Widespread corruption, poor health care and a lack of adequate infrastructure continue to make Phnom Penh one of the least livable major cities in the world, according to the annual Global Livability Ranking, released on Thursday by the Economist Intelligence Unit. ...

With rebuke raining down on the ruling CPP for its judicial assault, arrests and intimidation of the political opposition and other critics, Cambodia’s annual assessment by the U.N. Human Rights Council will be held next week in Geneva. ...

Eight Nigerians were sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Friday following a sting operation last year that culminated with an undercover officer purchasing 100 grams of crystal methamphetamine from one of the eight. ...

Cambodia’s 700,000 garment and footwear workers currently earn a minimum wage of $128 a month. Last year, the lowest legal salary for Cambodian workers in the $5.7 billion industry was only $100 per month. ...

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has thrown out a defamation case against Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong that was filed by Khmer Power Party (KPP) President Sourn Serey Ratha in December after Mr. Namhong called the politician’s supporters terrorists. ...

The final two weeks of February will feature visits to Sihanoukville from both the Japanese and Chinese navies to conduct goodwill and training exercises, as the two powers vie for influence and allies in Southeast Asia amid increasing Asian nautical tensions. ...

Roughly 2,000 workers from the Malaysian-owned Global Apparels Limited garment factory in Phnom Penh went on strike yesterday after the factory announced it would be reducing staff numbers by 500 over the coming months, union representatives said yesterday. ...

As the Kingdom moves into the heart of the dry season, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries has issued a set of guidelines on the prevention of forest fires, stressing that jail is in the cards for those starting blazes. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen wants more specialized doctors to work for the government in public medical facilities and become public servants, according to a speech given by the premier to close yesterday’s annual conference held by the Ministry of Health. ...

Singapore-based oil and gas firm KrisEnergy has not responded to inquiries from the government on when it will start work on the offshore field it has the rights to in the Gulf of Thailand known as Block A. ...

As a two-day ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) summit on terrorism and organised crime held in Siem Reap closed yesterday, Interior Ministry counter-terrorism director General Em Sam An highlighted the growing toll transnational crime was exacting upon ASEAN members. ...

Almost every province in Cambodia is facing some level of drought, according to director of the Meteorology Department at the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology Oum Ryna, but only a few provinces were facing a severe shortage of water. ...

Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana has called for all provincial court presidents and prosecutors’ offices to appoint spokespeople to answer questions from the public and the media “as soon as possible,” citing rising interest in the judiciary as the reason. ...

The U.S. State Department’s annual Human Rights Report, released on Wednesday, highlights poor treatment of Cambodia’s political opposition in 2015, and raises concerns about the judiciary’s “broad interpretation” of the crime of incitement.   ...

About 1,000 hectares of flooded forest in Preah Sihanouk’s Prey Nup district, all of which is overseen by the provincial fisheries department, is under threat of being systemically divided and sold to a private company, according to officials. ...

The Interior Ministry has made tentative plans to send a delegation of three people to the South Pacific island of Nauru next month to meet and vet two more refugees who have volunteered to resettle in Cambodia.   ...

Exploration company Angkor Gold Corp is working with NGOs to educate residents of Pate commune’s Plang village in Ratanakiri’s Ou Ya Dav district after villagers refused to give the company permission to explore for gold on their land. ...

Children in Cambodia face a range of threats to their safety including violence, sexual abuse and economic exploitation, with the justice system failing to prosecute alleged offenders, according to a 68-page report by a host of children’s welfare NGOs. ...

Only a few days after the Koh Kong Provincial Court found three environmental activists guilty for protesting against a sand dredging company, the Ministry of Energy and Mines has called for greater civilian participation in protecting The Kingdom’s natural resources. ...

Cambodia’s justice system often fails to support children who are victims of and witnesses to crime, many of whom are so terrified to appear in court that they’re unable to give testimony, children’s rights experts said yesterday. ...