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The water level of the Ayeyarwady River is rising significantly in Minbu (Saku) Township, Minbu District, Magway Region, and river water has begun to reach the outskirts of some low-lying villages within the township, ac
Yangon, July 5 Fighting is intensifying near Min Lpannt in Myawaddy Township, Kayin State, between the Myanmar army and the Karen National Liberation Army (KTLA), with artillery shells and machine gun fire from Myanmar l
Yangon, July 5 In Tou Chaung Village, Tantabin Township, Yangon Region, a 5-year-old girl was brutally murdered and the gold earrings she was wearing were robbed. The perpetrator has not yet been apprehended, according t
The Myanmar delegation led by State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and his wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla returned to the Tatmadaw Airport in Nay Pyi Taw on the afternoon of July 5th, after visiting
Fifteen Myanmar nationals who illegally entered the country were arrested by a joint Thai security force near the forest edge in Ban Sam Lang village, Sangkhlaburi district, Kanchanaburi province, Thailand, according to
The Myanmar high-level delegation led by President U Min Aung Hlaing and his wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, who were on a state visit to Laos, departed from Luang Prabang International Airport on a special flight back to Myanmar
Photo-Monks walk near the Sangha building inside the Juto Tantric Buddhist monastery in Dhamma Sala. Bloomberg Lumbini Garden in southern Nepal, the birthplace of the Buddha, is known for its simple, peaceful, and rural tranquility. The neat gardens and reflective ponds evoke the profound stillness experienced by a prince who left his palace to initiate a spiritual movement that would transform Asia some 2,500 years ago. In the mornings, the chanting and ringing of bells from over 20 monasteries create an atmosphere of a spiritual retreat that has long attracted Western travelers. However, unlike Rome and Mecca, which attract millions of visitors annually, Lumbini remains a developing pilgrimage center, drawing only about a million travelers a year due to poor transportation links and regional political instability. Almost all travelers are local pilgrims from Nepal and neighboring India. But the site is becoming the center of a fierce geopolitical rivalry between two major powers vying for control over the future of Buddhism. China, officially an atheist state, has spent billions of dollars in the past decade on temples, universities, relic diplomacy, and reciprocal exchanges of monks to expand its state-managed form of Buddhism. This push by China, partly driven by a desire to tighten its control over the historically restive Tibet and its future leadership, has caused concern in New Delhi and Washington. They view the move as a broader soft power play designed to undermine India's advantage as the traditional homeland of Buddhism. There can be no greater challenge than the contest to control the succession of the Dalai Lama, who will turn 91 on July 6. The Tibetan Buddhist leader fled Tibet after a popular uprising against Chinese Communist rule in 1959 and found refuge in India. If China appoints one Dalai Lama and exiled leaders choose another, the resulting succession deadlock would effectively split Tibetan Buddhism and divide loyalties within a powerful sect of a religion with 500 million adherents worldwide. That rivalry spilled over into Lumbini in 2024. Gyaincain Norbu, the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, was invited by Lhakirel Lama, who until recently was responsible for leading the pilgrimage management committee. The Panchen Lama is the second-highest-ranking figure in Tibetan Buddhism. After a six-year-old boy chosen by the Dalai Lama in the 1990s went missing, the Chinese Communist Party appointed Norbu to replace him. Since then, Norbu has been ignored and shunned by Tibetan Buddhists and Westerners. Indian and American diplomats "strongly pressured" the visit to be canceled, fearing that it would further solidify China's authority in determining the next Dalai Lama, said Lhakirel Lama, who is also a former Nepalese government minister. "They directly opposed me. What is the problem with him coming to Lumbini? Isn't he also a Buddhist?
