Myanmar’s military junta has expanded its ban on sanitary pads, claiming that resistance fighters use them for medical purposes. Although no official announcement has been made, the restriction is part of a broader strategy known as the “four cuts,” aimed at depriving opposition forces of essential supplies. The ban, which began in some rebel-held areas in August last year, now includes a transport blockade between Mandalay and Sagaing.

Women’s rights group Sisters2Sisters said the military alleges that the People’s Defense Force uses menstrual products to absorb sweat and blood in combat. Health experts, including Meredith Ban of Skills for Humanity, dismissed this claim, noting that sanitary towels are unsuitable for treating wounds. Activists described the policy as misogynistic and harmful, forcing women to rely on unsafe alternatives such as torn cloth or leaves, increasing risks of infections.

As prices for pads have tripled on the black market, many women face severe discomfort and reduced mobility. Observers believe the junta’s actions aim to further restrict women’s participation in public and political life, reflecting a broader pattern of gender-based repression.

Myanmar’s government has reduced the prison sentence of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi as part of a New Year general amnesty. Her lawyer told Reuters on Friday that the reduction amounts to one-sixth of her total sentence. It remains unclear whether the Nobel laureate will be allowed to serve the remainder of her sentence under house arrest.

Suu Kyi has been serving a 27-year prison term on multiple charges, including incitement, corruption, electoral fraud, and violation of state secrets laws. She was ousted from power in a 2021 military coup that overthrew her elected government.

The partial reduction of her sentence comes amid continued political repression in Myanmar, though the government has not clarified whether the amnesty signals any broader policy shift toward detained political figures.

The Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group in Myanmar, has declared its goal to achieve “final victory” and take full control of Rakhine State by 2027. The announcement was made by Major General Twan Mrat Naing, the group’s leader, during the AA’s 17th founding anniversary on Friday, according to Myanmar Now. Since launching its offensive in late 2023, the AA has captured 14 townships in Rakhine and Paletwa in southern Chin State, leaving only three townships—Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaung—under junta control.

In his anniversary address, Naing reaffirmed the group’s determination to continue fighting Myanmar’s military junta alongside allied forces. The AA is part of the Brotherhood Alliance, which began “Operation 1027” in Shan State shortly before the Rakhine offensive. The group has also established administrative, judicial, educational, and healthcare systems in areas under its control.

Despite these gains, ongoing air and naval attacks by junta forces have displaced large numbers of civilians, raising humanitarian concerns across the region.

Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing has been elected president, five years after leading a coup that removed the country’s elected government. The parliamentary vote took place on Friday, where he secured at least 293 out of 584 votes, formally consolidating his control over the war-torn nation.

His nomination was proposed earlier in the week after the new parliamentary session began. In accordance with the constitution, Min Aung Hlaing stepped down as commander-in-chief of the armed forces before assuming the presidency. The current parliament is dominated by his loyalists, as one-quarter of the seats are reserved for the military and the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) won about 80 percent of the remaining seats in the recent election.

Min Aung Hlaing, aged 69, had orchestrated the 2021 coup against Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s administration, triggering widespread protests that later evolved into nationwide armed resistance against military rule.

Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 coup against Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, is set to become the country’s next president after a parliament dominated by his loyalists convened on Friday. He resigned as commander-in-chief to assume the post, fulfilling a long-delayed promise of returning to civilian rule, though the process remains largely symbolic. The military’s party, the USDP, won nearly 80 percent of contested seats in an election widely seen as predetermined.

The new government is expected to remain heavily militarized, with General Ye Win Oo, a close ally of Min Aung Hlaing, confirmed as the new army chief. The incoming president has also formed a powerful advisory council with authority over both civilian and military affairs. Analysts and opposition groups say the shift will not alter Myanmar’s ongoing conflict, which has displaced millions and devastated the economy since the coup.

