Supporters of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi called for tougher international action against the new junta on Friday after Washington announced sanctions after six days of pro-democracy demonstrations.
Security forces carried out another series of arrests overnight, with those detained including at least one doctor who had taken part in an escalating civil disobedience campaign. In some places, people rallied to prevent those arrested being taken away.
As Washington announced a first round of sanctions, EU legislators called for action from their countries and Britain said it was considering measures to punish the February 1 coup that ousted Ms Suu Kyi's government.
We may need more punishment and action against Myanmar's acting president and generals
Supporters of her National League for Democracy welcomed the US sanctions but said tougher action was needed to push the military out of power and force it to recognise the NLD's landslide victory in November elections.
"We are hoping for more actions than this because we are suffering every day and night of the military coup here in Myanmar, " said Suu Kyi supporter Moe Thal, 29.
"We want to finish this as soon as possible. We may need more punishment and action against Myanmar's acting president and generals."
The coup and the detention of Ms Suu Kyi, along with more than 260 others, prompted the biggest demonstrations since a 2007 Saffron Revolution that ultimately became a step towards democratic change.
The junta remitted the sentences of more than 23,000 prisoners on Friday, saying the move was consistent with "establishing a new democratic state with peace, development and discipline" and would "please the public".
Coup leader and army chief Min Aung Hlaing called on civil servants to return to work and urged people to stop mass gatherings to avoid spreading the coronavirus – addressing the protests for the first time on Thursday.
Facebook said it would significantly reduce the distribution of content from profiles and pages run by the military.
The company said it was curbing the reach of the military's information team and spokesman Brig Gen Zaw Min Tun. "This same action will be applied to any additional pages that the military controls that repeatedly violate our misinformation policies," Facebook said.
Among protests across the country on Thursday, hundreds of workers lined a road in the capital Naypyidaw, chanting anti-junta slogans and carrying placards supporting Ms Suu Kyi. Thousands demonstrated in the main city of Yangon while these Buddhist monks joined protests in Mandalay.
Hundreds of protesters demonstrated outside the Chinese embassy, accusing Beijing of supporting the military junta, despite Chinese denials.
The military launched the coup after what it said was widespread fraud in the November 8 election. The electoral commission said there was no evidence of fraud.
Ms Suu Kyi, who was swept to power in 2015, faces charges of illegally importing six walkie-talkie radios.
The US sanctions target 10 current and former military officials deemed responsible for the coup, including Min Aung Hlaing. It also blacklisted three gem and jade companies it said were owned or controlled by the military.
The sanctions prevent the named individuals from doing business in America, although the military leadership is not known to have major US interests. Washington is also taking steps to prevent the generals from having access to $1 billion in Myanmar government funds held in the US.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Washington was "prepared to take additional action should Burma's military not change course".
Min Aung Hlaing and other generals are already under US sanctions over abuses against Rohingya Muslims and other minorities.
The UN Human Rights Council is scheduled to discuss Myanmar at a special session on Friday.
The protests revived memories of almost half a century of direct army rule, punctuated by bloody crackdowns, until the military began relinquishing some power in 2011.
Ms Suu Kyi, 75, won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for campaigning for democracy and remains hugely popular at home despite damage to her international reputation over the plight of the Rohingya.
She spent nearly 15 years under house arrest under previous juntas. Her lawyer said he has not been allowed to see her.
The ruling generals promised to stick to the 2008 constitution and hand over power after elections, but doubts over the army's plans for the constitution were raised by announcements in state media on Friday.
They listed one of Myanmar's objectives as "to work for the emergence of a constitution that is in alignment and harmony with the Democratic Federal Union". No date has been set for elections.
The%20specs
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
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Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE - India ties
The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China
Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion
The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India
Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015
His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016
Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017
Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.