News
Warnings of strong El Niño through June
Brace yourselves: 2016 could be the hottest year on record, bringing high temperatures, drought and perhaps more flooding to Myanmar, weather experts warn. The culprit is the El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, reckoned to be the most powerful ever, said meteorologist U Tun Lwin. Its ...
Myanmar Government ignores Amnesty report on rights abuses
The Myanmar government has said it will not respond to Amnesty International’s annual report, in which the rights group on 25 February criticised it for failing to address religious discrimination and human rights abuses. The report also alleged there was an ongoing climate of impunity for ...
Teacher numbers to grow by a quarter under reform plan
In a major nationwide overhaul of education, the government is to hire and train more than 100,000 primary-school teachers to work in a revitalised system, the Department of Education has announced. The extra teachers represent a 25 percent boost to the current workforce, which stands at ...
Southeast Asian delegations jet into Laos for Foreign Minister's retreat
Top diplomats and delegations from across 10 countries commenced descent into the Lao capital Thursday in preparation for Saturday’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Retreat. Keep reading ...
Call to boycott charter referendum will be illegal: EC
Campaigning to vote for or against the charter draft is legal but any efforts to call for a boycott of the referendum would be illegal, Election Commission (EC) member Somchai Srisuthiyakorn said on 25 February. Keep reading ...
76 Thai districts facing water shortages
As many as 76 districts in various provinces including Bangkok are facing the risk of water shortages over the next few months, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry revealed on 25 February. Keep reading ...
New wave of Myanmar hackers behind Thai website attacks
Myanmar hackers say they have attacked Thai government websites since early January and stolen data, part of a long-running, broader campaign against those critical of Myanmar’s government. The Blink Hacker Group said in Facebook posts and in an email interview that its attacks were in retaliation for ...
Feasibility study for Laos-Vietnam railway begins
A feasibility study for a railway linking the Lao capital of Vientiane with Vung Ang seaport in central Ha Tinh province of Vietnam has begun, a senior Lao official has said. The study of the 550km-long rail line is set to take about two years to ...
60,000 victims identified as Vietnam expands probe into multi-level marketing scam
Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security has ordered police in 27 cities and provinces to join an investigation into a fraudulent multi-level marketing company that managed to scam more than 60,000 people. Colonel Tran Quang Huy said the ministry had initially identified about 45,000 victims, but the ...
FDA vows to ensure fish paste dye-free
Myanmar health authorities have announced another crackdown on the use of chemical dyes in fish paste, setting an April deadline for ensuring markets are free of dangerous brands. Daw Khin Saw Hla, director of the Food and Drug Administration branch in Mandalay, said producers in Ayeyarwady ...
