Apr 29 (UK) General Shantha Kottegoda headed the army in 2004-05 and was appointed new defence secretary after his predecessor had resigned last week in wake of attacks. President Maithripala Sirisena had also called on police chief Pujith Jaysundara to resign but he did not oblige and was sent on compulsory leave today and an active chief appointed. The changes came in wake of security lapse despite intelligence inputs of the attacks which killed 253 people including 42 foreigners. more..

Apr 29 (AD) Forty-four suspects out of the total, who were arrested in connection with the Easter Sunday terror attacks, are currently being interrogated by the CID, says Police Media Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara. He said, seven of the suspects held in custody of the CID are women. Meanwhile, fifteen suspects including 2 women are being interrogated by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID). more..

Apr 29 (NYT) More evidence emerged Monday that the SL govt had ignored detailed warnings about an imminent terrorist attack, days before suicide bombers killed more than 250 people at crowded churches and hotels. In a memo dated Apr 9 and labeled Top Secret, (Eyes Only), the chief of national intelligence, on behalf of the defense secretary, warned the country's police chief that "Sri Lanka based Zahran Hashmi of National Thowheeth Jama'ath and his associates are planning to more..

Apr 29 (DM) All Army, Navy, Air Force and Police areas within the Western Province and Puttalam District have been placed under command to the Overall Operational Command - Colombo for operational purposes with immediate effect, the Army Headquarters said. In a statement, the Army said Major General Sathyapriya Liyanage, (Commander, Security Forces - West) would function as the Overall Operational Commander in the establishment. more..

Apr 29 (N18) Mahinda Rajapaksa, SL’s former president who is being increasing looked at by the island nation for a strong-willed response to the new threat of Islamic terrorism, has thanked India for the help in uncovering the plot but said he does not want any foreign forces, like the National Security Guard, on its soil. “India has been helpful. But there is no need for the NSG to come in. We don't need foreign soldiers. more..

Apr 30 (CT) Easter Sunday massacre is perhaps the biggest setback Sri Lankans have had to face in the last ten years. How barbaric can a human being be to bomb people at prayer? The attacks were coordinated but the responses by an inept govt and stalking opposition were not. The politicians have reached a new low and so has been the debate by a foolish, slavish majority. It is widely known that Sri Lankans have given a new meaning to literacy levels. more..

Apr 30 (DN) Easter Sunday bombings shook the nation with disbelief. It was a day of sadness to see a very miniscule number of individuals from one community striking out to kill and be killed. When sons and daughters of a country take to arms to kill and maim others it is reason for shame and admittance of failure to hear voices and accommodate those voices within a democratic space. An AP story states, “They knew the group, they knew the targets, they knew the time, more..

Apr 30 (CT) UPFA MP C. B. Ratnayake says the SLPP and the SLFP should definitely join together. Q: It was stated by the media, that there would be many changes in Sri Lankan politics, after the New Year. What are those changes? A: We will get together and take a number of decisions that will have an impact on the entire country. That is what we are attempting to do. Q: It must be about the new Alliance, SLPP & SLFP is going to more..

Apr 30 (ST) They were not at war on the battlefield but at prayer in the Temple of God, come to celebrate the resurrection of their Lord Jesus Christ when tragedy struck on Easter Sunday morning, leaving more than 250 innocents dead. Many of them had observed Lent for forty days in steadfast faith and fast, sacrificing some favourite food, drink or pursuit, had walked with Jesus up the Calvary sharing the cross he was forced to bear; and had eagerly awaited Easter to dawn to attend more..

Apr 30 (CT) I believe it was 2002. An organisation so far unknown in our village began propaganda declaring that watching TV is Haram. They didn’t just stop with propaganda. They went from house to house and broke TV antennas, they warned shopkeepers who sell DVDs to not do so and they burnt shops. Some businessmen brought black Abayas and long garments and declared those to be Islamic attire. They made women and children in the community believe that the land where more..

