US Diplomatic Cables released by WikiLeaks show that the US Embassy in Phnom Penh sought the presence of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the USa and Cambodia. Ms. Clinton did not attend the celebration but rather visited <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/embassy-sought-hillary-clinton%e2%80%99s-visit-for-60th-anniversary/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen has order a review of dredging operations and the impacts that they have on Cambodia’s islands and beaches. Freshwater dredging has also been ordered to go under review, with the Prime Minister calling for the Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/premier-orders-review-of-marine-dredging/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

More than 17,000 hectares of land inside the Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary have been awarded by Prime Minister Hun Sen to companies for for agroindustrial development. Two concessions were made of 9,059 hectares and 8,591 hectares in the Trapaing Chor and the Omlaing communes. The <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/land-in-wildlife-sanctuary-awarded-to-private-firms/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Increased interest by asian tourists has led to about 33 percent growth for angkor Wat ticket sales so far this year, according to the apsara authority. Revenues during the first six months hit US$20 million, compared with about $15 million in the period last year, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/interest-up-at-angkor-wat/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Almost 30,000 hectAres of A wildlife sAnctuAry in OddAr MeAnchey, Siem ReAp And PreAh ViheAr provinces hAve been reclAssified As stAte privAte lAnd for AgriculturAl development, drAwing shArp criticism from rights groups. Four sub-decrees signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on July 22 reclAssify lAnd <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/forest-on-the-Auction-block/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Outstanding loans among micro-credit institutions increased by 6.7 percent to $505.46 million in the second quarter of this year compared to the first quarter, figures from the Cambodia Microfinance association show. according to the data, deposits held by Cambodia’s 27 microlenders grew by 33.2 percent <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/microfinance-deposits-and-loans-grow/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday once gain warned owners of economic land concessions to resolve disputes with villagers living on the land or risk having their licenses revoked, according to a statement from the Council of Ministers. The prime minister, following up on similar <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/settle-disputes-or-lose-land-hun-sen-warns/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh yesterday called on the US to allow duty-free entry for Cambodian exports, a benefit the Kingdom already enjoyed with the European Union. The introduction of preferential tax treatment from the US would result in the Kingdom’s share of that country’s <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/minister-asks-for-export-break/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

In an attempt to foster tourism on the Cambodia-Thai border, tourism officials this week visited the Cham Yeam border crossing in Koh Kong province. Warming relations with Thailand’s newly elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra are expected to improve cross-border tourism, which deteriorated after border clashes <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/tourism-minister-to-thai-border/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Rights groups said yesterday a ban on sending Cambodian domestic workers to Malaysia &ndash; signed by the Prime Minister on Saturday &ndash; should not be lifted until both countries implemented measures to stop deaths, rapes, forced detainment and under-age recruitment in the labour sector. Groups including <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/maid-freeze-wins-support/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Thailand has repatriated the body of an Oddar Meanchey man fatally shot Tuesday while illegally logging for rosewood in Thailand, border officials said yesterday. Torn Kimsann, 22, was among a group of four men from Samraong City’s O’Smach commune who had ventured about 1km into Thailand <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/another-logger-shot-dead-along-thai-border/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Nearly 2,000 workers at a Kandal province garment factory had returned to work on Saturday and 6,000 more planned to return today after nearly three weeks of strikes, company and union representatives said yesterday. Yung Wah Factory administrative director Ing Minchuan confirmed yesterday that the roughly <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/workers-win-after-kandal-factory-strike/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Despite Phnom Penh’s rapidly increasing traffic woes, it might take until 2035 for a public transport system in the Kingdom’s capital to be operational, government development partners said yesterday. The Japan International Cooperation agency, which has been working with Cambodia’s government since 2001 on an <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/gridlock-going-nowhere-fast/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Friday with Brazil, the largest Latin american economy, to boost cooperation in areas that include agriculture, technology and diplomatic ties, officials said. The MoU was signed at the Ministry of Foreign affairs by secretary of state Ouch Borith and <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-brazil-ink-broad-new-agreement/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

ASEAN finAnce officiAls And the heAds of regionAl centrAl bAnks yesterdAy homed in on the possibility of economic crisis As well As potentiAl meAns of Averting contAgion in fledgling SoutheAst AsiAn economies. The officiAls hAve Also Agreed “in principle” to doubling A regionAl currency fund to <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/AseAn-Aims-to-dodge-crisis-in-west/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The National Bank of Cambodia this week signed a Memorandum of Under-standing with the State Bank of Vietnam that would allow for the exchange of information to fight money laundering and terrorism financing. The MoU, signed by NBC Governor Chea Chanto and SBV Governor Nguyen Van <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-vietnam-to-fight-financial-crimes/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

More than 100 female workers fainted yesterday in Kompong Speu province at a Taiwanese-owned garment factory manufacturing clothes for the US sports brand Nike, an official from the Ministry of Labor said. Pok Vanthath, deputy director of vocational safety inside the ministry’s health department, said he <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/more-than-100-workers-faint-at-nike-factory/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Minister of Interior Sar Kheng insisted on Tuesday that law enforcement agencies must leave no stone unturned in the search for the “masterminds” behind human trafficking and bring them to justice without exception. Sar Kheng was speaking at a meeting on Tuesday at the Ministry <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hunt-down-the-masterminds/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday addressed the asia Media Summit in Siem Reap, outlining his priorities to increase cooperation in the region and the world to combat fake news and cybercrime, which he said are becoming a serious threat. In his speech at the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/pm-raises-fake-news-at-summit/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh on Thursday lauded law enforcement cooperation efforts between the two countries that have seen around 1,000 Chinese nationals, accused of varying crimes, deported in the last 12 months. To mark the occasion, the Chinese Embassy posted on Facebook that at least 1,000 <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/china-cambodia-mark-successful-law-enforcement-cooperation/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>