The sister of Zahran Hashim, Mathaniya Mohammed Hashim, was arrested yesterday by Sri Lankan police. 

Zahran, the leader of the now banned, National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), was responsible for the Easter Sunday bombing at the luxury hotel, Shangri-La. 

Police reported that Rs 20 lakhs was found at Mathaniya's house in New Kathankudy. 

^{St Anthony's church, Colombo after Easter Sunday bombings}

Sri Lankan police yesterday named the nine men and women responsible for the Easter Sunday suicide bombings which killed over 250 people. 

Confirming reports over recent days, the police said the sons of the wealthy spice merchant were responsible for the bombing of two luxury hotels. 

Four Chinese scientists were among those killed by the Easter Sunday bombings, the country's embassy in Colombo said this week. 

The wife of a former LTTE cadre who has been held for more than five months without charge has demanded his release, at an emotional press conference in Batticaloa yesterday.

Kathirgamathamby Rajakumarar, also known as Ajanthan, was arrested by Sri Lankan police over claims he was involved in the murder of two Sri Lankan policemen in Vavunathivu in November last year. 

However, three men detained following the Easter Sunday attacks have reportedly claimed responsibility for the assassinations.

The Australian government has offered staff in the country and their families flights out of Sri Lanka, after more warnings that terror attacks may be possible in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings.

An Australian Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said "voluntary departures to return to Australia" were being made available to embassy staff and their families, as well as for volunteers in the country working under the Australian Volunteers International (AVI) program.

"We continue to encourage all Australians in or travelling to Sri Lanka to consider the travel advice, including volunteers and volunteer organisations," a DFAT spokesperson told the ABC.

South Eastern University’s campus in Oluvil, Amparai was subjected to intense military search operations on Monday.

Hundreds of Sri Lankan army and navy personnel, in dozens of vehicles including armoured vehicles were deployed to the campus following an anonymous tip-off.

Families of the disappeared marked 800 days of protest in Vavuniya on Monday with prayers at the town’s Church of St Anthony.

Sri Lanka’s former president Chandrika Kumaratunga has called for a ban on madrasas, or Islamic schools, on the island, claiming that they teach “extremism” to children.

Speaking at an all party-all faith conference held at Sri Lanka’s parliament last week, Kumaratunga said she was concerned as she had “been told that some Muslim children who were studying at Ladies College have left that school and had joined a Madarasa school”.

She went on to state,

“Madarasa schools have been existing in Sri Lanka for the last ten years. Children are taught extremism in these schools. I informed about these to the present regime as well but no action was taken.”

An event held to mark the death anniversary of S J V Chelvanayakam was held in Jaffna last week, where victims of the Easter Sunday attacks were also commemorated.

TNA parliamentarians were amongst the crowd gathered in front of the Chelvanayakam statue in Jaffna to remember the politician, fondly referred to as 'Thanthai Chelva'. Chelvanayakam is known as the father of Tamil nationalism, and was responsible for spear heading the Vaddukoddai resolution, which was overwhelmingly ratified by the Tamil votes in the 1976 parliamentary elections.

Kirija Pirishanth's son cried out "amma! (mother)" as her body was laid to rest yesterday