Emergency regulations enforced after the Easter Sunday attacks are likely to be extended this week for another month. Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Army Spokesperson Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said emergency regulations would likely be extended this week due to ongoing investigations.

A petition is to be handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena on Tuesday, calling for Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka to be appointed as Law and Order Minister . UNP Parliamentarian Ashu Marasinghe told the media they were hoping to hand over the petition, signed by 98 MPs of the United National Front Government, to President Sirisena in Parliament.

Ten years since the end of Sri Lanka's brutal civil war, the government has failed to provide justice for the conflict's many victims, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Saturday, on the 10th anniversary of Sri Lanka's victory in the war against Tamil Tiger terrorists. The armed conflict ended on May 18, 2009, with the total defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Hundreds gathered in parts of the North today to remember the victims of the final stages of the war in Mullivaikkal. Thousands were believed to have been killed in Mullivaikkal during the final battle between the military and the LTTE in 2009. While the actual number of victims is not known, some say around 40,000 civilians were killed while others say around 7000 died.

The temporary blockage which was imposed on social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Viber and Facebook, was lifted this evening. Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Director General Shyamal Jayatilaka confirmed that the blockage had been lifted today (May 17). The government had decided to block access to all social media platforms in a bid to curb the spread of hate speech after violence erupted in certain parts of the country recently.

The United States and Sri Lanka at their third Partnership Dialogue emphasized the importance of their bilateral relationship and expressed commitment to further strengthen the U.S.-Sri Lanka partnership for mutual benefit.

Based on the security agreements signed between Sri Lanka and China during President Maithripala Sirisena’s recent tour to China, the Chinese Government has pledged to supply several machines to defuse bombs, according to Presidential Secretariat sources. According to the agreement the Chinese Government will bear the cost of these machines which will be supplied to the security forces for their use. The agreement for this project was prepared by the Defence Ministries of both countries.

The Elections Commission wants direct intervention by the government to conduct provincial council polls before the presidential election and has sought a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena to take a final decision on this matter.

UPFA MP Dayasiri Jayasekara arrived at the Office of Deputy Inspector General (Colombo Division) to give a statement over the recent violent incidents in the North Western Province.

The recent Easter Sunday bombings and the resultant economic slowdown don’t pose a major threat to Sri Lanka’s debt refinancing capacity, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “We don’t see any major risk to the authorities’ refinancing plans at this stage based on the latest developments,” IMF’s mission chief for Sri Lanka, Manuela Goretti, said in a teleconference with reporters in Colombo yesterday.

US State Secretary Michael Pompeo who met with Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana, has reiterated strong US support for Sri Lanka in its fight against terrorism, a statement said. Minister Marapana was welcomed by Secretary Pompeo to the State Department on Thursday.

A top military officer ensured the envoys of Islamic countries that a team of eight army personnel had been stationed at each police station concerned to assist the police in the event of any communal riot, the Daily Mirror learns. The Organization of Islamic Countries called on Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne on Wednesday to discuss the latest situation.

Law enforcement authorities with the support of the Army yesterday (16) carried out search operation at the Kilinochchi campus of the Jaffna University. Nearly 600 officers and men took part in the operation. Officials said that the operation had been conducted to ensure the safety and security of the students.

India has assured its fullest support to Sri Lanka to combat the threat of Jihadi terrorism. High Commissioner of India Taranjit Singh Sandhu paid respects at Sri Dalada Maligawa and received the blessings of the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Mahanayake Thero of Malwatte Chapter and Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayake Thero of Asgiriya Chapter in Kandy today.

Two suspects alleged to have close links with the National Thowheed Jama’at (NTJ) were arrested at Horowpathana yesterday, Police said. One of the suspects is a 56-year-old principal of a school at Weerasole while the other is a 47-year-old teacher of a school in Ataweerawewa. They were arrested on information received by the Western Province Intelligence Division. The suspects are to be produced in the courts today.

The European Union (EU) has called on the Government to ensure that the rule of law is upheld and that the law is applied equally to all instigators and perpetrators of communal violence. “We are concerned about the recent incidents of communal violence that have occurred following the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. We welcome the arrests made in connection with the violence, and call on the Government to ensure that the rule of law is upheld and that the law is applied equally to all instigators and perpetrators of communal violence,” EU said in statement.

The no-confidence motion signed by 64 opposition MPs against Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, was handed over to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya a short while ago, MP Udaya Gammanpila said. It was reported that the joint opposition of the Mahinda Rajapaksa faction of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), decided to support no-confidence motion against Bathiudeen who is in the centre of controversy over allegations that he gave political patronage to the terrorists who carried out the Easter Sunday bomb attacks on April 21.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered the police to charge those involved in riotous acts on May 12 and 13 under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act and emergency regulations, it is learnt. According to his office, the situation had been brought under control by the police and the security forces by yesterday. Those involved in violence has been produced before court and remanded at the moment.

The United States reiterated its commitment to a sovereign Sri Lanka able to protect its security and prosperity. In a statement today the US Embassy in Colombo said that a high endurance cutter, a gift from the US Coast Guard, arrived in Colombo on Sunday, May 12 after a 42-day voyage from Hawaii.

A university student remanded till May 23 by Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court for publishing a false post on Facebook stating that the flight en route to China with President Maithripala Sirisena on board had crashed. When the case was taken up before Colombo Additional Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrama Weerasinghe, the Police informed Court that the suspect is a resident of Piliyandala and an undergraduate at Sri Jayawardenapura University.

President Maithripala Sirisena arrived in the country this morning after concluding his visit to China. He left for China to attend the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC).

The Air Force would deploy helicopters day and night to assist with controlling illegal assemblies and acts of violence in the country, SLAF Spokesman Group Captain Gihan Seneviratne said yesterday. He said that the Air Force Commander had decided to deploy its air assets, especially helicopters, in a bid to contain the situation.

The Police said the curfew has been declared from 7pm tonight to 4am tomorrow. A curfew declared around the island was lifted this morning. The curfew had been enforced after violence broke out in the North Western Province and Gampaha targetting Muslims.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says it has been decided that he or any Minister will not comment on the investigations being conducted on the Easter Sunday attacks. He said that while investigations have been successful only the Police will comment on anything related to the investigations and not any Minister.

Sri Lanka has no requirement to bring in the US Army or armies of other countries in the aftermath of terror attacks, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said yesterday. Responding to allegations made by the Opposition MPs, the minister said only the intelligence expertise of foreign countries had been sought to contain the terror situation in the country.

Around 40 suspect, whose names were in a laptop computer found at Saharan’s Training Center, Nuwara Eliya, have been arrested by the Security Forces by yesterday (13). Most of them are residents of Kaththankudi. Two businessmen linked to the ISIS have been arrested in Bibile; both of them are residents of Kathankudy. There were 60 names in the laptop computer.

The Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) which was under the purview of IGP has been assigned to Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne who is also the Chief of the CID. Sources said that earlier the TID was under the purview of a Senior DIG but then it was brought under the purview of the IGP. However, acting IGP C.D. Wickramaratne has assigned the TID under the purview of Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne.

An island-wide police curfew will be imposed from 9 pm today (May 14) until 4 am tomorrow, Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said. The curfew in the Gampaha district will be imposed from 7 pm and will be in effect until 6 am tomorrow. Meanwhile, a police curfew will be re-imposed in the North Western Province from 6 pm today until 6 am tomorrow, the Spokesman noted.