A blood donation campaign was organized by the Sri Sudarshanaramastha Sumangala Sunday School and the Rahula Pirivena in Kalapaluwawa, Rajagiriya for the eighth consecutive year. A large number of residents living in the vicinity participated in it. Pic by Waruna Wanniarchchi
A visitor sleighs down a snow slope near ice sculptures during the lights testing period of the 13th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival will be officially launched on January 5, 2012. REUTERS
Midnight Mass was held in churches around the island today December 25 to celebrate the birth of Christ. Pictures show some of the moments captured at St. Mary's Tudella where Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Ranjith conducted the service. Pix by Samantha Perera
United National Party Leader and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the Welikada Prison today to meet former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. He was seen speaking to someone at the entrance of the prison, over his mobile phone after the meeting. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana
Sewage spreads past a car trapped in a sink hole caused by liquefaction in the Christchurch suburb of Parklands after an earthquake struck December 23, 2011. An earthquake of 5.8 magnitude struck near the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, New Zealand's civil defence said, prompting the evacuation of some public buildings and sending goods toppling from shelves. REUTERS
The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) today raided a warehouse at Bloemendhal Road and took into custody 56 tons of potatoes, 50 tons of dhal and seven tons of sprats, which were not fit for human consumption. CAA officials said those who operated the warehouse were involved in cleaning and re-sorting the half rotten food and reissuing them for sale in Pettah. Pix by Waruna Wanniarachchi
An exhibition and a seminar jointly organised by the Nation Cancer Institute, Cancer Care Association and Jeewaka Foundation was held today at the National Cancer Hospital premises in Maharagama. The main theme of the event was “The importance of introducing effective health warning labels on tobacco packaging to communicate the risk of tobacco use.” Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana
The Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management today conducted a fair --“Mahaweli Aruna” at Hyde Park Grounds, Colombo Cabinet Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management Nimal Siripala de Silva participated at the event. Pix by Kithsiri de Mel
Several political parties and civil society groups led by the Movement for People’s Struggle (MPS) today staged a protest marched from Campbell Park in Borella to Town Hall over the disappearance of two of its activists - Kumar Weeraraj and Kuhan Muruganathan. Pic by Pradeep Patirana
The All Island Teachers Assistance Union staged a protest today in front of the Education Ministry, Isurupaya urging authorities to increase their salaries and to consider giving them an allowance to be added to their salaries or to give them the minimum salary given to a teacher. Pix by Nisal Baduge
North Korean defectors who live in South Korea prepare to fly balloons carrying anti-North Korea leaflets at the Imjinkak pavilion, near the demilitarized zone which separates the two Koreas in Paju, about 50 km (32 miles) north of Seoul, December 21, 2011. The defector groups who released 200,000 anti-North Korea leaflets, celebrated the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and protested against condolences to the dictator's death on W
The UNP reformist group led by Karu Jayasuriya and Sajith Premadasa together with a host of other parliamentarians are seen here at the Nugegoda Magistrate's Court. Suspects including three provincial councillors were produced before the courts today and were ordered to be held in remand until January 2, 2012. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana
An officer from the AFIP tax agency and his sniffer dog checks a car at the Buenos Aires Buquebus terminal December 19, 2011. Specially trained sniffer dogs to identify the smell of euros and dollars have been deployed at several border-crossing customs control around the country in order to search out foreign currency hidden in luggage. REUTERS
The Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft is moved into position on its launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome December 19, 2011. International Space Station (ISS) crew, U.S. astronaut Donald Pettit, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers, are due to travel on the spacecraft to the space station on Wednesday. REUTERS
The UNP Deputy Leader who is contesting for the party leadership signs the nomination papers while former Assistant Leader of the Party Rukman Senanayake, MPs Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Rosy Senanayake, Asoka Abeysinghe and former MP Imtiyaz Bakeer Markar look on. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana
'Kandula VII', the Regimental mascot of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment (SLLI) which traces its lineage of descent from the times of King Dutu Gemunu, immortalised its service span of 50 years in a three-day exhibition at the Art Gallery. Here Defence Secretary Gotabya Rajapaksa pays tribute to Kandula while Chief of Staff Defence Major General Daya Ratnayake looks on. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana
The Colombo District Summit of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) was held at the New Town Hall auditorium today under the patronage of its leaders. A large number of party supporters and party representatives in the district participated at the summit. Pix by Kithsiri De Mel
The prisoners of the Welikada Prison are preparing a very long New Year Card for 2012 is order to achieve a Guinness World Record. The card is 195 feet long and five feet wide. It will be handed over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on January 1. Pix by Kithsri De Mel
The roads in Colombo area will be closed to make way for the Colombo Night Races which will to be held tonight. The roads will be closed from 7.00pm to 6.00am today (16th) and again from 6.00pm Saturday (17th) to 6.00am on Sunday (18th). Public and private sector employees are advised to take alternative roads and take their vehicles or buses after finishing work at 4.30pm, the police said. Graphic by DM Graphics Desk
“Nelum Pokuna” the Lotus Pond or the Mahinda Rajapaksa National Performing Arts Theatre was declared open this evening by President Rajapaksa. Vice President of Chinese Republican Committee, Sang Chiang participated in the inauguration ceremony as the special chief guest. Pix by Nisal Baduge
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