The defense team for Burma’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has delivered its final arguments, closing the case ahead of a Friday verdict the Nobel laureate has said will be “painfully obvious.” (more…)

New Delhi – With speculation rife that the court will pronounce pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi “guilty”,  Burma’s state-run newspaper on Wednesday warned against predicting the outcome saying it amounts to ‘contempt of court’. (more…)

Paletwa: Tribal youths are being recruited by the Burmese Army on the Indo-Burma border from the southern part of Chin State by providing opportunities including food to the youth’s families, said a local source.
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Thousands of people began gathering at a site near Mandalay on Wednesday for one of Burma’s most popular festivals, the week-long Taung Pyone Pwe, a celebration of ancient belief in nats, or inhabitants of the spirit world. (more…)

Ruili – As of now Chinese travellers wanting to visit Burma through the border entry points must get prior approval of the Chief of Staff (Army) Office. (more…)

Rangoon- Prices of onions have doubled in a month and touched the highest point after 2006. (more…)

An outbreak of dengue fever has hit a camp in Thailand that holds some 37,000 refugees from Burma, with ten people so far known to have been affected. (more…)

A close relative of Zhou Sang, leader of the Nayai militia in Southern Shan State’s Namzang Township, has categorically denied he had anything to do with the 761 kilograms of drugs seized on July 10 in Tachilek. He, however, refused to say to whom the consignment belonged. (more…)

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday extended sanctions against Myanmar, including a ban on gem imports, as the military regime prepares a verdict for democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
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Despite Aung San Suu Kyi’s insistence on her innocence, the learned support of her lawyers and the international community, it’s clear that the generals are determined to keep her locked up.
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As a journalist, I have travelled widely in Burma. One aspect of Burmese culture never stops to surprise me: the extreme amount of respect the elderly receive. Of course we need to respect our elders. But the Burmese go far beyond what I as a European consider to be normal. (more…)

Mae Sot, Thailand – The Obama administration’s attempts to find a new approach to dealing with Burma are laudable, even if the world doesn’t know which direction it will take yet. The U.S. must maintain a tough stance whilst it seeks new avenues for engagement. Although regional cooperation as part of a new U.S. “carrot and stick” strategy has potential, thus far the incentive element lacks depth. The renewal of U.S. trade sanctions against Burma by the U.S. Congress is welcome; there must be no change to these measures until the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) show at least a modicum of respect for basic rights. (more…)

Mae Sot — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appears to have been granted a belated booby prize from Burma’s military rulers after his recent trip. On July 13, Ban bleakly reported to the Security Council that his visit was a major lost opportunity for the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) to demonstrate their commitment to change. They did not allow him to visit Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi nor did they release any political prisoners. (more…)

A court in military-ruled Myanmar will deliver its verdict in the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday in a case that could see the pro-democracy leader jailed for up to five years, her lawyer said. (more…)

Aung San Suu Kyi insisted after Tuesday’s final session of her trial before Friday’s scheduled verdict that the proceedings would show “whether or not the rule of law exists in the country,” according to her lawyer Nyan Win. (more…)

It was the house of his dreams – a small wooden home with a 15-foot ceiling, a corrugated iron roof and sturdy cement steps leading inside – and U Aung Kyin, a 57-year-old farmer with seven acres of land, had planned for a lifetime to build it. (more…)

In an attempt to influence the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Maj-Gen Soe Win the Northern Regional Commander of the Burmese military junta will meet Kachin Christian church leaders for the second time, tomorrow at 9 a.m. in Kachin State’s capital Myitkyina. He aims to neutralize the KIO’s latest political demands, said local church sources. (more…)

The Ministry of Information in Burma has begun emailing government-generated newsletters to exiled Burmese activists and journalists in an attempt to counter news-sharing by exiled opposition groups. (more…)

Yangon, Myanmar is strengthening cooperation with foreign countries on energy sector, especially in oil and gas exploration and production, attracting dozens of foreign oil companies to make investment in the sector since it opened to foreign investment in late 1988. (more…)

A medical funding group that withdrew from Burma in 2005 is considering returning to the country in a move that would inject millions of dollars into tripling the amount of people receiving treatment for AIDS. (more…)