for Local Government Election in Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts. The picture shows UPFA members’ after the Court ruling. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

Ibaka big for Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder center Serge Ibaka (9) of Republic of Congo) shoots in front of Memphis Grizzlies' guard Marc Gasol (L) of Spain during the second half of Round 2, Game 5 of the Western Conference NBA basketball playoffs between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, May 11, 2011. REUTERS

“Tower of Babel”

“Tower of Babel” by artist Marta Minujin is seen in Buenos Aires May 11, 2011. The 82-foot (25-meter) high installation,  made from 30,000 books, donated by readers, libraries and more than 50 embassies, is the latest landmark to dot the skyline of Buenos Aires, named 2011 World Book Capital by UNESCO.  REUTERS

The Entertainer Performs

A monkey of a roadside entertainer performs at Parsaul village in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh May 11, 2011. The monkey will dance for villagers for a fee. REUTERS

Buddhist flags

The picture shows employees of a self-owned business in Demetagoda stitching Buddhist flags to be sold to the public in light of the 2600th Sambuddha Jayanthi falling in the 18th of May. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana

Riot police clash

Riot policemen run to avoid exploding petrol bombs during clashes with youths in central Athens May 11, 2011. Police fired teargas at dozens of youths hurling stones in central Athens on Wednesday as a strike against an EU/IMF prescribed austerity brought much of Greece to a halt during talks on the next slice of a bailout package. REUTERS

Lanterns for Wesak

The picture shows residents of the Sumaga Training Center preparing Wesak lanterns today in light of the upcoming 2600th Sambuddha Jayanthi. The Wesak lanterns made by the residents of the training center will be sold as a fundraiser for their CWE programme. Pix by Nisal Baduge

Commonwealth bid

Vice President of Commonwealth Games Federation, Tunku Imran (L) receives the candidate file next to Bid CEO and Organising Committee Member of Hambantota 2018, Nalin Attygalle (2nd L) and the 2018 Sri Lanka Commonwealth delegation during a presentation for their bid for candidate city for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, in Kuala Lumpur May 11, 2011. Gold Coast of Australia and Hambantota of Sri Lanka submit their bids to host the 2018 Commonwealth

Playing with an unbeaten will

South African Glen Macintosh putts on May 2011 during the Nedbank SA Disabled Golf Open in Langebaan, Western Cape Province, about 100 kms north of Cape Town. The competition is one of the top disabled golf tournaments in the world with more than 60 competitors from South Africa, Ireland, Wales, and Sweden competing over the three-day event. AFP PHOTO

Victory Day parade

Russian soldiers, wearing World War II military uniforms, march on May 9, 2011 during the nation's Victory Day military parade in Stavropol in commemoration of the end of WWII. The lustre of the annual show of force was somewhat dimmed by renewed doubts about the wisdom of staging the costly exhibition and reports that Islamists were planning to undermine the celebration by staging new attacks. AFP PHOTO

Saving the tigers

A handout photo from WWF taken with a remote infra-red camera and released on May 9, 2011 shows a rare Sumatran tiger with a cub in images recorded in March and April 2011 in the forest of Bukit Tigapuluh wildlife reserve in Indonesia's eastern Sumatra.  Conservation group WWF Monday urged companies to drop plans to clear Indonesian forest areas where camera traps have captured footage of critically endangere Sumatran tigers and their cu

Up above

A hot-air balloon moves through the sky as the sun shines in the eastern German city of Dresden on May 8, 2011 as temperatures rose to a summerly 24 degrees centigrade in most parts of the country. AFP

A visit to Welikada

UNP MPs Tissa Athanayake and Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena are seen here after visiting former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka at the Welikada prison this afternoon. The two MPs discussed matters relating Sarath Fonseka’s case during the visit. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana

Youth Corps pass out

The passing-out ceremony of 852 Rangers of the National Youth Corps. took place today at the Uyanwatta Football Stadium in Matara with Minister of Youth Affairs and Skill Development Dallas Alahapperuma as the chief guest. The Rangers had undergone training at Akuressa, Weeraketiya, Akmeemana, Galle, Bope, and Suriyawewa Youth Corps Training Centres. Pics by Krishan Jeewaka Jayaruk and Swarne Nettikumarage

England, here we come!

The Sri Lankan cricket team left for England this morning from Bandaranaike International Airport to participate in three tests and five one day matches that will start on May 26.Dinesh Chandimal, Nuwan Pradeep Fernando, Rangana Herath, Suraj Randeew, Prasanna Jayawardena, Suranga Lakmal, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Lahiru Thirimanna, Tharanga Paranawithaana and Chanaka Welagedara are among the players who are in the Sri Lankan team lin

Jumbo runs amok

An elephant ran amok near the Welikada police station this morning after its caretaker lost control of the elephant. However it was tamed after some time. According to the caretaker the Myanmarian elephant was being taken from the Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya to the Defence Ministry for a function. Pic by Nisal Baduge

Israel military memorial day

Israeli drivers stand still during a two-minute silence in Tel Aviv as sirens wail across Israel on May 09, 2011 to mark Remembrance Day for the fallen of Israel's wars. Remembrance Day is followed immediately by the 63rd anniversary of the creation of Israel in 1948 according to the Jewish calendar. AFP

“No to violence against journalists”

Tunisian Journalists hold up banners during a protest against violence against the media by police in front of the headquarters of the Tunisian newspaper La Presse de Tunisie in Tunis on May 9, 2011. A total of 15 reporters and photographers working for both the local and foreign media, male and female alike, were subject to beatings and insults and had their equipment seized on May 5 and May 6 in Tunis. The banners held read “No to viole

Waiting for the right documentation

Hundreds of land deeds, birth and death certificates are issued at the Kilinochchi District Secretariat on a daily basis since almost all the people have lost their valuable documents during the time of war. The picture shows an elderly woman waiting in line till the official on duty issues her certificate. Pix by Samantha Perera

Preventing human trafficking

Justice Minister, Rauf Hakeem and Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Kathy Klugman is seen having a chat at a workshop on the prevention of people smuggling and human trafficking held in Colombo this afternoon. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana 

For media freedom

The Media Movement for democracy staged a protest campaign in front of the Fort Railway Station today demanding that the ban on the news website Lanka-e-news be lifted. The Movement also asked all unions and civil society organizations to come together in an attempt to protect democracy in the country. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

Donating a drop of blood

Police personnel of the Police Headquarters in Fort organized a blood donation campaign at the police Headquarters premises today to observe the up coming 2600 “Sambuddha Jayanthi”. The blood donated at the event will be transferred to the Maharagama Cancer Hospital’s use. Pix by Nisal Baduge

Against the private pension scheme

The Inter Company Employee’s Union (ICEU) today organized a petition signing campaign against the government proposed private pension scheme. The picture shows protesters signing the petition against the private pension scheme in front of the Department of Labour in Narahenpita. Pix by Kithsiri de Mel

Splash

Sebastien Loeb of France and co-driver Daniel Elena of Monaco steer their Citroen DS3 WRC during the opening four special stages of the WRC rally of Italy 2011 on May 6, 2011 near Simala, on the Italian island of Sardinia. Championship leader and seven-time champion Loeb won the third and fourth special stages of the opening session after Citroen's Petter Solberg and Ford's Hirvonen had shared the opening two.  AFP PHOTO

Visiting Australian Governor General Que

Australia's Governor General Quentin Bryce reviews the guard of honour during a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi May 9, 2011. Governor General Bryce and her husband Michael are on a visit to Vietnam from May 8 to 14. REUTERS