Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has cleared the way for an appeal to be heard challenging the arrest of former military chief and Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka. The Sri Lankan high court has cleared the way for a hearing later this month on a fundamental rights petition concerning the detention of former General Fonseka. Justices also ordered the government to allow him to have access to visiting family members and medicine. The political opposition contends Fonseka's arrest Monday on conspiracy charges was illegal.

An unusual political irony is reaching a climax on the South Asian island nation of Sri Lanka. The two proclaimed heroes of the recently-ended quarter century civil war, who are openly accusing each other of war crimes, are facing off in the country's presidential election Tuesday. The two Sinhalese Buddhists have focused their campaigns on persuading the minority, mostly Hindu, Tamils, who bore the brunt of the war, to vote for them. The election is being closely watched by international agencies and donor governments.

Sri Lanka plans to pour development money into Tamil-dominated provinces that suffered economically during years of civil war.