Blazes seen across kingdom
Recent satellite images from NaSa have captured a high number of fires blazing across Cambodia this season, illustrating what one forestry official called a chronic inability to deal with the Kingdom’s numerous illegally set fires, a problem exacerbated by especially dry El Niño conditions. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/blazes-seen-across-kingdom/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/blazes-seen-across-kingdom
Prey Sar inmates in ‘meth cartel’
A mAn Arrested over the weekend Allegedly in possession of more thAn 3 kilogrAms of meth And more thAn 100,000 yAmA tAblets hAs been linked to A drug-trAfficking network operAting out of Prey SAr prison, According to A police report mAde public yesterdAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/prey-sAr-inmAtes-in-meth-cArtel/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/prey-sar-inmates-meth-cartel
Armed soldiers storm forestry office to retake truck
A group of 10 Armed soldiers stormed A Forestry AdministrAtion office in OddAr MeAnchey province on MondAy And Attempted to seize A militAry truck thAt hAd been confiscAted from them After they used it to trAnsport illegAl timber, leAding to An hourslong stAndoff, officiAls sAid. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/Armed-soldiers-storm-forestry-office-to-retAke-truck/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Saing Soenthrith
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/armed-soldiers-storm-forestry-office-to-retake-truck-110515/
GTI announces 2015 dividend payout
Garment manufacturer Gran d Twins International (GTI) will pay out a reduced cash dividend for 2015 as a result of net profits dropping by 70 per cent last year compared to 2014, the company said yesterday in a filing to the Cambodian Securities Exchange (CSX). <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/gti-announces-2015-dividend-payout/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Post Staff
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/gti-announces-2015-dividend-payout
Questions linger over second accused ship
A second ship Accused by the NGO Mother NAture of illegAlly exporting dredged oceAn sAnd lAst week is expected to Arrive At A port in ChinA todAy with A cArgo of silicA sAnd, which is exempt from the bAn, the ship’s owner sAid yesterdAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/questions-linger-over-second-Accused-ship/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Yesenia Amaro
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/questions-linger-over-second-accused-ship
Hun Sen calls for closure of anti-trafficking group after CNN report
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday called for the closure of a Christian anti-trafficking NGO during a heated tirade at a graduation ceremony, condemning them and CNN for broadcasting an “insulting” story about girls who were sold into sexual slavery by their own mothers. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sen-calls-for-closure-of-anti-trafficking-group-after-cnn-report/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Kong Meta, Erin Handley and Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/hun-sen-calls-closure-anti-trafficking-group-after-cnn-report
Proposed law to ban insulting monarchy prompts free speech fears
Minister of Interior Sar Kheng held a meeting with other top ministry officials yesterday to discuss introducing a legal amendment banning insults to the King, similar to so-called “lèse-majesté” laws in Thailand, which critics have characterised as a cudgel to suppress dissent. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/proposed-law-to-ban-insulting-monarchy-prompts-free-speech-fears/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/proposed-law-ban-insulting-monarchy-prompts-free-speech-fears
Divisions over map proposal
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy has said he believes Prime Minister Hun Sen’s recent push to convert the maps of Cambodia’s border with Vietnam to a scale of 1:50,000 and a UTM-style map projection would not require a constitutional amendment. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/divisions-over-map-proposal/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Meas Sokchea and Alex Willemyns
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/divisions-over-map-proposal
No wood, but permit in protected area extended
The Agriculture Ministry renewed the license for timber extrAction on A lAnd concession in A protected AreA in September, despite previously concluding thAt the lAnd within the concession hAd been completely cleAred, According to A conservAtion group And documents obtAined by reporters this month. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/no-wood-but-permit-in-protected-AreA-extended/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Aisha Down
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/no-wood-but-permit-in-protected-area-extended-123916/
Agro-processing SEZ moves closer to reality
A Chinese firm thAt plAns to invest $2 billion into developing the Kingdom’s first speciAl economic zone (SEZ) dedicAted solely to AgriculturAl processing And storAge hAs signed on A new pArtner to help jumpstArt the stAlled project, A top Agriculture officiAl sAid yesterdAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/Agro-processing-sez-moves-closer-to-reAlity/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/agro-processing-sez-moves-closer-reality
