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. 

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.

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.

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.

Sri Lanka's president has said he rejects the no-confidence motion brought against the former president and his appointment for prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

In a letter made public today President Sirisena said the motion had passed "without adhering proper parliamentary procedures."

A group of British parliamentarians have written to the UK’s foreign secretary warning that “Sri Lanka’s political stability is at grave risk” and called for discussion on the suspension of trade concessions to Colombo.

Sri Lanka’s arrest of Tamil parliamentarian Vijayakala Maheswaran, following her remarks on the LTTE, is a “flagrant abuse of the rights to freedom of expression,” write human rights lawyers Samir Pasha and Naga Kandiah in The Interpreter this month.

“Any citizen has a right to dissent against government actions and raise issues affecting communities,” they wrote. “There is an unarguable difference between this and making a call to violent uprising, promoting hatred or hostility… The government’s claim in protecting the public can only be exercised in criminal proceedings where absolutely necessary. In Maheswaran’s case, this distinction was not made.”

The former captain of Sri Lanka’s cricket team announced that he had joined Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party this morning.

Tillakaratne Dilshan took up party membership this morning, amidst Sri Lanka’s political turmoil which has seen Rajapaksa attempt to gain the office of prime minister.

Families and loved ones of the disappeared held a demonstration today in Jaffna, calling on the US and EU to urge action over Sri Lanka's genocide of Tamil people. 

Families across the North-East have been protesting for over one year and expressed their disappointment and anger at the coalition government's failure to act.