Myanmar is facing a structural metamorphosis, putting its South and Southeast Asian neighbours on alert.

Growing up in a bicultural household, I was exposed to two languages, two cultures, as a child. I picked up both the languages as my mother tongue—Bangla and Rakhine. Eventually, a third language,

Makha Bucha Day; an important Buddhist festival celebrated on the full moon day of Māgha in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, and on the full moon day of Tabodwe in Myanmar, affords Buddhists a chance at reprieve.

The first freely elected parliament in Myanmar for 50 years holds its opening session. Hundreds of new MPs, mostly from the National League for Democracy (NLD) but also some smaller parties, sworn and take their seats.

The Soe Brothers Guesthouse jointly organises a roundtrip with the Breeze guesthouse in Mawlamyine.

The dense mangrove forest on both sides of the road to the Bang Ben bay through Laem Son National Park is indeed intriguing.

Afia (not her real name) was not accompanied by any of her family members, but she showed no signs of jitters. While many in the vessel turned pale in panic due to want of food and water in the perilous sea, the beautiful young girl held her nerves.

The four were in a hurry, had little time to bargain for the cricket bat's price. Most excited among them, Nur Alam pulled out his moneybag hurriedly, paid Tk 300 and almost snatched the bat from the salesman.

Saudi Arabia advertises for eight new executioners, recruiting extra staff to carry out an increasing number of death sentences, usually done by public beheading.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expresses grave concern over reports that Indonesia and Malaysia have pushed back boats carrying vulnerable people from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The United States has voiced fear for the lives of the migrants abandoned by traffickers at land and sea, calling on Southeast Asian nations to co-operate to address the crisis.

A boat carrying about 500 members of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim community has been rescued off northern Indonesia.