brent: this is "dw news," live from berlin. tonight in sri lanka, the first political fallout from sunday's a suicide bombings. the president says the country's defense and police chiefs must step down for ignoring intelligence warnings. authorities say thth have alsoso identified all but one of the bomberers who killed 3 359 peopn easter sununda they say the attacackers were educated and came from well-to-do families. we will go to colombo for the latest. also coming up tonight, prison

sentences for pro-democracy activists in hong kong. leaders of the umbrella movement will have to serve up to 16 months in prison for staging demonstrations and amending free elections. plus, mourners for the journalist lyra mckee. the northern irish reporter was shot dead while on reese -- assignment last week. a nationalist militant group claims responsibility amid fears of renewed violence in northern ireland. and how to improve the taste of your cheese. play some music for it. that's right. a swiss cheese maker swears it is music to the ears of his product. how do different melodies affect the cheese as it ripens? we will hear some tasteful takes on the topic. ♪

brent: i'm brent goff. for our viewers on pbs in the united states and all around the world, welcome. sri lanka's president is demanding the country's police and defense chiefs quit for grossly mishandling intelligence relating to the suicide bombings on easter sunday. the government has confirmed that information about possible attacks was not passed on to relevant authorities. the death toll has now risen to a grizzly -- grisly 359. investigators say they have identified the bombers and are now looking into whether international extremist groups may have provided support. reporter: a country on edge. sri lankan police e carried outa controlled explosion of a suspicious vehicle on wednesday. authorities are now trying to

establish how the attackers were funded and if there were any international links. >> what also i can say is that this group of some of the suicide bombers, most of them are well educated and come from may be middle or upper middle class. so, they are financially quite independent and quite -- their families are quite stable financially. reporter: the so-called islamic state has said it was behind the bombings, a claim officialslsre investigating. the government must now explain my warnings about possible attacks were not acted upon. on tuesdsday, sri lanka's president admitted there was an intelligence failure. >> there is a debate about why the security forces of this country did not act upon intelligence supplied by a friendly nation. i must point out that the information received by state

intelligence units was not communicated to me by the officials responsible. had i been informed of those details it might have been possible to take immediate action. reporter: amid the mountingng questionons, the presidedent has vowed to restructure the intelligigce and sececurity forces.. a decade after the civil war enended, thehere are fears thate bombings couldld reignite underlying conflicts. brent: for more on what is going on in sri lanka i am joined on the phone in colombia -- from colombo by journalist jamila najmuddin. the president has asked for the resignations of the national police chief. is that what the people of sri lanka want to see? jamila: in the eye of the public at this time, changing any officials is not going to do much damage control. it is now been confirmed that

sri lanka's police definitely received information a possible terror attacks and they had indeed failed to act. and with the president and government each saying they were not there. it goes on to show they were serious lapses in the entire administration and the public is extremely angry about this. what the public wants to hear right now is about not seeing or hearing who is resigning but they need firm answers from the government as to why these attacks took place, who was behind it, what more is going to be done in the coming days, and how safe the nation is going to be. and is the public going to be safe leaving their houses? changing officials right now is not being welcomed by the public. brent: it is a good point that you bring up, jamila. they are slow with deciding what to do politically. but when it comes to identifying the suicide bombers, that has happened rather quickly. eight out of the nine suicide bombers have been identified. what do we know about them?

jamila: you are right. because according to the latest information released by the government today, eight of the nine suicide bombers have been identitified and the governmenet said one o of the bombers was a female. th government also told us all these camee from very rich backgrounds s and were highly edateded. in fact, the commander said thee attacks may y have been planned for seven to eight years and was not something planned in the recent past. right n n investigations arere ongoing to see if t this group s linked to any other radadical group in the country and whether they have had any foreign links. the investigatioion is going on and maybe in the coming days the government could shed more light on who exactly did this and who is connected to them. brent: journalist jamila

