Green, blue, green again

The green painted fence surrounding the Town Hall which began to change to blue with the Mayor and his Councillors joining forces with the SLFP has turned back to green again. When the City Fathers joined the SLFP they in their enthusiasm decided to have the fence repainted in the colour of the party, which is blue. This was highlighted by The Island and irked President Mahinda Rajapakse who berated them ordering the fence to be painted green again. Pic. by Kamal Bogoda
 

• Govt. working on steps for NE de-merger
  Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, making a special statement in Parliament yesterday (7), said the government was in the process of taking the initial steps with regard to the recent Supreme Court decision de-merging the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
  
  

• Canada wants Lanka, LTTE to ‘build’ on Geneva II
  Canadian MP Deepak Obhrai recently urged the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to return to the negotiating table. Making a special statement at the Canadian House of Commons on November 3, Obhrai, who functions as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said: "Mr. Speaker, Canada remains concerned with the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka which has recently suffered some of the worst violence in years.

  More News

• Science and Technology: What for?
  The During the last two decades, most of the South and South East Asian countries have developed considerably by the effective use of Science and Technology (S&T) . However, in Sri Lanka S&T has been used to a relatively very little extent to the benefit of the people, although a considerable amount of scarce financial resources are used in scientific research. A large number of scientific organisations operate in Sri Lanka.
  
  More Features

• Commercial Bank exits from DFCC, Gold Quest still chasing JKH
  CSE turnover tops billion rupees for the fourth day running
  The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) continued on its upward roll with turnover topping the billion rupee mark for the fourth day running and both the All Share price index approaching its all-time highs achieved in November last year before the Presidential election.
   

• Bank board approves Southern Pakistan Water Management Action Plan
  Improving the livelihoods of thousands of poor families who have suffered adverse impacts at the very tailend of the Indus River system in southern Pakistan is at the core of a new water management Action Plan, announced by the World Bank.

  More Business

• Gayle player of the tourney
  Tharanga, Martyn not far behind
  West Indies all-rounder Chris Gayle was the runaway winner of the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 player of the tournament after an outstanding tournament for the 27-year-old Jamaican. The opening batsman was comfortably the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 474 runs at an average of 79.00 and a strike-rate of 92.94 runs per hundred balls.
   

• Fletcher has concerns over Flintoff’s durability
  SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff might be capable of bowling only a limited number of overs in the first test against Australia, forcing the visitors to carry five bowlers, coach Duncan Fletcher said Tuesday.

  More Sports

  England captain Andrew Flintoff takes part in a gym session at the Aussie Stadium Fitness Centre in Sydney, Australia, yesterday. England’s cricket team began a four month tour of Australia to defend the Ashes. (AP Photo/Tom Shaw)