Sri Lanka will today sign an agreement to build the tallest tower in South Asia.

The Lotus Tower Building will be 350 metres tall and situated in the heart of Colombo. The tower will provide ‘facilities for 50 television services, 50 broadcasting services and ten telecommunication providers’.

It will be 11 storeys high and a revolving restaurant will take up the fourth floor.

Construction will be managed by a government-owned company, run by the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

‘Why this kolaveri di?’, a song sung almost exclusively in 'Tanglish' (a mix of Tamil and English) to a Gaana backdrop, has become a worldwide viral sensation.

Three of the most prominent teacher trade unions, the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Association, Ceylon Democratic Teachers Union and Ceylon Islamic Teachers Association, came together against the proposed transfer scheme in the East, reported Tamilnet.

The head of the Sri Lankan delegation currently in talks with the Tamil National Alliance has denied it is under pressure from India to devolve power to the provinces.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told BBC Sinhala the agreement to discuss land and police powers, an ‘apparent u-turn’ from their previous position, has nothing to do with influences by other countries.

"No no no no, there was no pressure. Neither India nor other country can dictate how our country is governed," he said in response to a question by BBC Sandeshaya.

The past few days have seen rumours that General Sarath Fonseka, sentenced for implicating the defence secretary in war crimes, would receive a pardon from Sri Lanka's president, Mahinda Rajapaksa. The reports, said to have emerged from the Presidential Secretariat sources, alleged that the pardon would be announced on New Years Day.

Writing in The Platform, Mario Arulthas a member of the TYO UK (Tamil Youth Organisation UK) argues that the end of the armed conflict has not brought peace, but instead as the ruling regime "attempts to consolidate the Sinhala-Buddhist fascism that has plagued the island for decades", the genocide of Tamils "continues unabated".

Records prepared by the LTTE's Peace Secretariat during the 2006 peace talks were released by Tamilnet on Saturday.

Tamilnet took the decision to release the records, which it states were handed over personally by the late S.P Tamilselvan, in order to "facilitate a deeper understanding of the peace process and its eventual collapse".

See here for article by Tamilnet in full.

Extracts reproduced below:

The Sri Lankan government has taxed a charity for importing wheelchairs for Tamil war victims.

322 wheelchairs and other mobility equipment destined for the north of the island were taxed $8,000 by Sri Lankan customs.

The head of the Yorkshire based charity, PhysioNet, has condemned the move by the government.

Peter Thompson said the shipment took over 3 months to clear customs.