Myanmar’s election chief said that the country’s general elections will be free and fair. “It will be free and fair; otherwise, I wouldn’t hold the elections,” said Tin Aye, chairman of the Union Election Commission (UEC), the body responsible for the polls in the country’s upcoming November 8 general elections. Tin Aye (shown above courtesy of The Irrawaddy) assured all political parties, civil society groups and media that they would be able to monitor the elections and directed commission employees of all ranks not to side with any particular group or be afraid of pressure.

Myanmar President Thein Sein met with representatives of five of the more than a dozen rebel groups that have been participating in ceasefire negotiations for nearly two years, urging them to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement before the country’s November general election. “I would like to invite all for discussions to attain peace nationwide with good will. And I strongly hope that today's meeting can negotiate for the signing of a peace treaty before the end of September," he said. In addition, the government recently extended an invitation to two other ethnic armed groups that were not included among the 15 armed groups that participated in the last series of peace talks with the government.

Among the 6,189 candidates registered for Myanmar’s November 8 elections, approximately 800 are female, according to the Union Election Commission (UEC). In the final list of candidates released on August 20, the UEC shows that 122 female candidates were nominated for the Upper House, 228 for the Lower House and 454 for regional and state seats. The number is higher than those seen in previous years, such as in 2010, when 45 of the 101 female parliamentary candidates were elected.

Myanmar and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a framework agreement that will allow ADB to expand its trade finance program into the country. Under the agreement, ADB will guarantee trade finance instruments, such as letters of credit, issued by Myanmar banks, as well as help banks in Myanmar to forge new relationships with international banks. “ADB is proud to be associated with Myanmar’s efforts to improve its business environment,” says James Nugent, director general of ADB’s Southeast Asia department.

The Myanmar government is set to work with Facebook to delete any accounts on the social network that post hate speech or incite personal attacks during the upcoming election, the President’s Office said. Zaw Htay, director of the President’s Office, said that the government plans to educate the public on Facebook’s guidelines through the media.

Following devastating flooding in Myanmar last summer, Zaw Oo, a presidential economic adviser and special coordinator for the National Natural Disaster Management Committee (NNDMC), emphasized the need for private sector assistance during the country’s recovery. “We need to observe how the floods affect Myanmar's economy … We need proper management of the budget allocated by the government, donations from the private sector, international assistance and loans. So we warmly welcome civil society's input,” he said.

US-based global hotel chain Wyndham Hotel Group is making its presence felt in Myanmar for the first time with an agreement to manage a property in Yangon. The 260-room property, located at the southern fringe of Kandawgyi Lake, will be named Wyndham Grand Yangon Royal Lake Hotel. "With more than three million visitors in 2014, Myanmar is growing in popularity among business and leisure travelers, and we continue to be at the forefront of emerging markets," said Barry Robinson, Wyndham Hotel Group South East Asia and Pacific Rim's president and managing director.

The riverine version of a gold rush is happening on the Irrawaddy in Myanmar as cruise companies scramble to meet the demand for travel in this fascinating land. See the thousands of ancient pagodas and stupas on the plains of Bagan – preferably at dawn in a hot-air balloon, the world’s biggest book at Mandalay, the world’s longest teak bridge at U Bein, men wearing longyis and women with faces pancaked in thanaka powder.

The number of mobile subscribers in Myanmar has quickly grown in a short five years from a mere 500,000 to more than 22 million — giving Myanmar a crash course in all the benefits and challenges new technology can bring. The expanding network of cellphones has enhanced more than just personal lives: It's benefiting agriculture, health care and disaster relief in a place that has had more that its share of tragedy.

In young ecosystems, venture money is far out of reach and there can be a palpable missing layer of mentorship and education. Enter Phandeeyar (meaning ‘creation place’), a community tech hub in Yangon, whose vision is to use technology to foster change in Myanmar. Phandeeyar’s projects have long-term social impact in mind, and they work not just with the business community but also with change agents such as civil society organizations, independent media and social enterprises.