Myanmar election delivers walkover win for military-backed political party
Myanmar’s military rulers say polls were free and fair as UN reports 170 killed in air attacks during election period. Published On 31 Jan 202631 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Myanmar’s military-backed party secured a sweeping victory in the country’s three-phase general election, according to state media, following the tightly controlled voting held amid civil war and widespread repression. The final of three rounds of voting last weekend wrapped up an election that began on December 28, more than four years after the military seized power in a coup that overturned the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Dominating all phases of the vote, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) won an overwhelming majority in Myanmar’s two legislative chambers, state media reports. The USDP secured 232 of the 263 seats up for grabs in the lower house and 109 of the 157 seats announced so far in the upper chamber, according to results released on Thursday and Friday. A spokesman for the country’s military rulers, Zaw Min Tun, said Myanmar’s parliament is now expected to convene to elect a president in March, with a new government set to take over in April, according to a report in the pro-military Eleven Media Group. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been in political turmoil since the 2021 coup, with the crushing of pro-democracy protests prompting a nationwide rebellion. Thousands have been killed, and about 3.6 million people have been displaced, according to the United Nations. Local newspapers feature headlines covering the conclusion of Myanmar’s general election on January 26, 2026, in Yangon, Myanmar [Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images] ‘Vote purely out of fear’ The 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has said it will not endorse Myanmar’s electoral process, and human rights groups and some Western countries have also expressed concerns about the credibility of the election. Advertisement The UN human rights office said that large segments of the population, including minorities such as ethnic Muslim-majority Rohingya, were excluded from voting since they have been denied citizenship, and many have also been displaced outside the country. At least 170 civilians were killed in air strikes during the election period, and about 400 people were arrested, according to the UN. “Many people chose either to vote or not to vote purely out of fear,” UN human rights chief Volker Turk said. Myanmar’s military rulers insist the polls were free and fair, and supported by the public. A spokesperson for the United States Department of State, which has muted its critiques of foreign elections in the second Trump administration, said it was monitoring the situation and “will assess the military regime’s next steps”. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy was dissolved along with dozens of other parties, and some others declined to take part, drawing condemnation from critics who say the process was designed to legitimise military rule. Under Myanmar’s political system, the military is also guaranteed 25 percent of parliamentary seats, ensuring continued control even if power is formally transferred to a civilian-led administration. Adblock test (Why?)
CM Rekha Gupta’s Delhi Government set to built rehab and reform centre for juveniles in Alipur; what facilities will be provided?
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta led Delhi government has announced to construct a modern integrated complex equipped with state-of-the-art facilities in North Delhi’s Alipur for the reform and rehabilitation of children in conflict with law or juveniles. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister and attended by members of the Juvenile Justice Committee and officials from the Department of Women and Child Development.
How may Sunetra Pawar’s appointment as Dy CM change Maharashtra’s political dynamics?
Rajya Sabha MP and NCP chief Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar is likely to be sworn in as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister after her husband. Sunetra will replace her husband in the state cabinet for the second top post and left for Mumbai on Friday evening.
Delhi-NCR weather: Cold wave intensifies, air quality in ‘poor’ category, AQI at 271; check IMD forecast
Delhi’s air quality remained in the poor category on Saturday with the AQI around 271, while several areas recorded very poor pollution levels. At the same time, dense to very dense fog reduced visibility at multiple airports across north and central India, affecting travel.
Dan Patrick lists property tax cuts, preventing Sharia law among priorities for 2027 session
Patrick’s initial five-item to-do list also included assessing risks posed by hostile foreign entities to the grid’s supply chain and preventing fraud in Texas’ health and human services.
Texas Education Agency moves to correct 4,200 errors in Bible-infused curriculum
State Board of Education members criticized the publishing errors and postponed their vote on the agency’s request until their next meeting.
Texas A&M eliminates women’s and gender studies degree program
University leaders also said six courses were canceled and 48 exceptions were granted under new rules on race and gender.
Democrats hold out hope to flip red Texas Senate seat in Saturday’s special election
Democrat Taylor Rehmet had an unexpectedly strong performance in the November special election to win the solidly red seat. He faces Republican Leigh Wambsganss in the runoff.
Hundreds of Texas public school students walk out to protest ICE killings
Some students walked out of schools Friday afternoon to join demonstrations throughout the country condemning the actions of immigration enforcement officials.
Government shuts down again after Democrats revolt over DHS funding
The federal government is shutting down for the second time in six months after Congress failed to reach an agreement on the yearly budget in time. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is expected to notify federal agencies to begin shutdown preparations as early as just after midnight on Jan. 31 Unlike last time, however, the government is only entering a partial shutdown this weekend. That’s because Congress was able to pass legislation fully funding some areas — the Department of Agriculture, the legislative branch, and the Department of Justice, for instance — while a majority of federal spending is still not set. Senate Democrats walked away from a bipartisan deal to fully fund the federal government for the remainder of fiscal year FY 2026 amid fallout over President Donald Trump’s surge of federal law enforcement in Minneapolis. GRAHAM BLOCKS TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING PLAN, CALLS IT A ‘BAD DEAL’ AS SHUTDOWN NEARS Federal officers shot and killed two U.S. citizens in the Midwest city during separate demonstrations against Trump’s immigration crackdown. In response, Democrats threatened to hold up a massive federal funding bill that also includes dollars for the departments of War, Labor, Health and Human Services, Transportation and others unless funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were stripped out. That means a prolonged shutdown could fuel airline delays, risk active duty troops missing paychecks, and even limit some Medicaid and Medicare services. Senate Democrats struck a new deal with the White House that would fund all but DHS through Sept. 30, which is the majority of federal spending. DHS would be kept running with a two-week extension of current spending levels to give Congress time to hash out a compromise that would include stricter guardrails on immigration enforcement agencies under the department’s purview. President Donald Trump lauded the funding truce, which he struck with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in a post on Truth Social. He urged Republicans to support it, and warned that the “only thing that can slow our Country down is another long and damaging Government Shutdown.” Still, it was a bitter pill for some Senate Republicans who were already frustrated with the underlying, original package. A handful were angered over the billions in earmarks attached to the legislation. And Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was enraged by the House’s inclusion of a provision that would allow senators to sue for up to $500,000 if their phone records were subpoenaed by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. DEMS’ DHS SHUTDOWN THREAT WOULD HIT FEMA, TSA WHILE IMMIGRATION FUNDING REMAINS INTACT “You jammed me, Speaker Johnson. I won’t forget this,” Graham said. “I got a lot of good friends in the House. If you think I’m going to give up on this, you really don’t know me.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was able to quell opposition and advance the modified package with the help of Senate Democrats. Though the deal passed through the Senate, it still must be taken up in the House. The House passed the original federal funding plan that Democrats walked away from in late January but must vote again after the Senate’s modifications. That means the duration of this shutdown will hinge on how long it takes House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to corral Republicans and Democrats around the legislation next week.