Security forces killed at least 14 protesters in the poor, industrial Hlaingthaya suburb of Myanmar’s main city on Sunday after Chinese-financed factories in the area were set ablaze, according to local media.
A further 14 people were reported killed elsewhere in Yangon and other parts of Myanmar and state television said a policeman had died in one of the bloodiest days of protests against the Feb. 1 military coup against elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
China’s embassy said many Chinese staff were injured and trapped in arson attacks by unidentified assailants on garment factories in Hlaingthaya and that it had called on Myanmar to protect Chinese property and citizens.
As plumes of smoke rose from the industrial area, security forces opened fire on protesters in the suburb that is home to migrants from across the country, local media said.
Myanmar Now said at least 14 protesters had been killed, according to the local hospital and a rescue worker.
“The dead and wounded are still arriving,” it quoted an official of the Hlaingthaya hospital as saying. Other Myanmar media gave even higher tolls.
Martial law was imposed in Hlaingthaya and another district of Myanmar’s commercial hub, state media announced.
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Army-run Myawadday television said security forces acted after four garment factories and a fertilizer plant were set ablaze and about 2,000 people had stopped fire engines from reaching them.
A junta spokesman did not answer calls requesting comment.
Doctor Sasa, a representative of elected lawmakers from the assembly that was ousted by the army, voiced solidarity with the people of Hlaingthaya.
“The perpetrators, attackers, enemies of the people of Myanmar, the evil SAC (State Administrative Council) will be held accountable for every drop of blood that shed,” he said in a message.
The latest deaths would bring the toll from the protests to well over 100 while the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners advocacy group had said over 2,100 had also been arrested by Saturday.
CHINA CALLED FOR ACTION
China’s embassy described the situation as “very severe” after the attacks on the Chinese-financed factories. It did not make a statement about the killings.
“China urges Myanmar to take further effective measures to stop all acts of violence, punish the perpetrators in accordance with the law and ensure the safety of life and property of Chinese companies and personnel in Myanmar,” its statement said.
No group claimed responsibility for burning the factories.
Anti-Chinese sentiment has risen since the coup that plunged Myanmar into turmoil, with opponents of the army takeover noting Beijing’s muted criticism compared to Western condemnation.
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Only two factories had been burnt for now, protest leader Ei Thinzar Maung posted on Facebook.
“If you want to do business in Myanmar stably, then respect Myanmar people,” she said. “Fighting Hlaingthaya, we are proud of you!!”
Britain was appalled by the use of deadly force by security forces against innocent people in Hlaingthaya and elsewhere on Sunday, its ambassador said in a statement.
“We call for an immediate cessation of this violence and for the military regime to hand back power to those democratically elected by the people of Myanmar,” Ambassador Dan Chugg said.
The army said it took power after its accusations of fraud in a Nov. 8 election won by Suu Kyi’s party were rejected by the electoral commission. It has promised to hold a new election, but has not set a date.
Suu Kyi has been detained since the coup and is due to return to court on Monday. She faces at least four charges, including the illegal use of walkie-talkie radios and infringing coronavirus protocols.
Away from Hlaingthaya, at least 14 deaths were reported elsewhere in Myanmar, including in the second city of Mandalay and in Bago, where state television MRTV said a police officer had died of a chest wound after a confrontation with protesters.
He is the second policeman reported dead in the protests.
The violence came a day after Mahn Win Khaing Than, who is on the run along with most senior officials from the Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy Party, said the civilian government would seek to give people the legal right to defend themselves. (Reporting by Reuters staff; Writing by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by William Mallard, Tom Hogue and David Clarke)
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Trump Media, the parent company of the former president’s Truth Social, alerted Nasdaq Inc. on Thursday of what the company suspects is illegal activity driving down the price of its shares.
In a letter to the exchange, Devin Nunes, the CEO of Trump Media (DJT), laid out what he believes could be deemed “naked” short selling.
Naked short selling involves someone selling shares they don’t own or have not borrowed. They will often then try to buy shares at a reduced price to cover themselves. This practice is generally illegal. Whereas legitimate short sellers, people who seek to benefit from declines in the value of a company’s shares, borrow the shares before selling.
