There was a time when a court in Myanmar sentencing Aung San Suu Kyi to three years in jail – and this with hard labour, particularly punitive for a 77-year-old woman – would have led to outraged headlines around the world. The courts announced just that last week – she was supposedly guilty of electoral fraud – but sympathy for the country's former leader, who was overthrown in a military coup in February last year, has been largely absent.
Once a symbol of freedom and human rights, Ms Suu Kyi's name has been irreparably tainted by her alleged collusion with what many people view as the Myanmar military's acts of genocide against the Rohingya in the country's west, principally during 2016-17. The defence she tried to make of the Tatmadaw, as the armed forces are known, did her no good when they decided to take over. The latest sentence is on top of the 17 years jail she has been given since the coup for “offences” such as illegally importing walkie talkies.
It would be easy to feel somewhat downcast over Ms Suu Kyi's plight, however flawed she may be, but also come to the conclusion that there is little or nothing to be done. Despite the appalling violence the regime has been inflicting on its own citizens in order to suppress a country that had a tantalising vision of something close to freedom after the first fully free elections in 2015, the world appears to have moved on. There was a military dictatorship before in Myanmar from 1962 to 2011, when a civilian president took over, and now it's back. Sanctions didn't force the generals to act before and there is little sign they will now. In any case, pessimists would say, Ukraine sucks all the oxygen out of the system.
But in fact, the Myanmar military is one step closer to being held accountable for its actions. It was little noticed, but at the end of last month the UK "intervened" in the International Court of Justice’s case, which was brought by Gambia, backed by the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, accusing Myanmar of carrying out genocide against the Rohingya. That coincided with the fifth anniversary of the Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day on August 25. Without getting into technicalities, an “intervention” in this context is a supportive move that indicates that the relevant state declares an interest in the case, and the British government’s move was widely hailed by human rights organisations.
The ICJ's wheels turn slowly, but inexorably. Based in the Hague, it is the UN’s highest court, and as such enforcement of its judgements can be subject to a veto by one of the permanent members of the Security Council. Some experts argue that to do so in the case of a ruling on genocide would contravene the UN Charter itself. But either way, a ruling against Myanmar would be a major step into turning the regime into a global pariah.
And the determination of those wishing to make clear their culpability will only have been increased by the sentence of one year in jail meted out to Vicky Bowman, the former UK ambassador to Myanmar, supposedly for a minor violation of immigration rules, in a court in Yangon last week. Locking up her Burmese husband Htein Lin, a former political prisoner, on what many consider to be trumped-up charges may not be a huge surprise, but doing so to a former ambassador is pretty much unheard of.
Britain’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, will be under huge pressure to do something about Ms Bowman's undoubtedly unjust jailing. In fact, Ms Truss may not need much prompting. She was very proud of having been the one foreign secretary who managed to get the British-Iranian dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe out of prison in Tehran and back to Britain, and her enthusiasm for sticking up for Britain and British people and products has been much commented on. Ms Truss has much to deal with at home with the cost-of-living crisis and skyrocketing fuel bills, but once she has settled in, expect her to take up her cudgels on behalf of Ms Bowman. Steadily, international pressure on the regime may increase.
Now all of this may do little for Ms Suu Kyi, and given her alleged complicity in the atrocities committed during the years she led Myanmar’s government, some may not be too bothered by that. But it does show that the misrule and misdeeds of the military have not been forgotten. According to one report, attrition rates in the Tatmadaw suggest that time is not on their side. Nevertheless, it is possible that true justice may never eventually be served. But the prospect of it being done so is increasing. And that is still something.
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
MATCH STATS
Wolves 0
Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)
Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Yousef Jaber (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Jazira), Salem Rashid (Jazira), Shaheen Abdelrahman (Sharjah), Faris Juma (Al Wahda), Mohammed Shaker (Al Ain), Mohammed Barghash (Wahda), Abdulaziz Haikal (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Barman (Al Ain), Khamis Esmail (Wahda), Khaled Bawazir (Sharjah), Majed Surour (Sharjah), Abdullah Ramadan (Jazira), Mohammed Al Attas (Jazira), Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Khalfan Mubarak (Jazira), Habib Fardan (Nasr), Khalil Ibrahim (Wahda), Ali Mabkhout (Jazira), Ali Saleh (Wasl), Caio (Al Ain), Sebastian Tagliabue (Nasr).
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