Opposition forces, including the National Unity Government, continue to reject the election as illegitimate and vow to fight for a federal constitution. Meanwhile, economic hardship, fuel shortages, and widespread displacement persist across the country.

Myanmar’s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was elected vice president by the country’s lower house of parliament on Tuesday, according to a parliamentary official. The official confirmed that Min Aung Hlaing received 247 votes out of 260 lawmakers during a live broadcast session, marking a significant step toward consolidating his hold on power and potentially becoming president.

Reports from Naypyidaw via AFP stated that three vice presidents are scheduled to be elected this week. Once the process is complete, the full parliament will vote to select one of them as president. The election marks a key moment in Myanmar’s ongoing political process under military control.

The development positions Min Aung Hlaing closer to the presidency, strengthening the junta’s influence over the country’s political institutions as the selection process continues.

Myanmar’s military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has resigned to contest in the country’s upcoming presidential election. The announcement came on Monday in Naypyidaw, where Hlaing formally handed over his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to General Ye Win Oo, an experienced officer. Ye Win Oo, who was appointed intelligence chief in 2020, was promoted earlier this month to lead the military.

On the same day, Myanmar’s newly elected lower house of parliament nominated two vice-presidential candidates, including Hlaing. The upper house will nominate another candidate, and the combined parliament will later vote to elect one of the three as president. The date for the vote has not yet been announced.

The election, held under military control, was the first since the 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and triggered civil war. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won a majority, though the United Nations and several Western countries have dismissed the polls as a sham.

Myanmar’s military junta secretly imported jet fuel from Iran in three separate shipments before the outbreak of war involving the United States and Israel, according to a report by Japan-based Nikkei Asia citing internal sources. The shipments were delivered to the Myan Oil terminal near Yangon’s Thilawa Port, previously known as Puma, which serves as a jet fuel storage facility. Documents reviewed by Nikkei showed that the supplier vessel, MV Reef, falsely declared Iraq as the fuel’s origin. The ship, capable of carrying 18,376 tons or about 146,000 barrels of fuel, was suited for Yangon’s shallow waterways.

Sources told Nikkei that the junta imported an unusually large volume of jet fuel to sustain its military operations amid the ongoing civil conflict. Former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s ex-adviser, Australian economist Sean Turnell, confirmed the Iranian fuel supply as genuine and significant. He noted that Myanmar’s foreign reserves remain strained, and rising global fuel prices following the Iran war could deplete the junta’s surplus used for purchasing weapons from Russia, leaving it without a key supplier.

The report suggests Myanmar may now need to seek alternative fuel sources as sanctions and price surges intensify.

At least 26 civilians were killed and 19 others injured in airstrikes carried out by Myanmar’s ruling military junta in the country’s western and northwestern regions, according to local media reports cited by AFP on Wednesday. In the western Rakhine State, 17 civilians, including women and children, were killed and 14 injured when airstrikes hit Yoengu village near Ponnagyun town, about 33 kilometers northeast of the state capital Sittwe.

A resident of Ponnagyun said some of the injured were in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll could rise. In a separate attack in the northwestern Sagaing region, nine civilians, including two children, were killed and five others injured when military paramotors dropped three bombs on a site where locals were reportedly using Starlink devices for internet access.

Since the military coup in February 2021, clashes between the junta and ethnic armed groups have intensified. Human rights organizations report that more than 6,000 people have been killed and about three million displaced since the coup.

The United Nations has reported that at least 170 civilians were killed in more than 400 airstrikes conducted by Myanmar’s military during a two-month voting period. The information was released from Geneva on Friday, citing data verified by the UN human rights office. According to the report, the attacks occurred between December 2025 and January 2026, coinciding with the country’s election process.

The UN human rights office stated that the figures were based on credible sources and confirmed that approximately 408 airstrikes took place during the election period. The organization also warned that the actual death toll could be higher than the confirmed number of 170.

The report underscores growing international concern over civilian safety in Myanmar amid ongoing military operations during politically sensitive periods.

