Yangon Zoological Gardens celebrates 100th anniversary: THOUSANDS of visitors joined a five-day celebration marking the 100th anniversary of Yangon Zoological Gardens last week... UNICEF sets ambitious five-year program: THE United Nations Children?s Fund in Myanmar said it needed more than US$100 million to implement activities identified under its 2006-2010 country program to promote health, education and general well-being among children, said an official from the agency... Agreement will provide jobs for 30,000 Myanmar seamen: A COLLECTIVE agreement between the Myanmar Overseas Seafarers? Association (MOSA) and National Chinese Seamen?s Union (NCSU) that is expected to be finalised in February will result in employment opportunities for more than 30,000 Myanmar seamen, the president of MOSA, Captain Min Sein, said... New bridge strengthens Myanmar-Thai relations: THE opening of a second bridge last week linking Tachilek in Shan State with Mae Sai in Thailand will help promote bilateral relations, officials from the two countries said... Pakokku Awards presented: VETERAN writer Daw Thein Saing, aged 92, took home the lifelong achievement prize earlier this month at the annual Pakokku U Ohn Pe Literary Awards, named after and funded by one of Myanmar?s most well- known authors... Myanmar signs ASEAN anti-crime agreement: MYANMAR signed an Association of Southeast Asian Nations treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters on January 17 in Kuala Lumpur, said a senior official with the Ministry of Home Affairs... FAO provides US$203,000 in assistance to Forest Department: THE United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation provided US$203,000 to the Ministry of Forestry last week as part of a regional technical cooperation project... No opium production in Wa region: survey: A JOINT survey conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the government?s Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control has shown that opium poppy cultivation has ended in Wa Special Region-2 in Shan State... Turn towards straight hair puts dent in trendy pockets: AS fashions turn from perms and wavy hair to the straight locks donned by Asia?s celebrities, Yangon hairdressers are finding an increasing share of their business in offering hair straightening services... Thai-Myanmar industrial zones edge nearer as study completed: THE Myawaddy Industrial Zone came one step closer to reality: on January 20 when the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) presented the Myanmar Ministry of Industry (1) with its finalised feasibility study on developing economic and industrial zones along the Myanmar-Thai border... Developers build high-rises out of market reach: U MIN Sein isn?t happy. He has been involved in Myanmar?s construction industry for 10 years and has a reputable list of downtown projects behind his name. But low demand in the market is forcing developers to offer discounts and cash-back offers to entice hesitant buyers, he says... Photos retrace Buddha?s steps: The 189 photos, captured by amateur photographer U Than Zaw in India and Nepal, mostly document Buddhagaya, places considered holy because Buddha is believed to have stayed there... Stars remember the less fortunate: ?Our musicians would like to give them the care and love that they having been missing since they were very young. That is why we had the charity bazaar at the Myanmar Convention Center"... Barbecue buffet nights delight at Manis: BARBECUE buffets are becoming increasingly popular among Yangon?s fine dining establishments during the dry months and the challenge is on for each restaurant to distinguish itself from the others... No culture clash as hip-hop hits Yangon: EIGHT-year-old Nyan Phyo, dressed in a baggy t-shirt and drooping pants, is watching a video CD of hip-hop album Bo Lu Pwe — the final competition and imitating the performance on screen with gusto...Thinking Aloud talks to Ms Joanna Hayter, the country representative of the Burnet Institute in Myanmar... Ayeyarwaddy transport sector flooded with passengers and cargo: THE demand for government transportation along the Ayeyarwaddy River has grown in the past five years, with passenger numbers up slightly but tonnage of goods increasing by more than 100 per cent during that period.