The Brunei Book Fair 2005 has received around 30 thousand visitors, an increase of book enthusiasts compared to the previous year. At the closing ceremony last night, participants of the fair received their certificates from the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Pehin 0rang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Paduka Awang Haji Adnan.

The chairman of the ceremony, Awang Haji Abu Bakar bin Haji Zainal said the encouraging response from the public proved that more Bruneians are now interested in gaining knowledge. Some one thousand seven hundred students and two thousand people visited the book fair everyday.

Caring individuals and concerned government organisations yesterday launched a joint effort to dismantle a dilapidated stilted house in Kampung Lurong Sekuna in Kampong Ayer.

Some 70 personnel and representatives from the Brunei Muara District Office, the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, the Fire Department, the Electrical Department, the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation, the Community Consumer Department, the Kampung Lurong Sekuna residents and its Consultative Council that organised the effort.

The stilted house occupied by Dayang Alimah Metassim with her family of 19 had to be demolished so the occupants had to move out the premise as the house was unsafe to live in. This was the fourth stilted house in Kampung Ayer that needed to be dismantled due to safety concerns.

The final race of the 'Le Tour De Brunei 2005' concluded yesterday at the Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar Ali Saifuddien in the capital. The route covered around 90 kilometer distance of a 60 round laps around the capital.

The winner of the fifth stage of the Le Tour De Brunei was Edi Purnomo of Indonesia's Customs Cycling Club, who collected a total of 15 cretarium points. Mohamad Firdaus Daud of Malaysia 'A' grabbed second place two points behind the winner. And, third place went to Amir Mustafa Rusli from Malaysia's National Sports Council with 10 cretarium points.