Fewer buses on Yangon lines but capacity unchanged, says official: THE carrying capacity of Yangon?s bus lines has been largely unaffected by a decline in the number of vehicles serving the city?s commuters in recent years, a senior official said last week. The secretary of the Yangon Division Buses Control Committee, U Myat Hla, said this was because many mini-buses had been replaced by full-size buses that can carry about three times more passengers... Havoc as river levels hit 30 year highs: On August 20, an official from the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology reported that water levels at Pyay in Bago Division were still well above the danger mark after reaching their second highest recorded level in late July... Daewoo talks of $3 billion gas plant in Rakhine: SOUTH Korea?s Daewoo International says it is considering developing a gas field and building a liquefied natural gas plant with a total cost of US$ 3 billions in Rakhine State to process gas from a huge offshore reserve discovered last January... Optical fibre link mooted: The general manager of the ministry?s Myanma Posts and Telecommunications, U Tha Oo, said the two countries agreed in principle to establish the link during a visit to Yangon in July by China?s Deputy Information Industry Minister, Mr Xi Guohua... Families of ship tragedy victims receive $2.1m in compensation: THE relatives of victims of an explosion on a cargo ship in the Caribbean Sea off Colombia earlier this year have received millions of dollars in compensation payments.A total of US$2.1 million in compensation payouts was paid into the accounts of victims at the Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank earlier this month... Myanmar Al-Qaeda suspect arrested: LAHORE ? Security forces in the eastern Pakistan city of Lahore have arrested two more Al-Qaeda suspects, including a Myanmar national carrying ?vital documents”, an official said on August 16... Music industry turns to billboards to promote new releases: ?Album producers once relied on journals and television to advertise their releases, but they have come to use temporary billboards as an important medium,” said Ko Soe Wai Phyo, the marketing assistant at the Zomia Media Company, Ltd., advertising agency... Government dismisses criticism by Powell: Responding to Mr Powell?s criticism, a government spokesperson said Myanmar had embarked on a systematic, step-by-step approach in its democratic transition process to avoid ?bloodshed, hardship and chaos”... Highway delights American drivers: A MEMBER of a group of Americans who are driving around the world to focus attention on Parkinson?s disease said the highway between Lashio and Mandalay had been the highlight of their trip so far... Singapore seeks ways to promote transport links with Myanmar. REPRESENTATIVES from the Singapore business community last week visited Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia to explore ways to improve transport links between the three countries? garment industries and key international markets... Advertising helps promote property sales, say realtors: Advertising a property for rent or sale is one of the time-honoured ways of reaching potential buyers. The Myanmar Times polled several of the country?s biggest property developers to find out what they feel about the power of advertising... New hairdos hit Yangon streets: YANGON?S youth are spending increasing amounts of time at the hairdresser as new styles and trends are hitting the streets, hairdressers and trend setters told the Myanmar Times... Myanmar food shown at KL food fair: THE fifth annual Malaysian International Food and Beverage Trade Fair 2004 and the Malaysian International Halal Food Conference were held in Kuala Lumpur last month and businesses world wide were invited to attend, including the Kyet Shar Soon food centre from Myanmar... AIDS treatment warning on trade agreements: MYANMAR needs to be prepared to minimise any negative pricing effects involving pharmaceuticals when it implements international agreements on trade related intellectual property rights (TRIPS), a workshop in Yangon has been told.