THANNAMUNAI, Sri Lanka — The checkpoints started just outside of an east Sri Lanka village, the strictest seen in the days after Islamic State-aligned militants launched suicide attacks that killed over 250 people.

The trucks stopped first, soldiers digging through crates and produce. Buses disgorged their passengers. Cars lined up single file so soldiers could open their hoods to inspect engine blocks and pull everything out of trunks.

The reason became clear soon after, as the sound of hymns filled the air of Thannamunai.

The small village in eastern Sri Lanka held likely the first Mass since Catholic leaders closed all their churches for fear of further attacks. Under incredibly tight security, worshippers watched a priest be ordained as they hoped for a future when Mass wouldn’t require hundreds of troops armed with assault rifles to defend it.

“People wanted to celebrate Mass, they wanted to participate in this, but they — even myself — were afraid,” Father Norton Johnson told Associated Press journalists who witnessed the Mass. “However, security personnel gave us good protection.”

The Mass in Thannamunai, about 225 kilometers (140 miles) northeast of the capital, Colombo, had been planned at least two weeks earlier to mark the ordination with the participation of some 200 priests. They had expected thousands to attend the ceremony at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

Then came Easter. The morning of April 21, suicide bombers attacked three churches and three hotels. Soon after, the U.S. Embassy in Colombo warned against attending services at any place of worship in the multiethnic nation of 21 million Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Muslims.

Catholic leaders closed all their churches. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, celebrated Mass this past Sunday at his residence, with the country’s leaders attending. The faithful prayed on their knees at home, watching his homily on television.

Ranjith said Tuesday that parishioners would form “vigilance committees” to check IDs at church doors and keep anyone with a bag from entering when some Masses resume this weekend.

But the invitations for the ordination in Thannamunai already had been sent out. After confirming with the military, Johnson and other Catholic leaders agreed to quietly hold the Mass for the community. Johnson said he believed it to be the first Mass held in the country, outside of small gatherings for prayers quietly held at believers’ homes.

What had been expected to be a crowd of 3,000 turned into several hundred. The 200 priests expected instead became 80. But still they came Tuesday morning, the priests laying their hands on the new priest’s forehead as he knelt before them.

Security personnel remained tense, in part because Thannamunai is wedged between Muslim neighborhoods and authorities believe militants remain at large. The alleged mastermind of the Easter bombings also preached a violent interpretation of the Quran nearby, promising heaven to those who killed nonbelievers. Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who hasn’t been seen in nearly five years, appeared in a video Monday and praised the Sri Lankan attackers, who earlier pledged their loyalty to him.

During the service Tuesday, a Muslim woman rode past sitting side-saddle on a small motorbike, her black abaya billowing in the wind. Johnson made a point to say that those behind the Easter attacks were “only a few terrorists.”

Read: No Mass for Sri Lanka’s Catholics; No Veils for Muslim Women

“In every religion, every race, there are extremists. They do certain things. But we can’t blame one community for these problems,” the priest said. “The Muslim community, they are afraid, and they are sorry about this incident. And what I can say is we are with them.”

Police officers arranged separate lines for men and women outside of St. Joseph’s. The officers carefully patted down those entering the service. Around 300 soldiers, 60 police officers and special commandos stood guard, some behind the church looking at the blue still waters of a nearby lagoon.

“It’s a very risky thing,” said one army officer, smiling.

But inside, worshippers prayed with their eyes closed, some barefoot. A choir sang hymns backed by a synthesizer and drums, their Tamil verses peppered with hosannas, an exclamation to give praise to God. Orange streamers hung from the rafters. Bouquets of flowers ringed its chandeliers.

St. Joseph’s earlier was near the front lines of the government’s decades-long civil war against the Tamil Tigers. Mortars once struck the church, damaging it, Johnson recounted. But it was rebuilt, as he hoped peace would soon be across all of Sri Lanka.

“We are all the same,” he said before walking back into the church. “All of our blood is red.”

Story: Jon Gambrell

TOKYO — Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito inherited Imperial regalia and seals as proof of his succession and pledged in his first public address Wednesday to follow his father’s example in devoting himself to peace and staying close to the people.

Naruhito succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne at midnight after Akihito abdicated.

In his address to the people, Naruhito formally announced his succession and pledged to continue learning.

“When I think about the important responsibility I have assumed, I am filled with a sense of solemnity,” he said. Naruhito noted that his father was devoted to praying for peace and sharing joys and sorrows of the people, while showing compassion.

