Cambodia to implement military conscription in 2026: PM
Cross-border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia killed one Cambodian soldier.
PHNOM PENH - Cambodia's military will begin conscripting civilians in 2026 , Prime Minister Hun Manet said on July 14 , citing rising tensions with Thailand as the reason for activating a long-dormant mandatory enlistment law.
Cambodia's Parliament in 2006 approved a law that would require all Cambodians aged 18 to 30 to serve in the military for 18 months, although it has never been enforced.
Relations with neighbouring Thailand have been tense since May 2025 , when a long-standing territorial dispute boiled over into cross-border clashes killing one Cambodian soldier.
'This episode of confrontation is a lesson for us and is an opportunity for us to review, assess and set our targets to reform our military,' Mr Hun Manet said at a ceremony at the Royal Gendarmerie Training Centre in central Kampong Chhnang province.
'From 2026, the military conscription law will be implemented.' AFP
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Online Citizen
23 minutes ago
- Online Citizen
PM Wong reaffirms ‘full support and confidence' in ST as netizens question its impartiality
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has underlined the importance of trusted journalism, declaring that Singapore needs credible media more than ever to help society distinguish fact from falsehood in an increasingly complex world. Speaking on 11 July 2025 at a dinner celebrating the 180th anniversary of The Straits Times (ST), Wong reiterated the government's 'full support and confidence' in the publication's mission to inform, educate, and hold Singapore society together. His backing comes amid ongoing debate over the independence of Singapore's main English-language newspaper. Many Singaporeans have taken to social media to question whether ST can operate free of state influence, especially after substantial government funding was pledged to its parent, SPH Media Trust (SMT). In February 2022, the government announced up to S$900 million in funding over five years for SMT, which operates ST. This support, of up to S$180 million a year, is intended to sustain quality journalism and keep the national newspaper financially viable as advertising revenues fall and audiences move online. The injection of public money followed SMT's restructuring in 2021, when it was separated from Singapore Press Holdings to function as a not-for-profit entity. The move was aimed at ensuring that the nation's flagship paper could adapt to the challenges of digital disruption and remain a trusted source of news. PM Wong: Government support essential to keep public service media viable, independent, and accountable Wong acknowledged that globally, traditional news outlets face shrinking newsrooms and commercial pressures that threaten editorial quality. He cautioned against allowing Singapore's national newspaper to fall into the hands of private billionaires with partisan aims or to let public trust in the press erode as a result of poor funding. 'We cannot allow that to happen here in Singapore,' Wong said. 'We do not want our national newspaper to be owned by billionaires with narrow or partisan agendas. Nor do we want public trust in the media to be eroded.' He explained that government support is essential to keep public service media viable, independent, and accountable to Singaporeans. PM Wong: ST must adapt and stay relevant Wong also acknowledged that ST faces unprecedented competition, not just from other reputable outlets but from content creators and distractions across countless digital platforms. He called on the paper's editors and journalists to adapt boldly to remain relevant to future readers, even if that means significant changes to the newspaper's style, tone, or length in the coming decade. 'I believe there will still be a place for print, and we should all do our best to keep print newspapers viable in Singapore for as long as possible,' Wong said. 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Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Thousands of Afghans win asylum in Britain after huge data breach
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Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
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These include appliances, sports equipment and toys, although items like mobile phones were an outlier as they are exempt from Mr Trump's 'reciprocal' tariffs targeting nearly all trading partners. Even if headline inflation shows no 'meaningful' surge from tariffs alone, Nationwide economist Oren Klachkin warned it may be too soon to see their full impact just yet. Businesses have been trying to hold off consumer price hikes through actions like eating into their own margins and trying to share costs with their suppliers, he said. But it remains to be seen how long they can do this. Mr Klachkin said there could be a bigger impact over the summer. Besides steep tariffs that have already taken effect, Mr Trump has also threatened higher levels on dozens of key partners, including the European Union, India and Japan. Economists caution that consumer prices could rise further from these steeper duties, and because exemptions for goods like pharmaceuticals and semiconductors could eventually end. Mr Trump has opened doors to levies on such sector-specific imports, injecting more uncertainty into the global economy and worries of supply chain snags. Underscoring these uncertainties, Mr Bessent said in a Bloomberg Television interview on July 15 that he tells markets not to worry about the August deadline when higher tariffs on Chinese goods are set to kick in. Analysts and Federal Reserve policymakers are monitoring if Mr Trump's tariffs will trigger a one-off price hike or cause more persistent inflation. This is despite Mr Trump insisting on July 15 in a separate post that the Fed 'should cut Rates by 3 Points'. 'Rising prices will make it harder for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates and tougher for families living paycheque to paycheque,' said Ms Heather Long, chief economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union. Mr Ryan Sweet, chief US economist at Oxford Economics, added that Mr Trump's latest tariff threats, if put in place, will take time to feed into inflation too. This 'will keep the Fed on the sideline unless the labour market takes a sudden turn for the worse', he said. AFP
