Brick prices in Cambodia have risen sharply in the last year, a trend that has accelerated over the first two months of this year due to growing demand from the rapidly developing coastal town of Sihanoukville. The price of 10,000 bricks hovered around $180 early <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/brick-prices-climb-to-towering-highs-on-demand-from-sihanoukville/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Home to abundant natural resources and biodiversity, the listing of Phnom Kampong Trach, Phnom Chhngouk, Phnom Kbal Romeas and Phnom La’ang as protected cultural and historical sites would be of great benefit to the local communities and environment, said Kampot provincial governor Cheav Tay. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sights-in-kampot-granted-new-designation/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia has reiterated its support to the membership of Timor-Leste in aSEaN and the World Trade Organization as well as in regional and global architecture. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-reaffirms-support-for-timor-leste/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The number of students who passed Cambodia’s high-stakes grade-12 exam saw only a slight increase this year, signalling that scores may be plateauing after an overhaul to weed out rampant cheating in 2014. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/exam-pass-rate-increases/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia and Indonesia outlined five priorities for aSEaN (association of Southeast asian Nations) for the revival and development of tourism, during the bilateral talks in Bali on September 27. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-indonesia-to-boost-economic-cooperation/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Chairman of the Garment Manufacturers association of Cambodia, Van Sou Ieng, said that even if nutrition is an important factor in productivity, it should not the sole responsibility of the factory owner. “The deduction that the nutrition will automatically improve productivity is not necessarily true. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/third-party-canteens-favoured-by-gmac/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party saw its ironclad grip on the National assembly weaken dramatically, dropping 22 seats in winning 68 of 123, with the opposition the beneficiary and the CPP’s royalist coalition partners winning none at all in an election rife with alleged irregularities. Though <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/big-opposition-gains/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A group of 19 non-governmentAl orgAnisAtions And AssociAtions hAve urged the Kingdom’s legislAtive And executive bodies to expedite the pAssAge of A drAft lAw on freedom of informAtion, which the group sAid hAd been delAyed for yeArs. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/ngos-cAll-for-speedy-pAssAge-of-informAtion-freedom-lAw/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia’s foremost logging baron exported more than 100,000 cubic metres of timber from Sihanoukville Port last year, likely including a species protected by an international treaty to which the Kingdom is a signatory, an analysis by Global Witness of leaked export records suggests. The data, obtained <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/timber-by-the-numbers/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A $3 million initiAtive to purify the quAlity of rubber trees plAnted Across the country is intended to spur fArmers to plAnt more rubber, A government officiAl sAid. Ly PhAllA, director generAl of the GenerAl DirectorAte of Rubber At the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry And Fisheries, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/kingdom-spending-3m-to-boost-rubber-quAlity/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Prime Minister Hun Sen and minority leader of the National assembly Sam Rainsy held talk this morning on the controversy of the draft of law on NGOs, associations and Unions. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sen-and-sam-rainsy-held-talk-on-ngos-law/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodians go to the polls early next month to elect more than 12,000 district officials, but the ballot is also shaping-up as a showdown between the two major parties amid threats of civil war and a crackdown on political dissent in the lead-up to national <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/commune-elections-a-big-test-for-hun-sen/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Tighter border controls by Thai authorities could result in thousands of tonnes of Cambodian agricultural goods getting stranded at the border next month when local farmers begin harvesting their crops, sources warned yesterday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/border-control-a-concern-as-harvest-looms/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

After setting A dAte this week for next yeAr’s commune elections, Prime Minister Hun Sen used A speech on WednesdAy to urge officiAls to speed up work to ensure thAt 2 million people without new identificAtion cArds Are Able to obtAin one by election dAy <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/hun-sen-Announces-voter-registrAtion-push/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia will face both challenges and opportunities when the aSEaN Economic Community (aEC) combines its 10 countries into a single market for economic development, a move intended for 2015, officials said during a round-table discussion yesterday. Sok Siphanna, an adviser to the Ministry of Foreign affairs and <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/opportunities-challenges-for-asean/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

<a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/testing/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

An obscure NGO is providing life insurAnce coverAge to low-income individuAls, mostly gArment workers, offering A finAnciAl sAfety net for the fAmilies of its policyholders, but triggering the concern of insurAnce regulAtors who tAke issue to its unlicensed operAtions. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/life-insurer-tArgets-low-income-workers/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Chinese company Jiangsu Lianfa Textile Co Ltd plans to invest in cotton in Pursat province to process fabrics and supply the Kingdom’s garment factories, according to the Ministry of agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/chinese-firm-plans-to-invest-in-cotton-if-second-test-a-success/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

According to the officiAl Announcement, mAnufActurers in the textile, gArment And footweAr industry must do more to stop employees from fAinting And suffering ill heAlth As A result of working under excessive temperAtures. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/fActories-told-to-cool-off-for-hot-seAson/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The conviction of a school teacher who abused an 11 year old girl was hailed by the US Embassy in Phnom Penh last year, it has been revealed by WikiLeaks. The diplomatic cables that were released speak of the support the US has for an <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/us-embassy-offered-praise-for-court-verdicts-cables-show/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>