Three people were killed in an apparent suicide attack in Sri Lanka's restive east yesterday while security forces threw a blanket of security over the capital to prevent new attacks, officials said.
A suspected Tiger suicide bomber on a motorcycle crashed into another motorbike carrying two rival militants in Batticaloa district 300km east of Colombo.
"One man detonated the explosive immediately after crashing into the other bike, killing all three of them," a local military official said by telephone.
PHOTO: AFP
The two victims were from a Tamil Tiger breakaway faction that is contesting local polls on March 10.
In Colombo yesterday, police and other security forces launched a major security sweep a day after a parcel bomb aboard a private bus exploded, leaving at least 18 people wounded.
Ten men, seven women and a child were admitted to hospital after suffering minor injuries in the blast in Mount Lavinia, 10km south of Colombo, police said.
Police spokesman N.K. Illangakoon said they were awaiting a report from a government analyst to determine if the bomb was triggered by remote control or a timing device.
Security forces sealed off all entry and exit points to Colombo, paralyzing the city of 650,000.
Motorists had to wait in long lines at military checkpoints to have their vehicles inspected and get their identity verified.
Along with the search operations, Illangakoon said police had also intensified awareness programs to show bus and train commuters how to respond to a bomb threat.
Government and rebel forces exchanged artillery fire across the island's northern districts, killing at least 58 rebels on Saturday, the defense ministry said.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
Two people died and 19 others were injured after a Mexican Navy training ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said yesterday. The ship snapped all three of its masts as it collided with the New York City landmark late on Saturday, while onlookers enjoying the balmy spring evening watched in horror. “At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries,” Adams posted on X. Footage shared online showed the Mexican Navy ship Cuauhtemoc, its sails furled