Cambodia’s foreign donors are staying largely mum about the government’s decision to indefinitely  high-level aid meeting, though one donor conceded that the move had caught it off guard. Economists also said yesterday that a delay in holding the donor meeting would have little effect, but <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/donors-mum-on-aid-forum-postponement/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Thailand’s former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has denied Cambodia’s recent claim that he initiated secret bilateral talks over coveted oil reserves in disputed Gulf of Thailand waters, Thai news service MCOT reported Saturday. In a statement last week, the Cambodian National Petroleum authority said <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/thailands-former-official-denies-secret-oil-talks/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Kompong Thom provincial authorities have threatened to shut down two NGOs who have been providing free legal education to poor villagers in the province, accusing the groups of fomenting rural unrest against private investors. The NGOs, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and the Natural <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/police-warn-ngos-over-workshops/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Maruhan Japan Bank and Seilanithih microfinance institution announced this month they are forming a business alliance through which they will work together for mutual benefit and to provide banking opportunities for Cambodia “By joining forces with us, Seilanithih will be able to expand the size of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/japanese-bank-and-cambodian-mfi-join-forces/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The company that’s behind the Koh Pich bridge development is providing US $70 million to Phnom Penh city hall to improve the city’s infrastructure “all of the money that comes from the Koh Pich development is being used by city hall to develop Phnom Penh city’s <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ocic-provides-infrastructure-funding/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Three percent of the country’s rice crops have been destroyed by flooding in provinces along the Mekong River and around the Tonle Sap lake, and another seven percent is at risk of being lost, the minister of agriculture said yesterday. New government estimates also show that <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/flooding-destroys-3-of-national-crop/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Police said they freed one recruit from a Phnom Penh recruitment agency this weekend and were seeking to prosecute its director, adding that they were doing the same for the director of the SKMM recruitment agency, where 78 recruits were freed last week. The court <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/police-raid-maid-agency-push-charges-against-others/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Garment workers who went on strike over delayed payment of wages and other alleged violations of labour law on Tuesday morning were paid on Wednesday by management at the Chea Ieng garment factory in the capital’s Sen Sok district. Factory employee Sun Sopheak said yesterday that <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/garment-staff-get-pay-push-for-labour-rights/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday ordered an end to all private land deals inside the country’s protected areas and warned local businessmen and officials against making such illegal deals. “all official paperwork in connection with natural protected areas is invalid,” he said while speaking at the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sen-calls-off-deals-on-protected-land/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Workers will begin clearing forestland in Stung Treng province as early as next week in preparation for the controversial 400-megawatt Lower Sesan 2 dam, district officials and villagers said yesterday. The hydropower project, funded by Vietnam Electricity (EVN), will flood tens of thousands of hectares of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/work-to-begin-on-controversial-dam-in-stung-treng-next-week/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The floodwaters may have receded, but their effects are far from over, with the government, NGOs and international donors saying yesterday they are still assessing the damage as they shift to long-term rehabilitation. Last November, Minister of Economy and Finance Keat Chhon said the government would <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/flood-challenges-still-loom/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Speculation is bubbling in Bavet town over the identity of the man who shot three people protesting outside a shoe factory on Monday, with eyewitnesses, police and villagers suggesting blame lies with town officials. The shooting, which took place outside the Kaoway Sports Ltd factory <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/fear-rumours-in-wake-of-shooting/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Svay Rieng Provincial Court yesterday summoned Bavet city governor Chhuk Bundith for questioning over his alleged role in the shooting of three female garment workers at a special economic zone (SEZ) in the province two weeks ago, court officials said. Human rights groups continued <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/bavet-governor-summoned-over-shooting/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

More than 500 residents of Pursat City have signed a letter addressed to Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Suy Sem threatening to take to the streets in protest if the town’s privately owned electricity distributor does not reduce prices. Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/pursat-city-residents-threaten-to-protest-electricity-prices/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Chinese AmbAssAdor PAn GuAngxue yesterdAy sAid thAt ChinA opposes the contentious issue of the South ChinA SeA being discussed by countries thAt Are not directly involved in the regionAl mAritime dispute. SpeAking At A news conference At the Chinese EmbAssy to discuss Chinese President Hu JintAo’s <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/AmbAssAdor-reiterAtes-s-chinA-seA-stAnce/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Poipet City authorities have issued eviction notices to those living alongside a section of railway that is earmarked for renovation, telling the families to move within 10 days or risk loss of property. The villagers said yesterday they received the eviction announcement only one day before <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/eviction-notices-arrive-too-late-villagers-say/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training says it will monitor the implementation of seniority indemnity payments to all factory employees in line with the new policy which comes into force this month. The ministry is also ready to impose a fine on any factory <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ministry-to-monitor-seniority-payments/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen raised cyber-security and access to information in his address to nearly 5,000 participants at the correspondents’ dinner held on Friday in Phnom Penh. In his speech, Hun Sen called on officials and members of the press to wage a fight against <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/pm-fight-against-fake-news/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday noted a decline in the number of mothers breastfeeding their children and appealed for help reversing the trend. The Planning Ministry previously said the number of breastfeeding mothers dropped from 73.5 percent in 2010 to 65 percent in 2014. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/pm-warns-of-decline-in-breastfeeding/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia has significantly benefited from its association of Southeast asian Nations (asean) membership, Royal academy of Cambodia (RaC) secretary-general Yang Peou said on Thursday during a conference to mark the 52nd anniversary of asean’s establishment and the 20th anniversary of the Kingdom’s membership in the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/asean-membership-has-helped-reduce-development-gaps/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>