Yangon, July 5 Two boats collided head-on in the Twante Canal in Twante Township, Yangon Region, resulting in the sinking of one vessel and the rescue of 31 people, while one person remains missing, an official from the
The Myanmar military junta has recaptured some territories in the civil war and held mock elections to legitimize its coup. While it is now seeking international recognition, it still lacks what Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the
Since the military coup, military groups have been continuously destroying and removing General Aung San's bronze statues in various townships by cutting off electricity and plunging them into darkness. According to Mizz
YT (July 5) Mizzima. Fighting has resumed between the SAC troops and allied revolutionary forces in the vicinity of Min Latt Pan village, Myawaddy Township, on the Thai-Myanmar border, and security has been increased on
U Khin Maung Soe, Union Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, who accompanied President U Min Aung Hlaing on a state visit to Laos, met with the Lao Minister of Labour and Social Welfare on July 4th to discuss the issua
President U Min Aung Hlaing received Chairman of the Myanmar–Laos Friendship Association, Mr. Chanthavong Seneamatmontry on Saturday. During the meeting, the Chairman of the Myanmar–Laos Friendship Association expressed
During the state visit, President U Min Aung Hlaing and wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla arrived at the iconic Patuxai (Victory Gate) in Vientiane on Saturday. Upon arrival, responsible authorities provided a detailed briefing on th
President U Min Aung Hlaing met with staff of the Myanmar Embassy, Military Attaché Office, and Myanmar scholars, during his state visit in Laos on Saturday. In his address, the President noted that this visit to Laos is
A new 8-storey pediatric treatment building was opened at the 550-bed Children’s Hospital in Mandalay on Saturday. Union Minister for Health Professor Dr. Thet Khaing Win, along with Mandalay Region Chief Minister U Myo
The 2026 International Cooperative Day and World Rural Development Day ceremony was held at the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development in Nay Pyi Taw on Saturday. Union Minister U Myo Zaw Thein attended the cerem
Union Minister for Industry and MSME Development Dr. Charlie Than met with the members of MSME Agency within Yangon on Saturday. During the meeting held at the Yangon Region Government Office, the Union Minister stated c
It is reported that a joint agreement for a feasibility study on implementing hydropower projects along the Mekong River on the Myanmar-Laos border was signed on July 4th, based on a Memorandum of Understanding on cooper
A new 8-storey paediatric treatment building of the 550-bed Children Hospital-Mandalay has been opened in the Mandalay Region, according to the Ministry of Health. On July 4, the opening ceremony of the new 8-storey paed
Amidst easing tensions in the Middle East and declining global energy costs, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has submitted an urgent five-point proposal to the Thai government, calling for the swift adjustment an
The National Unity Government (NUG) In Dibeyin Township of Sagaing Federal Unit, 2 drug dealers were arrested, according to the People’s Security Force. In Mahlaing Township, People’s Defence Forces attacked the junta ar
Mizzima Twenty-five human rights and advocacy organizations issued a joint statement from Washington on 2 July, raising concern over a meeting between U.S. officials and representatives of Myanmar’s military junta in Tok
Mizzima Did Telenor’s zest for tapping Myanmar’s lucrative telecom market eventually lead to phone users being imprisoned or even worse? This is the question left hanging as the Norwegian telecom giant Telenor faces renewed legal and political scrutiny over allegations that its former Myanmar subsidiary shared sensitive customer data with the military junta after the February 2021 coup, including call records linked to prominent democracy activist and former lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw before his arrest and eventual execution. The information supplied by the telecom giant allegedly included names, physical addresses, Facebook and bank accounts, location data and call logs. The serious allegations are at the centre of a class-action lawsuit filed in Norway on behalf of more than 1,200 Myanmar customers whose data was allegedly passed to military authorities after the coup. The case was filed by the Justice and Accountability Initiative, with support from the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, known as SOMO, and the Open Society Justice Initiative. TELENOR COMPLIES According to reporting by The Guardian and The Observer, based on documents obtained by Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Telenor complied with most post-coup data requests from Myanmar authorities. The reports said Telenor’s own transparency material showed the company complied with 96 per cent of 153 data requests it received from the authorities. The lawsuit alleges that Telenor Myanmar shared call logs, location-related information and other customer metadata with the junta, exposing anti-coup activists and dissidents to arrest, imprisonment, torture and, in some cases, execution. Telenor has denied legal responsibility, saying it operated under extreme pressure from the military authorities and had to protect the lives of its local employees. HIP-HOP DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST One of the most serious allegations concerns Phyo Zeya Thaw, a former National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker, hip-hop artist and democracy activist. According to the Open Society Justice Initiative, the military requested logs for a phone number owned by Zeya Thaw on 31 October 2021. He was arrested in Yangon on 18 November 2021, sentenced to death in a closed trial in January 2022 and executed by hanging in July 2022 with three other pro-democracy activists. Myanmar independent media outlet People’s Spring, citing The Observer, reported that the request came from the junta-controlled communications ministry under the justification of “national security”. The article said the requested numbers included one used by Phyo Zeya Thaw, who had been moving between safe houses and changing SIM cards to avoid being tracked after the coup. The uploaded report prepared for Mizzima also notes that the case has renewed debate over telecom companies’ human rights responsibilities, customer data protection and corporate ethics in authoritarian environments. JUNTA ARREST People’s Spring also described the day of Zeya Thaw’s