Edible oil industry: THE domestic edible oil industry has benefited from restrictions on exports and imports, an industry representative said in an interview... Numbered badges for police in Mandalay: MANDALAY traffic police have been issued with identification numbers to replace name tags, in line with their Yangon counterparts... Thai PM hails outcome of visit: MYANMAR and Thailand will cooperate more closely in suppressing narcotics and on border security issues, the Thai Prime Minister, Mr Thaksin Shinawatra, said at the end of a two-day working visit last Monday... Asean unity essential, FM tells workshop: ASEAN must work closely as a group if it is to have any international influence in an increasingly integrated world economy, the Foreign Minister, U Win Aung, has told a regional workshop in Yangon... SPDC Chairman stresses unity, stability in Union Day address: THE Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, Senior General Than Shwe, stressed the importance of the national unity and stability in a message to the nation last Wednesday marking Union Day... Foiled plot prompts plea to members of political parties: THE government has called on members of political parties to help its efforts for a peaceful transition to democracy by respecting the law... Banks safe, assures govt: THE Central Bank of Myanmar has assured the public that private banks will not be affected by the collapse of four general services companies in Yangon... International community should do more, says Russian envoy THE international community should provide more assistance to Myanmar, the Russian ambassador, Mr Oleg Kabanov, said last week... Cambodia proposes Phnom Penh governor as next ambassador: THE Cambodia ambassador, Mr Nim Chantara, is due to leave his post early next month to take up the position of under secretary at the Foreign Ministry in Phnom Penh, a diplomatic source said last week... Seafood exports tipped to exceed $300m: EARNINGS from seafood exports this financial year are expected to be at least US$50 million higher than in 2001-2002, Fisheries Department director, U Tin Win, said last week... NGO formally opens first of 100 schools: THE first of 100 primary schools in Shan State to be funded by the Nippon Foundation, a Japanese non-government organisation, was formally opened near Taunggyi last Monday... Trees set to increase output of edible oil: MYANMA Perennial Crops Enterprise is optimistic that oil produced from the aceituno tree will make an important contribution towards meeting the demand for edible oil, its general manager, U Tin Saung, said last week... IT roadshow draws big crowds: ORGANISERS have expressed delight at the crowds attracted by a roadshow which travelled to six towns to demonstrate the benefits of information technology... Research team issues warning on caffeine: A SURVEY by a medical research team has highlighted the importance of avoiding excessive amounts of caffeine. The survey found that many beverages and food products contain high amounts of caffeine... AIDS project targets bus, truck drivers: THE Myanmar Red Cross Society and a Swiss non-government organisation, the Association Francois-Xavier Bagnoud, have unveiled plans for a joint project to create greater awareness about HIV-AIDS among long distance truck and bus drivers and their assistants... Life skills classes for next academic year: THE ministries of Health and Education have prepared a life skills curriculum which will be introduced in the basic education system in the 2003-2004 academic year...ADB downgrades growth forecasts: THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) last week downgraded its 2003 economic growth forecast for East Asia, citing an impending Iraq war and easing export momentum... New look for state newspapers helps to increase circulation: CHANGES to three state-owned newspapers have helped to increase circulation, U Tin Kha, the managing director of the Ministry of Information?s News and Periodical Enterprise, said last week... Lecture on old Rakhine: THE resident representative of a prestigious French university suggested in a lecture last week that the contribution of the ancient kingdom of Rakhine to Myanmar?s role as a gateway between South and Southeast Asia deserved further study. Dr Jacques Leider, a professor at the Ecole Francaise d?Extreme Orient in Paris who has spent the past year in Yangon, made the suggestion in an address titled L?Arakan, un royaume bouddhiste en Birmanie (‘Rakhine, a Buddhist kingdom in Myanmar?) at the Alliance Francaise last Tuesday... Eight days and 70 eye operations: A BRITISH surgical team has restored the sight of 70 patients in operations performed during an eight-day visit to a hospital in Sagaing run by Buddhist monks... Australian kidney specialists sign cooperation agreement: A KIDNEY specialists? organisation in Australia will provide technical and educational assistance for its Myanmar counterpart under an agreement reached in Yangon earlier this month... Agreement reached on flights from Israel: THE civil aviation authorities of Myanmar and Israel have reached an agreement on flights between Yangon and Tel Aviv, Israeli ambassador Yaacov Avrahamy revealed last Thursday... Building sector booms: YANGON is enjoying a building boom, according to figures issued by the Yangon City Development Committee. The figures show that the YCDC issued 333 building permits between April 1 and January 17, compared to 198 for all of the 2001-2002 financial year... Austrian NGO team visits: A two-member delegation from an Austrian non-government organisation that specialises in tourism, regional planning, and sustainable development is on a one-week fact-finding visit to Myanmar. The NGO, Respect, plans to issue a statement on the tourist industry based on its findings during a tour of the country from February 11 to 19... Amnesty visit ‘a positive step?: THE government has described a visit by an Amnesty International delegation earlier this month as a "positive step" that would pave a way for developing a constructive dialogue on human rights issues with the London-based organisation. Japanese man gives $2.5m for IT training: A JAPANESE businessman has donated about US$2.5 million to the Myanmar Computer Federation to fund a series of training courses in information and communications technology...The betel habit - Interviews by Wai Phyo Myint.