The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels who seized the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo last week have declared a unilateral ceasefire starting on Tuesday.

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. 

As Tamils across their homelands held protests marking Sri Lanka's 77th Independence Day today as a Black Day, students at the University of Jaffna replaced the Sri Lankan lion flag that usually flies at the entrance with a black flag.

On Sri Lanka's 77th Independence Day, Tamils across the North-East marked it as "Black Day" with protests demanding justice for the Tamil genocide and self-determination.

Udaya Gammanpila, leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU), has accused the Sri Lankan government of orchestrating a "new drama" to implicate former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former State Intelligence Services (SIS) Director Major General Suresh Sallay in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. 

Former Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakshe has called for the preservation of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s body for public display after his demise, in a way to honour his legacy despite the massacres he oversaw. 

Following a supposed lack of police resources, the Sri Lankan military has been called in to help control illegal sand mining in the Vadamarachchi and Thenmarachchi regions, despite their previous complicity in such activities. 

Foreign naval ships strengthen ties with Sri Lanka during official Colombo visits

Farmers in Batticaloa seek government compensation for significant paddy losses caused by heavy rains, floods, and reduced yields