Responding to the storming of Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house, by anti-government demonstrators, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has stressed the need for all parties to work with the international community to form a new government that meets the “democratic and economic aspirations and upholds human rights”.

The Speaker of the Parliament convened an emergency meeting between the leaders of the parties, which called for the joint resignation of the President and Prime minister. 

During the meeting, the party leaders agreed on four actions 

1. President and Prime Minister to resign immediately 

As protests continue to rage in Colombo the exact location of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa remains unclear.

Following a wave of protests in Sri Lanka's capital earlier today, the recently appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign.

There is relative calm in Jaffna compared to the capital city of Colombo where mass demonstrations have led to protesters storming the President’s house.

As demonstrators stormed the residence of Sri Lanka’s President, reports emerge that two people have been shot close to the President’s house.

They have since been admitted to Colombo National Hospital.

The leader of Sri Lanka’s largest opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya, has demanded that the President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka resign.

The statement comes as anti-government demonstrators have stormed the President’s residence and the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has called for an urgent all-party meeting to discuss the unfolding crisis.

Sri Lanka's embattled president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled the capital, Colombo, as tens of thousands of protesters stormed his official residence this morning, as anti-government demonstrations amidst a crushing economic crisis coming to a head.

At the time of writing, protestors are currently still outside the private residence of Ranil Wickremesinghe, who just hours ago agreed to step down as the country’s prime minister. Demonstrators have set the residence alight.

On this day 27 years ago, the Sri Lankan air force dropped 13 bombs on St Peter’s Church in Navaly. More than 140 sheltering Tamils, who were encouraged by the military to seek refuge at the church, were killed on the spot. 

Ahead of mass protests in Colombo, US ambassador for Sri Lanka and the UN Human Rights Office have urged Sri Lanka’s military and police to show restraint in responding to protests.

The Sri Lankan security forces abruptly imposed a curfew in the capital Colombo late on Friday evening, amidst reports of security forces firing tear gas and using a water cannon on protesters ahead of a much anticipated anti-government rally tomorrow.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he will be resigning following a turbulent week of politics in London.

As he reaches the end of his tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, we look back on his statements on the British Tamil community, as well his record on advancing justice for mass atrocities in Sri Lanka.

The UK Treasury pledged to carefully scrutinise any potential bailout package that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may grant Sri Lanka, as concerns regarding corruption continue to be raised around the world.

Commenting on the ongoing discussion between the IMF and Sri Lankan government,  the Treasury noted that “no proposal on Sri Lanka has yet been shared with members”.