Anti-coup demonstrations continued on Wednesday in Myanmar for the fifth consecutive day, as government employees also joined rallies in support of increasing civil disobedience initiated by health workers.

Big rallies were taken from Yangon, the country's second-largest city of Mandalay, and the capital Naypyitaw, as well as small demonstrations in other cities of the Southeast Asian country.

Some protesters went to embassies in Yangon, including the Chinese Embassy, appealing to stop its support to the National Administrative Council, formed by military chief Gen. Min Aung Hlaing after the coup on Feb. 1.

Protesters said police showed up quickly asking them to leave the area.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators, mainly factory workers, also protested in Yangon's most densely populated township of Hlaingthaya, demanding an immediate return to civilian rule.

The public transport system in the largest city of Myanmar appeared to grind to a halt partly because the staff at the government-run gas stations went on strike.

In Mandalay, hundreds of Buddhist monks joined the rallies and marched through the city.

In downtown Yangon, some young protesters were dressed in fancy clothing, while some were topless to demonstrate their resentments against the military coup.

So far, the police in Yangon have not discouraged the protesters as they neither used water cannons nor fired rubber bullets at them. As a precautionary measure, some protesters were seen carrying large metal pans and umbrellas to counter police action.

On Tuesday, several people were injured, two in critical condition, when police in Naypyitaw used water cannon and fired rubber bullets to confront the protesters. The two critically wounded were admitted to a public hospital.

Min Than, a 53-year-old resident of Sanchaung township in Yangon, praised the way young people protested against the military junta.

"We, the old generation, are eager to confront the police and the soldiers, but the younger generation doesn't want it and has not done it. It is a smart way to avoid confronting the police because they have nothing to offer except the baton, the water cannon, the tear gas, and the bullet," he told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.

"We're not trained to resist water cannon and tear gas, but we can't simply stay at home in fear," said Myo Ma Ma, a 21-year-old student who joined a rally in Yangon's Hlaing township.

Aung Phyo, a protester in his 20s and a medical college student, said the elderly might consider that the young generation is not serious about fighting the military junta.

"In fact, we are very serious, but we have learned from the past that we can't confront them. We are unarmed civilians while they hold weapons and have no mercy," he said.

"So, we have to be very smart to fight them. We must use technology and creativity to express our opposition to the military rule," said Aung.

"For us, a demonstration is not to confront the armed police and the soldiers. It is to express our will and message to the world that we are fighting for our rights amid fear," he said.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​/aa

The Saudi authorities on Wednesday released women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul after she spent almost three years in prison, according to her sister.

"Loujain al-Hathloul at home after 1,001 days in prison," her sister Lina wrote on Twitter.

She, however, did not give further details over the release of the Saudi activist. Her arrest was condemned by many international rights groups which repeatedly urged the Saudi authorities to release her.

The Saudi authorities have yet to comment on the announcement by al-Hathloul's family.

On May 15, 2018, Saudi authorities arrested a number of female activists on human rights -- including al-Hathloul, Samar Badawi, Nassima al-Sadah, Nouf Abdelaziz, and Mayaa al-Zahrani.

Several international rights watchdogs accused the Saudi authorities of jailing the female activists for defending women's rights. Denying the accusations, authorities say Saudi Arabia is committed to implementing the law "transparently."/aa

Meeting Wednesday, Turkey’s religious official head and the top EU envoy in the country discussed issues such as freedom of religion and human rights in Europe.

Ali Erbas, the directorate head, said his organization has been cooperating with the EU for some 40 years, adding that his meeting with Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, head of the EU Delegation in Turkey, would hopefully boost the quality of their interaction.

Pointing to the importance of people co-existing peacefully, Erbas said all belief systems suggest unity and solidarity among people, adding that adhering to such religious systems would eradicate hostility and ensure peace around the globe.

Erbas said that under Islamic thought, killing one human being equals killing all humanity, but rescuing one is valued as if one rescued all of humanity, adding that he, as a Muslim, works hard to ensure peace among people worldwide.

According to Erbas, Turkey also fights terror groups that seek to exploit Islam and called for all parties to stop those seeking to cause chaos, war, and terrorism.

Attacks on mosques in the Western world were among the issues Erbas pointed to during the meeting, as he argued holy places should be protected regardless of their religious affiliation.

Meyer-Landrut, for his part, said human rights, freedom of belief, and non-religious people are some of the core elements of the EU and called for joint action against discrimination of any kind.

The EU diplomat said collaboration between different races and religions throughout history had benefited societies, whereas fights and hatred served to help no one./aa

Hundreds of teachers in Mauritania demanded the removal of the education minister Wednesday for remarks they said were "insulting."

