Sri Lanka’s defence secretary said that land releases in the North-East are not taking place due to pressure from the international community, but that the decision was being made by the military.

The Deputy Spokesperson for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the global body’s “priorities for Sri Lanka have not changed” despite an upcoming change in office. 

Ban Ki-moon is due to step down from the post at the end of this year, with António Guterres set to take over from 1 January 2017.

His Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told The Sunday Leader that despite the upcoming change, the UN’s policy towards Sri Lanka would not dramatically shift.

“I can’t really say what a new person may or may not do. But our priorities for Sri Lanka have not changed,” he said.

The  Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) party on Monday urged the Sri Lankan government to ban the main Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance, arguing such a move was needed due to the party's links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). 

Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalithaa has passed away on Monday evening, according to officially confirmed reports from both her AIADMK party and the hospital in Chennai where she has been receiving medical treatment.

Following a prolonged hospital admission, Ms Jayalalithaa eventually succumbed to complications after suffering a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening. The influential and popular figure in Tamil Nadu politics was 68 years old.

Thousands of supporters have gathered outside the Apollo Hospital in Chennai, whilst Tamil Nadu police have deployed extra security personnel across the state due to fears of unrest.

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa has been confirmed to be in a “critical” condition by the medical team in charge of her care, after reports she had passed away on Monday afternoon.

Apollo Hospital in Chennai confirmed that the Ms Jayalalithaa was now on extra-corporal life support following a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening. She was admitted almost 3 months ago following a reported pulmonary infection.

Tensions prevailed in Batticaloa on Sunday as a mob of Sinhala Buddhist monks from Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya attempted to enter the town despite the local Magistrate prohibiting their presence. 

Carrying the Sinhala lion flag protested against the court's order, resulting in the Special Task Force being deployed to the region.