The session follows a phased election in which the military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) secured a sweeping victory amid low voter turnout and the absence of a viable opposition. Retired brigadier-general and USDP chairman Khin Yi was elected speaker of the lower house on Monday, a position analysts say could play a central role in advancing the military’s political agenda.

Myanmar has been mired in civil war and a worsening humanitarian crisis since the armed forces overthrew the government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, just as her administration was preparing to begin a second five-year term following a landslide electoral victory.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party, formed by the military in 2010, won 81% of contested seats in the election, according to official results. The bicameral parliament will also include dozens of military officers appointed directly by the armed forces, which are constitutionally guaranteed a quarter of the seats in the legislature.

Analysts say the arrangement effectively places the parliament under military control, giving the top brass decisive influence over the selection of the country’s next president. Junta chief and coup leader Min Aung Hlaing is widely expected to assume the presidency once the new government is formed.

“This level of control makes it clear that one can expect nothing substantial from this body; it is evidently a parliament that will operate solely at the whim of the military leader,” independent analyst Htin Kyaw Aye said.

The military leadership also plans to establish a new five-member panel, the Union Consultative Council, which some experts have described as a “superbody” designed to consolidate authority over both civilian administration and the armed forces.

The junta has rejected international criticism of the election, saying the process reflected the will of the people. Officials have indicated that a new government could be formed as early as April and have expressed hope that the political transition may help ease sanctions and revive foreign investment.

A commentary published Monday in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar said the convening of parliament had raised expectations across the country for improved political stability and governance focused on national interests.

Thailand’s Office of the Ombudsman has petitioned the Constitutional Court of Thailand to review whether the barcodes placed on ballots during the February 8 election violated laws designed to guarantee the secrecy of the vote.

The election delivered a decisive victory to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party, which secured at least 191 seats in the 500-member parliament.

However, the ombudsman said late on Friday that it had received 21 public complaints arguing that barcodes and QR codes printed on ballots might enable authorities to identify which party or candidate a voter supported.

The ombudsman said the presence of coded markings on ballots could potentially undermine the constitutional principle of secret voting. It asked the court to determine whether the system breached electoral laws governing ballot confidentiality.

Thailand’s Election Commission defended the measure, saying the barcodes were introduced solely for security and administrative purposes. Officials said linking a specific ballot to an individual voter would require access to the upper half of the ballot paper, which remains securely stored under controlled conditions.

Thailand’s constitutional framework places strong emphasis on ballot secrecy, and courts have intervened in the past when electoral procedures were deemed to violate that principle. The Constitutional Court annulled the country’s 2006 election after determining the voting process had not been conducted in a fully secret manner.

Despite the legal challenge, the Bhumjaithai Party has moved to form a governing alliance with the third-place Pheu Thai Party and several smaller political groups. The coalition would command more than 290 seats in parliament, providing a substantial majority and raising the prospect of a relatively stable administration following years of political volatility.

Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene on Sunday to elect a new house speaker and two deputy speakers, the first step in forming a functioning parliament after the election.

Deputy Prime Minister Sophon Zaram, a veteran Bhumjaithai figure, told reporters on Thursday that the party has nominated him for the position of house speaker.

Once the speaker is chosen, the chamber is expected to schedule a parliamentary session to vote on the next prime minister. Bhumjaithai deputy leader Siripong Angkasakulkiat said the vote could take place as early as Thursday.

The developments come as Thailand moves to establish a new government following the February election while awaiting the Constitutional Court’s decision on whether the ballot design complied with electoral law.

According to the report, ByteDance is collaborating with Southeast Asian cloud provider Aolani Cloud to deploy around 500 Nvidia Blackwell computing systems in Malaysia, incorporating roughly 36,000 B200 chips.

The computing infrastructure project could cost more than $2.5 billion, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Aolani Cloud currently operates hardware worth about $100 million, according to the report, meaning the proposed deployment would represent a major expansion of its existing capacity.

ByteDance plans to use the new computing resources to advance AI research and development outside China and to meet rising demand from international customers for artificial intelligence services.

The arrangement reflects how global technology companies are structuring data infrastructure to comply with export controls governing the sale of advanced semiconductors.

An Nvidia spokesperson said current export regulations allow cloud infrastructure to be built and operated outside countries subject to restrictions.

“By design, the export rules allow clouds to be built and operated outside controlled countries. Winning the business of those clouds will bring tens of billions of dollars and high paying jobs home,” the spokesperson said.

The official declined to confirm the total value of the agreement. Details regarding the number of missiles or delivery timelines were not immediately disclosed.

Indonesian authorities confirmed that an agreement had been reached with India for the supersonic cruise missile system, but provided few additional specifics on the scope of the procurement.

Requests for comment sent to BrahMos Aerospace and India’s Ministry of Defence (India) were not immediately answered.

The missile system secured its first foreign export contract in 2022 with the Philippines, a Southeast Asian neighbour of Indonesia. That agreement marked a milestone for India’s defence exports and established the BrahMos system as a product available to overseas buyers.

The BrahMos missile, jointly developed by India and Russia, is designed as a supersonic cruise missile capable of being launched from land, sea or air platforms.