Singapore student Siti Aishah Siregar, 20, vanished after telling her family she was going to Nanyang Polytechnic. Her family found her passport missing and a Cambodia flight ticket in her email, prompting an urgent police search in Phnom Penh.
20-year-old Singaporean student Siti Aishah Siregar vanished after telling her family she was going to college. Her family later found her passport missing and a flight ticket to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in her email, prompting an urgent police search.
Singaporean student Siti Aishah Siregar, 20, was found safe in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, after vanishing from home. She met an online gaming friend there, stating she left due to strict parental control. Investigations reveal she transferred money to an unknown person, raising scam concerns.
Hong Kong will compete in the inaugural Fifa Asean Cup's "Challenge Division" in September and October, drawn in Group A with Myanmar, led by former Hong Kong coach Jorn Andersen, and Brunei.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet vowed to intensify the crackdown on transnational online scam networks, acknowledging their adaptation into smaller, decentralized cells. Authorities have shut down over 670 operations and increased intelligence sharing with partners like the US FBI, as Cambodia faces international pressure over these criminal enterprises.
FBI Director Kash Patel met Cambodian PM Hun Manet to discuss joint efforts against international online scam operations, which caused estimated losses of $114 billion in Asia-Pacific by 2025. The U.S. prioritizes combating these scams, linked to human trafficking.
A new UNODC report reveals online scams, primarily investment fraud, cost victims an estimated US$88.3 billion to US$114.1 billion last year, a significant increase from 2023. Authorities in an unspecified region are reportedly cracking down on this illicit industry under pressure from the United States, Britain, and China.
China calls for dialogue to resolve a long-standing border dispute with a neighbour, after 2023's deadliest clashes in over a decade left over 100 dead, with a December ceasefire mostly holding despite breach accusations.
South Korea's foreign ministry has lifted travel bans for specific areas in Cambodia and Venezuela due to improved security. Bans were extended for 10 other countries and 12 regions.
Yip Chee Ming, a Malaysian national, was sentenced to over 16 months in prison in Singapore for joining a scam syndicate in Cambodia. Despite being fired after only three days due to poor performance, he was convicted of being part of an organized crime group, highlighting the syndicate's sophisticated operations targeting Singaporeans.
Ryan Khun, who moved from Cambodia to Australia in 2012, has led his bakery, Country Cob, to win the Australian Best Pie Competition for the fifth time. Their latest winning entry was a Malaysian-style prawn curry pie.
Cambodia and Thailand are utilizing a UN Convention on the Law of the Sea tool for "compulsory consultation" to resolve a decades-long maritime dispute in the Gulf of Thailand. This aims to unlock potential $300 billion in oil and gas reserves, following Thailand's withdrawal from a 2001 agreement and recent land border tensions.
H5N1 bird flu has been detected in Western Australia for the first time, with a dead brown skua found in Cape Le Grand national park. While the risk to humans is low, authorities are monitoring the situation closely. The virus has previously spread globally and rarely infects humans.
Cambodia's crackdown on multibillion-dollar online scam operations has led to a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers, previously held hostage and forced to work, are now left without support, facing detention and potential re-trafficking.
Cambodia's crackdown on multibillion-dollar online scam operations has led to a secondary crisis, leaving thousands of stranded foreign workers, victims of human trafficking, without support. While the government has targeted scam compounds, it is criticized for ignoring the plight of vulnerable migrants lured into the industry and now facing detention and lack of basic necessities.
Cambodian PM Hun Manet met with Russian President Putin at the Russia-ASEAN summit in Kazan, emphasizing Russia's significant role in global affairs, the UN, and strengthening ties with the Global South and Asia. He affirmed Cambodia's continued development of relations with Russia and China, calling Russia an important partner.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Russia-ASEAN summit in Kazan, emphasizing Cambodia's status as a long-standing friend and partner. Putin highlighted 70 years of diplomatic relations and Soviet-era assistance in developing Cambodian statehood, including infrastructure projects.
Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Cambodian companies to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok and Russian Energy Week in Moscow. The invitation was extended during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on the sidelines of the Russia-ASEAN Summit.
Chinese police announced charges against Liu, accusing him of directing an online gambling group and operating telecom fraud compounds in Cambodia. He is also charged with illegal detention and intentional injury.
South Korean police arrested 23 individuals for laundering $4.1 million in crypto for a Cambodia-based phishing operation. The alleged ringleader is at large, and authorities seized $431,000 in proceeds. Experts warn the Southeast Asian scam ecosystem remains a persistent concern.
South Korea and Cambodia discussed expanding economic ties and cooperation on official development assistance (ODA) programs, building on their free trade agreement (FTA). Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol in Seoul.
The US proposes tariffs (10-12.5%) on countries not adequately addressing forced labour, with rates varying based on enforcement measures; affected governments can challenge inclusion until July 6.
Amnesty International reports 86 online scam compounds in Cambodia as of April, up from 53 a year ago, contradicting government claims of success in dismantling the industry.
A 35-year-old Filipino national, De Villar Rizalyn Panganiban, is on trial in Singapore for allegedly belonging to a criminal group involved in impersonation scams that defrauded victims of over S$40 million. She faces charges related to organized crime and conspiracy to cheat.
