Sri Lanka will remain a priority for the UK in 2015, including on issues such as "respect for human rights, a sustainable political settlement and accountability for alleged war crimes", according to the 2014 Human Rights and Democracy Report by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

"The human rights situation in Sri Lanka continued to be of concern in 2014, with little overall improvement. The UK remained concerned over a number of issues: restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly; increases in attacks on Muslim and Evangelical Christian minorities; reports of torture and allegations of extrajudicial killings; and restrictions faced by minority Tamils in formerly conflict-affected areas in the north and east. Human rights defenders (HRDs) and those with dissenting voices were intimidated and subjected to harassment," the report says.

Last year saw no progress on a political solution for the Tamil community, the report further said, urging the Sri Lankan government to work with the TNA.

The state-owned China Construction Communication Company (CCCC) is losing over $380,000 per day, according to a statement from the company, after the Sri Lankan government suspended construction around the Port City project in Colombo.

According to the company, the suspension has harmed efforts to protect land reclaimed due to the suspension, which is in place whilst the Sri Lankan government decides on the fate of the project. Over 200 metres of breakwater which has been constructed so far has been damaged, said CCCC.

"As a result of this suspension, CCCC estimates an initial direct loss for the company of over 380,000 U.S. dollars per day. Furthermore, the interest on the financial loan obtained by the company for the development of the project is being paid, regardless of the ongoing suspension," the company added in a statement.

Updated 17:45 GMT

A former female LTTE fighter, who is working as a pre-school teacher under the management of Sri Lanka's Civil Security Division (CSD) at Puthukudiyiruppu, Mullaitivu was abducted by a member of the Civil Defence Force on Wednesday, before being hospitalised earlier today.

The 26 year old woman, named as Vishvalingam Vinothiny from Puthukudiyiruppu, was heading to the pre-school on Wednesday morning when four men on motorcycles stopped her.

The men assaulted her until she fell unconcious before placing her on one of the motorcycles and driving off. 

One of the key suspects in the abduction is a Tamil member of the Civil Defence Force, a paramilitary unit, auxilliary to the security forces, which specifically targets Tamils in the conflict zones for recruitment.

According to locals, who wished to remain anonymous, officers with Sri Lanka's police force, who know the suspect well, stood by whilst the attack and abduction took place.

She was admitted to Puthukkudiyiruppu Hopsital at 10:00 this morning. Her current condition is unknown.

Ms Vinothiny, a former member of the LTTE was put through the Sri Lankan government's 'rehabilitation' programme after the end of the armed conflict, before also joining Civil Defence Force.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena says no UN officials will be allowed to visit the island to conduct investigations into mass atrocities.

In an interview for the BBC Sinhala service, President Sirisena said the government had requested the UN to have faith in a domestic process.

“No, we have made a clear statement requesting them to have faith on our domestic investigation,” he said in response to a whether the government would allow external investigators.

“What we can do is to take UN's opinions in to consideration and strengthen the domestic mechanism accordingly. Therefore I don't think that we need anyone from outside to conduct the investigations. But of course, we can obtain their ideas to make our work more effective.”

The leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband, challenged Sri Lanka’s new president, Maithripala Sirisena, on the ongoing military presence and the plight of political prisoners.

During a meeting with Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander, Mr Sirisena and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Mr Miliband highlighted the “extreme importance” of the diaspora and said there was “deep unhappiness” in the Tamil community regarding the atrocities committed during the armed conflict.

Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran said the 13th Amendment “can never be the final solution” in Sri Lanka and called on the visiting India Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “ensure maximum power sharing for the North and East” ahead of his visit to Jaffna.

“We know we have a friend in him,” said Mr Wigneswaran, in an interview to The Hindu, stating Mr Modi was a “proponent and an advocate of devolution.”

“We appreciate his concerns for us, in wanting to come to the North,” he continued. “We would recommend to him that it is time to reconsider the 13th Amendment, which was a fall out from the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 and to replace it with a more dynamic system, which would ensure maximum power sharing for the North and East.”

Mr Wigneswaran added that “the path to ultimate settlement is going to be long and arduous”, stating the “thirteenth Amendment can never be the final solution”.

India should support a United Nations investigation into mass atrocities that took place in Sri Lanka, said Northern Provincial Council member M. K. Shivajilingam in a letter Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to Jaffna this week.

The councillor called on the Indian prime minister to support the ongoing OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) stating it was the “only hope for justice, accountability and protection” for the Tamil people.