May 3 (ST) April 17: A man walks into the Kattankudy police station to complain that something unusual had happened on his land at Palamunai. Police visit the scene and discover a Scooty motorcycle has been blasted using explosives. It had been blasted the previous day, Apr 16. April 18: A young Kattankudy woman visits her old parents living in a house in a nearby area to give them lunch. That was the last time she saw them. more..

May 3 (AFP) The Islamic State group's self-proclaimed caliphate may have collapsed in the Middle East but Asia provides fertile territory for a resurrection, analysts say, as last month's bloody Easter Sunday suicide attacks in Sri Lanka have shown. Factors including poverty, discrimination, radicalisation via social media, weak governance, and poor gathering and sharing of intelligence mean the region is more..

May 3 (AFP) While SL Easter suicide attacks mastermind Zahran Hashim used social media to publicly call for the death of non-Muslims, he worked for months in private chatrooms to persuade six young men to sacrifice themselves, Muslim community leaders say. Christians and foreign tourists were badly hit in the attacks on three churches and three hotels that killed 257 people, but SL's Muslim community has also been badly more..

May 3 (AFP) Islamist extremists in Sri Lanka are believed to be planning attacks on bridges in Colombo, the authorities said, as they warned that several conspirators in the Easter Sunday bombings which killed 257 people were still at large. Police confirmed they had instructed stations around Colombo to deploy additional officers and asked the navy to deploy more vessels on rivers, following leaks of police intelligence reports warning more..

May 3 (AD) Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez, SL’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva has reaffirmed the resolve of the Govt and people of Sri Lanka to take all necessary measures aimed at defeating terrorism and to emerge stronger as a vibrant society and a robust economy. He has stressed that SL will redouble its efforts, in the years to come, to both contribute to and benefit from production linkages as well as more..

May 3 (DN) Minister Champika Ranawaka called for the immediate deportation of about 800 foreign Islamic teachers employed at Madrasas and various educational institutes. He said all universities must come under the direct supervision of the UGC and all educational institutes must come under the direct supervision of the Education Ministry. Ranawaka pointed out that some institutes that promote Islamic radicalisation more..

May 3 (ET) A former head of military intelligence and close aide of the Rajapaksa family is allegedly trying to hinder probes by various countries into the deaths of their citizens in the recent terror attacks at China’s behest. Major General (Retd) Kapila Hendawitharana, who headed military intelligence during the Rajapaksa regime and is the current head of security for the Shangri-La Hotels in SL, is said to be obstructing more..

May 3 (DM) A 40-year-old man, who is alleged to have been in charge of the finances of the National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ) organisation in the Central Province, was arrested by police in the early hours of yesterday in Gampola. The suspect had been staying in a rented out house located in close proximity to the home of the owner of the shoe shop where the Haq brothers, identified as suicide bombers, had been hiding in. more..

May 3 (FT) Sri Lanka appears to be trapped in a vicious circle of wretchedness, not easy to escape from. Of the post-independence period which spans little over seven decades, the country has passed through a dismal backdrop of cruelty and savagery, swimming in blood for nearly three decades. During this uncivilised period the damage and destruction caused to society and the infrastructure of the country was immense. While more than 100,000 people have been killed, most of those more..

May 3 (CT) It was the distrust between the Cohabitation Govt of UNP/UNF leader and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and SLFP/UPFA leader and Prez Sirisena that led to the Easter Sunday carnage. This was pointed out by Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Rajendra Theagarajah in letters to Wickremesinghe and Sirisena on Wednesday and released to the media yesterday. In his letters, Theagarajah said that ‘there was a failure on the part of law enforcement to prevent this more..

May 3 (CT) Shockingly Prez Sirisena and his top officials could not look past their war with the Lanka E news, a website banned in Sri Lanka even after 250 people were killed in brutal suicide explosions in six places in the country Colombo Telegraph learns. In a meeting with Facebook executives to discuss restrictions to be placed on social media sites after the bombings on April 21st Sirisena’s officials slammed the company representatives using undiplomatic and abusive language. more..

May 3 (EN) Pre-tax profits at state-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority fell 27.5% to 8.7 billion rupees in 2018 from a year ago as foreign exchange losses ballooned with the sharp depreciation of the rupee. “Financial profitability of the SLPA declined in 2018 amidst the increasing port activities,” Central Bank said. According to SLPA’s unaudited provisional financial statement, it’s profit fell to 8.7 billion rupees in 2018 before taxes from 12.0 billion rupees in 2017. more..

May 3 (DM) The Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund had incurred a loss of Rs. 48,000 million until now after signing two illegal agreements to transfer Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) to a separate private entity during the first 100 days of the Yahapalana govt, former Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe informed PCoI to investigate corruption of the current administration yesterday. more..

