May 8 (CT) General Secretary of the SLFP, MP Dayasiri Jayasekara criticised successive Govts for failing to come up with laws to prevent extremism. Addressing the media at the SLFP Headquarters, Jayasekara accused successive Governments of having failed to prevent religious and cultural extremism which had resulted in the Easter Sunday attacks on Christian churches and tourist hotels. more..

May 8 (CBN) People behind the deadly Easter bombings have all been arrested or killed according to the country's acting police chief. Seven suicide bombers died when they detonated their devices at churches and hotels, killing 257 people. More than 70 suspects have been arrested in the investigation. While those arrests are good news, nothing can fill the void for families who lost loved ones in the bombings. This includes Alexander Arrow who lost his only child on that Easter Sunday. more..

May 8 (CT) SL’s largest beer manufacturer, Lion Brewery Ceylon Plc, is looking to cut costs and boost exports after a fall in local demand following the Easter Sunday bombings. “We’re at the moment looking to reduce costs wherever possible and improve our efficiency, like any corporate would do in such a situation,” CEO Suresh Shah said. Lion closed at 503.30 rupees a share on the CSE on Monday, down from 580 rupees a share prior to the Easter Sunday bombings on 21 April. more..

May 8 (Island) SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris called for a thorough inquiry into what he called a very serious lapse on the part of the law enforcement authorities that led to nine persons taken into custody in connection with the Easter Sunday bombings given bail by Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage. Prof. Peiris said that the police owed an explanation as to why the suspects employed at a copper factory more..

May 8 (AD) A 25-acre land plot in Riditenna area of Valaichchenai police division has been identified as a site occupied by the terrorist group responsible for the suicide bombings on Easter Sunday. The CID, officers of Valaichchenai Police Station and the STF had carried out the search yesterday. Said land plot had been used by the terrorist for various activities, according to the security forces. On April 23rd, the owner of this 25-acre land was arrested by the Valaichchenai Police more..

May 8 (Island) UNP MP Kavinda Jayawardana in a private member’s bill urged the govt to acquire the proposed sharia University established in Batticaloa and have it as a state university enabling students of all religions and ethnic denominations to engage in higher studies there. He noted that the sharia law had been instrumental in instilling racist, religious tensions among the people and instilled fear of terrorism in people worldwide. It was a common notion that the sharia law would be taught more..

May 8 (FT) Travel industry strongly recommended an independent global security audit to boost confidence among would-be tourists to SL, post-Easter Sunday extremist terror attacks. “SL has to get a security audit done by a reputed int'l company, to endorse and certify the positive security situation in the country in the aftermath of the 21 April incidents. It will also be important at this moment to get the travel bans out of the way” more..

May 8 (Island) The UN Vesal Day will be held at Tam Chuc pagoda in Vietnam’s northern Ha Nam province on May 12-14. The Int'l Council Vesak and Vietnam Buddhist Sangha held their second meeting on Friday May 03 in northern Ninh Binh province in preparation for the event. Themed "Buddhist Approach to Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies," the event is expected to attract 1,500 religious dignitaries, researchers, scientists, and managers from more..

May 8 (AD) Complying with the request made by the security forces, 15 swords have been handed over to the Beruwala Police Station today (7). On May 4th, the police requested the public to hand over the illegal swords, kris knives and sharp dagger to the nearest police station by Sunday (May 5th). However, on Monday (6), the police spokesperson announced that the time period to surrender illegal weapons currently in their possession to the police would be extended by another 48 hours. more..

May 8 (DM) While highlighting the importance of a united leadership in Sri Lanka, former US Ambassador Robert O Blake Jr said the incumbent govt should establish a high-level group of technocrats similar to the one existed when Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the Defence Secretary, to prevent terror attacks in the country. Former ambassador, who is now Senior Director (India and South Asia) of McLarty Associates, said more..

May 8 (DN) The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) seized a stock of narcotic drug known as Ice, with a street value of over Rs 43.5 million from a local in Mabole, Wattala who arrived from Chennai at the BIA on Monday. PNB Director SSP Thilak Dhanapala said the suspect was arrested at the airport at about 11.15 am. The haul of highly addictive synthetic drug, ice, also known as Crystal methamphetamine, Shard or d-meth or Shabu, was found from the side pocket of the back-pack more..

May 8 (TN) Higher Education Commission and SL will enhance cooperation in higher education sector under Pakistan-SL Higher Education Cooperation Programme. The programme offers around 1,000 scholarships to facilitate Sri Lankan students to study in universities of Pakistan in engineering and social sciences disciplines. A statement issued by the HEC said that delegation from SL including vice chancellors, deputy vice chancellors, senior members of UGC and MPs visited the HEC. more..