A military-backed political party in Myanmar has claimed victory in the junta-run national election, according to a report from Yangon by AFP on Monday. A senior official from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) told AFP that the party had already secured a majority, though he requested anonymity because preliminary results had not yet been released.

The official stated that the USDP was now in a position to form a new government. The election was organized under the direction of the military authorities currently governing Myanmar. No official results or independent verification of the party’s claim were available at the time of reporting.

The absence of published results leaves uncertainty about the scale of the USDP’s claimed majority and the broader political response within Myanmar.

Myanmar held the final phase of its month-long general election on Sunday, organized under the military junta’s authority. The army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is widely expected to secure a decisive victory. Critics argue that the election aims to extend military rule under the guise of civilian legitimacy. Voting began at 6 a.m. in several constituencies, though large areas under rebel control could not participate.

The country, long under military dominance, had moved toward limited civilian reforms in the 2010s before the 2021 coup halted that process and led to civil conflict and humanitarian crisis. The junta has promised to return power to the people, but the exclusion of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the dissolution of her National League for Democracy (NLD) have fueled claims that the polls are rigged in favor of the military’s allies.

Analysts note that the USDP, dominated by former military officers, already won most seats in earlier rounds. The new parliament will elect the next president, with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing seen as a possible contender. Official results are expected later this week.

At least 27 people were killed in separate airstrikes carried out by Myanmar’s military junta on a wedding gathering and a funeral, according to a report by local outlet The Irrawaddy on Thursday. The attacks occurred in Kachin State’s Hpakant Township and Magway Region’s Aunglan Township, leaving many others injured, including women and children.

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) stated that 22 civilians died and at least 28 were injured when the junta bombed Kaung Zar village in Hpakant during a funeral. The village, home to displaced families, lies near the Irrawaddy River close to Hpakant town. KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu said there were no KIA members in the area and accused the junta of deliberately targeting civilians. Earlier the same day, another airstrike on a wedding preparation in Magway’s Tat Kone village killed at least five people, including a child.

Days earlier, the junta also bombed a prison run by the Arakan Army in Rakhine State, killing 21 detained soldiers and relatives and injuring 30 others.

At least 21 people were killed and 28 others injured when Myanmar’s military junta carried out an airstrike on a village near Bhamo in northern Kachin State. The attack occurred Thursday afternoon in Hotilin village, west of Bhamo, during a prayer ceremony for the dead. According to Colonel Naw Bu, spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), a jet bombed the mourning site, a camp for displaced people, a school, and a market. Around 500 people, including displaced residents, were present at the time, and several of the wounded are in critical condition.

The strike comes amid ongoing conflict across Myanmar since the military seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government on February 1, 2021. Following the coup, peaceful protests were met with deadly force, pushing many opposition groups to take up arms. Non-governmental data indicate that more than 7,700 people have been killed by security forces since then.

The KIA, allied with pro-democracy forces, has been fighting the junta, which has recently intensified air attacks ahead of a planned election in Bhamo. KIA claims control of the city’s outskirts, making the vote unlikely to proceed.

The junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has taken a commanding lead in Myanmar’s second round of the disputed general election. According to Al Jazeera, the party won 90 out of 102 seats contested in the latest phase. In the first round held on December 28, the USDP secured 86 of 102 seats. Combined results from the two rounds give the party 182 out of 330 total seats, surpassing the threshold for a simple majority. The election is being conducted in three phases across the country.

Voting for the first phase covered 202 constituencies on December 28, while the second phase took place on January 11. The final phase of voting is scheduled for January 25, with complete results for both national and regional legislatures expected by the end of January. Military spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun stated last weekend that parliamentary sessions for both houses will be convened in March, and a new government is expected to assume office in April.

The ongoing election process remains controversial, with final outcomes anticipated to shape Myanmar’s political direction in the coming months.