The fate of actor Wang Xing prompted outrage in China after he disappeared and had to be saved from a Myanmar scam center. But Beijing may have ulterior motives for its anti-scamming crackdown.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering for their first meeting this year under the regional bloc’s new chair, Malaysia, seeking a breakthrough over Myanmar’s drawn-out civil war and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Myanmar marks four years of a bloody civil war on Saturday with anti-regime forces holding the upper hand on battlefields across the country amid growing hopes that the junta led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing will buckle and be defeated, perhaps by the end of the year.

Myanmar’s junta now only controls 21% of the country. Even if the regime can be ousted, there are increasing fears the country will split along ethnic lines.

Wang Yi told ASEAN ambassadors that scamming poses “serious threats to the vital interests of citizens from China and other countries.”

Expressing annoyance over the continued detention of over 40 journalists in Myanmar, the global media safety and rights body Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) urges the military regime in Naypietaw to release all media persons with no condition and delay.

Chinese authorities have detained a suspect in human trafficking cases linked to online scam networks near Myanmar and Thailand. Detained suspect Yan's case follows Chinese actor Wang Xing's disappearance,

This year the countries will mark 78 years of diplomatic relations, but Myanmar people no longer feel their “old friend” is truly there for them.

China and Thailand have pledged to jointly crack down on dozens of cyber scam gangs in Myanmar and related human trafficking, including setting up at least one coordination centre, according to Thai media reports.

There has been considerable hype around Malaysia taking over the chairmanship of Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN this year, with pundits focusing on the leadership and vision of Anwar Ibrahim, the country’s prime minister.

Lack of electricity affects every aspect of Yangon residents’ daily lives, from work to sleep, and now even hotter weather is on the way.

With oversized and inquisitive eyes, an infant-like expressive face, and a palette of thick, furry coats ranging from beige to black, gibbons tick all the right boxes to be called “cute” and “cuddly.” But their endearing appearance is now costing these native Asian apes their lives and a future in the wild,