Nine Arakan Army (AA) members and six People's Defence Force (PDF) fighters entered the legal fold with weapons and ammunition, according to junta-controlled dailies on November 17.

In an era when daily news from Arakan is often fragmented and fast-changing, DMG's Weekly Highlights of Arakan brings clarity, depth, and context to the stories that matter most.

Junta troops stationed in Minpyin Village, Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State, are retreating towards Yaynantaung Village after coming under heavy artillery and drone attacks by the Arakan Army (AA), according to sources familiar with the military situation.

As Myanmar's military attempts to reclaim lost territory nationwide, revolutionary forces have launched renewed offensives against areas still under regime control, according to military analysts.

According to DMG, at least 22 people - including children - were killed and at least 31 others injured in the second half of November due to artillery, air and drone attacks by the military regime.

U Nay Min Tun, a candidate from the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) running for the post of Rakhine Ethnic Affairs Minister in Yangon Region, has urged Arakanese people living in Yangon to "stand by" the upcoming election.

Prices of basic food items in Arakan State have risen following the temporary closure of the border trade route between Mizoram, India, and Paletwa, Chin State, according to shop owners and local residents.

Traders and travelers are reportedly stranded at the border after the Mizoram-Paletwa trade route was temporarily closed for a week due to diarrhea outbreaks in border villages.

A junta jet fighter dropped three 500-pound bombs on Barhtalay and Ngwartinkote villages in Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, on Saturday morning, killing five civilians and injuring four others. Both villages are under the control of the Arakan Army (AA).

A 13-year-old boy from Ywamapyin Village in Arakan State's Kyauktaw Township died of malaria on November 14, according to family members.

A report released by the Institute for Strategy and Policy - Myanmar (ISP-Myanmar) on Friday warns that Myanmar people are suffering from shortages of daily necessities and rising prices as trade routes remain blocked amid ongoing military conflicts.

The Paletwa border route, which connects India's Mizoram state with Arakan State, has been temporarily closed for a week to curb a spreading diarrhea outbreak.

Arakan State government spokesperson and State Advocate-General U Hla Thein has been conferred the Administrative Excellence (First Class) title by junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, according to a report in the state-run daily on 13 November.

Myanmar's military regime has regained control of 11.3 percent of the territory it lost in northern Shan State during "Operation 1027," according to a report released on November 12 by the Institute for Strategic and Policy Studies (ISP-Myanmar).

Family members of three residents from Kin Chaung Village, Maungdaw Township, who were abducted by the Muslim armed group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), made donations in the second week of November.

Locals in Thandwe, Gwa, and Ramree townships are struggling to make ends meet as Myanmar's military navy intensifies its presence in coastal waters, threatening their primary livelihood: fishing.

Fierce clashes have broken out between the Myanmar military and a coalition force led by the Arakan Army (AA) near the regime's weapons factory No. 16 (KaPaSa 16) and Point 666 in Padaung Township, Bago Region.

The Mro National Development Party (MNDP) said Myanmar's upcoming military-run elections, held under a new voting system, could significantly increase the participation of ethnic groups.

A traditional cultural exchange seminar was held in Arakan State's Maungdaw Township in the first week of November, organised by the Mro Youth Union (MYU) and an ethnic organising group.