Myanmar's Military Leader Slash Suu Kyi's Sentence

0:00It's April 17th. Welcome in. This is Sydney News Today, where local news meets AI. Myanmar's military leader just slashed the prison sentence of ousted leader Aung San Su Kwaai by at least four years, dropping it from 27 years on charges like corruption and election fraud. This comes as part of a huge amnesty, where her close ally, former President Wen Mayant, got fully released after the 2021 coup. While inmates serving under 40 years saw their time cut by one-sixth, thanks to orders from coup-bos Min Aung Ha Ling, now President, that freed over 4,500 prisoners, including Wen Mayant, whose role was mostly ceremonial since Su Kyi couldn't take the top job. Under the old rules, reactions poured in quick, with UN Red's chief Fulker Turk calling Wen Mayean's release long overdue, but demanding Su Kyi's immediate and full. Freedom, along with everyone else, grabs since the coup. That power grab sparked civil war, still raging in the Southeast Asian nation.

1:01No word yet on whether the 78-year-old Nobel winner shifts to house arrest, or when she might walk free. These amnesties happen yearly around holidays, but her popularity holds strong, despite past flak over defending the military on Rohingya issues. Meanwhile, the Rohingya crisis drags on, with UN stats showing nearly 900 refugees dead are missing at sea last year alone, the worst ever. As Myanmar simmers, eyes stay glued on what this pardon really signals for the future.