He said he will “reflect deeply” on the path trodden by Akihito and past emperors, and promised to abide by the Constitution to fulfill his responsibility as a national symbol while “always turning my thoughts to the people and standing with them.

“I sincerely pray for the happiness of the people and the further development of the nation as well as the peace of the world,” he said.

Read: Succession This Week Will Shrink Japan’s Imperial Heirs to 2

Naruhito was presented with the Imperial regalia of a sword and jewel, each in a box and wrapped in cloth, at a morning ceremony which was his first official duty in his new role.

His wife and daughter, Empress Masako and 17-year-old Princess Aiko were barred from the ceremony, where only adult male royals participated. Only his brother, now Crown Prince Fumihito, and his uncle Prince Hitachi were allowed to witness. Their guests included a female Cabinet minister, however, as the Imperial House Law has no provision on the gender of the commoners in attendance.

Japan was in a festive mood celebrating an imperial succession that occurred by retirement rather than by death. Many people stood outside the palace Tuesday to reminisce about Akihito’s era, others joined midnight events when the transition occurred, and more came to celebrate the beginning of Naruhito’s reign.

From a car window on his way to palace, Naruhito smiled and waved at the people on the sidewalk who cheered him. He and his family still live at the crown prince’s Togu palace until they switch places with his parents.

He is the nation’s 126th emperor, according to a palace count historians say could include mythical figures until around the 5th century.

The emperor under Japan’s constitution is a symbol without political power. Naruhito is free of influence from Japan’s imperial worship that was fanned by the wartime militarist government that had deified the emperor as a living god until his grandfather renounced that status after Japan’s 1945 war defeat.

Naruhito has promised to emulate his father in seeking peace and staying close to people. Palace watchers say he might focus on global issues, including disaster prevention, water conservation and climate change, which could appeal to younger Japanese.

He will also face uncertainties in the Imperial household. Only his younger brother, Prince Akishino, 53, and Akishino’s 12-year-old son, Prince Hisahito, can currently succeed him. The Imperial House Law confines the succession to male heirs, leaving Naruhito’s daughter, Aiko, now 17, out of the running.

Naruhito’s wife Masako is a Harvard-educated former diplomat who may prove an adept partner in his overseas travels and activities. But much will depend on her health, since she has been recovering from what the palace describes as stress-induced depression for about 15 years.

Naruhito, the first Japanese emperor to have studied abroad, is considered a new breed of royal, his outlook forged by the tradition-defying choices of his parents. Akihito devoted his three-decade career to making amends for a war fought in his father’s name while bringing the aloof monarchy closer to the people. Empress Emeritus Michiko was born a commoner and was Catholic educated. Together, they reached out to the people, especially those who faced handicaps and discrimination, and natural disasters.

Naruhito is also the first monarch raised by his own parents, as Akihito and Michiko, who was born a commoner, chose to take care of their children instead of leaving them in the hands of palace staff. They also supported his choice to attend Oxford University, where he researched the history of the Thames River transportation systems.

In an annual news conference marking his Feb. 23 birthday, Naruhito said he was open to taking up a new role that “suits the times.” But he said his father’s work will be his guidepost.

Story: Mari Yamaguchi

LOS ANGELES — HBO’s “Game of Thrones” has once again ridden a high body count to a record viewer count.

Sunday’s big-battle episode, the third of the final season, drew 17.8 million viewers either live on the network at 9 p.m., streamed, on-demand or in a rerun that aired later that night, the Nielsen company said.

That made it the week’s most-watched show cable or broadcast and the most-watched one-day event ever in HBO’s four decades of existence, topping the “Game of Thrones” season eight premiere, which had 17.4 million viewers two weeks earlier.

The episode known as “The Long Night” was the longest in series history at 1 hour, 22 minutes. It featured a battle between the living and the dead — teased and anticipated since season one — that had a sky-high casualty count even for the famously bloody fantasy series.

Some 12.02 million people watched the episode live, a figure eclipsed only by the season seven finale.

The May 19 series finale is expected to break both records.

The numbers for Sunday’s episode are likely to grow considerably after delayed and repeat viewings. HBO said 38 million people have now watched the season eight premiere.

