The White House announced Tuesday morning that Trump had accepted Queen Elizabeth II's invitation for an official visit from June 3 - 5.
The president will participate in D-Day anniversary ceremonies in the British town of Portsmouth that coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Europe.
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"This state visit will reaffirm the steadfast and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. In addition to meeting the Queen, the President will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May," the White House said in a statement.
"While in the United Kingdom, the President and First Lady will attend a ceremony in Portsmouth to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, at one of the primary embarkation sites for the Allied operation that led to the liberation of Europe during World War II," it added.
The Trump administration's ambassador to the U.K. previously stated that Trump was seeking to visit the country after lawmakers completed Brexit negotiations, which have since been extended to October.
British lawmakers have debated for months over plans for the country to exit the European Union, a position supported by Trump, who has been critical of May's negotiations.
Trump met with May during a "working visit" to the U.K. last year, and was met with heavy protests in London and controversy among British lawmakers.
Trump will also to France in June, according to the White House, where he will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and observe D-Day celebrations at Normandy beach, and participate in a bilateral meeting.
The death toll in the Easter Sunday suicide attacks on churches and hotels has risen to 321.
ISIS has claimed responsibility, but Sri Lankan officials have blamed two local Islamic extremist groups for the bombings, possible with outside help.
A senior Sri Lankan officials says the preliminary investigation shows the attack was "retaliation" for the March 15 massacre of Muslims at mosques in New Zealand.
Video has emerged showing one of the bombers walking calmly into a church on Easter Sunday with a large backpack.
At least 40 people have been arrested.
Tuesday is a national day of mourning in Sri Lanka, which has been placed under strict emergency laws enabling police to make arrests without a court order.
ISIS claimed responsibility on Tuesday for the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka, as an official in the country said the preliminary investigation into the attacks shows it was "retaliation" for the massacre of Muslims at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The coordinated bombings on Sunday, targeting churches and hotels in and around the Sri Lankan capital, killed more than 320 people.
"The preliminary investigations have revealed that what happened in Sri Lanka was in retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch," state minister of defence Ruwan Wijewardene told parliament. No other Sri Lankan officials repeated the assessment of the intelligence, and it was unclear what Wijewardene based his judgement on.
Fifty people were killed in shooting attacks on two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on March 15. An Australian white supremacist is accused of carrying out the attack on his own, and streaming his acts on Facebook.
What the coordination of the Sri Lanka bombings tells us
The death toll in the Sri Lanka bombings had risen to 321 by Tuesday, which had been declared a national day of mourning after the devastating attacks.
The now-landless Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), issued a claim of responsibility for the bombings on Tuesday with a short statement from the group's propaganda wing. ISIS' self-styled "news agency" Amaq circulated a statement claiming, "the perpetrators of the attack... were Islamic State fighters."
ISIS offered no evidence of links to the militants or advance knowledge of the attacks, but previous claims by the group of attacks around the world have been followed up later with the release of videos of the attackers pledging allegiance to the terrorist organization.
CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reported that while the Sri Lankan officials have provided little detail on their investigation into the attacks, new video emerged overnight showing one of the bombers walking calmly into St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, north of Colombo. Dozens were killed in the blast that followed.
Sri Lankans woke up on Tuesday with their country under an official state of emergency -- a declaration that gives law enforcement agencies the power to arrest and detain people without charge or court order. Police said at least 40 suspects had been taken into custody for questioning as of Tuesday.
Sri Lankan officials on Monday pinned the blame for the attack on a domestic Islamic extremist group, the National Thowfeek Jamaath (NTJ), which they said had likely acted with the help of an "international network." On Tuesday, Wijewardene said another Sri Lankan extremist group, Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) also took part in the attack "along with" the NTJ.
Analysis: Sri Lanka bombings directly out of the ISIS "playbook"
While there has been no official implication of ISIS in the Sri Lanka attacks thus far, CBS News law enforcement analyst Paul Viollis told CBSN on Monday that the way it was carried out appeared right out of the al Qaeda or ISIS "playbook."
An intelligence alert was sent to top Sri Lankan law enforcement officers on April 11, warning that suicide bombers from NTJ were planning to attack "prominent churches" in the country.
