The former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has publicly declared his readiness to vacate his official residence in Colombo if current president Anura Kumara Dissanayake formally requests it in writing. 

The statement comes in response to a speech by Dissanayake demanding Rajapaksa either vacate the residence or pay Rs. 4.6 million in monthly rent.

Thousands of British Tamils marched through London today in protest against Sri Lanka's 77th Independence Day. 

Whilst Sri Lanka celebrates its independence from British rule, the Tamil nation deems it a "black day" as it marks the beginning of state led violence and oppression of the Tamil community. 

Sri Lanka marked its 77th ‘Independence Day’ with yet another military parade in Colombo, featuring a reduced but still significant presence of military personnel and 25-gun salute at sea. 

While the government celebrated the day with pomp and ceremony, Tamils across the North-East and the diaspora observed the occasion as a "black day," raising black flags in protest against decades of oppression and atrocities perpetrated by the Sri Lankan state.

Tamils protested against Sri Lanka's 77th Independence Day outside Sri Lanka's embassy in Canberra, Australia today.

The day is regarded as a 'Black Day' for Eelam Tamils who have been oppressed by the Sinhala Buddhist state since Sri Lanka gained independence from British rule on February 4, 1948.