Chatter: What we're hearing

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Need to know: Two former allies who led Sri Lanka to victory in a 25-year civil war dueled at the ballot box on Tuesday after a bitter campaign for the country's first peacetime presidential vote in nearly three decades.

Want to know: There are plenty of rumors about the supply chain from industry analysts over Apple's upcoming "iTablet." Or "iSlate." Or "iWhatever." If the tablet's for real, Taiwanese companies will be key contractors. Here's a roundup of the chatter.

Dull but important: What's the point of Davos, the World Economic Forum's annual ideas fest? Five experts weigh in. David Rothkopf: status-seeking-behavior. Joseph S. Nye Jr.: convening power. Ian Bremmer: bringing the world together to take its pulse.

Just because: The chances of earth being detected by alien life forms are disappearing because of the digital revolution, a leading space scientist has claimed. The scientiest said the phasing out of analogue transmissions from television, radio and radar was making our planet electronically invisible from outer space.

Wacky: A new Willy Wonka-style theme park is due to open in Beijing this week. The 215,00-square-foot theme park uses about 80,000 kilograms of chocolate, imported from Belgium. Everything in the museum is made of chocolate. The Telegraph has photos.

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