Ian Paisley Jr, the British MP suspended from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) for accepting and failing to disclose luxury holidays to Sri Lanka and carrying out "paid advocacy" for the Sri Lankan government, has avoided a by-election as a recall petition in his constituency gained only 7,099 signatures, falling just 444 short of the required number to force a by-election.

The recall procedure in Paisley’s constituency of North Antrim, by which a by-election could be called if 10 per cent of constituents signed a petition, was automatically opened when the MP was suspended from the House of Commons for 30 sitting days.

The mother of a Tamil political prisoner wept as she told a news conference of her son's plight and how the family continue to be harassed by military intelligence officers who arrive at their home. 

The mother of S Jeyachandran spoke at the Jaffna Press Club today and explained how her son, who is currently one of the political prisoners hunger strike in protest against their ongoing detention, was re-arrested despite being 'rehabilitated'. 

Speaking to journalists Jeyachandran's mother explained how her son was detained and released from 'rehabilitation' on April 5, 2010. However on September 20 later that year, state security officers arrested him again and took him to the Terrorism Investigation Division's fourth floor office in Colombo. 

Marking the fifth day of Lt. Col. Thileepan's hunger strike 31 years ago today, remembrance events were held in Jaffna and Batticaloa. 

A genocide awareness event was held in Vakaneri, Batticaloa, following on from yesterday's event in Kiraan. 

Residents condemned the genocide of Tamils by the Sri Lankan state. 

The Northern Provincial Council member was denied a visa to India this month. 

M K Shivajilingam had applied for a visa to travel to Hyderabad to participate in a workshop organised by Asia Foundation, as part of an NPC delegation. 

He applied for a visa via the Indian High Commision in Jaffna on September 4. However, on September 14 the embassy said his visa application was refused. 

A Tamil youth was killed today following a collision with a Sri Lankan Transport Board bus. 

The 23-year-old youth was identified as Navaneetharaja Varan from Chavakachcheri. 

Varan was riding a motorbike at the time. 

A Buddhist faith school was opened in Batticaloa town last week, with local Tamils and Muslims questioning the intention behind building a grand faith school in a town with a negligible Sinhala Buddhist population.

The Sri Lankan government rejected reports that India would be involved in redeveloping the Palaly airport in Jaffna and said the airport would be developed domestically instead.

Indian press reports had claimed that India’s airport development authority was preparing a proposal to internationalise the Jaffna airport, which currently remains under military occupation, and develop connectivity between the Northern Province and South India, Malaysia, Thailand etc, in line with consistent requests from Tamil leaders in the North.

The head of Sri Lanka’s army was invited to speak at a military seminar in Australia this month, despite Sri Lankan troops standing accused of committing war crimes and continued human rights abuses.

A Tamil political prisoner who is on hunger strike, protesting against his continued detention has been admitted to hospital after his health rapidly deteriorated.

S Thillairaj, one of eight Tamil political prisoners who have been on hunger strike at Anuradhapura prison and a known diabetic, was moved to Welikada Prison hospital.  The group have been protesting since for at least five days and met with Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M A Sumanthiran earlier this week.

They are part of a number of Tamil political prisoners remain in prison for years without charge under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Sexual violence against Tamil men by the Sri Lankan state was ‘widespread’ and ‘egregious’ both during and after the war, the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) concluded in its latest report, launched at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today. 

The report analyses testimonies collected by the organisation over four years, which show Tamils have been disproportionately affected by sexual violence by state security forces, both during the war and in the post-war context, and that sexual violence has been committed to a large extent by those in Sri Lanka’s “extensive security apparatus who profit from a culture of impunity.”

The testimonies used in the report were from Tamil men in ages ranging from the youngest aged 14 at the time of the violations to the oldest victim in his late forties.