The United States warned today that terrorist groups continue to plan possible attacks in Sri Lanka and may strike with little or no warning. 

"Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Sri Lanka. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, hospitals and other public areas," a security alert from the US embassy in Colombo noted. 

A candlelight vigil was held in New York City’s Union Square on Tuesday for the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks.

One vigil attendee shared that “a collective space for our grief and anxiety was a comfort.”

The vigil contained messages of honoring and lifting up the lives lost, sending love, healing and solidarity for those harmed, grieving the loss of loved ones, and mourning the desecration of sacred sites. Calls were also made for the prevention of profiling and extremist and/or nationalist backlashes, and for intercommunity solidarity and pluralism. The organisers emphasized uniting together against fueling existing tensions between communities, and specifically uniting against Islamophobic rhetoric, policies and narratives as a whole.

<p>Sri Lanka’s defence secretary has resigned over the Easter Sunday bombings, earlier today.</p> <p>Speaking to Reuters Hemasiri Fernando said, while there had been no failure on his own part, he was taking responsibility for the failures of some institutions he headed as the secretary of defence.</p> <p>Sri Lanka’s president had earlier asked the police chief and defence secretary to resign following the deadly suicide bombings.</p>

Sri Lanka's Health Ministry issued a statement minutes ago, reducing the death toll of Easter Sunday's devastating attacks from 359 to 253.

Citing a calculation error, the Director General of Health Services Dr Anil Jasinghe said the death toll had been reduced to 253, according to reports from CNN and BBC news journalist Azzam Ameen. 

<p>The UK has warned against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka, in a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) update&nbsp;released today.</p> <p>Eight Britons are known to be among those killed during the the bomb blasts targetting churches and hotels on Easter Sunday.</p>

<p>Sri Lanka is set to lose at least US $1.5 billion in tourism revenue following the devastating Easter Sunday attacks, warned The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL).</p> <p>“This is the first ever time the terrorists have targeted and attacked tourists, particularly hotels. From the immediate reactions, we are estimating that there will be a massive loss of $1.5 billion in tourism earnings this year,"&nbsp; the president of the association Santh Ukwatte told the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ft.lk/front-page/Tourist-hotels-fear----1-5-b-revenue-loss-f…">Daily FT</a>.&nbsp;</p>

Reports have emerged of Muslims businesses and homes being attacked in Sri Lanka as well as Muslims forced to flee their homes, in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings that have killed more than 350 people so far.

At least two Muslim shops have been burnt down, mosques have been pelted with stones and there have been several incidents of attacks on homes and individuals, including Pakistani refugees. A Sri Lankan parliamentarian with the prime minister’s United National Party has also called for a ban on burqas, a type of traditional Muslim attire. 

The city of Brampton, passed a motion on Wednesday recognising that the atrocities perpetrated by Sri Lanka against the Tamil nation constituted genocide, and recognising May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day.

The motion entitled ‘proclamation declaring Tamil genocide’ and moved by Mayor Patrick Brown, was passed unanimously by the council of the city, which is home to a significant Tamil population.

The full motion stated:

Police in Jaffna prohibited residents from putting up black flags during Tuesday’s island-wide day of mourning for the victims of the Easter Sunday bomb blasts, claiming the black flags seemed like a protest against the Sri Lankan government.

Nelliyadi police forced locals to take down black flags and tried to encourage them to put up white flags in memory of the victim instead.

Anger has been mounting as the government sought to deflect blame about failures in intelligence leading to the attacks.

Earlier this week Mannar police had also tried to take down black flags put in public places but were faced with resistance by residents and local traders.

<p>Emergency Regulations were passed without a vote, as reports of further terror threats were discussed in Sri Lanka's parliament, &nbsp;on Wednesday.</p> <p>The emergency regulations, labelled as draconian and problematic by many, are said to invest police and security forces with the power to take effective measures to safeguard the island, as well as giving the President sweeping executive powers.</p> <p>The regulations are set to be in place for 30 days, reports Colombo Page.</p>