May 3 (Hindu) IRCON International Ltd has bagged an international railway contract worth $91.27 million (around ₹635 crore) from Sri Lanka Railways under the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Govt of Sri Lanka. The contract is for upgradation of the Northern Railway line from Maho to Omanthai in Sri Lanka. Under the contract, IRCON will the upgrade single line broad gauge track of around 128 km length, including associated infrastructure works, said a release. more..

May 3 (Island) Acting IGP, Senior DIG C.D. Wickremaratne, assured that they had provided adequate security to hospitals and health institutions countrywide. He said that intelligence was tightened and they were in the process of getting information from all around, thus, assuring safety of public institutions countrywide. GMOA, the biggest doctors’ union however expressed concern over lack of security arrangements provided to health institutions particularly to national hospitals countrywide. more..

May 3 (AT) The terror attacks that killed over 250 people on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka left the global community scrambling for answers: Who were the perpetrators? What motivated them to carry out such a devastating attack? By April 22, a shocked SL govt had begun to sift through clues and earlier alerts. It concluded that a local group with the support of an international network had carried out the attacks. Late that night a video surfaced, more..

May 3 (GDI) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the recently bombed Zion Church in Batticaloa this morning to inquire into the present situation and inspect damages caused to the church. PM pledging to eradicate ISIS terrorism from Sri Lanka, requested the public to support the Tri-Forces by giving information they have on the ISIS militants or those who aid them. He emphasized that all Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and Catholic communities need to work in unity at this critical moment to more..

May 3 (IANS) In the aftermath of the Easter Sunday carnage in Sri Lanka in which more than 250 people lost their lives, actress Jacqueline Fernandez has urged fans to join her in rebuilding the lives of people of the island nation. She posted a video on her social media handle with the caption #UniteForSriLanka. “I am making this video to share my thoughts on what happened last week in Sri Lanka. To be honest, I needed some time to fully comprehend what I was feeling. more..

May 3 (AD) A Photocopy machine and a computer, suspected to have been used to prepare the defamatory letters, have been taken into custody at the Ministry of Public Enterprises, Police Spokesperson said. Three suspects were arrested last night (2) with 600 letters defamatory of the President and inciting enmity among races. The letters were reportedly addressed to various Buddhist temples across the country. more..

May 3 (AD) Jaffna Magistrate Court had issued summons on former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appear before the court today to evidence before the court as a witness with regard to a habeas corpus petition filed over a disappearance. Rajapaksa had been summoned to appear before the court this morning to give evidence in connection with the case. However, an attorney representing the former Defence Secretary informed the court today that Rajapaksa is more..

May 3 (DM) The US are not operating a special economic corridor in SL as claimed by Opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa, a spokesperson for the US Embassy said. He had recently claimed that the US Govt had released US$480 million to SL to create a special economic corridor stretching from the Trinco Port to the Colombo Port to be operated by the US. However, the US Embassy rejected the claim made by the MP and said the US$480 million was approved by the US MCC more..

May 3 (AD) Commander of SL Army Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake says he believes there has to be some outside involvement in the devastating Easter Sunday attacks in the country. In an interview with BBC, the army chief was asked whether it appears the series of attacks were plotted and planned locally within Sri Lanka or by figures that are still with the Islamic State group in Syria. “Looking at the pattern of operation more..

May 3 (Island) The wedding of Minister Wijith Wijithamuni Zoysa’s son Gajindu, a medical student, was held at the main hall of Temple Trees yesterday as the Shangri La Hotel where it was scheduled to be held earlier was closed following the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. The hall had been released for the wedding on condition that there would be no music during the nuptial ceremony. The special invitees were President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. more..

May 3 (EN) Sri Lanka’s retail sector is likely to be badly hit by technology adoption that automates many types of work and displace large numbers of workers, especially youth, a study by the International Labour Organization has said. The retail sector plays a significant role for youth employment in developed and developing countries. “Yet middle-skill formal sales jobs — such as shop floor and sales assistants —are vulnerable to displacement,” said the report more..

May 3 (EN) The UK’s Minister for Security and Economic Crime, Ben Wallace pledged support to revive Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, badly hit by Easter Sunday’s suicide bombings which killed over 250 people, including 8 British nationals. “I have discussed our current travel advice and been clear that we hope to see the SL tourism industry return to full strength,” he was quoted as saying in a statement from the British HC. more..

May 3 (AD) The Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara is set to be considered on 21st of May. The petition was taken up before the SC judge bench consisting of Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare and Preethi Padman Surasena today. Attorney General told the court that a decision is yet to be reached regarding appearing on behalf of the IGP and the former Defence Secretary. more..

May 3 (DM) The president and the secretary of the Jaffna University Students' Union had been arrested by the Kopai Police on charges of having in their possession posters containing the picture of former LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran, the Kopai Police said. They said the posters were found after conducting a search operation in all faculties and hostels in the university. The operation was conducted by the Army, police and STF. Several posters featuring the image of LTTE chief more..

