YANGON — At least five people have been confirmed dead and 15 others remain missing after a landslide struck an abandoned jade mine in northern Myanmar, with continuous heavy rain hampering rescue efforts.

China's Xinhua News Agency reported that the collapse occurred after persistent rainfall triggered a landslide at an abandoned jade mining site, causing piles of mining debris to give way.

According to The Global New Light of Myanmar, the landslide occurred in Hpakant township, Kachin State, on Sunday, 28 June 2026. As of the latest update, authorities had confirmed five fatalities, while around 15 people were still unaccounted for.

Local authorities, volunteer rescue groups and residents have continued search and rescue operations despite ongoing rain and the risk of further landslides. The bodies recovered from the site have been returned to their families.

Hpakant is home to some of the world's highest-quality jade deposits and has long been prone to deadly landslides, particularly during the monsoon season. Reports said many local residents and migrant workers continue searching abandoned mines for leftover jade despite the significant danger.

On June 30, 2025, Witthayakorn Maneenetragul, director-general of the Department of Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce, announced the successful 'Thailand Helps Thailand Plus: Must-See, Must-Eat Shrimp' event held at Sanam Luang Saphan Hin Park in Phuket from June 24-28. The initiative was organized jointly with Phuket Province, the Thai Shrimp Association, tourism sectors, and the private sector to promote domestic shrimp consumption, position Thai shrimp as a world-class premium product, and assist farmers impacted by sluggish export conditions.

The event drew strong crowds of locals and tourists, featuring over 20 booths offering fresh shrimp from southern farmers, fresh and processed seafood, marketplace goods, and seasonal fruits. Activities included special pricing promotions, shrimp-catching games, shrimp-eating competitions, and cooking demonstrations. Witthayakorn noted this campaign is part of a broader strategy to elevate Thai shrimp's image as a premium brand and ensure consumers and tourists access quality, internationally certified Thai shrimp.

The Internal Trade Department has intensified marketing and consumption-promotion activities to absorb shrimp production and stabilize prices for Grade A and B shrimp domestically, while expanding sales channels and market linkages. With over 70 percent of Thai shrimp produced in southern Thailand—a region recognized for international quality standards—Phuket was chosen as an ideal location to connect quality farmer-produced shrimp directly with consumers and tourists.

Facing global economic slowdown that has dampened Thai shrimp exports, the Ministry of Commerce is accelerating domestic consumption measures alongside export market expansion, transforming challenges into opportunities. The department is opening direct sales channels for southern shrimp farmers, launching campaigns through over 4,630 retail and wholesale outlets nationwide, and partnering with over 1,000 hotels to promote southern-sourced shrimp. The department is also implementing market-linkage measures including purchasing points at production sites, connecting buyers with exporters and processors, organizing consumer campaigns under the Thailand Helps Thailand Plus program, and arranging seafood product caravans across regions. These efforts are expected to stimulate consumption and absorb at least 500 tons of shrimp production through multi-sector cooperation. Long-term plans include building an internationally recognized Thai shrimp brand identity and opening new markets while addressing structural challenges.

Industry Minister Varawut Silparacha announced plans to enhance solar cell system safety by designating solar-related products as controlled goods to block substandard items from the market. The Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) previously made solar panels subject to standard TIS 61730 Part 2-2567 a controlled product, expected to take effect in September 2025.

On June 23, 2025, the Industrial Products Standards Board approved five additional standards for solar-related products: TIS 62930-2564 for photovoltaic system electrical wires, TIS 63056-2567 for lithium batteries in energy storage systems, TIS 60269 Part 6-2567 for low-voltage fuses in solar cell systems, TIS 2603 Part 2-2556 for inverters, and TIS 60947 Part 2-25xx for DC circuit breakers.

"This additional standard framework covers electrical wires, lithium batteries, low-voltage fuses, inverters, and DC circuit breakers to assure the public that clean energy use must come with safety," Varawut said. The regulation is expected to take effect by September 2025.

The new standards will provide comprehensive safety oversight across the entire solar system, from electricity generation through transmission, conversion, and storage, reducing risks of fires, short circuits, and accidents from substandard equipment. After publication in the Royal Gazette, operators must obtain permits and comply with the standards, making it harder for non-compliant products to reach the market while better protecting consumers and aligning Thailand's solar industry with international standards.

Varawut advised consumers planning to install solar systems not to consider price alone. They should verify that key components—solar panels, inverters, wiring, batteries, and electrical protection devices—have TIS or related certifications and choose experienced installers to ensure proper and safe design and installation. "A solar system is a long-term investment lasting decades," he noted. "While certified equipment and expert installation may cost more upfront, they reduce safety risks, lower maintenance expenses, and provide better long-term value."

