Myanmar's military government has announced another six-month extension of its mandate to rule in preparation for elections it has said will be held this year, as the country enters its fifth year of crisis.

Myanmar’s military has prolonged its state of emergency for another six months as the country continues to struggle in maintaining control, with intense fighting continuing across the country, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

Myanmar's junta extended a state of emergency by six months on Friday, four years after it seized power triggering a civil war that has claimed thousands of lives. Elections cannot be held under a state of emergency,

Myanmar's ruling military has extended a state of emergency for another six months, state media reported on Friday (Jan 31), a day ahead of the four-year anniversary of a coup that plun