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The world is talking, are you listening?

Great news for mobile phone users in Myanmar. Authorities from different divisions and states will start selling[my] mobile SIM cards for CDMA and WCDMA network at only 1500 kyats or about 2 US Dollars. Just five years ago, a SIM card in Myanmar could cost more than $2000.

Ei Ei Su writes about the history of Myanmar's movie industry beginning with the country's first silent film in 1920, up to the 1940s when the industry was producing about 400 films, until the army takeover in 1962.

College graduates in Maiktila, Myanmar. Riots erupted last week which affected the peaceful image of the town. Image by Geoffrey Hiller. Used with permission

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Google Myanmar is now available in local domain at www.google.com.mm a few days before the arrival of Google CEO Eric Schmidt in Myanmar. Google play store which is inaccessible in Myanmar also seems to have been unblocked for now.

Democratic Voice of Burma or DVB, which has been broadcasting news about the democracy movement in Myanmar from its head office in Oslo for more than 21 years, has announced its plan to return to Myanmar soon. The group said recent reforms in the country has allowed its “former underground reporters in the country (to) get official press accreditation” from the government.

Children in a refugee camp in Myanmar share their stories

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A group of young programmers in Myanmar launched the country's first ever crowdsourced news site called “Buzz in Myanmar“. With the slogan “News for people, by people”, netizens are allowed and encouraged to submit neighborhood and other local news.

Many Burmese netizens requested[my] the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Information who met with Google's Southeast Asia Country lead for Public Policy and Government Affairs to convince the company not to block Google Play in Myanmar and to put Burmese (Myanmar) language in Google Translate.

At over 6,400 participants on January 19 and 20 this year, BarcampYangon not only dwarfs every barcamp in the region but even exceeds last year’s number by over one thousand attendees. Myanmar is now the envy of every barcamper in Asia.

Anh-Minh Do reviews Barcamp Yangon 2013 in Myanmar.

Burma has experienced a lot of political and social turbulence throughout the past year. Like a dilapidated taxi driving in torrential rain, the country is still moving forward but things looks risky. We can only hope that 2013 sees better weather ahead.

Writing for The Irrawaddy, Kyaw Zwa Moe reviews the most significant events in Myanmar in the past 12 months.

altsean uploads the English translation of the full text of Myanmar's Foreign Investment Law which was approved by the government last month. The law which provides tax breaks, land leasing agreements, and opportunities for joint business ventures, was welcomed by many investors.

Screen capture of a news report about the protest against Latpadaung copper mine in Myanmar. The Chinese banner said: Stop the Latpadaung copper

China Digital Times has put together news story of the crackdown of a protest against Chinese-owned copper mine in Monywa, Myanmar. Chinese state-controlled media outlet depicts the protest as the adverse effect of Myanmar’s democratic reforms.

Myanmar is set to release 452 prisoners today, November 15, 2012. The amnesty was announced by the government which could be an act of political goodwill in light of the anticipated state visit by United States President Barack Obama to Myanmar. The government also released prisoners when President Thein Sein visited the U.S. two months ago.

An earthquake with a magnitude 6.8 hit the towns of Mandalay, Pyin Oo Lwin, Shwe Bo and Sagaing in Myanmar at 7:40 a.m (GMT+6:30). According to reports, 4 workers died and 25 were injured at the construction of a bridge[my] in Shwe Bo. The earthquake was the strongest to hit the country in the past 3 years.

Myanmar President Thein Sein signed the foreign investment law which was approved by the parliament last September. The president suggested 11 minor amendments which the parliament accepted except for one provision. The new law is expected to facilitate more foreign investments as Myanmar continues to implement economic reforms.

As of October 24, 2012, the government reported that 12 persons were killed, 50 were injured and 1,948 houses were destroyed in the riot clashes between Rakhine residents and Rohingyas in Kyaut Phyu, Min Pyar, Myay Pone and Myaut Oo towns of Rakhine state in western Myanmar. This was disclosed by the President's office. Many netizens condemned the violence and urged a review of the country's security policies.

Government-sponsored newspapers in Myanmar are now printed in color, this was announced [my] by the Deputy Minister of Ministry of Information on his Facebook. There are only three major daily papers in Myanmar, all published in monochrome version except on special occasions like Independence Day. Weekly publications by other local media groups are called “journals”.

An engineer from Myanmar's Ministry of Communication has warned[my] that Viber and other VOIP services might be banned in the country because of revenue losses of the state and the absence of contracts between ministry and the users. Internet users immediately criticized the statement.

A traffic police accepting bribe from a bus conductor, Yangon, Myanmar. Photo from video uploaded by Nyan Linn Aung

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More than 500 prisoners in Myanmar are expected to be released[my] this week. A number of netizens assume that it's a political tactic in preparation for the president's trip to the United States.

The Union Parliament of Myanmar has already passed the new foreign direct investment law without the controversial provisions which included the requirement of a US$5 million minimum investment.

Ko Ko Aung blogs [my] about the increasing number of insurance policy buyers due to natural disasters in Myanmar, although numbers remain relatively small compared to other countries.