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By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Two Swedish nationals were shot dead and a third wounded in central Brussels on Monday
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Futures inch up as megacaps recover after sharp decline
U.S. stock index futures crept higher on Friday, setting the Dow on track for its tenth straight day
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Cambodian leader Hun Sen, a huge Facebook fan, says he is jumping ship to Telegram
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, a devoted and very active user of Facebook — on which he has posted everything from photos of his grandchildren to threats against his political enemies — said Wednesday that he will no longer upload to the platform and will instead depend on the Telegram app to get his message across. Telegram is a popular messaging app that also has a blogging tool called “channels.” In Russia and some of the neighboring countries, it is actively used both by government officials and opposition activists for communicating with mass audiences. Telegram played an important role in coordinating unprecedented anti-government protests in Belarus in 2020, and currently serves as a major source of news about Russia’s war in Ukraine. The 70-year-old year Hun Sen is listed as having 14 million Facebook followers, though critics have suggested a large number are merely “ghost” accounts purchased in bulk from so-called “click farms,” an assertion the long-serving prime minister has repeatedly denied. The Facebook accounts of Joe Biden and Donald Trump by comparison boast 11 million and 34 million followers, respectively, though the United States has about 20 times the population of Cambodia. Hun Sen officially launched his Facebook page on Sept. 20, 2015, after his fierce political rival, opposition leader Sam Rainsy, effectively demonstrated how it could be used to mobilize support. Hun Sen is noted as a canny and sometimes ruthless politician, and has since then managed to drive his rival into exile and neutralize all his challengers, even though Cambodia is a nominally democratic state. Hun Sen said he is giving up Facebook for Telegram because he believes the latter is more effective for communicating. In a Telegram post on Wednesday he said it will be easier for him to get his message out when he is traveling in other countries that officially ban Facebook use. China, the top ally of his government, is also the biggest country with a Facebook ban. Hun Sen has 855,000 followers so far on Telegram, where he appears to have started posting in mid-May. It is also possible that Hun Sen’s social media loyalty switch has to do with controversy over remarks he posted earlier this year on Facebook that in theory could see him get at least temporarily banned from the platform. As the country’s top leader for 38 years, he has earned a reputation for heated rhetoric, and in January, speaking at a road construction ceremony, he decried opposition politicians who accused his ruling Cambodian People’s Paty of stealing votes. “There are only two options. One is to use legal means and the other is to use a stick,” the prime minister said. “Either you face legal action in court, or I rally (the Cambodian) People’s Party people for a demonstration and beat you up.” His remarks were spoken on Facebook Live and kept online as a video. Perhaps because of heightened consciousness about the power of social media to inflame and trigger violence in such countries as India and Myanmar, and because the remarks were made ahead of a general election in Cambodia this July, complaints about his words were lodged with Facebook’s parent company, Meta. Facebook’s moderators declined to recommend action against Hun Sen, judging that his position as a national leader made his remarks newsworthy and therefore not subject to punishment despite their provocative nature. However, the case was forwarded in March to Meta’s Oversight Board, a group of independent experts that is empowered to render an overriding judgment that could limit Hun Sen’s Facebook activities. They may issue a decision in the next few weeks. The case is being closely watched as an indicator of where Facebook will draw the line in countries with volatile political situations. Hun Sen said his Facebook account will remain online but he will no longer actively post to it. He urged people looking for news from him to check YouTube and his Instagram account as well as Telegram, and said he has ordered his office to establish a TikTok account to allow him to communicate with his country’s youth.. ___ Peck reported from Bangkok. Dasha Litvinova contributed from Tallinn, Estonia. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Cambodian lawmakers approve changes to election law that disqualify candidates who don't vote Trump’s latest defence in the classified documents case: ‘Bravado’ Trump gives ‘bravado’ defence for secret papers tape as he sues E Jean Carroll – live
2023-06-29 00:53

Tokyo Inflation Slows, Supporting BOJ’s Price View for Now
Inflation in Tokyo slowed in May, an outcome that offers support for the Bank of Japan’s view that
2023-05-26 09:52

Shakira finds Tom Cruise romance rumors 'hilarious,' has 'no interest in dating him' at the moment
Tom Cruise is said to have set his sights on dating Shakira earlier this week, but the songstress appears to have knocked him back
2023-05-11 22:20

'Jan and Chan forever': Maggie Wheeler's heartfelt tribute to late 'Friends' co-star Matthew Perry moves fans
The on-again, off-again relationship between Matthew Perry and Maggie Wheeler's characters, Chandler Bing and Janice, is much loved by 'Friends' fans
2023-10-29 15:59

Man dies after detonating explosive device at court in Ukrainian capital
By Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey and Anna Voitenko KYIV A man who detonated an explosive device at a court in
2023-07-06 04:48

Ukrainian trauma surgeon operates on soldiers all day long amid Russia's war
The lead trauma surgeon at a military hospital in Ukraine’s capital has his hands deep in a war churning hundreds of miles away
2023-05-17 21:55

Stock markets suffer post-Thanksgiving sluggishness
Global stock markets wavered Friday in subdued trading with Wall Street only open for a half session due to the...
2023-11-25 03:47

Why did 'GMA' cancel Jungkook's live performance? Fans furious over morning show's last-minute change, say 'breaks my heart'
K-Pop star Jungkook of 'BTS' recorded three songs for the morning talk show after his live performance was canceled
2023-07-15 14:46

American mother and daughter taken hostage by Hamas have been released
Hamas released two American hostages, Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie Raanan, on Friday nearly two weeks after launching a deadly attack in Israel and abducting around 200 people.
2023-10-21 05:25
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