Apr 21 (AP) Foreign tourists in Sri Lanka have hurriedly contacted loved ones around the world to say they were OK after attacks on churches and hotels killed over 130 people. Tour operators warn that access to Facebook and Twitter would be cut by the govt and that a curfew likely would be put into place. Local tourism workers were shocked and dismayed by the attacks. "After so many years we've started again," more..

Apr 21 (EN) Sri Lanka has declared as curfew as two more explosions were reported mid-day after six explosion in the morning left at least 138 including nine foreigners dead. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said he saw the incidents would have a serious impact on the stability of Sri Lanka and the economy. Police curfew has been declared with immediate effect across the island. President secretary Udaya Seneviratne said extra more..

Apr 21 (NDTV) Indian PM Narendra Modi condemned the bomb blasts in Sri Lanka in which over 150 people died and 400 were injured. A string of six blasts hit five-star hotels and churches as worshipers attended Easter services. Hours later, two more blasts hit the capital city of Colombo. PM Modi also spoke to the SL President and the PM to convey his condolences and termed them as cold-blooded and pre-planned barbaric acts. more..

Apr 21 (TH) President Trump on Sunday offered condolences from the White House after a series of explosions at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka left hundreds of people dead. "138 people have been killed in Sri Lanka, with more that 600 badly injured, in a terrorist attack on churches and hotels," Trump said on Twitter. "The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of SL. We stand ready to help!" more..

Apr 21 (CNN) An ongoing series of bomb blasts struck luxury hotels and churches across SL on Sunday. At least 140 people were killed and 560 have been injured in the coordinated terror attacks, which have put the entire country on lock-down. The first wave of attacks struck at the heart of the country's minority Christian community during busy Easter services at churches in the cities of Colombo, Negombo & Batticaloa on Sunday more..

Apr 21 (PMD) President Maithripla Sirisena expressed his, shock, deep pain and dismay over the brutal attacks on places of religious worship and other civilian establishments. He said that that he has instructed all law enforcement agencies and defence services to take every possible step to maintain law and order and conduct speedy investigations into the dastardly attack and bring the culprits and those who were behind more..

Apr 21 (Xinhua) Multiple blasts which shook Sri Lanka on Sunday have taken lives of 192 people while more than 470 others were injured, and a curfew has been declared nationwide, Sri Lankan authorities said. Altogether eight explosions have ripped through the country so far, with six blasts hitting in the morning and two in the afternoon. The curfew has been imposed from 6 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. local time on Monday. more..

Apr 21 (NYT) As Christians in Sri Lanka gathered on Sunday morning to celebrate Easter Mass, the culmination of Holy Week, powerful explosions ripped through three churches packed with worshipers, leaving hundreds of victims amid a havoc of splintered and blood-spattered pews. In what the police said were coordinated terrorist attacks carried out by a single group, bombers also struck 3 five-star hotels popular with tourists. more..

Apr 21 (AJ) A series of coordinated bombings struck churches and hotels on Easter Sunday killing 207 people in the worst attacks in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war 10 years ago. At least 450 people were wounded after the island nation was hit by a total of eight explosions, police said, adding several of the attacks were carried out by suicide bombers. Most of the victims were killed in three churches where worshippers were more..

Apr 22 (Island) This is a reflection on an AC; what it is, the need for it and what caused such a need. I am neither a student of political science nor an expert in constitution making. As an ordinary layman, given the present sorry state of the country, I am humbly sharing with my countrymen and women ways and means to redeem the country from the grip of the Ali Baba and the 225 thieves to hand over to the future generations a corruption free, debt free, globally respected, eco-rich, beautiful more..

Apr 22 (ST) The attack by stone-wielding and fire-cracker throwing ruffians, reportedly led by a provincial politician of the newly minted Rajapaksa-led SLPP, holding the President of the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka and twelve terrified worshippers hostage in a prayer centre in Anuradhapura on Palm Sunday is no isolated, mundane incident, as much as we may like to believe it to be so. An assault of this nature would have been contemptible at any point. more..

Apr 22 (SO) The blame game over the Meetotamulla tragedy was renewed last week when eight CMC officials were summoned before the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) for explanation on the Auditor General’s observations, in his special audit report on the garbage mound collapse. In his March 2018 report the Auditor General faltered the CMC, Municipal Commissioner and other officials for New Year day tragedy more..

Apr 22 (CT) Mahathma Gandhi stood for Ahimsa. His assassin Nathuram Godse inflicted Hinsa on the saintly freedom fighter. Liberal America discovered Ahimsa of Mahathma Gandh and equality before the law in the sixties of the last century through Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The principle of Ahimsa and its fragility in State sponsored Hinsa resonates in American jurisprudence. Justice Stephen Breyer of the US Supreme Court in a recent Book US Courts and the World points out more..

Apr 22 (ST) Whilst thousands of Lankan Christians of all denominations celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ this Easter Sunday morn, one worrying bell tolls in the nation’s mind – whether Palm Sunday’s attack on a Methodist church in Anuradhapura by a Sinhale mob was the first sighting of the first vulture in the sky boding ill to darken the nation’s landscape with the prospect of Sinhala chauvinism and religious hatred being resurrected in the year of a prez election. more..

