Swirling jacks

Scuba divers swim near a school of swirling jacks near the USAT Liberty wreck at Tulamben, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali May 14, 2011. Picture taken May 14, 2011. REUTERS

Wooden soldiers in Haiti

Wooden statues replicating UN military troops line a table on a roadside stand in Port-au-Prince in this May 11, 2011 picture. Musician Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly swept into the presidency by wooing Haiti's mostly poor and uneducated electorate with a potent promise of change. Picture taken May  2011. REUTERS

Street art to commemorate ‘Nakba’

A Palestinian artist draws a mural depicting “Nakba” in Gaza City May 14, 2011. Palestinians will mark “Nakba” (Catastrophe) on May 15 to commemorate the expulsion or fleeing of some 700, 000 Palestinians from their homes in the war that led to the founding of Israel in 1948. REUTERS

Against nuclear power

A protester shouts slogans at an anti-nuclear rally in front of the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the operator of tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, in Tokyo May 14, 2011. A worker at Japan's tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant died on Saturday, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co said, bringing the death toll at the complex to three since a massive earthquake and tsunami in March.

Looking out for their future

Nayeli Garcia, 7, looks through a telescope during a protest against education budget cuts in Los Angeles, California May 2011.  REUTERS

Vesak in the city

The Colombo City is preparing to mark the 2600th Sambuddhatva Jayathi. Members of the Sri Vaishyakkya Sambuddhaloka Samithiya of Grandpass are seen adding the final touches to the Grandpass (Thotalanga) Pandal which is being put up for the 43rd consecutive year. Pic by Samantha Perera

Pirith for patients

Some hundred Buddhist monks visited the general hospital and conducted a pirith ceremony for the patients at the hospital today. Seen here are monks participating in the ceremony. Pix by Waruna Wanniarachchi

Receiving medical attention

Jailed former Army commander Sarath Fonseka is seen here after arriving at a private hospital in Colombo to receive treatment for his throat ailment. The Trial-at-bar judges ordered the Prison authorities that Sarath Fonseka be shown to Dr. Vajira Tennakoon who treated Sarath Fonseka for the throat ailment. Pix by Nisal Baduge

A friendly chat

Chief Justice designate Shirani Bandaranaike, outgoing CJ Asoka De Silva and Attorney General Mohan Peiris are seen here having a friendly chat at the inauguration of the South Asian Judges Regional Forum on Economic and Financial Crime’ being held in Colombo today . Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

Paragliding

A paraglider flies over Vlora, some 150 km (94 miles) from the capital Tirana, during the Paragliding Albania Open 2011, an annual Balkan competition on May 12, 2011. The event will be held from May 1 to May 14 in Vlora.   AFP PHOTO

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