<p>Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, which remains badly impacted in the wake of the Easter Sunday attacks, has desperately tried to win back tourists by slashing prices reports Reuters.</p> <p>Scrapping a rule on minimum rates for hotel stays, government promotions and special fares from the state-owned SriLankan Airlines are all part of tactics being employed to revive Sri Lanka’s “battered tourism industry” Reuters said.</p> <p>“We have offered rock bottom rates for foreigners,” said the managing director of Lavanga Resort &amp; Spa in the southern beach resort of Hikkaduwa.</p>

The Sri Lankan military unveiled the renovation of a memorial in Jaffna built for Sri Lankan army commander Denzil Kobbekaduwa, who is accused if overseeing a litany of human rights abuses as he oversaw military operations in the late 80’s and early 90’s.

The military held a ceremony to mark the announcement on Monday, calling Kobbekaduwa “one of the finest warriors ever produced by the Army”.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Sri Lanka later this month as part of a trip to the Indo-Pacific region, announced the US State Department.

“Secretary Pompeo will express America’s solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka as they stand united against the despicable Easter Sunday terrorist attacks,” State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said.

“He will also discuss promising opportunities for U.S.-Sri Lanka cooperation based on shared commitments to a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Ortagus added.

Sri Lanka has responded to the Easter Sunday attacks by “terrorising Muslims” said the Economist this week, stating that Sri Lankan leaders “stand disgraced”.

“After decades of civil war (which pitted the ethnically Sinhalese, Buddhist majority against largely Hindu Tamils), one might expect Sri Lankans to be wary of demonising minorities,” the Economist said. “Alas, many are doing just that. Since the bombings in April, police have not just randomly arrested Muslims, who are about 10% of the population, but responded lackadaisically to repeated mob attacks against Muslims and Muslim-owned businesses.”

<p>One of Sri Lanka's ministers today claimed that Buddhism was the only pacifist religion that did not promote killings unlike Islamic Jihad.&nbsp;</p> <p>Champika Ranawaka of the JHU said Buddhism did not try to propagate the religion, contrasting it with Jiha, which he said aimed to "exterminate all except those who follow Allah".&nbsp;</p>

The massacre of 31 fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy in Mandaitivu, Jaffna was remembered today thirty-three years on. 

The fishermen had gone fishing by Kurunagar port when they were attacked by navy personnel. 

The massacre of at least thirty-one children and students by the Sri Lankan air force was remembered today. 

On June 10, 1998, the air force shelled Suthanthirapuram, Mullaitivu. 

Gathering in the memory of those killed, local residents joined families of the victims in remembrance. 

<p>Macau have pulled out of a football World Cup qualifier set to take place in Sri Lanka this week, citing security fears following the Easter Sunday bombings.</p> <p>Although Sri Lankan football authorities insisted the country was safe for international matches, the Macau Football Association said it had decided not to send a team "due to the recent terrorist attack in Sri Lanka and for the sake of the team's personal safety".</p>

<p>A Sinhalese man was arrested on drugs charges in Vavuniya on Sunday.</p> <p>The 45 year old was arrested after being found in possession of over 2 grammes of heroin, Vavuniya police said.</p> <p>The arrest took place in the Thekavathai area of Vavuniya district.</p>