najmuddin joining us tonight from colombo. jamila, thank you. here are some of the other stories now that are making headlines around the world. in syria, an explosion has killed at least 15 people in the opposition-held province of idlib. at l least 28 pelele were also injured. a momonitoring group says the blast occurred in an office belonging to a jihadist alliance which largely controls the province. sudan's ruling military council has proposed new talks with leaders of the ongoing protests which toppled president omar al-bashir. it comes as demonstrators threatened a general strike, and called for a million man march to transfer power to a civilian government. in myanmar, at leaeast 50 people working in a mine are believed to have died in a mudslide. it apparently came from a collapsed reservoir containing

material discarded from the mining process. reports say three bodies have been recovered so far. more than 50 are missing. the north korean leader kim jong-un has arrived in the eastern russian city for his first ever summit with russian plaza meant vladimir putin. speaking to russian state television tonight, kim said he hoped for a productive meeting. the meeting is expected to focus on north korea's nuclear program. kim's russia visit comes two months after his failed summit with president trump in vietnam. reporter: kim jong-un's armored train pulled into the station. then there was some careful shunting until the north korean president's door properly aligned with the red carpet. this is the north korean president's first official visit to russia, and preparations have been kept top-secret. kim was greeted by a russian

minister with president putin due to arrive later. then a brief appearance by russian state tv. i have come with warm feelings towards russia with my people and i'm hoping for a productive meeting. reporter: russia says the focus is primarily on north korea's nuclear program, a key concern of moscow. so far, russia has adhered to u.n. sanctions against its neighbor but it sees benefits for both sides and easing them. it has clear this meeting has been meticulously planned. with kim's bodyguards even running alongside the state's limousines. kim will stay in russia for three days. neither side expects to draw up any agreements. in march the summit between kim and u.s. president donald trump ended in failure, but foreign policy experts in russia say this meeting could be moscow's chance to assume the mantle of

key intermediary. brent: i am joined now by marcus kind. it is good to see you again. we know when kim jong-un and donald trump met twice, they always met to talk about denuclearization of north korea. does that what mr. putin wants to discuss? markus: he wants a revitalization of -- in 2011, it was the father of kim jong-un meeting with prime minister medvedev. since nothing has really happened, therefore it is about increasing and improving economic relations. the third part might be denuclearization. brent: do you think this summit would be happening if the last summit in hanoi between kim andd trump, if that summit had not ended so terribly, would there be a summit now with mr. putin? markus: maybe.

but it provides a terrific opportunity for russia see station policy -- russia's east asia policy. we are aware of two different approaches. one, the big deal, the plan by donald trump where the step-by-step approach by kim jong-un and the resident -- brent: i can imagine when vladimir putin was watching donald trump meet twice with kim jong-un, he had to have been sitting there thinking, why can't i be there. is he doing this summit now in an effort to outdo donald trump? markus: it is a win-win situation for both sides. it allows kim jong-un to show to the chinese and the americans, look, i have other options as

well. and it allows president boudin -- putin to present himself as a responsible leader in east asia. i would not be surprised if he reinvigorate talks of a six party, which has been dormant. this might be one approach he is choosing. brent: markus kaim, as always we appreciate your insights. a court in hong kong has sentenced eight leading pro-democracy activists to 16 months in prison. earlier this month the leaders of the umbrella movement were found the of public nuisance under a rarely used colonial era law. the cases raise concerns about human rights as mainland china exerts greater control over hong kong. reporter: street demos in hong kong come at a price.

the key leaders of a pro-democracy movement, which took to the streets five years ago, have now been sentenced to jail i hong kong court. as they arrive to hear their sentences, some spoke o out i in favor of civil disobededience to the crowd had gathered to support them. >> and i believe when i am released from prison, i will see a ststronger and more powerful hong kong. reporter: the sentencing is the latest stage in years-long protests which began back in 2014 with the so-called umbrella movement for democracy. the street protests back then were sparked by beijing's decision to allow only candidates from a preapproved list to take part in the election of the territory's chief executive. the move led to demands for completely free elections, as

