FIREFIGHTERS were battling massive wildfires Monday that have ravaged Los Angeles and killed at least 24 people, with officials warning of incoming dangerous winds that could whip up the blazes further. The fires ripped through the United States’ second-larg est city for the seventh day, reducing whole communities to scorched rubble and leaving thousands without homes. Massive firefighting efforts have staunched the spread of the Palisades Fire, which was looming towards upscale Brentwood and the densely populated San Fernando Valley.

THE last physical tourist information centre in Paris has closed, with officials saying Monday they will boost digital services to meet visitor demand for online information. 

“Changes in visitor habits and the specific features of a city like Paris have led us to revise our network of local tourism information,” the Paris Tourist Office operator said in a statement.

 The last centre, set up near the Eiffel Tower for last year’s Summer Olympics, was shut on Sunday. 

THE US economy faces risks from President-elect Donald Trump’s policy proposals on trade, immigration, tax and fiscal spending, as well as regulation, said a top expert of JP Morgan. 

The US economy probably would grow by around two per cent in 2025, lower than that in the previous two years, said Joyce Chang, chair of JP Morgan Global Research, on Sunday at a show organized by the US National Retail Federation (NRF). 

ARCHAEOLOGISTS of Cambodia's APSARA National Authority (ANA) have completed the restoration of Tower 15 at Phnom Bakheng temple in the Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Siem Reap province, said an ANA's news release on Monday. The ruined brick tower, located south of the ancient Phnom Bakheng temple, is more than 1,000 years old.

THE Chinese artichoke, a seasonal vegetable produced from Heho, has been sold well. It is the harvesting season of Chinese artichokes after the lima bean season and the trade has increased despite its high price, with nationwide orders, according to beans traders from Aung ban Township. “The Chinese artichoke season has started now, after lima bean season. Some cook it with lima bean, some make it pickled and some use it in fried vermicelli or noodle. It is a root vegetable and dug from the earth.

THE Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation has officially designated a 1,905-acre area in NyaungU Township, NyaungU District, Mandalay Region, as the “Tuyin Hill Protected Public Forest.” This designation was made under Notification 3/2025, effective from 2 January 2025 (4th Waxing of Pyatho, 1386 ME) under Section 6 (e) of the 2018 Forest Law. This protected area aims to mitigate rising temperatures and prevent extreme heat and drought in the tropical Bagan-NyaungU region.

MINBU January 12
According to a source close to the pagoda’s board of trustees, the Buddha Pujaniya Festival at the Mann Shwesettaw Pagoda will take place from 2 February to 17 April, lasting 75 days.

THE year 2024 became a real turning point for Bitcoin. Donald Trump’s election victory and his promises to make the US the “crypto capital” of the world have sent Bitcoin soaring, with several other factors driving the bullish streak.
Bitcoin’s price is primed for new record highs after topping $107,780 in December. It is currently trading at approximately $94,282.07, but under an optimistic scenario, Bitcoin could reach upwards of $120,000 in Q1 2025, crypto experts told Russian media.

OVER 450,000 domestic and foreign travellers visited tourist destinations in Kayin State from January to November 2024, according to the Kayin State Directorate of Hotels and Tourism.
As a result of more than 450,000 domestic and foreign travellers visiting tourist destinations in Kayin State during the 11 months of 2024, the income of hotels and guesthouses amounted to K4.761 billion.

In order to cause injuries to both peaceable civilians and administrative authorities who are striving to restore the rule of law, extreme terrorists provide financial assistance and instigate destructive activities, such as detonating explosive devices and remote blasting, against public roads, railways, government offices and houses.