Senior General Than Shwe pays homage to pagodas in Bagan-NyaungU NAY PYI TAW, 18 Dec-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe, accompanied by State Peace and Development Council member General Thura Shwe Mann and party, paid homage to pagodas in Bagan-NyaungU at 11.30 a.m. yesterday.[ more + ] Kaba-Aye Condominium and Gamonpwint Shopping Mall opened YANGON, 18 Dec - Lt-Gen Myint Swe of the Ministry of Defence attended the opening ceremony of Kaba-Aye Condominium and Gamonpwint Shopping Mall jointly-implemented by Yangon City Development Committee and Gamonpwint Co Ltd which held in front of the Gamonpwint Shopping Mall building on Kaba-Aye Pagoda Road in Mayangon Township yesterday. [ more + ] Rural development, self-reliant village libraries supervised in Pale Township NAY PYI TAW, 18 Dec-To supervise rural development tasks and development of self-reliant village libraries in Pale Township, Sagaing Division, Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan continued his trip to Nweshauk Village of the township on 15 December and met with over 1,700 local people from Nweshauk, Kyunphogon and Kanbauk villages.[ more + ] Twantay Township gets Tamatakaw Bridge YANGON, 18 Dec-The opening ceremony of Tamatakaw Bridge built by Engineering Department (Road and Bridge) of Yangon City Development Committee was held at the bridge near Tamatakaw village in Twantay Township this morning, attended by Lt-Gen Myint Swe of the Ministry of Defence, Chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council Commander of Yangon Command Brig-Gen Win Myint, Chairman of Yangon City Development Committee Mayor Brig-Gen Aung Thein Lin, departmental officials, members of social organizations, students and local people. [ more + ] Preparations for drilling test-well inspected in Thagyitaung oilfield NAY PYI TAW, 18 Dec-Minister for Energy Brig-Gen Lun Thi on 14 December inspected preparations for drilling the well in Thagyitaung oilfield with the use of machinery in Pauk Township.[ more + ] MYANMAR GAZETTE NAY PYI TAW, 18 Dec-The State Peace and Development Council has appointed U Win Myint, Manager of Yangon No. 1 Cigarette Factory of Myanma Foodstuffs Industries under the Ministry of Industry-1, as Director-General of the Directorate of Industries under the same ministry on probation from the date he assumes charge of his duties.[ more + ] Minister inspects river water pumping projects in NayungU NAY PYI TAW, 18 Dec - Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation Maj-Gen Htay Oo together with Chairman of Magway Division Peace and Development Council Col Phone Maw Shwe and departmental heads inspected river water pumping projects, Myakan Dam and thriving Ngwechi-6 long staple cotton plantation in Nyaung U Township on 16 December.[ more + ] Youth Basketball Tournament concludes YANGON, 18 Dec- The prize presentation ceremony of Myanmar Basketball Federation President's Cup Youth Basketball Tournament was held at Kyaikkasan Gymnasium here today. In the final match of U-16 Men's event, I.L.B.C team won over Venon with 63-23 point, in Women's event, Yangon Division edged out D.B.E (3) with 57-39, in U-13 Men's event, I.L.B.C beat D.B.E (3) 56-53 and in Women's event, Mogok thrashed D.B.E (3) 79-22.[ more + ] Course on construction & maintaining power grid concludes NAY PYI TAW, 18 Dec - Conducted by Ministry of Electric Power No. 2, course No. 2/2008 on construction and maintaining of power grid system concluded at the ministry here yesterday.[ more + ] Prize presentation ceremony of colour photo contest on 21 Dec YANGON, 18 Dec-Securitizing Committee has selected winners of colour photo contest titled Peaceful and Modern Myanmar, held in commemoration of 61st Anniversary Independence Day, which falls on 4 January, 2009. The prize presentation ceremony will be held at Central Hotel on Bogyoke Aung San road here on 21 December.[ more + ] Russian Language Course in Feb YANGON, 18 Dec - With the arrangement of the Union of Myanmar Travels Association, Russian language course (Intermediate Level) will be opened in early February, 2009. [ more + ] Yenangyoung Township BEHS No. 1 gets new school building NAY PYI TAW, 18 Dec-A ceremony to open the newly-built Shwe Parami two-storey school building donated by Shwe Parami Tawya Sayadaw Ashin Çhandhadhika and laypersons and wellwishers and to hand over the documents related to the building to the Ministry of Education was held in front of the school building of Yenangyoung Township Basic Education High School No 1 in Magway Division on 14 December. [ more + ] Stipend granted to four-distinction winner YANGON, 18 Dec-Stewards and airhostesses of flight section batch (3) from Air Bagan Ltd, to mark their third anniversary service, granted stipend to Ma Myat Pwint Phyu Aung of Salingyi BEHS, daughter of U Aung Min, who passed the 2007-2008 academic year matriculation examination with four distinctions.[ more + ] MGEA sets up Yangon Division Association office YANGON, 18 Dec - Myanmar Gold Entrepreneurs Association opened its Yangon Division Association Office on Shwebontha Street at No. (62/68) on the first floor in Pabetan Township, here yesterday.[ more + ]....."PERSPECTIVES": "Nurture the youth for promotion of national education".....ARTICLES: "We remain unperturbed"-3 Kyaw Ye Min: "...Myanmar is a country that is trying to achieve development of agriculture as the base and all-round development of other sectors of the economy as well. In 2007, the agricultural sector contributed round about 146 per cent of domestic demand. And for 2008, to meet more than 150 per cent of local demand is on target. The nation contributes to world food security by exporting its food surplus..."...."North Yama Supporting Dam contributes to supplying potable water, greening Pale Township", Article & Photos: Khin Maung Than (Sethmu).