Maung Kavi

Dr. Pe Nyan, a renowned astrologer and monk who once served as state adviser under former junta chief Senior General Than Shwe and ex‑President Thein Sein, was found stabbed to death at his monastery in Yangon on Thursday morning. He was 75, and had been a monk for 15 years. Authorities said the body of the scholar-monk, who was also known as U Pyinya Wuntha, was discovered with fatal stab wounds inside his hermitage at Sandaku Monastery in Hmawbi Township.

The military regime and its propaganda outlets have unleashed a series of personal attacks on UN Special Envoy for Myanmar Julie Bishop after she criticized worsening conditions in the country since the junta’s staged election. State media branded her an “unpleasant diplomat” and accused her of lacking integrity, reflecting the regime’s anger at her remarks. On June 19, Bishop highlighted the junta’s abuses during a briefing for UN member states.

Myanmar’s junta is pressing ahead with the revival of the long‑suspended Myitsone Dam in Kachin State, portraying the China-backed project as the key to solving the country’s crippling power crisis. At a press briefing on Tuesday, President’s Office spokeswoman Khaing Khaing Soe confirmed that the dam’s resumption was discussed during Min Aung Hlaing’s trip to Beijing.