Bridging the gap between Yangon's haves and have-nots
On her scruffy, downtrodden bank of the river, tea shop owner Khin Than Myint works just a few hundred meters across the muddy water from Yangon and dreams of the riches promised by a new bridge linking to Myanmar's commercial heart. "The quicker, the better," ...
Japan opens World Cup qualifying with 2-0 away win against Myanmar
Shoya Nakajima's and Takumi Minamino's first-half goals led Japan to a 2-0 win away over Myanmar as the Samurai Blue opened their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign with a victory. Japan picked apart the Myanmar defense early and often, slowed nearly as much by Thuwanna ...
Biman Bangladesh plane skids off runway in Yangon, leaving 17 injured
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines plane skidded off the runway when it landed in bad weather at Yangon's international airport on Wednesday evening, injuring at least 17 people, officials said. The Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft was carrying 29 passengers and four crew when it bounced while ...
Myanmar taps Japanese ODA to upgrade Yangon's circular railway
Myanmar has begun upgrading the six-decade-old railway loop in its former capital Yangon with official development assistance from Japan. Tokyo will provide $207 million for the $301 million project, which is designed to shorten the round-trip travel time to two hours from three. More commuters ...
Yangon counts on sister city Fukuoka in fight against flooding
As Yangon marks the first anniversary of its sister city relationship with the city of Fukuoka, Myanmar's commercial capital is eager to access Japan's expertise to address key issues — including constant flooding. To mark the relationship, Yangon recently hosted a festival at a shopping ...
Fire in famed Yangon hotel claims at least two, including Japanese man
A fire engulfed a luxury hotel popular with foreigners in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, early Thursday, killing at least two people. Two bodies have been found at the site so far with one being identified as a Japanese man named Masafumi Tomita, in his 50s, ...
Myanmar's first Japanese food court opened this week in Yangon under a joint venture between Tokyo-based trading giant Sojitz Corp. and local retail chain City Mart Holdings. Dubbed "Tokyo Dining City," the facility has six restaurants that bring together the authentic culinary arts of Japan ...
Malaysian ship bearing aid for Rohingya docks in Yangon amid protests
A Malaysian ship carrying more than 2,000 tons of aid supplies for the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine State arrived in Yangon on Thursday. The Nautical Aliya docked at Thilawa port at the city's outskirts after weeks of preparations and negotiations between the two ...
Yangon rail system to get upgrade
Tourists visiting Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, could lose one of the star attractions of the former capital after the railway that encircles the city is upgraded with the help of Japanese investment. While the responsibility for upgrading the 46 km (28.5 miles) of track that ...
Voting proceeds smoothly in Myanmar's first free election for 25 years
Voting unfolded smoothly in Myanmar on Sunday with no reports of violence to puncture a mood of jubilation marking the Southeast Asian nation's first free nationwide election in 25 years, its biggest stride yet in a journey from dictatorship to democracy. The party of opposition ...
Gold rush: Japan Inc. flocks to Myanmar
Political reforms are happening because the military/political leaders wanted to end their nation's isolation and benefit from having a more prosperous economy.
Future leaders stress 'politics of the daily'
In 2015, Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar's current president, Thein Sein, will both turn 70, so a great deal depends on future leaders. On a recent visit I caught up with two promising aspirants who focus on the "politics of the daily." On Sunday ...
