The chairman of the Northern Provincial Council, CVK Sivagnanam on Tuesday reiterated the Tamil people’s right to remembrance of those who died during the armed conflict.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Sivagnanam said as the government has changed its annual war victory day, marked on May 18, to a remembrance day, all dead, including fighters, scholars and civilians, should be able to be remembered without fear.

Sri Lanka’s former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa filed a fundamental rights violation petition to Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court requesting that it blocks any attempts by the government to arrest him.

The head of the Tamil National Alliance has expressed his confidence in President Maithripala Sirisena’s ability to present a political solution based on autonomy for the Tamil people in their traditional homeland to the Sinhala people.

“We have high hope that President Maithiripala Sirisena would speak to the Sinhala community with an open mind seeking support to find a sustainable political solution to the six decade old Tamil problem,” Sampanthan said at an event in Batticaloa.

The leader of the TNA further said his party was not asking for a separate state or a federal solution within Sri Lanka.

The former chief minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa has been cleared of all charges of corruption by an Indian court on Monday.

"Truth and justice have prevailed," said Ms Jayalalithaa in a statement after the court decision. "I am immensely satisfied, the verdict has paved the way for me to emerge as tested pure gold," she added.

Ms Jayalalithaa maintained that there was no wrongdoing and that the charges were “foisted (on me) by political enemies.”

The ruling now clears the way for her to return as chief minister.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera has denied the existence of secret detention camps, where Tamils are thought to have been sent during and after the armed conflict.

"Last week, I had an opportunity to meet a group of mothers still looking for their missing children. The issue of secret detention camps came up and assured them such facilities do not exist. I assured them of a thorough inquiry in case they could reveal secret detention camps," the minister said to media.

Thousands of Tamils remain missing, 6 years after the end of the armed conflict, including those taken captive by the Sri Lankan army in front of their families.

Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake confirmed that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was prepared to double its annual funding to Sri Lanka, raising the figure to US$1.2 billion.

Mr Karunanayake said that the credit grant was due to independent reviews that placed confidence in Sri Lanka’s economy and not requests by the Sri Lankan government.

The funds are to be directed towards government development initiatives, budgetary allocations, capacity development and debt relief reports Colombo Page.

The credit increase comes in the wake of the ADB’s recent decision to downgrade Sri Lanka’s 2015 GDP growth forecast by 0.5%.

Former Foreign Ministry Monitoring MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena was arrested earlier today, on charges he misused vehicles belonging to the presidential secretariat.

The Criminal Investigation Department summoned the MP to record a statement this morning where he was arrested and remanded until May 20. Mr Gunawardena is facing several charges of corruption and fraud, committed during his tenure under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The MP is the former CEO of the government owned airline, Mihin Lanka and also served as coordinating secretary on trade and foreign affairs to the former president.

Former Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando was also remanded until May 25, earlier today.