Two government ministers alluded separately on Monday to possible intelligence failures before the attack.
Telecommunications Minister Harin Fernando tweeted, "Some intelligence officers were aware of this incidence. Therefore there was a delay in action. Serious action needs to be taken as to why this warning was ignored."
The FBI is assisting Sri Lankan authorities in their investigation into the attacks, but the exact nature of that assistance remained unclear. CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues notes that in the case of foreign attacks, the FBI often offers its evidence collection and analysis capabilities, which are among the best in the world. Sources confirmed to Pegues that FBI agents are on the ground in Sri Lanka assisting with the investigation.
Ruwan Wijewardene, a junior minister for defense, cited a preliminary investigation and said the deadly Easter Sunday bombings that resulted in 321 deaths and more than 500 injuries, was revenge for the "attack against Muslims in Christchurch," Reuters reported.
He made the comment without citing evidence or explaining where the information came from.
Last month, a heavily-armed shooter killed Muslim worshipers during Friday prayers, massacring 49 people in two New Zealand mosques on March 15 while broadcasting a horrific live stream of the terror attack.
Meanwhile, back in Sri Lanka, security was heightened Tuesday and the military was employing powers to make arrests it last used when the devastating civil war ended in 2009.
The country held its first mass funeral Tuesday for about 30 victims, as the country held a day of mourning. The funeral took palce at St Sebastian church in Negombo, north of Colombo, which was one of the places targeted on Sunday.
Faith leaders cited by AP said the suspected leader of the little-known militant group -- National Thowfeek Jamaath -- began posting videos online three years ago calling for non-Muslims to be "eliminated." The bombers were all Sri Lankan, but authorities said international ties were suspected. Police have now detained 40 suspects in connection with the attack, including a Syrian national, according to the BBC.
"We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country,” Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, according to Reuters. “There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded."
Among the 40 people arrested on suspicion of links to the Easter bombings was the driver of a van allegedly used by the suicide bombers and the owner of a house where some of them lived.
The country is under a state of emergency and the military is operating under enhanced war-time powers following the attacks. Police on Tuesday said that anyone parking a car on the street and leaving unattended must put a note with their phone number on the windscreen. Meanwhile, postal officials said they would no longer accept pre-wrapped parcels for mailing.
Ruwan Wijewardene, a junior minister for defense, cited a preliminary investigation and said the deadly Easter Sunday bombings that resulted in 321 deaths and more than 500 injuries, was revenge for the "attack against Muslims in Christchurch," Reuters reported.
He made the comment without citing evidence or explaining where the information came from.
Last month, a heavily-armed shooter killed Muslim worshipers during Friday prayers, massacring 49 people in two New Zealand mosques on March 15 while broadcasting a horrific live stream of the terror attack.
Meanwhile, back in Sri Lanka, security was heightened Tuesday and the military was employing powers to make arrests it last used when the devastating civil war ended in 2009.
Faith leaders cited by AP said the suspected leader of the little-known militant group -- National Thowfeek Jamaath -- began posting videos online three years ago calling for non-Muslims to be "eliminated." The bombers were all Sri Lankan, but authorities said international ties were suspected.
"We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country,” Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, according to Reuters. “There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded."
Among the 40 people arrested on suspicion of links to the Easter bombings was the driver of a van allegedly used by the suicide bombers and the owner of a house where some of them lived.
The country is under a state of emergency and the military is operating under enhanced war-time powers following the attacks. Police on Tuesday said that anyone parking a car on the street and leaving unattended must put a note with their phone number on the windscreen. Meanwhile, postal officials said they would no longer accept pre-wrapped parcels for mailing.
MANILA — The Philippines was hit by a powerful earthquake on Tuesday afternoon, a day after a deadly tremor hit the north of the country.
The earthquake on Tuesday registered a magnitude of 6.4 and was centered in Samar, an island in the central eastern part of the country, the United States Geological Survey said.
Rescuers in a town near Manila were still searching on Tuesday for people trapped in a supermarket that collapsed in the Monday quake. At least five people died in the collapsed store, officials said.
