The National Committee for Forest Crime Prevention has admitted that despite claims from a variety of high-level government officials that deforestation and illegal logging had been stopped entirely, the illegal timber trade was still ravaging the country’s forests. In June, Environment Minister Say Samal claimed the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/police-admit-logging-failure/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Sixty-five people representing 71 families in Chrey Lors and Chhveang communes in Kandal province’s Ponhea Leu district protested at the Ministry of Land Management yesterday and requested the ministry’s intervention and resolution of a nearly 10-year-old land dispute with the SKD company. One of the representatives, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/families-protest-over-land-dispute/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A mobile lAborAtory thAt will be Able to AnAlyze food sAmples At mArkets Around the country wAs lAunched by the Ministry of Commerce yesterdAy, At the sAme time the ministry Announced it wAs seeking Chinese support in building testing fAcilities At lAnd borders to AnAlyze <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/food-sAfety-lAb-lAunched/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Phnom Penh residents may soon be able to travel to select provinces via boat as the government has pledged to build a waterways public transit system to reduce traffic congestion in the city. Public Works and Transports Minister Sun Chanthol said yesterday during the ministry’s annual <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-mulls-using-rivers-for-transport/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Environmental organizations and civil society groups have expressed concern at plans to build another dam along the Mekong River in Laos and asked the Lao government to suspend the project due to the effects it will have on communities, water flow and fishery resources in <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ngos-slam-the-new-mekong-dam/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

China is ready to consolidate political trust with the five countries along the Lancang-Mekong River, and further cooperate with them in areas of water resources, drought and flood prevention, industrial capacity, agriculture, and human resources, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday. Li made the remarks <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/china-to-work-further-with-mekong-countries-in-water-resources/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Yesterday, Rainsy said the new Cambodia National Rescue Movement had a five-part plan, starting with appealing to the international community to take action. The next step is to work with “economic” partners to put financial pressure on the government.Next, Rainsy said the movement will encourage <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rainsy-officially-launches-cambodia-national-rescue-movement-lays-out-five-point-plan/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s former opposition leader Sam Rainsy’s reverence for political change is exceeded only by his reverence for himself as the instigator of it. That may be why, this weekend in the United States, he launched the Cambodia National Rescue Movement (CNRM), a new body that is <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/does-cambodias-new-opposition-party-really-matter/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Smart axiata, one of the leading mobile operators in Cambodia, yesterday officially launched its digital young innovator program SmartStart, aimed at helping young Cambodians develop their innovative digital-related business ideas into actual businesses or products.SmartStart is a nine-month university program initiated to inspire, enable and <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/smart-help-for-innovators/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court questioned a district governor from Kampong Thom province yesterday over his involvement  in clearing protected flooed forest in the province in July. Prim Rottha, Stong district governor, is one of about 20 officials who received court summonses in July over their suspected <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/district-governor-questioned-over-clearing-protected-forest/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Vietnam airlines outlined expansion at the 4-Code presentation seminar, Wednesday, just prior to the opening of 8th International Travel Expo 2012 in Ho Chi Minh City. The national airline reiterated its commitment at the trade fair to build Vietnam as a major gateway to the other <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/vietnam-airlines-builds-mekong-hub/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Leaders from Vietnam’s southern province of Tay Ninh and Cambodia’s Kampong Chhnang province signed a cooperative agreement in Tay Ninh on September 17. The agreement falls within the framework of the minutes of the 7th Cooperation and Development Conference for Vietnamese and Cambodian border provinces that <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/tay-ninh-kampong-chhnang-strengthen-ties/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s consumer price index rose by 1.3 percent in July compared to a year earlier on the back of higher food and fuel prices, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics. The increase was also due to non-alcohol beverages, clothing and footwear, housing, water, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/inflation-rises-1-3-percent-2/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Japanese Investment in Cambodia is steadily increasing as a result of sharply rising wages in China and other Southeast asian nations. But experts warned this week that for sustained investment growth and to avoid driving Japanese companies to other attractive investment destinations such as Burma <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/japanese-investment-in-cambodia-grows-but-hurdles-remain/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

An officiAl At the Ministry of Industry, Mines And Energy expressed concern thAt if the quAlity of CAmbodiAn produced goods does not improve, CAmbodiA is likely to become lArgely A retAiler of foreign goods when the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is reAlised in 2015. Meng SAktheArA, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/innovAtion-essentiAl-for-cAmbodiAs-plAce-in-Aec/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The planned construction of hydropowered dams on the Mekong River in South-East asia could jeopardise livelihoods, water access and food security for 60 million people, across Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, according to a study. The study reports that dams will block fish migration routes and <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/study-reveals-extent-of-mekong-dam-food-security-threat/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Anti-competitive behAviour in CAmbodiA’s domestic Airline industry is limiting its growth, with the relevAnt Authorities “reluctAnt” to open the domestic mArket up to competition, An AviAtion report found. Monopolising this mArket currently is the country’s flAgship cArrier, CAmbodiA Angkor Air, According to A Centre for AviAtion <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/Anti-competitive-behAviour-limits-cAmbodiAs-domestic-Airline-industry/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The government has promised to monitor the progress of local conglomerate Royal Group in its implementation of a $781 million dam project in Stung Treng province, that has been guaranteed by the government, CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said yesterday. Mr. Yeap said yesterday that the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cpp-promises-oversight-on-royal-groups-dam/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Police, military police and forestry officials evicted 100 families in Koh Kong province’s Smach Meanchey district yesterday, shooting into the air during the forcible removal to disperse villagers with the threat of violence. It was the second day of evictions in an area authorities say <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/shots-fired-as-families-evicted/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Turkey is willing to establish an embassy residence in Cambodia in order to promote bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries, the newly- designated ambassador of Turkey to Cambodia, Osman Bulent Tulun said Tuesday. The two countries’ bilateral trade is relatively small. according to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/turkey-to-enhance-diplomatic-ties-with-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>