Unrelenting rains
Provinces nationwide – particularly those along the Cambodia-Thailand border – are likely to experience more flooding as a result of a low-pressure system that is expected to bring rain across the country, according to a forecast from the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/unrelenting-rains/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/unrelenting-rains
Malaysia firm to bring Oddar Meanchey onto national power grid
Malaysian-owned power infrastructure provider Pestech (Cambodia) Ltd has won a $26 million job to start on a new electricity project in Cambodia that will see Oddar Meanchey province connected to the national power grid, according to a filing on the Malaysian stock exchange. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/malaysia-firm-to-bring-oddar-meanchey-onto-national-power-grid/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/malaysia-firm-bring-oddar-meanchey-national-power-grid
For rural minorities, land remains in limbo
Eighteen years ago, long before the roads cutting through the red hills of Ratanakkiri were paved, some 300 indigenous Kreung families living on a hill above a stream in O’Chum district sent a petition to the Ministry of Land Management. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/for-rural-minorities%e2%80%88land-remains-in-limbo/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Aisha Down
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/topstory/rural-minorities-land-remains-limbo-120583/
Workers continue strike as wage talks delayed to next week
Workers in the border town of Bavet continued a week-long strike Monday after a meeting to discuss wage increases was delayed for a second time to next week. Sources said all workers left the Tai Seng and Manhattan special economic zones after working for an hour. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/workers-continue-strike-as-wage-talks-delayed-to-next-week/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=NDBiNTE5YTIwNTY
Police shooting: Charges for intentional murder set
A Mondulkiri militAry police officer hAs been chArged with intentionAl murder After Allegedly shooting And killing A mAn who ignored An order to stop his cAr while pAssing through A protected forest in the province’s O’RAing district, Mondulkiri provinciAl prosecutor Khout SopheAng sAid yesterdAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/police-shooting-chArges-for-intentionAl-murder-set/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/police-shooting-charges-intentional-murder-set
Gov’t sets ground rules for ongoing wage talks
The Labor Ministry laid out the ground rules for unions and factories Monday at the first meeting of a new working group charged with getting the two sides to agree on a new minimum wage for garment workers, including a condition that they address each <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/govt-sets-ground-rules-for-ongoing-wage-talks/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Mech Dara
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/govt-sets-ground-rules-for-ongoing-wage-talks-70409/
Thai defense minister to visit Cambodia to promote ties
Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan will lead a military delegation to pay a two-day official visit to Cambodia on Dec. 24 and 25 to further boost bilateral ties and cooperation, said a press statement issued by the Cambodian defense ministry on <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/thai-defense-minister-to-visit-cambodia-to-promote-ties/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Shanghai Daily News Staff
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=260184
Forestry officials summoned for meeting over extortion case
Sixteen forestry officials from three provinces were summoned to a meeting in Phnom Penh on Thursday after their names were found on a list of 49 suspected extortionists that police in Kompong Chhnang province seized from a truck that had been transporting illegally logged wood <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/forestry-officials-summoned-for-meeting-over-extortion-case/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/forestry-officials-summoned-for-meeting-over-extortion-case-77405/
Soldiers train rangers to fight illegal logging
A group of 56 rAngers from the Ministry of Environment lAst week completed A one-month trAining course in Phnom Penh run by the RoyAl CAmbodiAn Armed Forces (RCAF) to help sAve CAmbodiA’s protected AreAs from illegAl loggers, A first for the country’s rAngers. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/soldiers-trAin-rAngers-to-fight-illegAl-logging/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/soldiers-train-rangers-to-fight-illegal-logging-78016/
Protest leader jailed over alleged sex with minor
The Mondolkiri Provincial Court on Saturday charged a man with having sex with an underage girl, but a rights worker and the girl’s father said Sunday that the allegations were fabricated in retaliation for the man’s involvement in recent protests against a Vietnamese rubber plantation. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/protest-leader-jailed-over-alleged-sex-with-minor/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/mondolkiri-protest-leader-jailed-over-alleged-sex-with-minor-81940/