some of those were sentenced today founded the occupy movement, a mass sit-in. they joined with other student-led protests and demonstrations snowballed into what would become known as the umbrella movement. some 1.2 million people are said to have been taken to the streets. although protests started peacefully, there were clashes with the police. that civil unrest might not end with the organizers being put in jail. as they were taken away further prison terms, they urged people to take to the streets this sunday. brent: in bangladesh, 27,000 schools have been ordered to set up committees to prevent sexual violence. it comes after a teenager who reported her principal for sexual harassment was burned to death. the case sent shockwaves through

bangladesh and triggered nationwide protests. dw traveled to her home village and met the people whose lives have been changed fororever by r murder.. reporter: she h has been bed ridden since the murder of her daughter. her relatives watch over her. also still in shock over what happened to their beloved. >> she wanted to become independent by joining a madrasasa. but her principalal took her li. reporter: now, all that is left are memories and pictures onon their r phones. >> i i want justice for my daughterer. we do not need anything else. reporter: justicece for her and

punishment for those who kilter. it is what many here are praying for. it was here that she says she was sexually harassed by her school principal. it was this rooftop she told her parents she was pressured to drop her allegations. her refusal silence her forever. it's alleged the principalal gae the order t to set her ablaze ad make it look like suicide. >> we are ashamed of him. he ruined our reputation. we are hiding our faces in shame. we are so sorry. reporter: for her friends, thehe remorse comemes too late. they say that action should have been taken earlier against the principal and others.

>> boise state t threaten and insult office -- boys used to threaten and insult us all the time. reporter: it is a common story, not just for the girls at her school. many say they live i in a sociey which turns a blind e eye to sexual v violence. anand an increasing number of women are no longer to accept the consequences. >> yes, we are here not just for her. for everyone we are standing here holdiding hands t together, that this needs to change. reporter: she wanted change too. she paid for it with her life. brent: here are some of the other stories now that are making headlines around the world. brazil's second highest court has reduced the sentence of former president lula da silva from 12 years to eight years and

10 months. that means he could be moved to house arrest later this year. da silva was convicted for the second time on money laundering charges. vladimir putin signed an order for people making it easier for people living in ukraine to get russian passports. in response, the ukraine president has called for more international sanctions against russia, denouncing moscow as quote, an aggressor state. scotland's first minister nicola sturgeon has called for a new referendum on scottish independence from the u.k. by the yeyear 2021 if britain leavs the european union. she said the scottish government will introduduce legislation setting the rules s for a second vote, which would first need the british government's approvoval. the leaders of ireland and the u.k. were among hundreds of guests today attending the funeral of slain northern irish journalist lyra mckee.

she was shot by irish nationalists last week during a riot in the city of londonderry, also known as derry. a catholic priest leading the ceremony today told the congregation that her death must march a turning point for northern ireland. the sermon had from -- some uncomfortable moment for political leaders there. reporter: the murder of the young journalist lyra mckee brought leaders of britain and ireland as well as hundreds of mourners together. the irish premised are and the british prime minister sat at the front of saint ann's cathedral, and politicians from across northern ireland's political divide were side-by-side. father mcgill, a friend of lyra mckee, challenged them. >> why in god's name does it

take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her -- [applause] reporter: before he could finish his sentence, a standing ovation erupted. a clear sign of people's exasperation with the violence. an odd moment for the politicians who only joined after some hesitation. lyra mckee was s shot last week whilile reporting on writing in londonderry as she stood behind a police line. the new ira claimeded responsibility for her death and later apologized to her family. the group wants toeunify northern ireland with the republic of ireland. the young journalist is the first to be killed on the job in the u.k. for almost 20 years. now, people are hoping her death will be a turning point for northern ireland. >> in the words of lysa herself,

we must change our own world, one piece at a time. now, let's get to work. reporter: father mark mcgill later said lyra mckee was a powerful example of the pen being mightier than the sword. that is something northern ireland will likely bear in mind after thisis tragedy. >> i think it is importantnt hee to distinguish betweween two ththings. nobodydy i think seriously believeses that the peace proce, i.e., thosese measures s put in acace over 20 0 years ago to brg an end, a generational conflict which had gone on since 196969, that that is going to come back. no one b believess that. but what this incident t has doe isis shine a light at some of te