May 8 (DM) Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam secured Cabinet approval for the free distribution of 183,000 tabs among school children despite objection by Prez Sirisena. The project will cost Rs.3.5 billion. Prez, from the beginning, held the view that a pilot project should be implemented first on the distribution of electronic tablets. He had opined that a final decision could be taken subject to the results of pilot project. more..

May 8 (AD) Despite the low turnout of students at schools yesterday (06), a slight increase was shown at schools located in Colombo and suburban areas today (07), according to school principals. However, it was reported that there was still a low turnout of students in several areas on the island.Ada Derana correspondents said the tri-forces, the Police, as well as the parents of students, had also joined to ensure security at schools and nearby areas. Meanwhile, the turnout of students in more..

May 8 (AFP) St. Anthony’s Church partially opened for worship Tuesday even as security forces were rebuilding a shrine inside following the Easter suicide bombing. The faithful were allowed into a section of the church to pray before a statue of Saint Anthony, said Father Edmond Tilakaratne, spokesman for the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith. “The church was partially opened today under very tight security,” Tilakaratne told AFP. “Renovations are already under way.” more..

May 8 (NIE) Just days after army chief Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake made a startling revelation that some of the suicide bombers involved in the Easter terror attack had travelled to Kashmir, Kerala and Bengaluru for some sort of training, Indian investigating agencies have confirmed that two of them did, in fact, visit India in 2012 on business visas. But they have refuted that the duo had received any kind of training. more..

May 8 (DM) With SL religious leaders meeting almost daily for a dialogue to promote inter-religious and inter-racial unity in diversity in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday massacres, the United Nations today and tomorrow also marks a related event. It has asked the international community to make these days a time of remembrance and reconciliation for those who lost their lives during the Second World War. In a resolution passed on Nov 4, 2004, the UN General Assembly said more..

May 8 (DM) The objective of terrorism is to intimidate both targeted factions and larger segments of society that share the values of beleaguered groups by causing them anxiety, intense fear, apprehension, panic, and horror The participation of an insignificant Muslim group in the distressing Easter Sunday attacks on the heart of the county’s multi-ethnic, plural, society is not related to history of cruel hostility between Christians and Muslims. more..

May 8 (DM) When a govt stands divided among themselves, when the PM and the State Minister of Defence are left out of Security Council meetings and even the venues are kept secret to them; what kind of a democratic govt are we looking at? When a govt is divided to such an abysmal extent, how can it not fall? More importantly, how could the PM and the State Minister of Defence have remained silent more..

May 8 (ST) In the wake of the Govt banning face coverings following the Easter Sunday bombings, a cross section of those specialising in Muslim women’s attire and members of the community expressed their views on the ban. At a store in Colombo that has been providing customised abayas, niqabs and burqas to their clientele for nearly 25 years in traditional designs, a touch of glamour is seen with the beadwork, more..

May 8 (DM) In a much hailed landmark judgment delivered in early April, the Supreme Court ordered the Northern Power Company to pay compensation amounting to Rs. 20 million to residents in Chunnakam who have been adversely affected by the contamination of ground water by its thermal power station. Chunnakam, situated in the north of Jaffna, is densely populated and is home to a hive of commercial and agricultural activity. more..

May 8 (EN) Easter Sunday’s suicide bombings in Sri Lanka which killed over 250 people will result in slower consumer demand and reduce already low economic growth, economists and analysts said. "The main impact on economic growth will come from lackluster demand conditions due to the current situation which is already seen to impact businesses," said an analyst at Frontier Research. A short-term hit on consumption is expected more..

May 8 (Island) Minister Lakshman Kiriella says that had the police shown same enthuse that it displayed for the letters meant to be sent to temples by his employees with regard to the security warning that had been issued to them on April 04, they could have averted the Easter Sunday carnage. Participating in the two day debate in parliament yesterday on the current security situation the Minister said that three members more..

May 8 (Island) Govt hospitals do not have proper supplementary medicines that are used with chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer patients, the PCoI on the irregularities of the present administration was told. President of SL College of Oncologists, Dehan Gunasekera told the commission that currently SL govt hospitals only had the drug, Herticad and that it was not suitable for treating early stage breast cancer patients. more..

May 8 (Island) The govt would not ban asbestos as promised due to pressure from Russia, which supplies bulk of the country’s requirements of the materials, environmentalists said. The Central Environment Authority (CEA), too, is not pursuing the matter. CEA sources confirmed that they had nothing to do about it. However, President’s Secretary Udaya Seneviratne, while serving as the Mahaweli Development more..

May 8 (CT) UNF MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe stated that the incarcerated General Secretary of the BBS, Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera should be granted a Presidential pardon before the forthcoming Vesak Poya. He stated that if the President or the Govt fails to grant a reprieve to the imprisoned monk before Vesak Poya, he will muster support from scores of local religious and civil society groups to mount more..

