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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

The Bishop of Dover says British people do not understand their own history of economic migration.

By Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON Turmoil in the occupied West Bank, where violence between Jewish settlers

All eyes are on the Supreme Court for its final days of the term, as the justices will release cases on issues such as affirmative action, student loan payments and LGBTQ rights.

MEXICO CITY Chile assumed the pro tempore presidency of the Pacific Alliance on Wednesday, according to a statement

Ryan Seacrest earned a plum gig this week, replacing the retiring Pat Sajak as host of “Wheel of Fortune.”

An official investigation has been launched by US Central Command into the May 3 drone strike in Syria that reportedly killed a civilian instead of the intended senior al-Qaeda target.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy has scrambled to contain the fallout after he questioned whether former President Donald Trump is the strongest candidate in the 2024 presidential race -- comments that outraged Trump allies.

The deputy mayor of Finland’s capital is facing possible legal action and calls for him to pay compensation for damages and to resign after he was caught red-handed spray-painting graffiti in a railway tunnel last weekend

President Joe Biden told CNN on Wednesday his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has "absolutely" been weakened by the short-lived mutiny over the weekend.

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin planned to seize two of Russia top military officials when he launched a short-lived mutiny on Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing Western officials.

The Tories have been roasted for revealing their levels of delusion via a graphic attacking the Labour Party. Responding to a story about a Labour u-turn on a policy to introduce rent controls in the housing sector, the Tories implied that Labour were in a state of chaos - ironically. They wrote: "Labour flip flopped on housing no less than a few hours ago…. How Sir flip flop can preach about housing is a joke," before adding a graphic which said "0 days since last incident". The issue they were responding to was the opposition party ditching a pledge to control surging rents if it wins the next general election – nine months after endorsing the policy. At a conference, Lisa Nandy called the approach as a "sticking plaster" and claimed it would increase homelessness. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter But people thought it was pretty ridiculous for the Tories to be the one to criticise Labour about it given the Tories are never far away from a scandal, with allegations about Tory London mayoral hopeful Daniel Korski groping a TV producer coming as the latest threat to the party's credibility. You know what they say. Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones... Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.