Apr 22 (ST) SriLankan Airlines pilots have renewed their call to surcharge former CEO Suren Ratwatte for obtaining A 320 training, costing millions of rupees to the national carrier. Pilots have now made representations to the CIABOC. Airline Pilot’s Guild of SL has alleged that the then Chairman Ajith Dias and the human resources department head had not placed a training bond; nor requested that Captain Ratwatte undertake more..

Apr 22 (DN) The Apostles of Jesus were full of fear after the crucifixion and death of Jesus. They were hiding in an upper room of a house in Jerusalem. It took nearly seven weeks after the resurrection for them to fearlessly and boldly proclaim that Jesus Christ who was crucified, put to death and buried in a tomb has risen from the dead and had appeared to Simon Peter and then to his fellow apostles. So the first preaching by the apostles of Jesus was of his death, resurrection and ascension to God more..

Apr 22 (Island) The quip by French philosopher Pourriol on Twitter, after the Notre Dame suffered catastrophic damage in a fire last week, was aimed at billionaires in France who at the time of writing this, had pledged close to a billion dollars towards the reconstruction of the beloved monument. Referring to the famous novel by Hugo, Pourriol’s tweet was a piercing critique of inequality in French society evident justin response to the disaster. He echoed others from France at a time when more..

Apr 22 (DM) Aadara Sevana (Abode of Love) in Anuradhapura is a social service cum prayer centre run by the Methodist Church in Sri Lanka. It is located a few kilometres away from the A'pura town at a place called Kundichchaankulama in Sinhala and Kundichchaankulam in Tamil. The relatively-unknown Methodist Centre in the North Central Province has been in the news lately for extremely-troubling reasons. more..

Apr 22 (CT) The bomb attack on St Anthony’s Church, in the heart of Colombo’s old city, which is a famous multi-religious site and a church with a long history of attracting believers of all faiths – Buddhist, Hindus and occasional Muslims– is an attack on multi-religosity, religious amity, and tolerance in Sri Lanka. This Easter Sunday attacks are NOT merely and should not been seen merely an attack on a single, minority religious community of Christians in Sri Lanka at this time. more..

Apr 22 (Island) A group of brainwashed barbarians turned Easter Sunday into a day of horror. Bomb attacks left more than 200 people dead and about 450 others injured in three Catholic churches in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa and three Colombo hotels. Among the dead were some foreigners. Explosions also rocked Dehiwala and Dematagoda. These cowardly attacks which must be condemned unreservedly have shown how vulnerable this country still is to terror strikes. more..

Apr 22 (Island) Thirteen months have passed since the anti-Muslim riots of Digana. Time enough for the main suspects to be tried in a court of law. Yet no one has been formally charged and every suspect is out on bail. Once again, the promise of justice is profaned, and turned into a mockery. When justice retreats, impunity advances and crimes proliferate. Now marauders are on the move again. This time the target is a Methodist Church in A'pura. more..

Apr 22 (Island) Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday urged the public not to be provoked by Easter Sunday carnage. The former Prez issued the following statement: I join all peace loving Sri Lankans to condemn unreservedly the dastardly acts of violence that occurred since this morning in several leading Christian churches all over the country and in Hotels in Colombo. "My heartfelt sympathies go out to the families of those who lost lives, even while they were more..

Apr 22 (DN) The Olympic Day Run 2019 organised and conducted by the National Olympic Committee of SL will be held on a grand note in Matara says, its Secretary General Maxwell de Silva. This year there will be a string of other activity bound together and the activities related to the run will be held on June 24 and 25 in Matara, and not the customary one-day event which they had on earlier occasions. Speaking of the event de Silva said, “This year we are going to concentrate on environment protection more..

Apr 22 (Island) Sri Lanka’s prime medal prospects Nimali Liyanarachchi and Gayanthika Abeyratne gave the team an ideal start as both qualified for the finals of the women’s 800 metres in contrasting fashion at a yawning Khalifa International Stadium on the opening day of the 23rd Asian Athletics Championship here in Doha, Qatar on Sunday. 400m runner Nadeesha Ramanayake, triple jumper Shreshan Dananjaya, more..

Apr 22 (Island) His confidence shattered when he flopped in Rio after becoming the first SL male javelin thrower to book a ticket to the Olympics. Then he struggled for couple of years even to come closer to his SL record. But at the recently held trials Sumeda Ranasinghe’s confidence was such that when one of his throws was measured at 79 metres he went on to challenge it. The officials had to bring in a new measuring tape and eventually when the distance was measured again more..

Apr 22 (Island) During the year up to 18 April 2019 the SL rupee appreciated against the US dollar 4.6%. Given the cross currency exchange rate movements, SL rupee appreciated against the pound sterling (1.8%), Japanese yen (6.1%), the euro (5.9%) and the Indian rupee (3.8%), a report released by the CB said. Meanwhile, during last week, crude oil prices followed a mixed performance. Price decline was mainly supported by market expectations on Russia and OPEC more..