May 8 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena Tuesday appealed to the Colombo-based top foreign diplomats for their assistance to repatriate 1,600 refugees, mostly Pakistanis and Afghans, currently accommodated in the island nation. "I want your help to send them back. We can no longer care for them. Some of them have got involved in illegal activities too," Sirisena said while addressing the foreign envoys. more..

May 8 (AD) The Supreme Court has ordered to handover notice to the IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando to appear before the court regarding a fundamental rights petition filed against them. A fundamental rights (FR) petition filed against former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Pujith Jayasundara is set to be considered on the 21st of May. more..

May 8 (CT) Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty- USA’s Slavery abolitionist Wendell Phillips in a speech he made at Massachusetts on 28 Jan 1852 When President J. R. Jayewardene appointed his distant nephew General Tissa (Bull) Weeratunga, Commander, Security Forces, Jaffna in July 1979, he was given the task of eliminating Tamil terrorism in all of its forms. This was after Tamil terrorists committed at least three acts of terror that took place in the preceding year 1978. more..

May 8 (FT) The Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka have shaken the entire world, making it one of the most violent terrorist incidents in the recent past. While many discussions are going on regarding recovery plans, it is important to understand the real impact on tourism and how the industry can be revived. Tourism is an industry where both supply and demand can be extremely sensitive to terrorism or any kind of violent activities. Absence of terror or violence is almost a pre-condition required for more..

May 8 (AD) A stock of items including swords, knives, drugs, a firearm and bullets have been recovered from the bottom of a public well located in close proximity to a mosque near the R. Premadasa stadium in Maligawatta, Colombo. The discovery was made during a search operation carried out by security forces personnel in the Maligawatta area today. He said that a total of 58 swords, including 46 new swords (with red logo) and 12 old swords, 4 knives, 26 CDs, a small pistol, several bullets more..

May 8 (Island) Almost all children of parliamentarians and senior security officers had not been sent to school yesterday as well, Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary, Joseph Stalin said yesterday adding that the attendance of students in schools was low for the second consecutive day. The turnout at leading Colombo schools was at less than 1%, he said. "From what we noted no MP or senior security forces officer sent their kids to school. more..

May 8 (DM) Saudi Embassy in Colombo expressed its displeasure and condemnation of what it called false allegations over the controversy regarding an alleged top secret document published by the Lebanese news site Al-Ahed that cited a letter supposed to have been sent by the Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia to its mission in Colombo on April 16 on certain measures that the embassy and its employees should take more..

May 8 (Island) Western Province Governor Azath Salley has instructed all heads of local bodies in the province to remove all unauthorised structures from the pavements immediately. Governor said that the decision had been taken following consultations with politicians and senior govt officials, who felt that such structures posed a threat to the safety and security of the pedestrians. The Governor said: "Pavements are meant for pedestrians and roads are meant for motorists". more..

May 8 (EN) The SL govt has approved plans to build another air cargo terminal at the BIA to ease congestion at the existing facility caused by growth in air freight. The BIA, north of the capital Colombo, handled 280 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2018 with freight shipments having grow at eight percent in the past five years, the state information office said in a statement. Cabinet of Ministers this week approved a proposal to build an additional terminal for import cargo presented by more..

May 8 (DM) Seven trained suicide bombers from Kattankudy identified as followers of National Thawheed Jama'ath organization had been arrested in Hambantota on Monday, a senior police officer revealed. The suspects are alleged to be close associates of Saharan Hassim the brain behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks, had been brought to Hambantota by a brother of Hassim. It is revealed that the suspects had been trained more..

May 8 (CT) Attorney-at-Law Premanath C. Dolewatta, convenor of Truth Seekers, claimed the threat posed to the life of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has increased after the recent bomb attacks. He stated in a Media release that in the wake of Rajapaksa’s intention to contest the next Presidential Poll, the threat posed to his life by terror groups here and overseas could not be ignored. Dolewatta stated that due to efforts taken by Rajapaksa to crush the LTTE, more..

May 8 (NR) Supreme Court Judge Prasanna Jayawardena has withdrawn from hearing the on-going case filed against former Chief Justice Sarath N Silva, on charges of contempt of court. Judge had reportedly cited personal reasons for withdrawing from the hearing. From the Supreme Court bench initially appointed to hear the case, Supreme Court Judge Priyantha Jayawardene also withdrew from the hearing on the 7th of February, citing personal reasons. The case was filed by 3 individuals, more..

May 8 (EN) Suwa Seriya 1990, SL's free state-owned ambulance service, will cut its response time by as much as one and a half minutes with the launch of a new mobile app, a minister said. "With the mobile app, we are reducing the need for our staff to fill out the information of a caller," Minister Harsha de Silva said. "They will only need to know the condition of the person requiring treatment," he said. more..