Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo announced Monday that it will partially reopen on Wednesday, seven weeks after the five-star property was attacked by a suicide bomber on Easter Sunday.

The Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo was one of three hotels hit by the suicide attacks on April 21 and suffered extensive damages. While the other two hotels reopened in recent weeks, most of the sections of the Shangri-La Hotel remained closed.

"From Wednesday 12 June 6 pm onwards, popular dining establishments including Sapphyr Lounge, Capital Bar &amp; Grill and Kaema Sutra will reopen for service. Guests will be able to enjoy room stays and Chi, the Spa from Saturday 15 June onwards," Mahika Chandrasena, Director of Public Relations at Shangri-La, Colombo, told PTI.&nbsp;

The hotel said in a statement that the Shangri-La Group was grateful to the local authorities and the global community for their outpouring of support and messages of commendations received these past seven weeks.

The group's heartfelt sympathies and support continue to be with those who have suffered injuries and lost loved ones on April 21. They will always be remembered, it said.

At least five Indians were among the dead when the suicide bomber struck the hotel.

"In memory of, and to honour, those that lost their lives on that day, the Shangri-La Group will be making an initial contribution to the Dialog Foundation" this will help provide medical assistance, counselling, scholarships and vocational training for hundreds of families in Sri Lanka who were impacted," the statement said.

On April 21, nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of Negombo and another church in the eastern town of Batticaloa, and three high-end hotels frequented by tourists.

The suicide bombings were the country's deadliest terror attack since the devastating civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ended in 2009.

The Easter Sunday attack killed 258 people and injured 500 others.

The Islamic State claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ) for the bombings.

A total of 106 suspects, including a Tamil medium teacher and a school principal, have been arrested in connection with the blasts.

Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo announced Monday that it will partially reopen on Wednesday, seven weeks after the five-star property was attacked by a suicide bomber on Easter Sunday.

Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo announced Monday that it will partially reopen on Wednesday, seven weeks after the five-star property was attacked by a suicide bomber on Easter Sunday. The Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo was one of three hotels hit by the suicide attacks on April 21 and suffered extensive damages. While the other two hotels reopened in recent weeks, most of the sections of the Shangri-La Hotel remained closed. "From Wednesday 12 June 6 pm onwards, popular dining establishments including Sapphyr Lounge, Capital Bar & Grill and Kaema Sutra will reopen for service. Guests will be able to enjoy room stays and Chi, the Spa from Saturday 15 June onwards," Mahika Chandrasena, Director of Public Relations at Shangri-La, Colombo, told PTI. The hotel said in a statement that the Shangri-La Group was grateful to the local authorities and the global community for their outpouring of support and messages of commendations received these past seven weeks. The group's heartfelt sympathies and support continue to be with those who have suffered injuries and lost loved ones on April 21. They will always be remembered, it said. At least five Indians were among the dead when the suicide bomber struck the hotel. "In memory of, and to honour, those that lost their lives on that day, the Shangri-La Group will be making an initial contribution to the Dialog Foundation" this will help provide medical assistance, counselling, scholarships and vocational training for hundreds of families in Sri Lanka who were impacted," the statement said. On April 21, nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of Negombo and another church in the eastern town of Batticaloa, and three high-end hotels frequented by tourists. The suicide bombings were the country's deadliest terror attack since the devastating civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ended in 2009. The Easter Sunday attack killed 258 people and injured 500 others. The Islamic State claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ) for the bombings. A total of 106 suspects, including a Tamil medium teacher and a school principal, have been arrested in connection with the blasts.

Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo to reopen on June 12 after deadly Easter attacks

Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan will meet China's defence minister at an Asia defence forum in Singapore, a senior US defence official said on Friday, at a time of strained relations between Beijing and Washington over trade and security.

Tensions between China and the United States have intensified in the past year, over an ongoing trade war and over the disputed South China Sea and US support for self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own.

"We're doing a pull aside (meeting) with the Chinese counterpart at Shangri-La," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe will deliver a speech on June 2 at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the first time since 2011 that a Chinese defence minister will be at the forum, having in recent years sent lower-level officials.

"We've got a relationship with China that contains elements of both competition and cooperation," the senior US&nbsp;defence official said.

Shanahan's predecessor Jim Mattis met Wei in Singapore last year.

Separately on Friday, the Pentagon said US and Chinese officials met in Washington earlier this week.