Apr 30 (SO) The closely knit Negombo suburbs of Katuwapitiya, Katana and Mahahunupitya are reeling from the shock of the Easter Sunday blast as Holy Mass was ending at St. Sebastian’s Church. For one week, the little village has been burying its dead. A hundred-and-two people perished in the suicide bombing in the church where many parishioners had flocked for the celebratory Easter mass that morning. more..

Apr 30 (ST) Improvised white flags hang along the streets where last week’s dead once lived. Families grieve for fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters who only a week before brought joy and laughter to their homes. Now they have nothing but tears to offer. The nation mourns for its people snatched away on the holiest day on the Christian calendar. Last week mass burials marked the end of their journey as the country bowed its head in three minutes of silence for those more..

Apr 30 (Island) Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith is reported to have told the govt, in no uncertain terms, that he is utterly displeased with the security measures adopted since the Easter Sunday attacks. Addressing the media, he urged the govt to ensure that the armed forces and police went beyond merely acting on tip-offs. He has struck a responsive chord with the public. One cannot but endorse the prelate’s call for the govt to pull all stops to remove the scourge of terror. more..

Apr 30 (Island) When medal hopes started to vanish into thin air at the Khalifa International Stadium and the shocking news of the Easter Sunday bomb blasts were dampening the spirits of the team, young triple jumper Vidusha Lakshani’s solitary bronze ushered in a sense of relief to SL and also opened a window of hope for the athletics fraternity who were otherwise left with the only option of looking at the points table to more..

Apr 30 (SO) As Sri Lanka comes to grips with its worst carnage in a decade, with a terrorist bombing spree on Sunday killing nearly 300 people and leaving more than 450 injured, early evidence points to a new security threat for the strategically located South Asian island still recovering from decades of bloody conflict. Insiders in the country’s security establishment say that the terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday, targeting three prominent churches and three high-end hotels in Colombo more..

Apr 30 (Island) Out of curiosity, the writer looked at the website of the Police Department to find out to what extent the department was making use of information technology (IT) in its affairs, and was glad to find that a separate IT division has indeed been set up in the department as early as 1980, with a mission described as "to automate the Police functions through electronic data processing to meet the growing demand of Police requirements. SL Police inaugurated the computerization more..

Apr 30 (VoA) As it continues to reel from the impact of the deadly Easter Sunday explosions, Sri Lanka on Monday banned women from wearing face veils. The ban came in the form of an emergency law implemented by President Maithripala Sirisena. Officials said the move would help security forces with the identification process as the country continues to search for people responsible for the Easter Sunday explosions more..

Apr 30 (EN) Despite big investments in building roads with the aim of improving connectivity in Sri Lanka, the expected expansion in regional economic activity has been slow, Central Bank said. Work on development and expansion of the national expressway network continued in 2018, along with measures to reduce traffic congestion and improve road safety, it said in the bank’s annual report for 2018. “The rehabilitation of existing roads and construction of new roads continued amidst more..

Apr 30 (FT) A Special Memorial Mass was conducted at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney on 26 April by the Sydney Archdiocese, in collaboration with Sri Lanka NSW Catholic Association, presided by Archbishop of Sydney Dr. Anthony Fisher, in memory of the deceased and to bless the injured in the wake of Easter Sunday explosions in Sri Lanka. Bishops from several denominations together, with Father Chaminda Wanigasena, Chaplain of the Sri Lanka Catholic Church, assisted. more..

Apr 30 (FT) President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday assured the tourism industry immediate relief for a quicker revival post the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. This assurance was given at a high-level meeting held with the hoteliers, tourism and travel companies and other industry stakeholders along with Tourism Minister John Amaratunga, Ministers Arjuna Ranatunga, Eran Wickramaratne, Malik Samarawickrama, more..

