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

Atlanta Hawks - Chicago Bulls

Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson drives around Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng in the second half of their Eastern Conference semifinals NBA basketball game in Atlanta, Georgia  May 8, 2011. REUTERS

“Chicha”

Bolivia's President Evo Morales throws the “chicha”, a drink made from corn, as an offering to Mother Earth during the inauguration of a farmers market in Cochabamba May 8, 2011. REUTERS

JVP urges pay hike

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva refers to a document at the press briefing today. He lashed out at the government for not giving a pay hike for university lecturers. Pic by Nisal Baduge

Observing Buddha Jayanthi

JHU General Secretary and Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka embarked on an 11 day meditation retreat at Kanduboda meditation centre today to observe Buddha Jayanthi. A shaven headed Minister is seen here with 25 other JHU members at the Sadaham Asapuwa, Gothami road before leaving for Kanduboda. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana

Spent Fuel Pool

The Spent Fuel Pool of Reactor Unit 4 of Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Fukushima prefecture is seen in this still image taken from video on May 8, 2011, and released May 8, 2011. The March 11 earthquake and tsunami damaged the nuclear plant in northern Japan, sparking the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986.   REUTERS

Anti-nuclear rally

A protester wearing a gas mask uses a moblie phone at an anti-nuclear rally in Tokyo May 7, 2011. More than 1,000 people rallied on Saturday, one day after  Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan call for halt of the Hamaoka nuclear plant in central Japan, due to worries a strong earthquake could cause another nuclear crisis.    REUTERS

All about the wool

Cashmere goats, raised for their wool at a farm in Ordos,  in Inner Mongolia, northwest China, where across the country demand for the soft wool is growing even as overseas demand falls. The finest cashmere in the world is said to come from goats from the region of Ordos, also prized for their meat and skin. Derived from an archaic spelling of Kashmir, Cashmere is a fine wool which grows beneath the outer coarse hair of the Cashmere goat, wh

Going 4G

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, the National Mobile Telecom Service Provider, announced that it has carried out a successful trial of LTE (Long Term Evolution) Technology achieving speeds of up to 96 Mbps. Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel has set another record in the region for the third consecutive time demonstrating broadband speeds of up to 96Mbps in downlink and 49Mbps in uplink using LTE technology.(L –R) Mr.Lawrence Paratz – Director, Sri

Navy dog

Edy, a military working/patrol explosive detection dog, takes a break after going through an explosive device detection training session at Forward Operating Base Lagman, Afghanistan in this February 18, 2011 photograph. The New York Times and other United States media have reported that a military canine accompanied Navy SEAL Team Six commandos into a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.  R

Talking about academics

While requesting university academics not to go ahead with the proposed trade union action at this moment, Higher Education Minister S.B.Dissanayaka today said university academics were granted 36.25% salary increase from the budget 2011 while granting only 5% salary increase to all other public servants. The picture shows Minister S.B.Dissanayaka during the press briefing.  Pix by Nisal Baduge

Over there . . .

A ceremony to handover certificates to over hundred North, Eastern students who learnt Sinhala was held at the Sadaham Sevena International Buddhist Centre today. The picture shows Deputy Minister of Resettlement Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan pointing out something in the distance to Gampaha District MP Venerable Athuraliye Rathana thero at the event. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja   

Maldives oppose “Darusman Report”

Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Naseem addressing the media this morning said that Maldives strongly opposes the Darusman Report on war crimes against Sri Lanka stating that the country is being “unnecessarily harassed”. Naseem is currently in the country to discuss foreign polices between Sri Lanka and Maldives and emphasized that the report was not the basis of his visit. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana

Egyptian amulets

Art Collector Jean-Claude Gandur points to a series of ancient Egyptian amulets and figurines from his collection of more than 850 Egyptians antiquities during an interview with Reuters in Geneva April 21, 2011. Picture taken April 21, 2011. REUTERS

Against the Darusman report

Minister of Irrigation Nimal Siripala de Silva and several other Ministers expressed their  disagreement with the Darusman report at a  Sri Lanka Freedom Party press conference held at the Mahaweli Center this morning. Pic By Pradeep Dilruckshana

Midwives’ peace walk

All Ceylon Health Service Union organized a peace walk to Temple Trees to hand over a message urging the government to equalize the professional standards of the midwives to that of the nurses. Police brought the walk to a halt that started from Town Hall to temple trees today. Pics by Kushan Pathiraja

Apollo Expeditions to the Moon

US astronaut Alan B.Shepard is photographed with chimpanzee Ham who preceded him in space with a 16' minute 39'' second sub-orbital flight performed aboard the Mercury Redstone rocket on January 31, 1961. Ham's mission paved the way for the successful launch of America's first human astronaut, Alan B. Shepard, Jr., on May 5, 1961. May 5, 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the historic flight. AFP

Quake safety in Seoul

South Korean students run out of a building during an anti-quake drill at an elementary school in Seoul on May 4, 2011. South Korea is considered relatively safe from quakes, but the Seoul government has focused on ensuring quake preparedness in the wake of Japan's March 11 massive earthquake and tsunami. AFP

Sipping O-zone tea

Plantations Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, Industries Minister Rishard Bathiudeen and Iraqi Ambassador Khatan Taha Khalaf  enjoying a cup ozone friendly-Ceylon Tea at press conference held today to ceremonially launch of the logo of Ozone Friendly Ceylon Tea. Pic by Pradeep Dilrukshana

Minister at new SINGER outlet

Co-operative and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando was the chief guest at the opening of a new SINGER outlet at the Sri Lanka State Trading (General) Corporation. Pics by Kushan Pathiraja

Auckland tornado

A damaged car is pictured near rescue vehicles in the North Shore of Auckland on May 3, 2011 after a freak tornado hit the area, killing two people and injuring dozens more. Packing winds of 200 kilometres an hour (125 miles an hour), the twister hit the suburb of Albany without warning at about 3pm (0300 GMT), flipping cars and uprooting trees as it carved a trail of destruction stretching for kilometres. AFP