DOMESTIC NEWS: Government in pursuance of lofty goal of building peaceful, modern, developed democratic nation with flourishing discipline -- Senior General Than Shwe sends Independence Day Message ... Notifications on conferring titles and medals of commendation issued ... International level high school syllabuses, teacher manuals and refresher courses in force this academic year -- Secretary-1 attends School Family Day for 2008-2009 academic year... Foreign Heads of State send felicitations to Senior General Than Shwe ... Messages of felicitations sent to Vice-Senior General Maung Aye ... Foreign Heads of Governments send felicitations to Myanmar Prime Minister ... Religious titles conferred on Most Venerable Sayadaws, nuns, lay persons Union of Myanmar -- State Peace and Development Council Notification No. 1/2009 9th Waxing of Pyatho, 1370 M.E. (4th January 2009) ... Officials urged to strive for industrial development ... IBTC Open Golf Championships 11-14 January ... Merits shared for construction of two-storey building ... School Family Day of Institute of Education Practising High School ... Yangon Travels Journal, Volume 2, No. 1 comes out ... Latha BEHS No-2 holds School Family Day ..... "PERSPECTIVES": "Safeguard independence and sovereignty, incomparable asset".....HONOURING THE 61ST ANNIVERSARY INDEPENDENCE DAY:- ARTICLE: "ACHIEVEMENT IN TRANSPORT (RAILROAD) SECTOR IN 2008"