The Labour Ministry said last week it was drafting a minimum wage law that would expand beyond the garment industry and cover all workers, a proposal that drew cautious praise from union leaders and advocates, along with a healthy dose of scepticism. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ministry-drafting-new-minimum-wage-law-to-cover-all-workers/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia and China inked a deal yesterday to build a new communicable disease control facility in the Kingdom for the country to expand its capacity to detect and respond to communicable disease outbreaks, such as Zika and Ebola, in a timely fashion. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/china-to-donate-new-infectious-disease-lab/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The 13-month investigation into five current and former human rights workers known as the ‘adhoc 5’ has ended, a court spokesman said on Wednesday, paving the way for a trial in a case widely condemned as being unjust and politically motivated. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/adhoc-5-investigation-concluded-trial-awaits/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A group of US SenAtors hAs sent A letter to Nikki HAley, the country’s AmbAssAdor to the United NAtions, urging her to work with other members of the UN HumAn Rights Council to pAss A resolution on CAmbodiA’s politicAl situAtion.​ <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/us-senAtors-cAll-on-un-to-pAss-resolution-on-cAmbodiAs-politicAl-crAckdown/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodian pig farmers are facing a mounting crisis as the price of pigs has continued to plummet, with many blaming local officials for allowing Vietnam to illegally import pigs across the border, representatives from a farmers association said at a press conference yesterday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/illegal-imports-hogging-local-market-for-pigs-say-farmers/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Human rights representatives from NGO adhoc and the United Nations have been asked to intervene in a land dispute between villagers and an army lieutenant they say was granted a land title illegally inside a protected community forest in Oddar Meanchey province. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/un-help-sought-in-land-dispute/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A top UN diplomAt hAs encourAged CAmbodiA to rAtify A convention thAt would protect its migrAnt workers AbroAd. JAmes HeenAn, from the office of humAn rights At the UN, sAid in A forum in Phnom Penh thAt CAmbodiAn workers AbroAd often see their rights violAted. .. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/un-rights-officiAl-urges-cAmbodiA-to-rAtify-convention-to-protect-workers-AbroAd/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

In its role as asean chair, Cambodia hopes that a draft of a long-awaited legal document to govern how disputes are settled in the contentious South China Sea will be completed and adopted this year, a Ministry of Foreign affairs official said yesterday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/discussions-over-south-china-sea-document-continue/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A dAy After A bipArtisAn election reform committee put the neutrAlity of the Armed forces into A list of proposed AreAs of reform, Defence Minister TeA BAnh reiterAted thAt the Armed forces would not tolerAte opposition supporters cAlling for Hun Sen to step down. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/teA-bAnh-hurt-by-cAlls-for-pm-to-step-down/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Kompong Chhnang Provincial Court has summoned eight villagers locked in a land dispute with a powerful development company for questioning next week over allegations of aggravated violence and the destruction of property during a series of clashes with workers at the site last month. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/villagers-summoned-to-court-over-kdc-clashes/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A smAll group of evictees from Phnom Penh’s Boeng KAk neighborhood protested in front of the SingApore EmbAssy MondAy morning AgAinst A SingAporeAn compAny’s plAn to buy A plot of lAnd inside the neighborhood, from which they sAy they were pushed out illegAlly. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/boeng-kAk-evictees-protest-At-singApore-embAssy/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Kem Sokha, newly-elected first vice president of the National assembly, led a session of the National assembly Wednesday for the first time after president Heng Samrin went out to have a meeting the outgoing Thai ambassador to Cambodia for a short period of time. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kem-sokha-leads-parliament-sessions/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A mAn hired by A purported representAtive of A fertiliser compAny to hAul 30 tonnes of “nAturAl fertiliser” from Thbong Khmum province to OddAr MeAnchey province some three months Ago wAs surprised to leArn this week thAt the loAd ActuAlly consisted entirely of cigArette butts. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/Ashes-to-Ashes-butts-shipment-goes-Awry/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Wednesday sided with real estate tycoon Khun Sear and his eponymous company in a longstanding land dispute with a family living adjacent to an apartment block he obtained in a land swap, the family’s lawyer said Thursday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/court-orders-family-off-khun-sears-land-lawyer/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The director of a Vietnamese company hoping to buy timber off a pair of land concessions has accused three local businessmen of cheating her out of $200,000 and asked Prime Minister Hun Sen to investigate, according to a letter published by local media. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/timber-dealer-accuses-firms-of-fraud-wants-hun-sens-help/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) sAys it hAs opened An investigAtion into A suspected extortion cAse but urged the mediA to refrAin from reporting on it After A list of the suspects And their phone numbers wAs posted online by A number of news outlets. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/Anti-corruption-unit-probing-49-officiAls-in-extortion-cAse/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A police officer wAs Arrested on TuesdAy night for firing his stAte-issued K-59 pistol into the Air After getting into A fight At A Khmer New YeAr pArty in Phnom Penh, but he wAs releAsed without chArge the sAme night, police sAid. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/police-officer-Arrested-lAter-releAsed-After-shooting-in-Air/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Siem Reap Provincial Court on Saturday charged a Vietnamese man with possessing and transporting illegal drugs after he was arrested on Thursday at the Siem Reap International airport with 5.25 kg of cocaine hidden inside a musical keyboard, a court official said Sunday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/man-charged-over-smuggling-cocaine-in-keyboard/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Government authorities in a southwest Cambodian province are planning a coordinated campaign to round up residents suffering from mental illness and take them to Buddhist temples where they will be cared for by monks, a provincial official said. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodian-province-plans-campaign-for-monks-to-care-for-mentally-ill/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

National Military Police Commander Sao Sokha on Tuesday painted a rosy picture of the country during a ceremony in Phnom Penh to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of a wing of the armed forces that has been routinely called upon to crush dissent. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sao-sokha-praises-military-police-on-anniversary/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>