The Philippines, which sits at the intersection of multiple tectonic plates, sees frequent seismic activity and sometimes deadly earthquakes. Officials from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the two earthquakes this week did not appear to be connected.
Many areas hit by the quake Monday, which was centered about 40 miles northwest of Manila, were still without power a day later. Electricity providers cut off supply to prevent fires while damage was still being assessed.
About 120 families were evacuated. Schools and government work in affected areas was suspended to allow for building inspections and rescue work.
In Samar, the mayor of the city of Catbalogan, Archie Fuentes, said he saw five houses destroyed.
“There were many damaged structures,” Mr. Fuentes said. “Tiles fell off the walls. I called off work today for government offices in the afternoon. We are on a 24-hour alert.”
One person was reported to have been injured by falling debris.
“People panicked at first,” Mr. Fuentes said over DZBB radio in Manila. “There is still fear as of now.”
Col. Michael David, police chief of the coastal city of Tacloban, which was badly damaged by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, said people there also panicked on Tuesday. The Asian Development Foundation College in the city was damaged, but no one was immediately reported to have been injured.
“We have not been hit hard,” Colonel David said. “But people are struggling with fear and trauma as rumors quickly spread of a tsunami.”
“Please don’t panic,” he pleaded over local radio. “There is no tsunami alert.”
Mr. David said people had evacuated their homes and offices after the initial shaking, but quickly went back.
“Right now, we have not noticed anything different from the sea. It is normal,” he said. “We are assessing the damage. The city hall is safe and sound.”
• The Easter Sunday attack on Sri Lankan churches and hotels, in which more than 300 people were killed, was carried out by a Muslim supremacist group in “retaliation” for the March 15 shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, Sri Lanka’s state defense minister told reporters without further elaborating.
• Sri Lanka’s highest-ranking Catholic official chastised the government for a serious lapse in security that preceded the suicide bombings. The archbishop of Colombo, the country’s capital, blamed the authorities for failing to warn worshipers that the Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama’ath planned to attack churches.
• The first funerals were held on Tuesday at a damaged church in western Sri Lanka, where as many as 100 parishioners were killed by a suicide bomber. The coffins, many bearing the remains of children, were interred as the government declared a national day of mourning and raised the death toll from the weekend’s coordinated attacks to 321. Read about some of the victims.
• The number of suspects arrested in connection with the attacks increased to 40 from 24 on Tuesday as the government declared “emergency law.” The new law gives the police sweeping powers to detain and interrogate suspects without obtaining warrants.
Image
A funeral service at St. Sebastian’s Church.CreditAdam Dean for The New York Times
Tiny coffins laid to rest in mass grave
The coffins came one by one, some heavy and others much lighter.
As bulldozers cleared more space in a vacant lot near St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, barefoot men dripping with sweat scooped dirt with shovels in punishing heat.
One family stood in the shade. They were here for the burial of an 11-year-old boy.
“I don’t even know what to say,” said Lasanthi Anusha, a woman who came for the burial of her son’s classmate. “There were even smaller ones.”
Tuesday was the beginning of the first mass burials of the victims of Sunday’s suicide attacks in Sri Lanka, which killed more than 300 people, including many children. Soldiers and even an armored personnel carrier lined the roads as the burials took place amid widespread grief and intense security.
Of the half-dozen sites simultaneously attacked on Sunday, the church in Negombo was the hardest hit. As many as 100 people were killed in the suicide bombing there.
On Tuesday, priests wearing crisp white robes trimmed with black sashes held funerals in a large tent just outside the church. The funerals were scheduled to go on all day. The neighborhood around the church had been turned into an enormous, fortified mourning ground, with hundreds of soldiers deployed in every direction and little white flags fluttering in the wind.
Attack was in ‘retaliation’ for Christchurch
An initial investigation into Sunday’s attacks suggest the bombers were hoping to avenge Muslims killed last month in a shooting spree at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, a Sri Lankan government official said Tuesday.
“The preliminary investigations have revealed that what happened in Sri Lanka was in retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch,” State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardene told parliament.
Mr. Wijewardene did not say what led investigators to that conclusion.
