Letter from Nikkei Asia's editor: Myanmar's fuel dilemma

Hello from the Nikkei Asia newsroom. The situation in Myanmar is getting worse and worse. According to a Japanese businessman in Yangon I recently spoke with, electricity is available for only a few hours a day and diesel generators are needed the rest of the time. Communications are also unstable, with both telephone and internet services often disrupted.

From Yangon, it is hard to get a clear picture of how the war is unfolding, but the businessman told me the local staff in his office worry daily about being drafted. Meanwhile, the recent arrest of a Japanese executive by Myanmar authorities has shocked the business community. He was detained on charges of selling rice at an inflated price, although it is the government who is largely to blame for the climbing costs.

As the chaos wrought by this conflict deepens, this week's Big Story looks at whether Myanmar's military regime can actually continue the war in the face of mounting logistical challenges. The military authorities are trying to import fuel to circumvent Western economic sanctions, all while the country's economic woes only continue to grow.

As Myanmar comes under increasing pressure from Western sanctions, China, one of the few countries to maintain economic ties with Naypyitaw, this month is holding a long-awaited meeting known as the third plenum. Against the backdrop of a sluggish property market and slowing domestic demand, all eyes are on the outcome of the gathering. Our Asia Insight explains what will be discussed there.

South Korea is known as one of the fiercest markets for the food delivery business. The sector boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when eating out was restricted. But that growth has come to a halt, triggering an intense price war,