HOUSE OF THE WEEK

Warm single-storey house in Thingangyun

UNCOMPLICATED suburban living sums up this single-level house in Thingangyun township. The house is not overly spacious but there is a nice garden and lawn as compensation. more

Yangon Weather Forecast, Burma

Buyers snap up Labutta plots

MORE than 400 buyers have seized a chance to acquire plots of land in Labutta township, Ayeyarwady Division, which bore the brunt of Cyclone Nargis in 2008. (Volume 26, No. 510)

Avian influenza fears depress poultry markets

AN outbreak of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza strain at an army-run poultry farm in early February has had little impact on the market, industry sources said last week. (Volume 26, No. 510)

Computer market enjoying healthy new year revival

SPRING has come to Yangon’s computer hardware market. After a cool spell during the last quarter of 2009, both demand and prices are up, say retailers. As the onset of recession in 2008 forced computer manufacturers to drop their prices, unsold hardware stacked up, creating a buyers’ market. But now, demand has bounced back – and the manufacturers, who scaled back production during the recession, are struggling to meet it. (Volume 26, No. 510)

Regional fisheries management workshop focuses on livelihoods

IMPROVED livelihoods through fisheries management was the subject of a February 10 and 11 workshop held by the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) program. (Volume 26, No. 510)

Gems Emporium slated for March

THE 47th Gems Emporium will be held in Yangon from March 8-20 at the Myanmar Convention Centre, a Ministry of Mining spokesperson said last week. (Volume 26, No. 510)

MFE investigates shiitake mushroom cultivation

WATER craft in Myanmar’s territorial waters on the Mekong River are now required to pay port dues at Wanpone Port in Tachileik township, a spokesperson from the Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems (DWIR) said last week. (Volume 26, No. 510)

Oil prices up in second week of Feb

AS of February 10, groundnut oil, sesame oils and garlic are up in price while onions are down compared to last week. Rice and meat prices remain stable, say commodity warehouses in Bayintnaung and town market in Yangon. (Volume 26, No. 510)

Commerce Min rings trade changes

GOVERNMENT moves to further liberalise trade last month have led to a drop in the exchange rate for so-called export credits, which experts say will lead to more imports at lower prices. (Volume 26, No. 510)

Landmark Gardens open in NPT

SIGHTSEEING a whole country in one day is no easy task when you’re talking about Myanmar, the largest country in Southeast Asia. (Volume 26, No. 510)

A Yangon City Development Committee worker cleans up debris at Thingangyun Market on February 13

Blaze guts Thingangyun Market

A HUGE fire destroyed about 80 percent of one of Yangon’s largest markets on Friday evening but no casualties have so far been reported, officials told The Myanmar Times last week.

Australia boosts Myanmar aid

INTERNATIONAL obser-vers have applauded the Australian government for a shift in aid policy that will see funding to Myanmar almost double over the next three years.

First-time voters to decide 2010 poll

FOR 25-year-old Wai Wai, the 2010 general election will be her first opportunity to shape the future of her country. She says she has already decided to give her vote to the political party she feels will bring economic development and improve people’s real living standards.

» More local news

Regular section

Media roundup

Word on the street

Your Stars for this week

Flight schedules

Members of the ODC dance company perform at the American Club

ODC perform in Yangon

OBERLIN Dance Company from the US performed a series of contemporary dances at the American Club in Mayangone township on February 9.

Monks donate blood to needy patients

IT is midnight and the telephone is ringing in the compound of Ywar Ma Pariyati Sarthindeik monastic school. A young monk picks up the phone, on the other end a woman beseeches him to find a monk who is willing to donate blood to her sick relative. This is not a one-off, but a daily occurrence.

Chinese New Year lion dance

CAPITAL Hypermart’s Chinese New Year lion dance contest came to a close on February 10 with Hong Bao Shi team winning the top prize.

Hip-hop dancers break ground not limbs

SINCE hitting the mainstream in the 1970s, hip-hop dancing has maintained its status as a technically difficult, high intensity form of dance most associated with the street rather than polished stage performances. Although late to arrive in Myanmar, plenty of kids are still risking their limbs to impress their friends with some cool moves.

» More timeout story

the skies above the newly built National Sports Complex

Myanmar firms as favourite

VALENCIA– German Formula One legend Michael Schumacher admitted he felt like a kid with a new toy as he took his Mercedes car out for the first time, February 1, ahead of his official return to the sport after a three-year absence.

MFF terminates coach

A series of poor performances in the lead up to the AFC Challenge Cup has resulted in the Myanmar Football Federation(MFF) terminating the contract of head national coach Drago Mamic.

Equestrian event

Myanmar’s Equestrian Federation is to hold its first event for 2010, The Baron’s Cup. The event will be held on February 27 at the federations equestrian grounds in North Dagon Township.

Shane Warne announces plans to create a global‘IPL style’ series

LONDON – Shane Warne said he wished he was “20 years younger” as he helped unveil plans for a new global Twenty20 alliance.

» More sport news

Ravenous Garra rufa fish consume the dead skin on the feet of a traveller at a Dr Fish Massage stall in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Feasting fish relieve weary travellers

CURIOSITY stirred, I decided to take the plunge and test the popular Dr Fish Massage. The signboard advertised 20 minutes in the pool with hordes of Garra rufa fish for just US$3 and promised that the fish would remove the dead skin from my hands and feet. This would leave them smooth, while at the same time acting as a form of stress relief.

Singapore welcomes 9.7 million visitors

SINGAPORE – Singapore welcomed 9.7 million visitors in 2009, down 4.3 percent from 2008 but exceeding forecasts due to an aggressive marketing campaign amid a global recession, the government said last week

Tourism Myanmar Update

Inya Lake Hotel is launching www.eventsinyangon.com, the one and only website with updated events listings for Yangon. This website features a calendar of events, from music concerts and art gallery openings to social occasions in the hotels and bars around the city.

» More travel story