The Buddhist kingdom plans to take a punt on legalised gambling as it rues the billions of dollars in untapped gaming revenue that’s been left on the table. But will it hit the jackpot?

Myanmar is in the throes of an insurgency on multiple fronts, with the junta facing its biggest challenge since mounting a coup to seize power in 2021.

The single-visa concept would cover Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, ensuring seamless mobility for travellers among the six neighbouring countries.

Analysts point to social-media disinformation to ‘discredit’ and ‘demonise’ Rohingya refugees in the lead-up to the presidential election in February.

The move to deport the Rohingya refugees happened just as India enacted a controversial new citizenship law.

For the first time, more people in Southeast Asia favour alignment with China over the US, a new survey shows. But distrust in Beijing also ticked higher.

China, which has strong ties with Myanmar’s military junta, is developing a rival deep water port near the US$484 million India-led road-and-waterway project.

The announcement of the drill in Yunnan province follows a similar exercise held in November as rebel groups began a major offensive against the junta.

A domestic helper punched, slapped and bit the 101-year-old woman in her care. She also taped the woman’s mouth to prevent her screams of pain from being heard.

India is sending back thousands of Myanmar refugees, whom they blame for ethnic violence erupting in Manipur state.

Some 19 per cent of the roughly 1,100 fish species in Southeast Asia’s longest river are heading towards extinction, according to a report compiled by the WWF and 25 global marine and wildlife conservation groups.

Thai deputy police chief Surachae Hakparn said the operation involved 15 flights over three days to return Chinese scam victims to China.

Japan is being criticised for not standing up for human rights by calling out Vladimir Putin or the Russian government over opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s death in custody.

A conscription order by Myanmar’s weakened junta has seeded dread among the nation’s youth, with many making plans to flee or join pro-democracy fighters to avoid being drafted.

The Japanese gang member is said to have sourced uranium and plutonium from Myanmar and had hoped to use sale proceeds to buy surface-to-air missiles for an insurgent group.

The move allows the military to summon all men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 to serve for at least 2 years.

Last month’s China-mediated ceasefire between Myanmar’s junta, the Arakan Army and other ethnic minority fighters doesn’t apply to areas near the Bangladeshi and Indian borders.

Chinese infrastructure investments, cybercrime and speculation about Beijing’s position complicate ceasefire negotiations between Myanmar’s military government and rebel groups, observers say.

An official said 131 people escaped from the Bidor immigration detention depot in Perak state.

Democrat Betty McCollum and Republican Bill Huizenga said the first-ever caucus on the coup-hit nation will ‘address issues impacting the Burmese people across the US’.