Wednesday, January 13, 2016

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The Myanmar Times

Latest News

Speaker speculation builds Wednesday, January 13
Five-day peace talks start in nation’s capital Wednesday, January 13
Judge transfer delays Unlawful Association case Wednesday, January 13
Rubber producers shutter as Chinese demand falls Wednesday, January 13
Myanmar’s dry port plan sets sail Wednesday, January 13
KMA Group returns land to former owners Wednesday, January 13

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Weekend

National News

Conflicting calls mark peace conference

Key ethnic armed groups are boycotting the talks and more than 100 civil society organisations called for their postponement, but nonetheless President U Thein Sein’s government yesterday launched the first…
NLD said to shortlist candidates for Speaker

Among the immediate tasks of the new parliament meeting on February 1 will be to elect Speakers for both houses, and sources in the National League for Democracy say the…
Winning candidate’s ethnicity questioned

The Union Electoral Commission is investigating a complaint that a winning National League for Democracy candidate in November’s election, though elected in an ethnic Shan constituency, is not an ethnic…
Canal repair reduces Yangon water supply

Householders in 19 Yangon city townships are being urged to store water as repair work proceeds on the canal that supplies much of the city’s water. The city’s Irrigation Department…
Sister of murdered UK tourist says Thai investigation ‘bungled’

The sister of murdered backpacker Hannah Witheridge has hit out at the treatment her family received from the Thai authorities, calling the investigation “bungled”.

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Sports

One game, one managerial casualty

After only two months in charge, Emerson Alcântara, head coach of 2015 national champions Yangon United, has been fired just one game into the 2016 season.
Same-same wins the day

Consistency won out in the Myanmar National League this weekend, in the opening salvo of the 2016 season.
Bright future for MMA in Myanmar, says promoter

One Championship announced its ONE: Union of Warriors event for March 17 at Yangon’s Thuwunna Indoor Stadium with ONE vice president Victor Chu describing Myanmar as one of the most…
The 2016 challenge for Yangon’s crown

With much of the national first-team squad, strong resources and a solid base in Yangon, the defending champions Yangon United remain the side to beat, in this year’s MNL-1 but…
Keep your boots on, boys

United of Thanlyin and Mahar United will start their Myanmar National League – 2 season next week after both recording second victories in their qualifying group yesterday afternoon.

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The Pulse

Bridal fashions sparkle on the runway

You can keep your chartreuses, your oxbloods and your taupes. When I’m buying a dress, give me primary colours any day. They made that rainbow for a reason.
Artists donate prophetic paintings

Do these nightmare scenes represent the shape of things to come? Two young artists are painting the dreams of King Kawthala and their interpretations, to be exhibited in a Yangon…
Human Rights Human Dignity film fest calls for submissions

Original films on human rights could win a US$1000 prize at the fourth Human Rights Human Dignity international film festival. Festival organisers have invited competition entries from both local and…
Lucky locals experience Ballons over Bagan

She stared at me, the smiling white-skinned alien who had crash-landed into her world. I stared back, at the epitome of the Myanmar citizens who likely never get a chance…
At home with history

Yangon has a new museum dedicated to U Thant, the schoolteacher from a small Ayeyarwady Region town called Pantanaw who grew up to become the third secretary general of the…

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Dining

Recipe: Cooking rice the Italian way

At long last, the secret to cooking delicious chicken, mushroom and spinach risotto in the privacy of your own domicile has been unveiled, thanks to Weekend’s award-winning guest chef, Wayne…
Secrets of food photography revealed

Behind most professional food photos is a stylist who tricks the viewer. These deceits range from a touch of lipstick to redden a strawberry to “milkshakes” made from mashed potatoes.…
Restraurant Review:Crafting a better cafe

Let"s get it out of the way: Craft Killiney is not a microbrewery. Nor, unfortunately, is the Yaw Min Gyi newcomer a craft beer bar, though with an enviable location…
The best food we ate in 2015

Grilled fish in Chinatown, kimchi stew in a supermarket and the best burger in Yangon: Weekend’s restaurant reviewers share their favourite meals of the year
5 of the Best: Christmas Dinners