Apr 22 (FT) A devastated tourism industry met yesterday to assess the damage caused following multiple terror incidents, the first in a decade, and discuss immediate measures to normalise the situation against great odds. The industry, which did not see a single tourist killed during the near 30-year-long conflict, was shocked yesterday, with over 30 foreign guests killed in suspected suicide attacks in 3 city hotels - Shangri La, The Kingsbury more..

Apr 22 (TL) German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday condemned a wave of bombings against Sri Lankan churches and tourist spots, urging that the religious hate and intolerance that have showed themselves in such a terrible way today must not win. "It is shocking that people who gathered to celebrate Easter together were consciously targeted in this malicious attack," Merkel said in a condolence telegram published by a spokeswoman on Twitter. Almost 160 people including dozens of more..

Apr 22 (DN) The cricketing world came together to express their anguish over the attack on Easter Day where bomb blasts at three Sri Lankan churches and three luxury hotels killed over 200 people, including several foreigners, and wounded more than 500 yesterday. “We as a county need to put away differences and get together at this crucial time to look after one another or we will not have this beautiful country for us or for our children. please don’t spread rumors on social media. more..

Apr 22 (FT) Three hotels which were subject to the terror attack yesterday each had a guest with an identical name and National Identity Card number. This information had been revealed during a high level industry meeting with Minister John Amaratunga. Meeting also discussed other findings via CCTV in the respective hotels. An AFP report quoted one of the hotels saying that a man by the name Mohamed Azzam had registered. more..

Apr 22 (AD) Speaker Karu Jayasuriya says that he has “invited the attention of the Parliament with regard to the urgent action needed in response to the unexpected explosions affecting life and property” in several places in the country.” He stated this issuing a statement concerning the Easter Sunday attacks that caused 207 casualties today (21). “It is clear that this situation is not a calamity suffered by any one community or religious group but a calamity affecting out motherland more..

Apr 22 (AD) The Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa had visited the Kochchikade Church in Kotahena to inspect the situation following the explosion which occurred this morning (21). Following a briefing to the relevant units, Rajapaksa had then arrived at the Negombo Hospital to visit the persons injured in the attack at the Katuwapitiya Church in Negombo. Opposition Leader had conveyed his condolences towards the families and relatives of those who were killed in attacks, more..

Apr 22 (AJ) SL's govt was aware of information regarding a possible attack before a series of deadly bomb blasts rocked hotels and churches in Colombo and two other cities, according to the country's PM. Ranil Wickremesinghe, speaking to reporters late on Sunday, acknowledged that information was there about possible attacks. "We must also look into why adequate precautions were not taken," he said. more..

Apr 22 (DM) The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) vehemently condemned the terrorist attack on churches and other places while Christian brothers and sisters were celebrating Easter. Issuing a statement, the President of the ACJU Mufti M.I.M Rizwe said, “this is a shameful and heinous act which no human being can tolerate for any reason. Though the attacks were carried out on a day holy to a particular religious community, it is a very sad day for all Sri Lankans.” more..

Apr 22 (DM) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is outraged by the terrorist attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, a sacred day for Christians around the world. In a statement, his office said the UN Chief recalled the sanctity of all places of worship. “He hopes the perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice. Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims, the people and the Govt of SL, and wishes more..

Apr 22 (FT) Thirteen people have been arrested in connection with the string of blasts that tore through Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing at least 207 people and injuring over 450, with most casualties from three churches and three hotels devastated by the attack. Six blasts targeting Easter celebrations were carried out within a span of 45 minutes, with no group or individual claiming responsibility so far. more..

Apr 22 (CT) Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith claimed that there was suspicion that an int'l group or a SL group was behind the six explosions which took place in three Churches and three hotels across the country. While condoling with the victims of these attacks, Cardinal claimed that these attacks are revolting since they attacked the innocent people who joined the Easter Sunday prayers and it is sad to say that the violence which was defeated 10 yrs ago, has again arisen. more..

Apr 22 (CNN) At the stroke of midnight in Paris, the Eiffel Tower went dark to honor the more than 200 people who died in the Sri Lanka bomb attacks. It's a move the operators of the iconic landmark often make in tribute to causes and calamities. "Tonight, from 12:00 am, I will turn my lights off to pay tribute to the victims of the Sri Lanka attack," a post on the tower's Twitter account said. On Easter Sunday morning in Sri Lanka, at least 207 people were killed and hundreds more wounded more..

Apr 22 (Island) The Catholic Church in the Holy Land has voiced support for Sri Lanka’s Christians and condemned Easter Sunday attacks in SL. A statement issued in Jerusalem said the blasts were particularly sad as they came while Christians celebrate Easter. "We pray for the souls of the victims and ask for speedy recovery of the injured, and ask God to inspire the terrorists to repent of their killing and intimidation," statement said. more..

Apr 22 (EN) An improvised explosive device found on an approach road to SL main airport north of Colombo had been safety defused, a military official said. SL Air Force said a so-called pipe bomb had been found which had been blasted in a controlled explosion. Sri Lanka's airport is on high alert after eight explosions around Sri Lanka killed more than 200 people and injured 450 on Easter Sunday. At least 30 foreigners may have been killed when bombs exploded in 3 hotels in Colombo. more..