darker corners of that peaeace prococess. and what becomes obvious is when you have an area in which t the legitimate police set up the good friday agreementnt is being challengeded by the force e of , that we have a problem that was previously unacknowledged and has shocked people to the core. brent: another big thing in space. nasa's insight lander appears to have detected the first-ever mars quake. it would mean that scientists finally have proved that mars is still seismically active. the probe sensors picked up a faint rumble on mars, likely to be the first seieismic event evr detected on a plananetary body other than the earth and the moon. by analyzing mars quakes, researchers are hoping to learn more about how rocky planets, including our very own, were formed. amazing.

back on earth, the swiss region of emmental is famous for cheese . one of them is adding music to their old agreements. he says the type of music played as cheese ripens affects the way the cheese tastes. they carried out a study and after eight months they are presenting the tasteful results. reporter: the emmen valley, or emmental, is where switzerland's best-known cheese comes from. and one of the producers here wants to make his products even better. beat wampfler is a veterinarian and a cheesemaker who's looking to revolutionize the world of cheese. beat: this emmentaler is 2.5 years old. microorganisms are working on it, mostly bacteria. and it's amazing actually that they're able to affect its aroma

all the way down to the very heart of the cheese. reporter: wampfler wants to get those bacteria to begin vibrating to music. he believes that might change the taste e of his cheese. beat: when you put y your hand n the wheel of cheese and feel the sosound waves momove through i , it's hard to believeve it wouout haveome kind o of effect. reporter: wampfler's experiment is getting a little help from students at the university of the arts in bern. for more than six months, they'll serenade his cheeses with a range of beats and sounds, including rock songs by led zeppelin, mozart's opera "the magic flute," techno, or hip hop. the sound waves will pass through the wheels of cheese, causing them to vibrate in different ways, depending on the music.c.

manolo: hip hop has lots of bass in it. the classical pieces are very dynamic, with quiet sections but very loud ones, too. reporter: so does the cheese feel any different after over half a year of acoustic irradiation? beat: i can't feel a difference with the rock and roll one. but i hope i'll be able to taste it. reporter: a jury made up of cooks and artists is judging the results of the experiments. they quickly reach an unequivocal conclusion. peter: y yes, there are differences. reporter: according to the experts here, hip hop brought the best results. michael: i'm pretty surprised by the result. my guess is that the constant beat and intensity of hip hop has some kind of effect on the cheese as it ripens. reporter: what do the other judges think? >> i thought that the rock music cheese tasted best. i guess because it was strongest.

it had a rock 'n roll flavor. >> the hip hop cheese. it's very soft, and slightly sweet. reporter: wampfler is happy that the hip hop cheese got such rave reviews. tying his product to the musical genre could make the younger generation interested. beat: there are many young people out there who've never given a second thought to emmentaler, hard cheese, unpasteurized cheese, things like that. reporter: which is why labels like hip hop or techno-emmentaler could prove a hit. a lab is now checking for measurable differences in the different cheeses. and let's not forget a traditional form of singing from the region. who knows? maybe one day emmental yodel cheese will be the next big thing. brent: music to my cheese. here's a a reminder of the top stories that we are following for you.

the sri lankan president has asked the country's police and defense chiefs to resign after a lapse in intelligence woods failed to prevent sunday's suicide bombings. 359 people died. officials have announced dozens more arrests leading to the attacks. you're watching "dw news." after a short break i'll be back to take you through "the day." stick around for that. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

>> thank you very much for being with us. north korea's leader as s -- ha arrived in russia ahead of what will be an historic meeting with vladimir putin. kim jong un was given a warm m welcomome in vladivostok. the meeting is seen to rekindle a relationship with its old ally and to send a message to donald trump that the north koreans have other options on

the table.