"The dialogue emphasized a constructive, results-oriented military relationship with a focus on maintaining open and clear communication, especially in times of crisis," a Pentagon statement said. The two sides discussed topics that included the South China Sea and North Korea.

Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan will meet China's defence minister at an Asia defence forum in Singapore, a senior US defence official said on Friday, at a time of strained relations between Beijing and Washington over trade and security.

Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan will meet China's defence minister at an Asia defence forum in Singapore, a senior US defence official said on Friday, at a time of strained relations between Beijing and Washington over trade and security. Tensions between China and the United States have intensified in the past year, over an ongoing trade war and over the disputed South China Sea and US support for self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own. "We're doing a pull aside (meeting) with the Chinese counterpart at Shangri-La," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe will deliver a speech on June 2 at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the first time since 2011 that a Chinese defence minister will be at the forum, having in recent years sent lower-level officials. "We've got a relationship with China that contains elements of both competition and cooperation," the senior US defence official said. Shanahan's predecessor Jim Mattis met Wei in Singapore last year. Separately on Friday, the Pentagon said US and Chinese officials met in Washington earlier this week. "The dialogue emphasized a constructive, results-oriented military relationship with a focus on maintaining open and clear communication, especially in times of crisis," a Pentagon statement said. The two sides discussed topics that included the South China Sea and North Korea.

Shanahan to meet Chinese counterpart in Singapore: US official

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un landed in Singapore on Sunday ahead of a summit with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump that could end a nuclear stand-off between the old foes and transform the secretive, impoverished Asian country.

When Trump and Kim meet on the resort island of Sentosa on Tuesday they will be making history even before they start.

Enemies since the 1950-53 Korean War, the leaders of North Korea and the United States have never met previously - or even spoken on the phone.

Kim arrived at Singapore's Changi Airport after his longest trip overseas as head of state wearing his trademark dark Maoist suit and distinctive high cut hairstyle.

He was greeted by Singapore's foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, who posted a picture on Twitter of him shaking hands with Kim and the message: "Welcomed Chairman Kim Jong Un, who has just arrived in Singapore."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un meets the Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong ahead of meeting with US President Donald Trump on June 12. (Source: Reuters) <a href="https://t.co/rUuHCXmFRT">pic.twitter.com/rUuHCXmFRT</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1005767512103895040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A convoy of vehicles that included a stretch Mercedes Benz limousine, identical to vehicles the North's leader had previously used, came into central Singapore under heavy security.

The US&nbsp;delegation, en route from the G7 meeting in Canada, will arrive Sunday evening, and Trump is set to meet with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday.

Trump is scheduled to arrive at Singapore's Paya Lebar Airbase at 8:35 pm&nbsp;on Sunday and go to the Shangri-La Hotel, according to the White House.

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I am on my way to Singapore where we have a chance to achieve a truly wonderful result for North Korea and the World. It will certainly be an exciting day and I know that Kim Jong-un will work very hard to do something that has rarely been done before...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1005554687678922752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Officials onboard Air Force One include Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.

High stakes diplomacy for Kim and Trump

At stake at the summit are North Korea's nuclear weapons and peace on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea spent decades developing nuclear weapons, culminating in the test of a thermonuclear device in 2017. It also successfully tested missiles that had enough range to reach the US&nbsp;mainland.

The tests came amid a campaign of "maximum pressure," led by the United States, that tightened economic sanctions against North Korea and raised the possibility of military action.

In a New Year's address, Kim said his country had completed development of its nuclear programme and would focus on economic development, suggesting a meeting with South Korea.

After a flurry of contacts between the two Koreas, South Korean officials suggested to Trump in March that Kim would be willing to meet face-to-face.

The summit comes after weeks of sometimes-contentious discussions and was briefly cancelled amid North Korean outrage over messaging from some US advisers.

Many remain sceptical Kim will ever completely abandon his nuclear programmes. They believe his latest engagement is aimed at getting the United States to ease crippling economic sanctions that have squeezed the impoverished country.

For Trump, a successful summit will see him achieve badly needed recognition on the international stage ahead of congressional elections in November.

Believed to be 34, Kim is one of the youngest heads of state in the world and looks an unlikely candidate to be making history of the kind that has eluded his father and grandfather, both past leaders of North Korea.

