Asia News Wrap: Myanmar frees thousands in annual amnesty, and more

Here are some stories from around Asia you may have missed this week.

Myanmar frees thousands of prisoners ahead of Independence Day

Hundreds of prisoners were released in Myanmar on Sunday after the country announced annual Independence Day pardons, just a week after the election began. A dozen buses carrying the released prisoners left Yangon’s Insein prison on Sunday morning, with some waving to crowds of well-wishers. 

The National Defence and Security Council said the country pardoned 6,134 imprisoned Myanmar nationals. The annual prisoner amnesty, announced on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, was announced as the country marked 78 years of independence from British rule.

Flash floods kill 14 in Indonesia

At least 14 people have died after being swept away by flash floods in Indonesia's North Sulawesi, an official said on Tuesday. 

Heavy rain triggered flash floods on the island of Siau, according to Nuriadin Gumeleng, a spokesperson for the local rescue agency. Eighteen people were injured. The floods also destroyed hundreds of houses and government buildings, North Sulawesi Governor Yulius Selvanus said. The flash floods occurred at the peak of the rainy season on Sulawesi Island.

Buddhist gem collection returns to India after 127 years

Sacred ancient gems linked to the Buddha were unveiled in India on Saturday (January 3) for the first time since they were removed during the colonial era. The Piprahwa gems, a collection of more than 300 precious stones and ornaments believed to have been buried with the Buddha's relics at a stupa site in northern India, were formally displayed at an exhibition in New Delhi. The collection of gems, including amethyst, topaz and pearls, dates to the Mauryan Empire, Ashokan Era (around 240-200 BC). 

“This historic event marks the reunification of the Piprahwa gem relics of Lord Buddha, repatriated after 127 years,” the Ministry of Culture said in a statement. It said they are on display “for the first time” since British excavations in 1898 unearthed them, after which they were scattered worldwide. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the exhibition in New Delhi.

Bluefin tuna sells for record $3.2 million in Japan

A bluefin tuna fetched a record 510.3 million yen ($3.24 million) at the year's first auction at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market on Monday. A sushi restaurant operator splurged on the fish, hoping customers would be impressed by the purchase. The 243-kilogram tuna, caught off the coast of Oma in the northeastern prefecture of Aomori, was bought by Kiyomura Corp., the Tokyo-based operator of the Sushi Zanmai sushi restaurant chain. 

"The year's first tuna brings good luck. We hope as many people as possible can enjoy it and feel energized," said Kiyomura President Kiyoshi Kimura. The tuna will be cut at Sushizanmai's Tsukiji head branch and distributed to its restaurants nationwide. Despite the record cost, the company said it will sell the tuna to customers at the usual price.

This year's winning bid was the highest since comparable data became available in 1999, according to the Tokyo metropolitan government. It was significantly higher than the previous record of 333.6 million yen, set in 2019 during the first New Year auction in Toyosu following the relocation of the iconic Tsukiji fish market.

(Cover: Released prisoners on board a bus leave Insein Prison to commemorate Myanmar's annual Independence Day amnesty in Yangon, Myanmar, January 4, 2026. /CFP)