arrest, saying he was staying at a safe house in Dagon Seikkan Township in Yangon when soldiers surrounded the building. His wife, Tha Zin, later questioned how the military had located them. Plaintiffs and rights groups now allege that telecom data handed over by Telenor may have helped the junta track him down. The Irrawaddy reported that plaintiffs claimed Telenor Myanmar handed over Zeya Thaw’s phone data on 31 October 2021 with the knowledge of its parent company. It also quoted his wife Tha Zin as saying the loss was not only personal but also a loss to Myanmar’s democracy movement. The case also involves civil society activist Aung Thu. The Guardian reported that NRK documents showed Aung Thu’s number was included in a military request in September 2021, when he was already in detention. He was later re-arrested and charged under counter-terrorism laws. Aung Thu was eventually released from prison after serving two-thirds of his sentence. PROMISING TELECOM SECTOR Telenor entered Myanmar during the country’s political opening and became one of the largest mobile operators in the country, helping revolutionizing people’s communications. It launched services in 2014 and later had around 18 million customers before exiting Myanmar in 2022, in the wake of the coup. Rights groups argue that many Myanmar users trusted Telenor as an international company partly owned by the Norwegianstate and expected stronger protection of their personal information. The People’s Spring article notes that Telenor’s Myanmar revenue exceeded US$800 million in 2020 and that the company had more than 16 million users nationwide at that time. Its blue three-petal logo had become associated by many users with Myanmar’s opening and greater connectivity before the coup. After the military takeover in February 2021, Telenor came under increasing pressure from the junta. The company complied with orders to block social media platforms, block websites and shut down parts of the network, according to its own disclosures cited in media reports. Digital rights advocates say such measures helped create a more repressive digital environment for activists, journalists and opposition networks. Telenor has said it complied with orders to share historical metadata, not the content of calls or messages. It has also argued that refusal to comply with military orders could have exposed its local employees to imprisonment, torture or death. In response to questions from The Observer, Telenor said what happened in Myanmar was tragic but that responsibility for how people were treated in Myanmar lay with the military authorities. Rights groups argue that Telenor knew the risks. The Mizzima report, citing The Observer, says Telenor’s internal sustainability team repeatedly warned that releasing the requested data could lead to the arrest of users, but approval was ultimately given. Telenor has said non-compliance could have placed employees in danger. TELENOR EXITS Telenor exited Myanmar in 2022 by selling its business. Civil society groups had warned at the time that the sale risked transferring customer data and telecom infrastructure to entities linked to the military. SOMO has described the exit as “irresponsible disengagement”, saying it left millions of customers exposed to severe human rights risks. The full fallout remains unclear. The Norwegian National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines later found that Telenor failed to carry out adequate human rights due diligence in relation to its Myanmar operations and exit. SOMO said the NCP concluded that Telenor had failed to conduct due diligence proportionate to the severity and likelihood of the risks in Myanmar. Telenor disagreed with several of the NCP’s conclusions. In a December 2025 statement, the company said the NCP had correctly placed primary responsibility for grave human rights violations in Myanmar on the military junta and had acknowledged the difficult dilemmas Telenor
May Shine works at the intersection of lived experience and policy, moving between diaspora communities, border research sites, and Washington policy spaces with a clear but difficult aim: to make Myanmar legible where i
A video record of 10 junta troops surrendering after resistance coalition forces attacked a column of the junta troops that was advancing into Agyi Taw village, Myaing Township, Mandalay Region, was released by the Peopl
IT is necessary to ensure that areas which have fallen behind for various reasons do not experience development gaps. Some regions, although not remote or border areas, are still underdeveloped. Therefore, efforts must a
MEMBERS of People’s Military Service Training Course 3/2024, in accord-ance with the People’s Military Service Law, have completed their du-ties under the required service period and served in various battalions and unit
THE wholesale reference prices of palm oil set for the Yangon market constantly decreased to K7,245 per viss, according to the Supervisory Committee on Edible Oil Import and Distribution. The regulated prices were set at
ACCORDING to statements from the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), a series of minor earthquakes has occurred within Myanmar over the past few days, affecting Yangon, Sagaing regions, and Shan State. At 12:1
TATMADAW columns have reportedly recaptured Meza and Nanthae villages, which were temporarily controlled by what authorities described as armed terrorist groups, according to an official statement. The statement said sec
AUTHORITIES have continued dismantling illegal buildings used for online fraud and illegal gambling activities in Shwe Kokko, according to official reports. The government said joint departmental teams are carrying out d
THE 2026-2027 monsoon paddy Rice Export Zone Programme will be im- plemented across the Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, Bago Region, Yangon Region and Ayeyawady Region, covering more than 340,000 acres, according to the first
THE Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development celebrated the 2026 International Day of Cooperatives and World Rural Development Day in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday. At the event, Union Minister U Myo Zaw Thein read out the
UNION Minister for Labour U Khin Maung Soe, who is accompanying President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar U Min Aung Hlaing on a State goodwill visit to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, met Lao Minis- ter of
DEPUTY Minister for Construction U Myo Myint, along with members of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Committee in Chin State, inspected construction ma- terials provided by the National Disaster Management Committee