Fifty people were killed at two mosques on March 15 in Christchurch, after an Australian gunman opened fire using semiautomatic assault rifles.
Image
Carrying a coffin at St. Sebastian’s Church.CreditAdam Dean for The New York Times
National day of mourning as death toll rises
A full day of national mourning was declared across the country on Tuesday, as flags were lowered and a moment of silence was observed.
At 8:30 a.m., the time the first of six attacks were carried out on Sunday, Sri Lankans of differing faiths and ethnic groups bowed their heads and remained silent for three minutes.
Tuesday's moment of silence coincided with a report from a police spokesman that the death toll had risen to 310, up from 290 on Monday.
As part of the mourning period, liquor stores were ordered closed. Radio and television stations have played somber music throughout the day.
The front pages of local newspapers were similarly solemn on Tuesday. One, The Daily Mirror, printed a stark, all-black cover that read, “In remembrance of all those who lost their lives on 21.04.2019.”
‘Why wasn’t there any action?’ asks archbishop
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, condemned the government on Tuesday for failing to act on an intelligence report that warned of a potential attack on churches.
“News media reported that there was information pertaining to a possible attack,” Cardinal Ranjith said at a news conference. “If that’s the case, couldn’t we have prevented the situation? Why wasn’t there any action?”
A security services briefing written at least 10 days before the bombings warned that National Thowheeth Jama’ath was planning to attack churches.
Image
President Maithripala Sirisena in December. Mr. Sirisena’s government has given additional powers to the police and security forces to detain and interrogate people.CreditAdam Dean for The New York Times
Government responds with a curfew, social media blackout and more
Sri Lankan officials took a series of extraordinary steps in an effort to keep control of their shaken country, aiming to prevent further extremist attacks and retaliatory violence.
President Maithripala Sirisena said the government had given additional powers to the police and security forces to detain and interrogate people, and a curfew was imposed on Monday for the second day in a row, from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m.
The government temporarily blocked several networks, including Facebook and Instagram. Users also reported being unable to access the messaging services WhatsApp and Viber.
Though Sunday’s attacks have no known link to social media, Sri Lanka has a troubled history with violence incited on the platforms. The ban was an extraordinary step that reflected growing global concerns about social media.
• Intelligence agencies from across South Asia are sharing information about National Thowheeth Jama’ath, the radical Islamist group blamed for the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels across Sri Lanka. The country’s defense minister said Tuesday that the group, previously known for small-scale acts of vandalism, might have acted in “retaliation” for the March 15 attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. He did not elaborate.
• Sri Lanka’s highest-ranking Catholic official chastised the government for a serious lapse in security. The archbishop of Colombo, the country’s capital, blamed the authorities for failing to take action against National Thowheeth Jama’ath despite an intelligence memo issued at least 10 days before the bombings that warned the group was planning to attack churches.
• The first funerals were held on Tuesday at the damaged church in western Sri Lanka, where as many as 100 parishioners were killed by a suicide bomber. The coffins, many bearing the remains of children, were interred as the government declared a national day of mourning and raised the death toll from the weekend’s coordinated attacks to 321. Read about some of the victims.
• The number of suspects arrested in connection with the attacks increased to 40 from 24 on Tuesday as the government declared “emergency law.” The new law gives the police sweeping powers to detain and interrogate suspects without obtaining warrants.
Image
A funeral service at St. Sebastian’s Church.CreditAdam Dean for The New York Times
Tiny coffins laid to rest in mass grave
The coffins came one by one, some heavy and others much lighter.
As bulldozers cleared more space in a vacant lot near St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, barefoot men dripping with sweat scooped dirt with shovels in punishing heat.
One family stood in the shade. They were here for the burial of an 11-year-old boy.
“I don’t even know what to say,” said Lasanthi Anusha, a woman who came for the burial of her son’s classmate. “There were even smaller ones.”
Tuesday was the beginning of the first mass burials of the victims of Sunday’s suicide attacks in Sri Lanka, which killed more than 300 people, including many children. Soldiers and even an armored personnel carrier lined the roads as the burials took place amid widespread grief and intense security.
