Lanka to reopen probe into Easter bombings

St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, after the attack in April 2019. File Pic/X

Sri Lanka's new president Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Tuesday said he would reopen an investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks. Dissanayake who was appointed president on Sunday following his victory in last weekend's presidential election made the remarks while paying a courtesy call on the head of the Catholic Church Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith. "The new president assured us that the truth on the Easter Sunday attacks would be brought to light," Ranjith said.

Ranjith has been critical of the investigation into the attacks at star-class hotels and churches during the Easter Sunday mass, leaving nearly 300 persons, including foreigners, dead. Blaming both former presidents Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe for the incident, Ranjith slammed the investigation as a political cover-up of the attacks carried out by local jihadi group National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ).

Harini Amarasuriya sworn in as PM

Harini Amarasuriya was sworn in as Sri Lanka's new prime minister on Tuesday, becoming the first woman leader since Sirimavo Bandaranaike in the year 2000 to hold the post. The 54-year-old National People's Power (NPP) leader was sworn in and appointed to the cabinet with the portfolios of the Minister of Justice, Education, Labour, Industries, Science & Tech, Health, and Investment. She has replaced prime minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

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