TOPIC

/ location

Myanmar

Latest news, updates and opinion on Myanmar, covering politics, economy, society and the country’s relationships with China and India, and other countries in Southeast Asia.

Capital

Naypyidaw

Head of State

Acting President Min Aung Hlaing

Head of Government

Prime Minister Min Aung Hlaing

Thailand

Thai river turns orange as dangerous toxins from Myanmar mines flush downstream

Authorities say arsenic levels in the Kok Thai river now exceed safety limits, sparking fears of ecological disaster.

28 May 2025 - 6:00PM

Bangladesh

Yunus’ resignation threat throws Bangladesh election timing into turmoil

28 May 2025 - 5:00PMvideocam

Disease

Heart disease is Southeast Asia’s biggest killer. And it’s only getting worse

28 May 2025 - 8:53AM

Asean

‘Concerned’ Asean leaders fail to issue fresh condemnation of Myanmar’s junta

Southeast Asia’s leaders reaffirm the bloc’s backing of a so-called five-point consensus as a road map for resolving Myanmar’s crisis.

27 May 2025 - 11:26PM

Southeast Asian leaders pose for a family photo at the Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Singapore

Turbulence-hit Singapore Airlines jet’s radar system sent for tests in US

Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau said a final report on the incident would be issued once the investigation is complete.

27 May 2025 - 6:46PMvideocam

Malaysia

Asean summit: Malaysia pushes for US to hold tariff talks with bloc

Bloc also launches Kuala Lumpur Declaration – a blueprint to develop the region through to 2045 – as Anwar warns of ‘unsettled’ international order.

26 May 2025 - 7:40PMvideocam

Diplomacy

Malaysia calls for expansion of Myanmar post-earthquake ceasefire

The ruling military junta initially declared a truce after an quake in late March killed nearly 3,800 and left tens of thousands homeless.

25 May 2025 - 8:33PM

People assess damage in destroyed buildings following Myanmar military airstrikes in Kyauktaw town in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State on May 15. Photo: AFP

Cambodia

Cambodia is home to world’s most powerful criminal network: report

The network’s illegal activities threaten global economic and political stability, says Jacob Sims, a transnational crime expert.

26 May 2025 - 3:55PMvideocam

Asean

Malaysia’s Anwar says Asean summit should tackle US tariffs, Myanmar crisis

The Asean chair calls for ‘assertiveness and independence’ among the 10 member countries ahead of the crucial summit on Monday.

22 May 2025 - 2:20PM

United States

Judge challenges US deportation of Asians to conflict-plagued South Sudan

Judge says US officials must keep control of migrants sent to African nation in case removals are unlawful.

21 May 2025 - 9:18PM

Migrants being deported at Fort Bliss, Texas, in February. File photo: US Department of Defence via AFP

War and conflict

How Myanmar junta’s China, Russia-supplied drones are turning the tide of war

Analysts say the use of advanced drones from China and Russia has resulted in more casualties and slowed down opposition offensives.

21 May 2025 - 8:13AMvideocam

A man stands near a burning house at the site of a suspected air strike carried out by Myanmar’s military in Rakhine state in January. Photo: Arakan Army / AFP

India

‘Outrageous’: Indian navy reportedly forces Rohingya refugees into the sea

At least 40 refugees, including children and old folks, were given life jackets, then cast adrift near the India-Myanmar border, UNHCR says.

17 May 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

Thailand

Thai tycoon wanted over deadly Bangkok tower collapse surrenders to police

Premchai Karnasuta among 17 people charged with the felony of professional negligence causing death.

16 May 2025 - 1:17PMvideocam

Xi Jinping

Xi’s Moscow meeting of Myanmar junta leader signals China’s backing of regime

Xi’s meeting highlights China’s increasing support for Myanmar’s isolated regime and indicates a strategic alignment with Russia, analysts say.

16 May 2025 - 11:00AMvideocam

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9. Photo: Xinhua

Malaysia

Ex-Malaysia PM Mahathir says US economy to ‘suffer’ from Trump tariffs

The 99-year-old warned Trump’s tariffs will backfire, and suggested the 10-member Asean bloc can weather the storm.