The letter was made public Friday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Nunes also noted in the letter that shares of the company were on a list the Nasdaq maintains that’s “indicative of unlawful trading activity.”
“This is particularly troubling given that “naked” short selling often entails sophisticated market participants profiting at the expense of retail investors,” he said.
Representatives from Nasdaq and Trump Media did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The company, which is majority-owned by former President Donald Trump, is down by around 50% from the all-time high it set on March 26, the day after it merged with a blank-check acquisition company to go public.
Shares of company have been on a wild ride since.
Although the company is still worth billions of dollars, it is struggling to make money and needs cash. Experts have warned investors to be careful if they choose to trade the stock, because the company doesn’t have the fundamentals to back up its sky-high valuation.
Trump Media lost $58 million in 2023 and made just $4.1 million in revenue.
Shares of the company ended Friday’s session about 9.6% higher.
This story has been updated with additional developments and context.
Social media changes rapidly—and what worked last year might not work in 2024. (Just look at X’s, or Twitter’s, dramatic revenue loss after many major platforms have stopped posting or advertising on the platform.) So what does work on social media right now, particularly for event professionals?
“We don’t just want our audience to understand what we do—we want them to know who we are,” says Zoe Haynes, the sales and marketing coordinator for PlatinumXP who oversees the event planning agency’s digital marketing. “Social media has evolved into a space for cultivating relationships and building trust. We utilize various platforms to tell stories—the story of an event transformation, behind the scenes with our production crew, or maybe even some fun office shenanigans with our CEO.”
Haynes’ focus on maintaining a consistent, authentic brand presence was a common theme among event professionals we spoke to about how they’re using social media right now. It’s all about “fostering an ongoing connection with our followers,” agrees Elias Contessotto, social media manager for event production company 15|40.
But remember: Not every platform is created equal. Contessotto stresses the importance of tailoring your approach with each platform—but also not being afraid to experiment a bit to ensure you’re staying ahead of trends and maximizing audience engagement. “By creatively testing new tactics, we gauge audience response and efficacy, gradually integrating successful approaches into our channels,” he explains. “This iterative process empowers us to refine our content strategy continuously, adapting to evolving trends and audience preferences.”
In short, “It’s all about meeting your audience where they’re at,” says Taylor Elliot, vice president of marketing and brand strategy for Shepard Exposition Services. “Social media is such a great tool to amplify your brand voice. I always say as marketers we need to create a system that works for our brand even when we are sleeping, and social media is one of the tools to help achieve this.”
LINKEDIN & INSTAGRAM
From our conversations, LinkedIn and Instagram quickly emerged as the two top platforms in the event industry. “Instagram is our go-to for showcasing stunning event photos—however, LinkedIn holds equal if not greater importance in our strategy,” explains Haynes. “While Instagram captures attention with its visual allure, LinkedIn allows us to dive deeper into industry conversations and build relationships with our peers.”
Contessotto likes to target a B2B audience with 15|40’s LinkedIn presence, posting content that focuses on industry insights, professional networking, and collaborations with studios. “We often share static posts similar to those on Instagram, tagging relevant studios to expand our reach,” he says, noting that LinkedIn posts are often reshared by team leaders and executives. “LinkedIn [also] serves as a prime platform for spotlighting press coverage, award nominations, and industry highlights.”
On Instagram, meanwhile, Contessotto expands 15|40’s content to cater to both B2B and B2C audiences. “We share visually engaging posts that highlight our expertise, industry leadership, and collaborations, appealing to a wider range of followers,” he says. “Instagram will have ‘POV’ content, which is much more personal and requires less high-quality tools to tell our story. I came to 15|40 from an influencer background, and from experience, I notice that more amateur content does better on that platform, like using an iPhone for reels rather than a DSLR camera.”
Heather Rouffe, director of sales at Atlas Event Rental, also appreciates the more personal touch that can come with Instagram. “Through that platform, we strive to educate the industry, create brand awareness, and most importantly to us, show the personal side to our company, brand, and rentals,” she explains. “With so much of the human side of things lost in a digital age, being personable and showing the people behind the brand is very important to us. We find the clients really appreciate the behind-the-scenes content and becoming familiar with the Atlas crew.”