CBS shows dominated the rest of the week’s top 10, with “The Big Bang Theory” second, “Young Sheldon” third and “60 Minutes” fourth. That helped it win the week overall in prime time, averaging 4.4 million viewers. NBC had 3.4 million viewers, ABC had 3 million, Fox had 2 million, ION Television had 1.1 million, Telemundo had 1 million, Univision had 880,000, and the CW had 680,000.

Fox News Channel was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 2.27 million viewers in prime time. TNT had 2 million, ESPN had 1.6 million, MSNBC had 1.58 million and HGTV had 1.2 million.

ABC’s “World News Tonight” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 8.5 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” was second with 7.7 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 5.6 million viewers.

For the week of April 22-28, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships:

“Game of Thrones,” HBO, 12.02 million; “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 11.85 million; “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 10.49 million; “60 Minutes,” CBS, 9.27 million; “American Idol,” ABC, 8.74 million; “Chicago Fire,” NBC, 8.11 million; “Chicago Med,” NBC, 7.89 million; “Mom,” CBS, 7.85 million; “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 7.78 million; “The Voice,” NBC, 7.6 million.

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ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. CBS is owned by CBS Corp. CW is a joint venture of Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corp. Fox is owned by 21st Century Fox. NBC and Telemundo are owned by Comcast Corp. ION Television is owned by ION Media Networks.

Story: Andrew Dalton

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, accompanied by civilian protesters and a small contingent of heavily armed troops, called Tuesday for the military to rise up and oust socialist leader Nicolás Maduro. Here’s a timeline of recent events leading up to that revolt:

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February 2014 — Opposition leader Leopoldo López is jailed after turning himself in to authorities on charges including terrorism and incitement to riot. He is later transferred to house arrest.

Jan. 5, 2019 — Venezuela’s opposition-controlled congress installs 35-year-old Juan Guaidó as president of the legislature. Guaidó calls President Nicolás Maduro a dictator.

Jan. 10 — Maduro is sworn in for a second term as president, but most Latin American countries, the United States and Canada denounce his government as illegitimate, arguing his re-election was a farce.

Jan. 15 — Opposition lawmakers try to pry the military’s loyalty away from Maduro, offering protection to members of the armed forces who support a transitional government.

Jan. 21 — Security forces put down a pre-dawn uprising by national guardsmen that triggered violent street protests. Socialist party chief Diosdado Cabello says at least 27 guardsmen were arrested.

Jan. 23 — Guaidó declares himself interim president before thousands of cheering supporters. The U.S. recognizes him as president and dozens of nations including Canada, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia follow suit.

Jan. 28 — The Trump administration sanctions Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, cutting off one of Maduro’s most important sources of income and foreign currency along with around $7 billion in assets of state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA. National Security Adviser John Bolton warns that any move by Maduro against Guaido “will be met with a significant response.”

Feb. 4 — More than a dozen European Union countries endorse Guaidó as the country’s interim president.

Feb. 22 — Defying orders banning him from leaving Venezuela, Guaidó appears at a star-studded aid concert in neighboring Colombia, joining thousands of other Venezuelans in pressuring Maduro to allow the delivery of U.S.-backed emergency food and medicine convoys.

Feb. 23 — Venezuelan security forces fire tear gas on protesters trying to deliver aid from Colombia and Brazil, leaving two people dead and some 300 injured. Troops block bridges to prevent the convoys.

March 7 — Much of Venezuela plunges into darkness for several days during the nation’s largest-ever blackout.

March 12 — The United States says it is withdrawing its last diplomats still in Caracas.

March 13 — Widespread looting is reported during blackouts in Maracaibo, Venezuela’s second-largest city.

March 18 — Colombia says about 1,000 members of the Venezuelan security forces have fled to Colombia since February, giving up weapons and uniforms as they abandon Maduro’s government.

March 21 — Intelligence agents detain Guaidó’s top aide.

March 25 — A new power outage spreads across much of Venezuela, knocking communications offline and stirring fears of a repeat of the chaos.

March 27 — Russia’s Foreign Ministry says that Russian military personnel have arrived in Venezuela to support Maduro.

March 29 — The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says it will start distributing assistance to an estimated 650,000 people in Venezuela — an action permitted by Maduro’s government.

April 2 — A specially formed constitutional assembly loyal to Maduro strips Guaidó of parliamentary immunity, paving the way for possible prosecution for allegedly violating the constitution by declaring himself interim president.

April 30 — Guaidó takes to the streets with activist López and a small contingent of heavily armed troops in a bold and risky call for the military to rise up and oust Maduro.