May 3 (Island) A technical committee headed by senior CEB engineers yesterday submitted proposals to Prez Sirisena on the emergency power supply by two Turkish ships for the next six months. CEB Engineers Union (CEBEU) President Saumya Manawadu said that apart from legal issues, they had taken up number of serious technical issues. "We need some 470 MW at present and some of the plants, more..

May 3 (DN) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe called for explanations from all relevant authorities for their failure to implement the Cabinet decision to connect the Immigration and Emigration Department and the Customs Department with the CID through a shared computer network. A report presented to the PM by the Security Forces highlighted that information of the terrorists involved in the Easter Sunday attacks could have been confirmed beforehand, had data from the above two institutions more..

May 3 (DM) Referring to the arrest of three suspects attached to the Public Enterprise Development Ministry with 600 letters at the Central Mail Exchange (CME) in Pettah on Thursday, Minister Lakshman Kiriella said as far as he was aware the letters did not contain any racist ideologies or defamatory remarks against anyone or anti-govt propaganda. Issuing a statement, he said the contents of those letters was based on whether the responsible authorities had alerted more..

May 3 (Island) Sri Lanka chose to ignore detailed and specific alerts India had sent ahead of the deadly Easter suicide bomb blasts last month because of the suspicion that New Delhi is trying to pit Colombo against Pakistan by pointing fingers at the island's Muslim community, a media report claimed here today. Senior SL officials (Defence Secretary and Police Chief who have now been sacked) had apparently claimed that more..

May 4 (CT) On April 21, three Catholic churches and three high-end hotels in Colombo were blown up leading to the death of hundreds of people including several foreign nationals. As of today, more than 250 people have been killed. The explosions also maimed hundreds more. It was later revealed that all of the attackers were suicide bombers and they were from the SL Muslim community, the second largest minority group in the country. The attacks inherently conveyed a number of messages. more..

May 4 (ST) I was hoping to bring about a different issue, but at the last moment I thought of changing the direction. Last Sunday, a wave of blasts shook the nation that had been enjoying 10 years of peace in the island. It was only after Sunday’s incidence that everyone realised what had been nurtured behind peace. The incident led me to revisit some important links between economics and national security. Sri Lanka had three decades of history dealing with economic policy-making and more..

May 4 (NYT) The suicide bombs were packed with ball bearings, iron nails and the explosive TATP, all hallmarks of the way the Islamic State likes to commit mass murder. One of the bombers had traveled to Syria. Another trained in Turkey. One man arrested hours after the attacks had commuted between SL and Syria, leading investigators to identify him as a possible middleman between the Islamic State and SL militants. more..

May 4 (CT) More questions in the Aftermath of the Easter Sunday Carnage – following the Socratic Method of inquiry, albeit in a lighter vein. 1. How many foreign intelligence agencies does it take to screw on a light bulb? 8 and counting; so far: P3 – FBI, Scotland Yard, Interpol for sure; Aussie Intel, RAW and IB, absolutely, Japanese (QUAD) Intel, maybe, China (an injured party, indeed, and very likely Israel’s MOSSAD experts who after all are well versed on terror in Palestine, Mr. Putin’s KGB more..

May 4 (ST) As a mass sport across the country, Football touches the lives of so many, especially the poor folk of this island nation. Both Kochchikade and Negombo are popular Football centers and there is no doubt the Football community is closely linked to those affected by this calamity. They will, therefore grieve with families that lost their near and dear ones and stand with them in their hour of grief. It is indeed a time for all sportsmen/sportswomen in general and footballers in particular, more..

May 4 (CT) The pastor of one of the churches bombed in the Easter Sunday suicide attacks claimed by the Islamic State in SL has offered forgiveness to the perpetrators and those who sent them. In a Facebook video Friday from London, Roshan Mahesan, senior pastor of Zion Church in Batticaloa, said 28 people from his congregation were killed by the suicide bombing at his church and another 70-some are still hospitalized. more..

May 4 (CT) Going by the precedent set by the 26/11 (26 Nov 2008) Mumbai terror attacks, SL’s Easter Sunday carnage should have triggered not only concern, but also interest in the Nations to which the victims belonged. On the very day of the blasts, meeting newsmen in Colombo, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said that his govt would seek assistance from foreign Nations, if required, to untie mysterious knots. SL has had a history of terrorism, yes, dating back to pre-26/11 and even more..

May 4 (DN) The obvious double standards of the Western media in reporting events in Sri Lanka became evident when the most prominent international media correspondents rushed to Colombo soon after the Easter Sunday bomb blasts by Islamist terrorists. When they interviewed President Maithripala Sirisena, the first question they asked was, ‘why didn’t the President resign after the bomb explosions?’ The President, instead of replying direct, posed a question to them. more..