On the flip side, though, that doesn’t mean LinkedIn can’t get a little personal. Al Mercuro, senior account director at trade show display company Genesis Exhibits, prioritizes LinkedIn due to the connections he’s been able to make with marketing directors and event directors at companies he’d like to do business with.
“I try to not promote my company as much as my brand by sharing information that will help them in their jobs—I find I get many referrals this way,” Mercuro notes. “I believe it is also a living resume; before I meet with someone, they will often check out my LinkedIn page to learn more about me. The more you can build up your profile and the number of connections you have adds to your value and makes it attractive to have them want to work with you.”
Jonathan Kazarian, the founder and CEO of Accelevents, also uses LinkedIn to build up his personal thought leadership—and therefore, build awareness of his event management software company. “Ninety-nine percent of what I share on LinkedIn is professional,” he says. “I’ll share something about my personal life to build connection, but that’s not my focus with LinkedIn.”
FACEBOOK, TWITTER (X), TIKTOK, & MORE
In a sign of changing times, most of the event professionals we spoke with are not investing much in Facebook or Twitter (now known as X)—though many are still updating them.
“We push out all of our Instagram content to our Facebook, to ensure our followers and intended audiences on both platforms are receiving similar content,” says Contessotto. “We also maintain our Twitter, or X, channel to share some of our event photos, as well as retweet content that clients we work with post that are captured at our events.”
Mercuro finds that Facebook is still an effective way to reach older generations—but for younger generations, he’s found some success marketing events on TikTok. “I am a board member of a nonprofit concert venue, and we needed to attract a younger audience,” he remembers. “I suggested we work with a local university and their marketing classes to take on a project like our organization to give them real-life experience. They chose to use TikTok to reach the younger demographics in our area, and it has been extremely successful.”
Contessotto agrees that TikTok is naturally very Gen Z-oriented, so content should be tailored accordingly. “We’ve noticed that we typically receive high engagement when our content is celebrity-focused,” he says. “Our team is constantly working to balance out our TikTok pages to include viral content, as well as videos that highlight our diverse portfolio of work to attract the right kind of audience.”
Haynes says she’s still exploring TikTok’s potential for Platinum XP. “I’ve noticed its popularity as a discovery platform,” she says. “It’s a great tool for driving awareness, but we should also consider whether our target audience is active on TikTok.” One tool that Haynes does invest time in? Pinterest. “It’s a powerful tool for SEO purposes. Its visual nature allows us to drive awareness to our website through captivating photos. By sparking curiosity, we encourage users to click through and explore further.”
Pyongyang says new warhead designed for cruise missiles, adding that a new anti-aircraft rocket was also tested.
North Korea has conducted a test on a “super-large warhead” designed for a strategic cruise missile, state media reports, adding that it also launched a new type of anti-aircraft missile.
“The DPRK Missile Administration has conducted a power test of a super-large warhead designed for ‘Hwasal-1 Ra-3’ strategic cruise missile”, KCNA news agency reported on Saturday, referring to North Korea by an abbreviation for its official name – Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
North Korea also carried out a test launch on Friday afternoon of a “Pyoljji-1-2”, which state media said was a “new-type anti-aircraft missile”.
KCNA added that “a certain goal was attained” through the test without providing further details.
The weapons tests were part of the “regular activities of the administration and its affiliated defence science institutes”, KCNA reported, referencing the operation of “new-type weapon systems”.
The tests “had nothing to do with the surrounding situation”, KCNA added, but did not give any further information.
In early April, North Korea said it had tested a new medium-to-long-range solid-fuel hypersonic missile, with state media sharing a video of it being launched as leader Kim Jong Un looked on.
Cruise missiles are among a growing collection of North Korean weapons designed to overwhelm regional missile defences. They supplement the North’s vast arsenal of ballistic missiles, including intercontinental variants, which are said to be aimed at the continental United States.
Analysts say anti-aircraft missile technology is an area where North Korea could benefit from its deepening military cooperation with Russia, as the two countries align in the face of their separate, intensifying confrontations with the US.
The US and South Korea have accused the North of providing artillery shells and other equipment to Russia to help extend its warfighting ability in Ukraine.
Since its second nuclear test in 2009, Pyongyang has been under heavy international sanctions, but the development of its nuclear and weapons programmes has continued unabated.
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