Government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek announced on June 30, 2025, that the Cabinet has approved a residential property registration fee reduction measure for 2025, lowering transfer and mortgage registration fees to 0.01%. This initiative aims to promote first and second-hand property purchases while relieving the financial burden on citizens seeking homeownership, extending a similar measure from 2024 that expires today.

The new measure maintains the same structure as its predecessor, reducing property transfer fees from the standard 2% to 0.01%, and mortgage registration fees from 1% to 0.01%. Eligible properties include detached houses, townhouses, commercial buildings, and condominium units with purchase prices and appraised values not exceeding 7 million baht, with mortgage limits capped at 7 million baht per contract.

The Cabinet has also approved two ministerial announcements from the Interior Ministry governing fee collection procedures for residential properties and condominiums under both the Land Code and Condominium Act, effective from their publication in the Royal Gazette through June 30, 2026.

Ratchada noted the measure targets Thai nationals seeking their own residence while stimulating first and second-hand property transactions, promoting economic stability, and sustaining activity in the real estate and related sectors. Since local administrative organizations (LAOs) will lose revenue from reduced fees, the Cabinet directed the Budget Bureau and relevant agencies to allocate budget compensation to LAOs as appropriate.

The Finance Ministry projects the measure will generate property transactions valued at approximately 540.81 billion baht annually, increase investment by around 305.81 billion baht, and boost GDP by up to 1.06% compared to without the measure, while restoring confidence and supporting recovery in the slowing real estate sector.

CHAIYAPHUM — Fifteen passengers were injured when a double-decker coach crashed into the rear of a parked 18-wheel lorry on the roadside on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. The bus driver said he failed to notice the stationary vehicle in time and denied he had fallen asleep.

The collision occurred around 1:00 a.m. on Highway 201 (Chaiyaphum–Bangkok Highway) heading toward Bangkok, directly in front of a local company, about 3.5 kilometers from Chaiyaphum city. Police Lieutenant Colonel Chaiporn Promsena at Mueang Chaiyaphum Police Station coordinated the response with emergency medical teams and rescue workers from the Sawang Khunatham Chaiyaphum Foundation and Chaiyaphum Hospital.

Authorities found the coach, which was traveling from Bangkok to Si Chiang Mai district in Nong Bua Lamphu province, with a completely crushed front end and shattered windshield. The truck, registered in Ang Thong province and carrying steel bars from Lopburi, had been parked on the shoulder near a U-turn. Rescue workers freed trapped passengers and transported 15 injured people to the hospital, most with injuries to their arms, legs, knees, and waists. Other passengers refused medical treatment and waited for a replacement vehicle.

A 65-year-old passenger said the coach left Bangkok's Mo Chit Bus Terminal at 8:30 p.m. Monday without rest stops or driver changes. Most passengers were asleep when the collision occurred, and he believed the coach had drifted into the left lane. The 48-year-old driver said he was carrying 35 passengers and failed to see the parked lorry, though he denied falling asleep. The 33-year-old truck driver said he had parked for about 30 minutes before hearing a loud impact and discovering the coach had hit his trailer.

After examining the scene and transporting the injured, officers removed both vehicles from the road to prevent secondary accidents. Investigators plan to question both drivers further to determine the exact cause before taking legal action.

A trafficked worker at a Myanmar scam center has exposed the inner workings of a sophisticated romance scam operation that exploited victims worldwide. Safeer Mohammed Koorimannil, forced to work at the facility, impersonated a 28-year-old Singaporean woman named Ella and managed over 100 simultaneous chat conversations daily while supervisors monitored workers with electric batons. In just one month, he targeted approximately 50,000 victims from at least 17 countries, including professionals and ordinary people across the globe—from a tailor in Kurdistan to farmers in Kyrgyzstan and Georgia.

An investigation by The Associated Press and FRONTLINE discovered that American technology companies, particularly those providing AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini, are fueling a global explosion in organized fraud. These tools have been weaponized by scam operations to create sophisticated impersonation software that works across multiple languages, streamlines operations, and enables unprecedented targeting of victims. The investigation found American tech infrastructure embedded throughout the entire criminal supply chain—from AI models and workflow optimization tools to satellite communications systems that help scammers evade internet restrictions.

While the companies themselves appear to be operating legally, questions arise about enforcement of their terms of service, which explicitly prohibit fraud and illegal activity. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that scams cost Americans nearly $200 billion in losses in 2024. Industry watchdogs assert that these technology companies possess the technical capability to better prevent abuse but lack sufficient legal, regulatory, and business incentives to take stronger action against the crime.