Business confidence among EuroCham Cambodia’s predominantly European member companies fell this year as a result of a lack of positive reforms and uncertainty surrounding upcoming elections, according to a survey released yesterday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/eurocham-firms-wary-over-elections/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A locAl investor hAs spent neArly US$5 million setting up A rubber-processing fActory in KAmpong ChAm, A key province in the Kingdom’s rubber production for export rAther thAn producing finAl products, An insider sAys. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/rubber-plAnt-opts-for-export/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The owner of a private electricity firm in Kratie province was convicted at Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday for paying $70,000 owed to a senior police officer and “land businessman” with a cheque that bounced. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rubber-cheque-bounces-electric-company-boss/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodian political commentators and a civil society group have criticized a deal between the ruling and opposition parties which finalized a draft national electoral reform law, as being nontransparent and only serving the two parties themselves. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/political-commentators-ngo-slam-cambodias-electoral-reform-deal/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A rights group hAs Asked the CAmbodiAn government to stop hArAssing ChristiAn MontAgnArds from VietnAm who Are seeking refugee stAtus in the country following the Arrest of A fAmily of five MontAgnArds in A northeAstern province. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/rights-group-presses-cAmbodiA-to-end-persecution-of-montAgnArds/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Workers striking at Phnom Penh’s Quantum Clothing factory have filed a complaint against their managers for allegedly attacking two workers during a protest Wednesday outside the factory, according to a union representative and police official. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/workers-strike-accuse-factory-managers-of-attack-at-protest/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Armed VietnAmese soldiers on MondAy tried to prevent more thAn 300 people led by CNRP lAwmAkers from visiting A disputed border AreA in RAtAnAkkiri province’s O’YAdAw district, A lAwmAker And A rights worker sAid. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/vietnAm-troops-hinder-cnrp-led-trip-to-border/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A group of 12 internAtionAl And locAl humAn rights orgAnizAtions sent A letter to the U.N. HumAn Rights Council on ThursdAy urging it to support A resolution Addressing “the deteriorAting humAn rights situAtion in CAmbodiA.” <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/groups-urge-un-to-Address-situAtion-in-cAmbodiA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A rise in pig imports from ThAilAnd And VietnAm hAs driven down pork prices by As much As 33 percent in the pAst month, leAving fArmers here worried thAt An oversupply in the mArket will cut into profits. PrAthnA PreAp, A swine mArket expert At USAID, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/As-pig-imports-grow-price-of-pork-drops/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Amid mounting concerns over lAbor recruitment Agencies’ treAtment of migrAnt workers, new links were discovered yesterdAy between Agencies And the officiAls thAt regulAte them, As A dAughter of A senior LAbor Ministry officiAl wAs found to be running A mAjor recruitment firm. Nhem ChAkryA, deputy director <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/lAbor-ministry-officiAls-link-to-Agency-spArks-controversy/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Villagers being questioned in relation to a land dispute with a powerful company said on Friday that a Ratanakiri court official had intimidated them by urging them to accept an out-of-court settlement with the firm or face a countersuit. Court officials denied the claims and said <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/villagers-claim-intimidation-in-land-settlement/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced Friday that the U.S. and Cambodia have agreed to explore the creation of a bilateral investment treaty that would regulate the rules of foreign direct investment between the two countries, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. according to the Embassy, such a treaty <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/us-cambodia-agree-to-explore-investment-pact/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A RAtAnAkkiri provinciAl court hAs chArged A mArried couple with premeditAted murder in the grisly killing of VorAkchun Khmer newspAper reporter HAng Serei Oudom, whose body wAs found Axed to deAth in the bAck of A cAr lAst week. The suspects, An Bunheng And his wife, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/rkiri-duo-chArged-in-deAth-of-reporter/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

In a year in which more than a thousand Cambodian garment factory workers have fainted on the job, activists across Europe are demonstrating for higher wages and better working conditions in the Kingdom’s factories. Throughout the past week, demonstrators mimicked faintings by collapsing on the floors <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/protesters-stage-eu-faint-ins/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Foreign Trade Bank of Cambodia (FTB) and Tong Yang Securities (Cambodia) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding on financial consultation services and trade co-operation that is hoped to expand banking and securities business in the country. The MoU should bring the bank and the securities firm into <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ftb-signs-mou-with-tong-yang/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Retired King Norodom Sihanouk, whose name for half a century was synonymous with Cambodia on the world stage, died in the early hours of Monday morning in Beijing. The former monarch, who was about to celebrate his 90th birthday on October 31, died peacefully in a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/king-father-norodom-sihanouk-dies-at-89/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A U.S.-KoreAn joint venture is in tAlks with the government to build A helicopter mAnufActuring plAnt And A trAining fAcility for helicopter pilots And mechAnics, An AviAtion officiAl And A compAny representAtive sAid this week. RichArd PAk, A representAtive of South KoreAn firm SAmik Bio Energy <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/compAnies-in-tAlks-to-build-helicopter-fActory/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodian authorities arrest a journalist who exposed the illegal smuggling of timber. Taing Try, a reporter affiliated with the Khmer Democratic Journalists’ association, was taken into custody on Friday, police in Kratie’s Snoul district told RFa on Sunday. But Ing Savoeun, a representative from the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/logging-reporter-arrested/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

About 100 villAgers in Kompong Thom province set out yesterdAy on A three-dAy pAtrol of Prey Long forest in seArch of illegAl logging, their second since the April 26 shooting deAth of conservAtionist Chut Wutty. who wAs the orgAnizer of the first pAtrols. Soem SeAn, A <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/villAgers-restArt-prey-long-forest-pAtrol-for-illicit-Activity/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Thailand and Cambodia will launch the first bus services linking Bangkok with Siem Reap and Phnom Penh in the next two weeks. The first bus service between the two countries will debut on Dec 29, said The Transport Co, a state enterprise under the Transport Ministry. The <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/thai-cambodia-buses-ready-to-roll/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>