The Sri Lankan armed forces announced that it had taken a delegation of foreign military students and their families on a tour of the North-east, where they visited different army bases and were told by the military of how the region was recaptured.

<p>Germany's ambassador to Colombo today criticised the violent scenes in parliament tweeting it was a "bad day for democracy in Sri Lanka."&nbsp;</p> <p>"SL has a long and proud democratic tradition - reading about throwing objects at the speaker and preventing votes is unbecoming of a democracy," Joern Rohde added.&nbsp;</p> <p>Sri Lanka’s parliament descended into chaos this morning as lawmakers loyal to Mahinda Rajapaksa violently stormed parliamentary Speaker, Karu Jayasuria’s chair.</p>

India must stand up for democracy in its own backyard as Sri Lanka’s current political turmoil points to China’s increasing role, the Financial Times said in an editorial on Thursday.

“China is again becoming a supplier of political instability” along its strategic ‘string of pearls’ in the Indian Ocean, the editorial board writes, referring to Sri Lanka's recent political crisis.

Thousands of United National Party (UNP) supporters and party members gathered in Colombo today to show their opposition to the replacement of the prime minister and the dissolution of parliament by the president, Maithripala Sirisena. 

Protestors marched with coffins carrying effigies of Sirisena and his appointee for prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, which they burnt at the end of the demonstration.

British Labour Party MPs have written to the UK Secretary of State, Sajid Javid, urging the government to reconsider its asylum policy and stop all deportations to the island, of Tamils in particular, in view of Sri Lanka's ongoing political crisis. 

The letter follows a previous letter to the Home Secretary, Jeremy Hunt urging action such as discussions with the EU regarding the suspension of trade benefits to Sri Lanka. 

A Sri Lankan government MP has filed a complaint with the police saying he was threatened with a knife inside the parliamentary complex. 

Photographs emerged today showing the UNP MP Palitha Thewarapperuma wielding a knife during this morning's chaotic parliamentary session, which descended into violence with a UPFA MP throwing a waste bin at the Speaker and one MP being taken to hospital with injuries. 

Sri Lanka's parliament descended into a violent brawl today, with a UPFA MPs caught on film throwing a waste bin at the Speaker and a UNP MP photographed wielding a knife during the session. 

Another UPFA MP was videoed pouring water over the Speaker's chair, whilst photographs published by AFP show a former minister brandishing his middle finger to colleagues. 

A former LTTE cadre who underwent Sri Lankan government ‘rehabilitation’ at the end of the war died suddenly in Mullaitivu this week.

The body of 29-year-old Maria Jebesan Vijithan was taken to Mullaitivu district hospital for post-mortem after his unexplained death on Sunday.

However the coroner at the district hospital said that the cause of death could not be determined from the post mortem and that Vijithan’s body was being sent to Colombo for genetic testing.

Students at the University of Jaffna held protests in solidarity with Up CountryTamils in their struggle to achieve a 1000 rupee minimum wage on tea estates.

A protest was held by students at the main campus in Thirunelveli on Tuesday, and earlier in the month by students at the traditional medicine faculty in Kaithady.

Excavation of the Mannar mass grave, where over 230 skeletons have been unearthed so far, has been temporarily suspended.

The excavation activities, which had been taking place for over 100 days, have been suspended due to officers having to undertake official court duties, Colombo Page reports, and will resume again on November 27.