Bitter political foes South and North Korea are to jointly develop a version of Linux.

The new project, tentatively named “Hana Linux”, was announced at the ICMIP 2007 event in Yenji, China, last week and will be developed jointly by both Koreas and China, according to a report from ETNews, the Web site of daily Korean technology newspaper The Electronic Times. A Linux event in Pyongyang, North Korea, in the early part of 2008 will report on progress.

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As well as a new, unified Linux, the two Koreas will also co-operate on office software in the Korean language. They also promised to work to iron out differences in IT terminology between South and North Koreans and Korean Chinese.

The idea was suggested by Hee-tak Moon of the Korea Open Source Software Association (Kossa) in South Korea, and approved by the heads of the three IT bodies–the Reunification IT Forum in South Korea, North Korea’s Chosun People’s Science Technology Association, and the Chinese Information Society–who were joint hosts of ICMIP 2007.

Training centers for Linux professionals will be developed at Yenben and Dandung in China, and at Pyongyang, Kaesong and Hoichun in North Korea, ETNews reported.

South Korea has also rolled out Linux in Seoul schools, announced plans for a “Linux showcase city” last year, and promised (in 2003) to move 30 percent of government servers to Linux by this year.

An utterly dispiriting, soul-wearying day’s play for England ended with them 341 runs away from an extremely unlikely victory, and a still a long day’s play away from limping their way out of the match with a draw. It will require a phenomenal effort if they are to manage that latter result, not least because they have squandered a considerable first-innings advantage and seen Sri Lanka gain a firm command of the match, and possibly the whole series.

Two moments that exemplified the day best would be the dismissal of Alastair Cook to the fourth ball of their second innings, and the dropping of Kumar Sangakkara, on 98 at the time, by Ian Bell. A case could also be made for the five minutes that the team spent lying flat on their backs in the afternoon trying to avoid a swarm of bees that was passing over the pitch.

Having been made to wait and wait for the inevitable Sri Lankan declaration, which eventually came with 18 overs of the day left and the score on 442 for eight, England promptly watched Cook be caught behind. He had tucked the first ball of the innings behind leg for four, but Chaminda Vaas dismissed him moments later with an out-swinger that snicked off the edge and was caught at first slip. James Anderson was sent out as nightwatchman, and he batted out what remained of the day with Michael Vaughan to leave England on nine for one.

There were very few positives to be drawn from what had happened earlier. Sangakkara scored an absolutely magnificent 152, making him the first batsman in history to pass 150 in four consecutive Test matches. His century also saw him become the ninth man to score tons against all the current Test teams.

Sangakkara began the day in the company of Mahela Jayawardene, and the pair’s partnership lasted for all but the final 10 minutes of the first session. Jayawardene was eventually dismissed for 65, out of a stand of 122, well caught down the leg-side by Matt Prior off Matthew Hoggard. His dismissal only allowed new batsman Chamara Silva to increase the scoring rate with an impish 37.

Hoggard featured only intermittently, as he was once again plagued by sore facet joints in his back. He sent down the first two overs with the new ball in the second session before succumbing to the discomfort. Peter Moores later added that it was not clear whether Hoggard would be fit for the second Test. Moores also mentioned that Kevin Pietersen’s finger injury was more serious than had initially been suspected, but confirmed that he would bat tomorrow if needed, albeit at No5 rather than No4.

And while England’s various woes worsened Sangakkara simply eased on through the match. He endured a brief spell of nerves in the 90s, and tried to hit his way out of them. Ryan Sidebottom did find his edge when he was on 98, but Ian Bell spilled the catch at slip.

Silva fell lbw to Monty Panesar with Sri Lanka on 359. From there though it was simply a case of delaying Jayawardene’s declaration by restricting the scoring rate. Jayawardene waited until another 82 runs had been added, at a rather slow pace, before calling his batsmen back inside. While the lower order searched for the extra runs their captain was seeking, Panesar and Paul Collingwood picked up some late wickets. Panesar’s scalping of Jeehan Mubarak and Lasith Malinga was small consolation indeed for his failure against the top-order. It was Collingwood who eventually removed Sangakkara, benefiting from a superb low catch by Vaughan at mid-on.

To escape with a draw England will have to keep Muttiah Muralitharan at bay throughout the final day, and if they are to do that they may well need the help of the rain which locals are forecasting may fall in Kandy tomorrow.

MORE than 8,000 Scottish youngsters were involved in choosing the best Scottish children’s books of the year - but handing out the prizes, surrounded by 400 child judges in Glasgow tomorrow will, strangely, not be culture minister Linda Fabulous.

Instead, presiding at the close of a competition run by the Scottish Book Trust, and sponsored by Royal Mail, is Labour leader and School Speed-Talking Champion 1982, Wendy Alexander. She will dish out prizes worth 15,000 in the Early Years, Younger Readers, and Older Readers categories.

It is virtually unheard of for a ruling party in Scotland to cede such a stage to a leader of the opposition - what are ministers for, if not grabbing the credit?

Ms Fandabidoozie was invited, but couldn’t make it on the day. Maureen Watt, the schools minister, offered to step in, Alba is told, but pulled out late on.

So Wendy stepped up, faster than you could say Peter Pan.

Wendy is a champion of children’s literature and delivered The Very Hungry Caterpillar speech at Holyrood. She read from Eric Carle’s book, then compared finance minister John Swinney to the caterpillar, for eating his way through announcements on post offices, bridge tolls, welfare and fairness, energy and transport. “That night he had stomach ache,” she told MSPs. It was a quote from the book, but was not rated a successful rhetorical device.

What’s in a name, George?

IS LORD George Foulkes trying to wind someone up? The troublesome Labour back-bencher has tabled a parliamentary question asking whether the Scottish Government plans to change the title of First Minister. What titles has he in mind for Alex Salmond - the Scots Prime Minister? Big Eck? El Presidente? John Swinney, minister for everything, said there are no plans at present. But what about the future? Are there schemes afoot for a new name? Alba welcomes suggestions…

A Ruby Murray must be Scots

CAN it be true? Did a Scot really give curry its name?

The oddly-named Mary McD. Ledzion (ne Currie) certainly thinks so. Writing to another newspaper, she claims: “Not many believe me when I tell them chilis were introduced to India by the Portugese. A Scotsman in Bombay some hundreds of years ago particularly liked food made with chilis. His name was Curry and that is how these dishes acquired their name.”

Is it true, or an apocryphal tale? Please let Alba know.

Setting the record straight(ish)

ALBA was amused by an e-mail from the “Labour Spin Centre” after the resignation of Wendy Alexander’s press adviser over comments at an awards ceremony. It says: “There was some doubt over [the] remarks made - the actual text is as follows: ‘Putting a bet on Alex Salmond not to win was a stupid punt’. We hope that clears up this misunderstanding.” Of course.