The teachers rallied in front of the presidential palace in the capital, Nouakchott, during a cabinet meeting and raised banners that demanded the dismissal of Mohamed Melainine Ould Eyih.

The government has not yet commented about either the rally or the demand of the teachers.

Local media reported that Ould Eyih said last Saturday that an international group evaluated the education process in Mauritania and found only 4% of teachers had expertise.

Ould Eyih did not deny or confirm that he made the comments.

There are 11,449 teachers in Mauritania. The Education Ministry recently began a program to upgrade teachers' efficiency and capacity./aa

Turkish Cargo, a subsidiary of flag carrier Turkish Airlines, will soon become a fully independent company, CEO of its parent firm said on Wednesday.

"We will open a gigantic terminal in Istanbul Airport in the coming spring. This terminal with an advanced technology will be able to operate 4 million tons of cargo yearly," Ilker Ayci said at Cargo Talks organized online by Turkish Cargo.

Turkish Cargo is the first freighter to have medical equipment, fresh food and livestock transportation certificates, he said.

"This success of Turkish Cargo will continue after the pandemic. Our aim is to be among the top three air cargo companies in the world," he said.

Ayci said Turkish Cargo achieved success by maintaining operations without interruption while air traffic was stopped during the initial phase of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said the company’s strategy during the pandemic was to turn 50 passenger planes into cargo planes and stressed that cargo capacity increased considerably and that Turkish Cargo is ranked fifth among top air cargo carriers in the world.

Turkish Cargo boasts the world’s largest direct cargo aircraft network, reaching more than 300 locations – 96 direct cargo destinations – with a fleet of 365 aircraft./aa

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met Tuesday with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as part of his official visit to the Gulf country.

“We conveyed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's greetings and good wishes to Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf,” Cavusoglu said.

Thanks to Kuwait's mediation, there is now a positive atmosphere in the Gulf region, the top Turkish diplomat said.

Cavusoglu congratulated Kuwait for its successful diplomatic efforts to resolve the Gulf crisis.

The chief diplomat also held talks with Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

“We want a strong, unified and stable Gulf region. We will continue to work with the Gulf Cooperation Council. We will increase our cooperation in the fields of health and economy,” Cavusoglu said during the meeting.

The Turkish foreign minister also met with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah.

“We had a fruitful meeting with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah”, Cavusoglu said on Twitter.

“We wish to work closely with the newly formed cabinet. We maintained our trade volume despite the pandemic. It is gratifying that Turkish construction companies undertake important projects in Kuwait,” he added.

Cavusoglu also met with Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, Marzouq Ali Mohammed Al-Ghanim, according to diplomatic sources.

Cavusoglu embarked on a three-day Gulf tour on Tuesday that will also include Oman and Qatar.

According to a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday, Cavusoglu "will hold talks with his counterparts and other high-level authorities" on the occasion of these visits.

"During these meetings, various aspects of our bilateral relations will be reviewed and views on current regional and international issues will be exchanged," the statement said.

Cavusoglu is also scheduled to meet with Turkish business people operating in those countries.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt signed a reconciliation deal with Qatar last month to end more than three years of a rift that began in 2017 after the Saudi-led bloc accused Doha of supporting terrorism, an accusation vehemently denied by Qatar./aa

Kuwait City: Between January 12 and February 7, 9,296 expats’ work permits were cancelled, according to statistics revealed by the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM).

Of those, 5,000 permits belong to expats stuck outside of Kuwait, which were not renewed.

PAM’s report indicated that 183 people changed over to a dependent visa, a permit which allows expats residing in Kuwait to sponsor their family members. Some of those who transferred to dependent visas are expats who were affected by the new law, which went into effect at the beginning of the year. It stipulates that work permits for non-Kuwaitis above the age of 60, whose qualifications are only a high school diploma or below, will not be renewed.

As for citizens, PAM cancelled 1,322 Kuwaitis’ contracts as their services have been terminated.

Cancellation of permits

Last month, PAM published a report that showed that around 12 expatriates are leaving the Kuwaiti job market every hour, Al Rai reported.

The reasons for their departure differ, but most commonly it is due to expired residency permits that haven’t been renewed or expats leaving Kuwait indefinitely.

From January 12 to January 24, PAM pointed out that 3,627 work permits of expats were cancelled. Of those 1,538 were cancelled due to visa expiration, 230 were work permits belonging to expats who passed away and 1,859 were cancelled because said person left the country.

Departure of expats

In the fourth quarter of 2020, a recent report revealed that 83,574 expats left Kuwait permanently, Al Qabas reported.

A month ago, official figures published by Al Rai, estimated that there were around 3.3 million expats residing in Kuwait prior to the pandemic, and that number has dropped to 2.65 million in recent months.