Of the half-dozen sites simultaneously attacked on Sunday, the church in Negombo was the hardest hit. As many as 100 people were killed in the suicide bombing there.
On Tuesday, priests wearing crisp white robes trimmed with black sashes held funerals in a large tent just outside the church. The funerals were scheduled to go on all day. The neighborhood around the church had been turned into an enormous, fortified mourning ground, with hundreds of soldiers deployed in every direction and little white flags fluttering in the wind.
Image
Carrying a coffin at St. Sebastian’s Church.CreditAdam Dean for The New York Times
National day of mourning as death toll rises
A full day of national mourning was declared across the country on Tuesday, as flags were lowered and a moment of silence was observed.
At 8:30 a.m., the time the first of six attacks were carried out on Sunday, Sri Lankans of differing faiths and ethnic groups bowed their heads and remained silent for three minutes.
Tuesday's moment of silence coincided with a report from a police spokesman that the death toll had risen to 310, up from 290 on Monday.
As part of the mourning period, liquor stores were ordered closed. Radio and television stations have played somber music throughout the day.
The front pages of local newspapers were similarly solemn on Tuesday. One, The Daily Mirror, printed a stark, all-black cover that read, “In remembrance of all those who lost their lives on 21.04.2019.”
‘Why wasn’t there any action?’ asks archbishop
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, condemned the government on Tuesday for failing to act on an intelligence report that warned of a potential attack on churches.
“News media reported that there was information pertaining to a possible attack,” Cardinal Ranjith said at a news conference. “If that’s the case, couldn’t we have prevented the situation? Why wasn’t there any action?”
A security services briefing written at least 10 days before the bombings warned that National Thowheeth Jama’ath was planning to attack churches.
Image
Surveying the damage at St. Sebastian’s Church on Monday.CreditAdam Dean for The New York Times
The bombs hinted at a worrying level of expertise
Whoever designed the suicide vests used in the blasts showed considerable competence, a fact that is certain to worry law enforcement agencies, said Scott Stewart, vice president for tactical analysis at Stratfor, a geopolitical consulting firm based in Austin, Tex.
When small, homegrown extremist groups use explosives, they often start with a series of failures. Some bombs fail to detonate completely, and others explode early, late or not at all.
But in the Sri Lanka attack, it appears that all seven suicide vests detonated and did heavy damage, Mr. Stewart said, indicating skill at making bombs and manually activated detonators, and suggesting access to a large supply of military-grade high explosives.
“You don’t do that by accident, so they must have a fairly decent logistics network and funding,” he added.
But Joshua A. Geltzer, a former senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, said he would not be surprised if a small group had been able to stage the attack without direct help.
“There is so, so much instruction and guidance available on the open internet these days, not to mention whatever is circulating on encrypted chat groups, widely available in terrorist circles if not totally public,” he said.
Unexploded bombs, apparently not designed for suicide attacks, were found in other public places in Sri Lanka. That suggests that the bomb maker (or makers) was less expert at detonation using timers or remote control, Mr. Stewart said.
Image
President Maithripala Sirisena in December. Mr. Sirisena’s government has given additional powers to the police and security forces to detain and interrogate people.CreditAdam Dean for The New York Times
Government responds with a curfew, social media blackout and more
Sri Lankan officials took a series of extraordinary steps in an effort to keep control of their shaken country, aiming to prevent further extremist attacks and retaliatory violence.
President Maithripala Sirisena said the government had given additional powers to the police and security forces to detain and interrogate people, and a curfew was imposed on Monday for the second day in a row, from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m.
The government temporarily blocked several networks, including Facebook and Instagram. Users also reported being unable to access the messaging services WhatsApp and Viber.
Though Sunday’s attacks have no known link to social media, Sri Lanka has a troubled history with violence incited on the platforms. The ban was an extraordinary step that reflected growing global concerns about social media.
Donald John TrumpTrump calls Sri Lankan prime minister following church bombings Ex-Trump lawyer: Mueller knew Trump had to call investigation a 'witch hunt' for 'political reasons' The biggest challenge from the Mueller Report depends on the vigilance of everyone MORE will visit the United Kingdom in June, marking his first state visit to the country.