Apr 30 (CT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratna yesterday, postponed the Avant Garde case, involving former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and seven others, to 11 July. Magistrate postponed the case till the Court of Appeal announces its verdict on the appeal filed by Rajapaksa. CIABOC had charged Rajapaksa and the other seven in the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court for having facilitated the Avant Garde Maritime Security Service to maintain floating armoury more..

Apr 30 (SO) John Keells Holdings (JKH) called on the authorities to take steps to avert a repetition of attacks of the magnitude of Easter Sunday’s heinous attacks. In a press release, the company stated that the attacks on Easter Sunday will have a negative impact on the tourism industry and other sectors of the economy. “While we will play our part to help the industry and the country achieve a speedy recovery, we call upon the authorities to take urgent steps to prevent a recurrence of these heinous acts.” more..

Apr 30 (AFP) The Islamic State group's elusive chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has purportedly appeared for the first time in five years in a propaganda video released Monday by the jihadist organisation. It is unclear when the footage was filmed, but the man said to be Baghdadi referred to last week's deadly attack in Sri Lanka and to the months-long fight for IS's final bastion Baghouz, which ended in March. more..

Apr 30 (AD) CCTV footages of the suicide bomber at a lodge located near the Zoological Garden in Dehiwala on April 21st have been released to the media. The bomber has been identified as Abdul Latif Jameel Mohamed. It is reported that he had been to the UK back in 1st of January 2006 and returned to SL on 29th of Sept 2007. The CCTV footages of the bomber show him initially attempting to detonate his vest at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo. more..

Apr 30 (Island) Those who alleged a JVP link to IS operatives responsible for the Easter Sunday carnage had conveniently overlooked the terror group’s links with other political parties in the country, the JVP said yesterday. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said: "We have already explained our relationship with Ibrahim taken into custody over the incidents. We have clarified the nature of our political relationship and the extent of our link with him and his children. more..

Apr 30 (HRW) The SL govt should take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of South Asian refugees and asylum seekers from violence. Since the April 21, 2019 Easter Sunday bombings by alleged Islamist militants on churches and hotels that killed more than 250 people, angry crowds have threatened and assaulted primarily Muslim South Asian migrants. SL authorities, as part of broader measures to protect Muslims and more..

Apr 30 (FT) Bhutan has condemned the Easter Sunday terror attacks in Sri Lanka whilst expressing condolences to those affected. A statement released by Royal Bhutan Embassy in Dhaka with the Bhutan Consul office in Colombo said on behalf of the people of Bhutan, the King and the Gyaltsuen have offered prayers at the Kuenrey of the Tashichhodzong, and offered 1,000 butterlampsin memory of those who lost their lives in a series of bomb attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. more..

Apr 30 (CT) PHU Leader and MP Udaya Gammanpila, claimed that PM Ranil Wickremesinghe is attempting to bring laws to strengthen terrorism in the country. He said “Wickremesinghe, a few days ago, said that the Parliament should be responsible for the recent terror attack because the Counter Terrorism Bill is still there to be passed. He also said that if this Bill had been passed, the Govt could have prosecuted the local individuals who have links with more..

Apr 30 (Reuters) Tourist arrivals in Colombo will fall by 50% over the next two months following the Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 250 people, SL’s Tourism Bureau Chairman Kishu Gomes predicted. Tourist arrivals in areas outside Colombo are likely to fall by about 30% as a result of the attacks, Gomes told reporters at a travel conference in Dubai. SL was facing lost tourism revenues of about $750 million this year, more..

Apr 30 (Island) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as Minister of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development and Youth Affairs submitted a Cabinet Memorandum dated April 22, to provide compensation for deaths and injuries due to the bomb blasts in three churches and three hotels the previous day The Cabinet granted approval on April 24. Secretary, Ministry of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement and more..

