HLUTTAW SESSIONS:- Pyidaungsu Hluttaw: Pyidaungsu Hluttaw approves 3 amendment bills: "Nay Pyi Taw, 16 July — The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw on Thursday approved the third amendment bill of the Union Judiciary Law, the third amendment bill of the Constitutional Tribunal Law of the Union and the amendment bill of the Union Civil Services Board Law. The parliament also approved the reformation of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw?s Joint Bill Committee. Union Minister for Finance U Win Shein read out the second half-year Union Budgets Report 2014/2015 submitted by the central government. The budget estimate for the second half of the financial year amounts to 96.91 percent of total earnings, with 97.91 percent as the total budget estimate of the whole financial year. The union minister added that the statistics mentioned in the second half-year financial report are based on approximate budget allocations collected at the close of the fiscal year. True figures will be announced soon after the auditor?s approval, he said. According to Daw Sanda Min of the Zabuthiri constituency, the income- expense scrutiny from fiscal 2013-2014 to the first half-year of 2014- 2015 revealed a loss of K22.699 billion, with the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rural Development alone still owing 31.793 billion to the Union. She also urged the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement to explain to parliament how they spent their budget allotments."...Pyithu Hluttaw: Pyithu Hluttaw approves bills amending insurance law and saving bank law: "Nay Pyi Taw, 16 July — Citizenship scrutiny cards have been issued to 6.4 million citizens, Deputy Minister for Immigration and Population U Win Myint told the Thursday?s session of Pyithu Hluttaw. In his response to the query on plan to easily deliver citizenship scrutiny cards to citizens who were born of two citizen parents without delay raised by U Soe Win of Kyauktada Constituency, the deputy minister said that as citizenship is an important role in the security of the nation, allowing citizenship to a disqualified person would be harmful to the nation in the long run. According to the law, it will take a certain length of the time for foreign mixed races to get through the citizenship process. U Than Myint of Salingyi Constituency asked about plan to take deterrent action against drug traffickers and crime brokers to prevent abuse of narcotic drugs among the youths. Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Brig-Gen Kyaw Kyaw Tun said that Yinmar Plan was implemented as anti-drug campaign with various work groups including Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control. Action is taken against the drug traffickers and those related to the narcotic drug cases, and drugs and related equipment were confiscated. Deputy Minister for Finance Dr Maung Maung Thein submitted the bill amendment of foreign exchange management law. Pyithu Hluttaw Bill Committee member U Thein Tun Oo read out the report. The Hluttaw invited MP to discuss the bill. The Hluttaw approved the bills amending the insurance law and saving bank law."..... DOMESTIC NEWS: Gov?t, ethnic armed groups set to resume negotiations toward ceasefire accord...Excess relief goods sold at stalls in Rakhine: sources...Vice president delivers aid to flood victims in Rakhine State...Former Guardian newspaper building set to become writers? haven...Dy Minister for Environmental Conservation and Forestry meets director of Wuntho Resources Co...Students create portraits of General Aung San...Computerized mapping course gives surveyors new perspective...Medical gives checkups to factory employees...MPT slashes landline installation cost...UEC supervises election preparations in northern Shan State..... EXTERNAL RELATIONS: UN official welcomes child soldier progress, says more must be done...Appointment of ambassador agreed on...Appointment of ambassador agreed on...Myanmar Schools Project Foundation donates school building, equipment worth K50 million...Myanmar youth to participate in two invitational golf tourneys in U.S..... "PERSPECTIVES": "Ownership of policy can ensure success" by Myint Win Thein..... ARTICLE: "Religious, political figures share thoughts on Martyrs? Day" by Khin Yadana