But since taking power in 2011 after his father's death, the youthful Kim has displayed a mixture of ruthlessness, pragmatism and statecraft to get this prize: to sit across the table with the leader of the United States and be treated as an equal.

The two countries were on the brink of war last year, with their leaders trading insults and threats, until Kim made a dramatic offer in March to meet Trump and discuss nuclear disarmament, which the American president quickly accepted.

Kim's journey from international pariah to being regarded as a responsible head of state has taken just a few months.

The two leaders meet at 9 am&nbsp;(0100 GMT) on Tuesday at the Capella on Sentosa island, a refurbished British Army artillery mess that is now one of Singapore's most expensive luxury hotels.

Enemies since the 1950-53 Korean War, a United States President and a North Korean leader have never met previously — or even spoken on the phone

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un landed in Singapore on Sunday ahead of a summit with US President Donald Trump that could end a nuclear stand-off between the old foes and transform the secretive, impoverished Asian country. When Trump and Kim meet on the resort island of Sentosa on Tuesday they will be making history even before they start. Enemies since the 1950-53 Korean War, the leaders of North Korea and the United States have never met previously - or even spoken on the phone. Kim arrived at Singapore's Changi Airport after his longest trip overseas as head of state wearing his trademark dark Maoist suit and distinctive high cut hairstyle. He was greeted by Singapore's foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, who posted a picture on Twitter of him shaking hands with Kim and the message: "Welcomed Chairman Kim Jong Un, who has just arrived in Singapore." #WATCH: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un meets the Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong ahead of meeting with US President Donald Trump on June 12. (Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/rUuHCXmFRT — ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2018 × A convoy of vehicles that included a stretch Mercedes Benz limousine, identical to vehicles the North's leader had previously used, came into central Singapore under heavy security. The US delegation, en route from the G7 meeting in Canada, will arrive Sunday evening, and Trump is set to meet with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday. Trump is scheduled to arrive at Singapore's Paya Lebar Airbase at 8:35 pm on Sunday and go to the Shangri-La Hotel, according to the White House. I am on my way to Singapore where we have a chance to achieve a truly wonderful result for North Korea and the World. It will certainly be an exciting day and I know that Kim Jong-un will work very hard to do something that has rarely been done before... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2018 × Officials onboard Air Force One include Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. High stakes diplomacy for Kim and Trump At stake at the summit are North Korea's nuclear weapons and peace on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea spent decades developing nuclear weapons, culminating in the test of a thermonuclear device in 2017. It also successfully tested missiles that had enough range to reach the US mainland. The tests came amid a campaign of "maximum pressure," led by the United States, that tightened economic sanctions against North Korea and raised the possibility of military action. In a New Year's address, Kim said his country had completed development of its nuclear programme and would focus on economic development, suggesting a meeting with South Korea. After a flurry of contacts between the two Koreas, South Korean officials suggested to Trump in March that Kim would be willing to meet face-to-face. The summit comes after weeks of sometimes-contentious discussions and was briefly cancelled amid North Korean outrage over messaging from some US advisers. Many remain sceptical Kim will ever completely abandon his nuclear programmes. They believe his latest engagement is aimed at getting the United States to ease crippling economic sanctions that have squeezed the impoverished country. For Trump, a successful summit will see him achieve badly needed recognition on the international stage ahead of congressional elections in November. Believed to be 34, Kim is one of the youngest heads of state in the world and looks an unlikely candidate to be making history of the kind that has eluded his father and grandfather, both past leaders of North Korea. But since taking power in 2011 after his father's death, the youthful Kim has displayed a mixture of ruthlessness, pragmatism and statecraft to get this prize: to sit across the table with the leader of the United States and be treated as an equal. The two countries were on the brink of war last year, with their leaders trading insults and threats, until Kim made a dramatic offer in March to meet Trump and discuss nuclear disarmament, which the American president quickly accepted. Kim's journey from international pariah to being regarded as a responsible head of state has taken just a few months. The two leaders meet at 9 am (0100 GMT) on Tuesday at the Capella on Sentosa island, a refurbished British Army artillery mess that is now one of Singapore's most expensive luxury hotels.

North Korea's Kim lands in Singapore, on cusp of making history with Trump summit

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Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo to reopen on June 12 after deadly Easter attacks

Shanahan to meet Chinese counterpart in Singapore: US official

North Korea's Kim lands in Singapore, on cusp of making history with Trump summit