12 May 2025 - 6:18PM

Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad poses for a picture at his office in Putrajaya. Photo: AFP

Natural disasters

Opinion | How Myanmar’s devastating earthquake threatens to leave a lasting economic scar

The earthquake in central Myanmar poses serious risks to its fragile economy, with damages disrupting agriculture, trade and infrastructure.

11 May 2025 - 10:30AMvideocam

Natural disasters

‘Junta in the way’: Myanmar quake crisis worsens amid air strikes, scarce UN aid

Myanmar’s junta is conducting air strikes after a deadly earthquake, despite a ceasefire, while a US$275 million UN aid appeal has received only US$34 million.

8 May 2025 - 6:00PMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Trump’s tariff chaos: top Hong Kong bra maker presses on to beat 90-day pause

Trump’s 90-day pause provides opportunity for manufacturer and US clients to avoid impact of tariffs.

7 May 2025 - 10:17AM

China travel

What Labour Day tourism, spending say about China’s economic activity

The five-day holiday saw a sharp rise in tourism, and consumers took advantage of a trade-in programme, as China leans more heavily on its domestic market.

6 May 2025 - 6:39PM

Thailand

Myanmar-based warlord overseeing scam hub faces US sanctions

The US Treasury Department says the Karen National Army, run by Saw Chit Thu, is a ‘transnational criminal organisation’.

6 May 2025 - 3:39PMvideocam

Malaysia

Letters | Malaysia’s engagement with Myanmar is a smart move for Asean

Readers discuss Anwar’s leadership on Myanmar’s civil war, and the future of Hong Kong’s dollar peg.

1 May 2025 - 11:30AM

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks during a press confrence in Bangkok on April 18, after holding talks with Myanmar’s junta chief. Photo: Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia/AFP

Thailand

Bangkok to trial disaster alerts after Myanmar quake criticism

The system will use three mobile networks to send warning messages in Thai and English, accompanied by a siren.

23 Apr 2025 - 11:48PMvideocam

Rescuers search for survivors under the rubble of a collapsed building in Bangkok, Thailand, on April, 12 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE

Hong Kong society

UN experts to assess Hong Kong’s rescue team for accreditation next year

Commander of team that was recently deployed to Myanmar confident about securing international accreditation, hails good progress.

23 Apr 2025 - 12:39AM

Scams and swindles

Southeast Asia’s scam gangs go global as crackdown bites

A new United Nations report warns of a global surge in Asian-led scam centres, operating as far afield as Nigeria, Angola and Brazil.

22 Apr 2025 - 2:07PMvideocam

Thailand

Thai-Chinese firm denies safety breach at probe of Bangkok skyscraper collapse

Xin Ke Yuan Steel is being scrutinised for the quality of steel rods in a high-rise that collapsed during last month’s Bangkok earthquake, the only building to fail that day.

21 Apr 2025 - 7:43PMvideocam

A collapsed building in Bangkok, Thailand after A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28. Photo: Xinhua

2025 Myanmar earthquake

Letters | Quake-hit Myanmar can draw hope from Nepal’s rebuilding

Readers discuss Nepal’s recovery from the 2015 quake, Disney’s remake of Snow White, and the heartwarming scenes that play out on Hong Kong’s public transport.

20 Apr 2025 - 11:30AM

People walk past debris in the damaged 19th century Me Nu Brick monastery in Inwa on the outskirts of Mandalay on April 12, following the devastating March 28 earthquake. Photo: AFP

Durians in China

China’s durian determination yields golden home-grown bounty in Hainan

Tropical Hainan province has defied sceptics and rewarded investors with China-grown durian, but it ‘simply cannot compete’ with booming imports from Southeast Asia.

20 Apr 2025 - 6:00AMvideocam

Thailand

Ethnic Karen people flee Myanmar for Thailand amid bombing, unrest

Fighting has been raging in Myanmar’s Kayin state on the Thai border, with local ethnic militias battling the junta that seized power in 2021.

19 Apr 2025 - 10:23PM

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW