Myanmar’s reformist law used to stifle dissent

By Timothy Mclaughlin YANGON (Reuters) – Last week’s arrest of an NGO worker in Myanmar for a Facebook post is raising fears that legislation drawn up as part of the country’s economic and democratic liberalization are being used to stifle dissent in ways reminiscent of laws drafted by the former military junta. Myanmar only began to regain its freedoms of expression from 2011 after 49 years of military rule, and critics fear the arrest of Patrick Kum Jaa Lee for commenting on a picture showing a foot standing on a photo of commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing is a worrying backward step.

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Saudi’s Kingdom Holding pays $50 million to raise Twitter stake to 0.72 percent

DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Holding has paid $50 million to double its stake in microblogging site Twitter Inc, the Riyadh-based company said on Wednesday. Kingdom Holding, the investment firm owned by billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, now owns 0.72 percent of Twitter, having originally invested $50 million in the tech company in 2011

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Thailand worried by blast of anti-migrant vitriol on social media

By Amy Sawitta Lefevre BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand expressed concern on Monday at a wave of anti-migrant vitriol on social media, which the government said underlined why it cannot accept any more of the asylum seekers who have been arriving by boat on its shores.

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Wal-Mart challenges Amazon with unlimited shipping service for $50 per year

Wal-Mart Stores Inc is planning to test a new unlimited online shipping service this summer for $50 per year, a move that may hurt Amazon's annual $99 Prime shipping service. Wal-Mart's service, which will be by invitation only for now, will offer selected products on the company's website to customers within three days or less, company spokesman Ravi Jariwala told Reuters

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