The United Wa State Army, a China-backed militia, now controls new rare-earth mining sites in Shan State, securing Beijing’s access to critical metals, like dysprosium and terbium, essential for high-tech industries, amid global supply chain tensions

Newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar reported that the regime entered into an agreement with Russia for “mutual protection” against what it called the “misuse of international legal processes” at an international legal forum in Saint Petersburg, Russia

A military airstrike hit a school in Ohe Htein Twin village, Sagaing Region, killing at least 22 people, including 20 students and two teachers, during morning classes

An airstrike on Let Pan Hla village in Singu township targeted a market area, resulting in at least 27 civilian deaths, including children, and 10 houses destroyed; The military has not commented on the incident

Hundreds of people were rescued in recent days from forced-labor facilities that were dedicated to a multibillion-dollar industry of online scams; tens of thousands more remain imprisoned in the fraud factories, lured by false promises of good-paying jobs