It's one of the culinary highlights of the year: the family gathered together from near and far, sweet treats and strong drinks, and an afternoon spent stuffing yourself to satiation…

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Business

KMA Group returns seized land to former owners

In a rare act of restitution, the Kaung Myanmar Aung (KMA) Group has restored almost 1900 acres of land in Taungoo district to its former owners.
Kerry Logistics kicks off Myanmar’s dry port plan

Hong Kong-based company Kerry Logistics has won a concession to operate two inland ports in Myanmar, part of the government’s plan to construct a network of dry ports across the…
Industry lobbies for gold and diamond trade to be legalised

Industry bodies have asked the government to strike gold and diamonds from its list of restricted goods, saying it would boost government earnings and help to combat smuggling.
Falling Chinese demand hits rubber producers hard

As fears over China’s slowing economy send global rubber prices spiralling toward a six-year low, and demand for rubber from neighbouring heavyweights such as Thailand dries up, plantation owners across…
CBM brings real-time settlement to banks

Myanmar's banking system has taken another step toward modernisation, courtesy of the Central Bank’s new clearing and settlement system, which will make an “immense difference” to lenders’ day-to-day operations, bankers…

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Property News

Housing project prices spark public anger

The price of apartments in Myanmar’s largest housing development project, which will be sold to buyers later this year, has been met with anger from the public.
Informal contracts risk bite buyers

Most property buyers are using informal contracts that fall short of transferring full legal ownership and fail to stand up in court, a senior official from the Internal Revenue Department…
Construction market slumped in 2015 but property prices remain high

More investment companies are coming to Myanmar to answer the demand for luxury housing and office space. But although the sales prices for property remain high, the market cooled considerably…
iMyanmarHouse returns with expo

Hoping to kick-start the property market in the New Year, iMyanmarHouse, a website for selling and renting accommodation, is launching its second “Biggest Property Expo” at Tatmadaw Hall from December…
Stronger dollar hits detached housing market

Prices in the rental market for detached houses, which often function as home and office space for expat workers, have dropped sharply, according to real estate agents.

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Technology

IGT raises $122m for telecoms tower building

Irrawaddy Green Towers (IGT) has borrowed US$122 million from a group of European development finance institutions to fund part of its rollout.
Netflix streams into Myanmar

Netflix – the world’s largest internet television network – has come to Myanmar as part of the firm’s expansion into 130 new countries. But slow download speeds and expensive data…
Myanma Posts and Telecommuntions (MPT) completes over 500 towers in Mandalay region

Myanma Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) has built over 500 telecoms towers in Mandalay Region in 2015, officials told media in the country’s second-largest city last week.
Telcos targets tourists with SIM promotion

As Myanmar increasingly becomes a tourist destination, the country’s telcos have started selling SIM cards targeted at foreign visitors.
Yoma keeps stake in telecoms tower firm

Yoma Strategic Holdings has decided to hold on to its 25 percent stake in Myanmar Tower Company (MTC) owner Digicel Asian Holdings, announcing a partnership with majority shareholder and Axiata…

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Travel

Sunset viewing hill proposed to ease load on Bagan temples

A new sunset viewpoint may be built in Bagan in an effort to relieve the strain on the ancient city’s temples.
Steam train service nears end of line

Myanmar's short-lived steam train revival is already running out of puff. A weekly service for tourists was launched in Bagan in December 2014, but low demand forced the company behind…
Bagan tourism set to soar under new govt

Foreign visitors to the ancient city of Bagan could double by 2018, thanks in part to a smooth election and Myanmar’s improved international reputation, industry sources say.
From hobbit holes to high wires: a whirlwind tour of New Zealand

Want to check a few more items off your bucket list in 2016? Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or a literary buff, a week in New Zealand is all you…
B&B solution proposed for Bagan hotels

Some “limbo hotels” may get licences if international experts and government officials agree, the hotels ministry says. Owners of more than 40 hotels in the Bagan cultural protection zone, some…