Prime Minister's Prize

Participants show off their writing at a calligraphy contest to the celebrate the New Year in Tokyo January 5, 2011. About 3,000 calligraphers took part in the contest writing different characters depending on their school grade. The contest is part of a bigger competition, in which about 11,000 entrants hope to win the “Prime Minister's Prize” by being judged as the best drawing. The winner will be announced in late February. R

Beware of burglars

Vavuniya police conducted an awareness programme, advising the villagers to take preventive measures against robbers and burglars as the number of complaints received regarding robberies in Vavuniya have been on the rise in the recent past. Pics by Romesh Madushanka

Preparations begin

Workmen put finishing touches to a large snow sculpture at a traffic intersection in the northern Chinese city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province January 5, 2011. The Harbin International Ice and Snow festival will be officially launched with a fireworks display on Wednesday night. REUTERS

Ice and Snow World

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Partial solar eclipse

The moon passes between the sun and the earth during a partial solar eclipse in Moscow January 4, 2011. The partial eclipse was visible near sunrise over most of Europe and northeastern Asia on Tuesday. REUTERS

A cup of tea at the Finance Ministry

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is seen here having a cup of tea at the Ministry of Finance today. The President as the Finance Minister addressed the staff of the Ministry for the New Year. Pix by Sudath Silva

Road map 2011

Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal is seen here speaking at the event held at the Central bank today which announced the, monetary and financial road map for year 2011. The event was titled - Road Map : Monetary and Financial Sector Policies for 2011 and beyond. Pix by Nisal Baduge

Submerged

A stop sign is seen near a house partially submerged in  floodwaters in Rockhampton, Queensland, January 4, 2011. Floodwaters eased in Australia's major coal mining region on Tuesday, allowing some mines to slowly resume production although most remained idle, as devastating floods affect some 200,000 people and force towns to be evacuated. REUTERS

Opening of first day trading

Kimono clad Tokyo Stock Exchange female employees clap their hands to celebrate the opening of the first trading of the year at the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) on January 4, 2011 after the New Year's holidays. Japanese shares opened higher on the first trading day of 2011. AFP

Cold training

Raw recruits attend training at an army recruit training center in Nonsan, south of Seoul, January 3, 2011. REUTERS

Commencing work in the New Year

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa are seen here with the staff of the Presidential Secretariat before commencing their work for the New Year this morning. Pix by Chaminda Hittatiya

Department of Buddhist affairs

The picture shows Premier D.M Jayarathna at the opening ceremony of the new premises of the Department of Buddhist affairs in Colombo today. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana

Guinness for Dr. Jayalath

UNP MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena has received a Guinness world record for the longest running medical advice programme on television. The television programme has been regularly broadcast for 14 years as of September 14th 2010. The picture shows Dr. Jayawardena showing the Guinness certificate to UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana 

Leo writes

An eight-year-old sea lion “Leo” writes the word “Rabbit” in Chinese characters as part of a New Year's attraction at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium in Yokohama in Kanagawa prefecture, suburban Tokyo on January 3, 2011. February 2011 will mark the start of the Year of the Rabbit according to the lunar calender a 12-year cycle followed by China and other parts of Asia.  AFP PHOTO

Dakar Rally 2011

Volkswagen pilot Giniel De Villiers of South Africa crosses a dam during the first stage of the third South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2011 from Victoria to Cordoba January 2, 2011. REUTERS

Cricket fever

People gather in front of City Bank to buy tickets for the cricket World Cup in Dhaka January 2, 2011. People queued overnight outside  of banks in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka in a desperate  bid to buy highly-prized cricket World Cup tickets, which went  on sale on Sunday. REUTERS

Sri Jayaveera Hanuman

The picture shows the statue of Sri Jayaveera Hanuman been taken in a procession during the Jayanthi celebrations. The procession was started from the Sri Anjaneyar Kovil, in Dehiwela. Pix by Waruna Wanniarachchi

Dakar Rally 2011

Robby Gordon of the U.S. and co-pilot Andy Grider power their Hummer over the podium at the symbolic start of the third South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2011 in Buenos Aires. REUTERS

New Year celebrations

Fireworks explode behind The Big Ben clock tower during New Year celebrations in London January 1, 2011. REUTERS

A religious offering

A Buddhist devotee arrives at a temple to offer her prayers in the new year at Colombo January 1, 2011. REUTERS

Welcoming the New Year

Many Sri Lankan’s island wide celebrated the New Year by taking part in religious observances according to their faiths. The Pictures shows Hindus and Christians taking part in religious observances. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana 

A Happy and Prosperous New Year

We wish all our readers a Happy and Prosperous New Year

New Year in Sydney

Fireworks explode over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the New Year January 1, 2011. Local authorities planned for over 1.5 million people to crowd the Sydney Harbour foreshore and welcome in the new year under the massive fireworks display. REUTERS

New pots for the New Year

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Talking about eggs

Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is seen here making a remark regarding the eggs that were recently imported from India at a press briefing this morning. The Opposition leader met several Trade Union leaders today. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

2011

Picture taken with a long time exposure shows a man writing “2011” with a torch into the blue evening sky on a snow covered field in Sieversdorf, eastern Germany, on December 30, 2010. AFP PHOTO

Batting against bull

A man wearing a Batman costume gestures towards a bull in an improvised bullring during the annual bullfight festival in Zapote, near San Jose December 30, 2010. More than 350 bullfighters participated in the traditional end of year bullfight. REUTERS

The spoils of Victory

MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo of Spain dives at the Barcelona Aquarium, December 30, 2010. It is a traditional for the aquarium to invite a celebrity to dive there during Christmas. REUTERS

Forgetting the tragedies

Loved ones of soldiers who died in the war were given an opportunity to enjoy themselves forgetting their tragedies thorough a special program organized by Kaduwela Ranaviru Sansadaya today. Here some widows of forces enjoy a game of passing coconuts at the program which was held at Jana Kala Centre in Battaramulla. Pix by Samantha Perera

Greetings to the President

The world’s largest greeting card designed under the purview of Chief Minister of the Uva Provincial Council Shachindra Rajapaksa was unveiled to the public today in front of the Temple Trees. The card is 93 feet high and 33 feet long and is expected to be added to the Guinness Book of World Records. Pix by Nisal Baduge