Apr 30 (TN) National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested a man in connection with its investigation into 2016 Islamic State module in Kasargod and Palakkad in Kerala. NIA held 29-year-old Riyas Aboobacker alias Abu Dujana, a resident of Palakkad, for conspiring to commit a terrorist act. He will be produced before a court in Kochi on Tuesday. During the probe, Riyas revealed that he has been following speeches and videos of Zakir Naik, an absconding Indian Islamic preacher more..

Apr 30 (FT) Govt will propose to Cabinet the establishment of a new committee headed by Prez and PM to improve coordination on security measures, keep more Cabinet members informed of security concerns and improve responses to critical information. Minister Kabir Hashim said that the proposal would be discussed at the Cabinet meeting today. He also said that if the proposal is approved the Committee would include about five or six more..

Apr 30 (FT) UNP is set to discuss appointing Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka to the Ministry of Defence and Law and Order with President Maithripala Sirisena at the Cabinet meeting today. “A resolution was brought by Kavinda Jayawardana and seconded by Hector Appuhamy to appoint Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka as the Minister of Defence,” Minister Lakshman Kiriella said. The move by the UNP Govt Group meetings comes in the wake of fresh accusations made on more..

Apr 30 (MFA) As at Monday (29), the number of foreign nationals who have been identified as killed is 42. Fatalities were: 1 from Bangladesh, 4 from China, 11 from India, 3 from Denmark, 1 from Japan, 1 from the Netherlands, 1 from Portugal, 2 from Saudi Arabia, 2 from Spain, 1 from Switzerland, 2 from Turkey, 6 from UK, 1 from USA, 2 holding US and UK nationalities, 1 holding Swiss and Dutch nationalities, 1 holding Dutch and SL nationalities, and 2 holding Australian and SL nationalities. more..

Apr 30 (CT) Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has said that he was personally unimpressed with the security measures taken by the Govt since the Easter Sunday blasts. He warned that if the current regime does not have a stronger framework to combat terror, it will be impossible to contain the masses in the country in the future. He said that time has arrived for all political leaders here to reach a consensus and map out a joint policy more..

Apr 30 (FT) Western Province Governor Azath Salley has urged the heads of Muslim schools in his region to strictly abide by the ban on face cover imposed by Prez Sirisena which came into effect from Monday under the Emergency law. Salley was addressing the principals from 59 Muslim schools at the auditorium in his office on Monday. Governor explained that Prez had imposed the ban adopted by the Govt due to the recent Easter Sunday bomb blasts which killed over 250 people, more..

Apr 30 (IE) Intelligence agencies are tracking over a dozen men from Tamil Nadu and Kerala whose phone numbers were found in the Call Detail Records (CDRs) of Zaharan Hashim, the suspected mastermind behind the Easter Sunday blasts in Sri Lanka, a security official told The Indian Express. Hashim is believed to have spent close to three months in India, possibly from late last year, and the CDRs pertain to this period and the months since his return to Lanka, the official said. more..

Apr 30 (CT) About 40 Thawheed Jama’ath Mosques have been built in the Kandy District and over 400 offices constructed islandwide, without any proper supervision, under Minister of Muslim Religious Affairs Abdul Haleem, claimed SLFP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara. He said that Security Forces should arrest Haleem and question him about these illegal Thawheed Jama’ath constructions and spreading of extremist doctrine among Muslims. more..

Apr 30 (AFP) Half of a group of 120 Sri Lankan migrants who arrived on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion two weeks ago were deported early on Monday. The group of 60, including three women and three children, were flown back to Sri Lanka in a special flight, the island's prefecture said. The group of 120 migrants arrived at Reunion on April 13, having made the 4,000-kilometre (2,485 miles trip in a fishing boat. They each paid $2,230-$5,580 for the crossing. more..

Apr 30 (TN) The suicide bombers behind the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka assembled easily-available chemicals to make explosives, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has said, as authorities probe how the assailants acquired the technical knowledge to make the bombs. Wickremesinghe said the investigating authorities have been tracking the trail of explosives used to manufacture the bombs detonated on April 21 to target churches and luxury hotels on the island. more..