Members of the Alliance of Organisations and Intellectuals Against PMC today held a petition campaign to collect one million signatures, in front of the Colombo National hospital against establishing of the Malabe Private Medical College (MPMC).Pix Nisal Baduge
A foundation stone was laid today in Kolonnawa for the erection of a statue of slain Presidential Advisor Baratha Lakshman Premachandra. Speaker Chamal Rajapakse was the chief guest of the event. Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, MP Namal Rajapaksa, Karu Jayasuriya and a host of other dignitaries participated in the ceremony. (Pix by Shantha Senavirathne)
A trishaw collided with the Matara bound express train from Vavuniya at Mahagoda unprotected level crossing this afternoon. The driver and a woman on board were seriously injured and admitted to Karapitiya Teaching Hospital. Inquiries revealed the woman from Bataduwa walking along the road had boarded the trishaw on its way back from Magalla to Galle. (Pix by D.G .Sugathapala)
A two-storey mobile-phone repair centre at Cotta Road in Borella was gutted this morning. The fire that sparked off in a store room on the ground floor spread to the upper floor but the Colombo Municipal Fire Brigade personnel who rushed to the scene managed to douse the fire and thus prevent it from spreading to the adjacent buildings. Pic by Kushan Pathiraja
A Pakistani official uses a steamroller to crush bottles of liquor during a ceremony to mark International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, in Karachi on June 26, 2012. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) issued an annual report declaring Pakistan a poppy free country but said it is used as a route for smuggling of drugs worth 30 billion USD from Afghanistan. AFP
A she elephant and a calf that fell into an abandoned well at the dead of night on Sunday (24) were saved by the Wildlife Conservation Officers in Thirappane. The Wildlife Officials rushed to the scene on information from the public paved the way for the she- elephant and the calf to come out by flattening the edge of the well. Pix by Athula Bandara
Pakistan lost all its top-order wickets, barring the out-of-form Younis Khan, and was tottering at 48-5 on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Sri Lanka were dismissed for 472 shortly after tea with Sangakkara stranded on 199 not out. He became the quickest batsman to reach 2000 Test runs against a single team, but he also became only the second player in Test history to be stranded on 199. Pic/AFP
A soldier employed at the “Ranaviru Apparel” garment factory in Alawwa, which produces more than 50% of the uniforms required by the Army. Seen here is soldier talking to Army Commander Jagath Jayasuriya who visited the factory today. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana
Custom officers at the Colombo Port are seen inspecting perfumes, shoes and other luxury items worth Rs.15 million imported by a BOI registered poultry farm. They are alleged to have smuggled 23 container-loads of such luxury items out of the Port this year. Pic by Kushan Pathiraja
The JVP dissident group yesterday staged a protest at the Lipton Circle urging the government to release political activists Lalith Kumara Weeraju and Kugan Muruganandan who went missing since December last year and other missing people. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana
Female employees of the Agrarian Services Ministry are engaged in clearing up the premises to mark the dengue eradication programme today. Earlier Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena expressed his displeasure over the non-participation of Ministers in the programme. (Pix by Pradeep Pathirana)
President Mahinda Rajapaksa is pictured here addressing the Rio +20 conference on sustainable development at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The President spoke on wide ranging issues faced by developing nations. The full text of the speech is featured in our breaking news section. Picture courtesy of President's Media Division
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