Death sentences prompt protest

Hundreds called for the release of two Myanmar migrant workers in a protest in Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city, on Friday, a day after a Thai court sentenced the two to death for the 2014 murders of two young British tourists.

The court convicted Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun of the brutal murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, on the Thai holiday island of Koh Tao, a case mired in controversy and questions about the police investigation and Thailand's treatment of migrant workers.

Around 1,000 people gathered in front of the Thai embassy in Yangon on Friday, police said, calling for the two to be freed. Dozens of police stood guard outside the embassy and closed a lane in front of the building.