A leading rights group in Cambodia, LICADHO, said it was forced to cancel its annual International Human Rights Day events in the country’s prisons for the first time in 20 years because of prohibitive conditions imposed by the government. ...

The introduction of the new traffic law has hit a few potholes, with some citizens complaining that it is too tough on poor families, while analysts say people in rural areas have been left in the dark about the new law’s requirements.  ...

Some of the country’s top business leaders laid out their main concerns with a controversial draft union law during a meeting with CPP lawmakers on Monday, including a stipulation that would let only 10 people form a union at a workplace. ...

The parent company of U.S. apparel giant Timberland has launched an investigation into claims that security guards at a special economic zone in Kandal province viciously attacked the workers that make the brand’s clothing and footwear, a company representative said Wednesday. ...

The government will ask for more than $100 million in concessional loans from the Japanese government to begin building a new container terminal inside Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (SAP) early next year to handle the surging volume of containers passing through the port. ...

The Thai commander who was the mastermind behind the scale replica of the Preah Vihear temple complex on Pha Mor E-Daeng cliff has been transferred following concerns aired by the Thai Foreign Ministry about the structure’s effect on relations with Cambodia. ...

The volume of goods shipped has grown steadily in the three months since South Korean sea shipping line Hyundai Merchant Marine began calling at Sihanoukville port, and cargo sizes are expected to double in the coming month, a local company representative said yesterday. ...

Turkey’s ambassador to Cambodia alleged on Monday that a top international school in Phnom Penh is overseen by the “terrorist organization” behind last week’s thwarted coup in Turkey—prompting a threat of legal action by the school.   ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday announced that he had instructed Takeo provincial governor Lay Vannak to give land titles to 31 families after they had asked him via Facebook to intervene in their long-running land dispute with the provincial department of commerce. ...

Almost two weeks after the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX) announced that it was accepting applications for the newly approved liquidity providers (LPs) option, it admitted yesterday that no one had yet applied, as insiders said they were still unsure of the program. ...

Amid deteriorating relations with Western countries due to the government’s suppression of critics, Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to visit Cambodia this month for the first time since taking office, according to a Facebook post by National Police chief Neth Savoeun. ...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in collaboration with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, is holding a second Asia Women Leadership Program (AWLP) event starting today to help senior women government officials develop their potential to become future leaders. ...

The rate at which the population of Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River is declining has dropped dramatically in recent years, although more dolphins must be protected into adulthood to save the species from extinction, according to a new report released Tuesday. ...

Cambodians generally accept media reports as fact and, despite a surging reliance on the Internet for news, many are still getting information from traditional media outlets aligned with the ruling CPP, according to new research conducted by two freedom-of-information organizations. ...

Garment factory owners in Cambodia asked the government on Thursday to help stop a strike by workers for higher wages, saying the labor action is damaging the investment climate for the industry, the country’s main source of exports. ...

Sara Lamsam, president and chief executive officer, said yesterday that the company has formed a 49:51 joint venture called Sovannaphum Life Assurance with its partner Canadia Investment Holding, the holding company of Canadia Bank, Cambodia’s second-largest bank. ...

The watchdog coalition Electoral Reform Alliance (ERA) yesterday voiced concern after the National Election Committee short-listed its incumbent secretary-general Tep Nytha as a candidate to hold the position, accusing the nine-member body of lacking transparency in its selection process. ...

The Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) on Thursday met with the Ministry of Commerce to discuss policies for strengthening the country’s ailing rice industry, and unveiled a plan to develop a price-support mechanism to guarantee Cambodia’s rice export price, officials said. ...

Drought in Southeast Asia is raising concerns in the Cambodian and Vietnamese countryside where salinity levels are rising in the Mekong River and people are skeptical about fresh promises from Laos that it will respect the rights of downstream countries in dam construction. ...

Amret Microfinance Institution, one of the largest in Cambodia’s crowded market, yesterday announced it had received an A- rating from independent rating agency Microfinanza, which is based in Italy, for improving its operation and for its strong performance over the past year. ...