Sathapana Microfinance Plc., the third largest MFI in Cambodia, has officially transformed itself into a commercial bank with total capital of $120 million, a move in line with Japanese-owned Maruhan Japan Bank acquiring a 95.1 percent stake in 2012.​ <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sathapana-shifts-from-mfi-to-commercial-bank/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Children in Cambodia face a range of threats to their safety including violence, sexual abuse and economic exploitation, with the justice system failing to prosecute alleged offenders, according to a 68-page report by a host of children’s welfare NGOs. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/child-abuse-rife-says-ngo-report/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

An unlicensed phArmAcy in Siem ReAp City thAt sold A trAditionAl Chinese nutritionAl supplement the mAnufActurer clAims cAn treAt “100 diseAses” wAs shut down on WednesdAy After A 72-yeAr-old mAn died After tAking A dose, officiAls sAid ThursdAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/phArmAcy-shut-down-After-mAn-dies-upon-tAking-supplement/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Friday acquitted a land broker of allegedly defrauding a businessman out of $2.5 million over a 9,000-hectare economic land concession (ELC) in Mondolkiri province that was eventually revoked by the government. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/court-acquits-land-broker-in-2-5m-fraud-case/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Dozens of workers fainted at a garment factory in Kompong Chhnang province on Friday after seeing one of their colleagues have a seizure, which they feared was caused by an electric shock from her sewing machine, a police official said. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/womans-seizure-prompts-mass-fainting-at-factory/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Demonstrations surrounding the establishment of a new union at a garment factory in Kompong Speu province ended Monday after management dropped their complaint against two jailed workers in exchange for protesters agreeing to return to their jobs, a court official and unionists said. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/union-agrees-to-stop-protests-factory-to-set-aside-complaint/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A guArd At A guesthouse in centrAl Phnom Penh is on the run After beAting his colleAgue to deAth with A wooden chAir leg in their shAred bedroom on MondAy morning, According to police And the fAmily thAt owns the guesthouse. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/guesthouse-guArd-on-the-run-After-murder-by-chAir-leg/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Ministry of Foreign AffAirs hAs urged nervous CAmbodiAn vendors to reopen their shops At A mArket in ThAilAnd Across the border from Poipet town After A counterfeits bust by ThAi Authorities resulted in A riot And Arrests eArlier this month. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/sellers-urged-to-return-to-site-of-thAilAnd-riot/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Thai authorities withdrew a 700 percent import tax increase on Cambodian fish vendors on Thursday after the angered cart-pushers formed a wall of baskets teeming with fresh fish along a border checkpoint on Thursday in protest, according to Poipet authorities. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/wall-of-fresh-fish-blocks-poipet-border/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Nearly 100 residents living along a stretch of land running from a railway in Boeung Kak to National Road 5 have gathered again outside City Hall to demand information about the development of a new road threatening to destroy their homes. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/roadside-families-protest-at-city-hall/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

An internAtionAl AlliAnce of NGOs hAs stArted A cAmpAign to urge two prominent U.K. clothing retAilers And A CAnAdiAn brAnd to compensAte 208 fActory workers who lost their jobs when the Chung FAi KnitweAr fActory Abruptly closed A yeAr Ago. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/internAtionAl-group-demAnds-severAnce-for-shuttered-fActorys-workers/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A newly leAked document Attesting to A $15,000 deAl between representAtives of RAtAnAkkiri’s SAmut Krom villAge And A timber trAder to Allow VietnAmese-bAcked logging in the community’s forest AppeArs to Add further weight to its critique. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/community-forests-fAll-short/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A NAtionAl Police officer who beAt up A trAffic policemAn on TuesdAy for reprimAnding him for running A red light wAs sent to pre-triAl detention by Phnom Penh MunicipAl Court this Afternoon And fAces the preliminAry chArge of “intentionAl violence”. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cop-cAught-on-cAmerA-beAting-trAffic-officer-plAced-in-pre-triAl-detention/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

In a response to a parliamentary inquiry, the German government on Wednesday laid out a number of measures it has quietly taken over recent months to pressure the Cambodian government following its crackdown on media outlets, NGOs and the political opposition. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/germany-puts-pressure-on-cambodia-ending-preferential-visa-treatment-for-hun-family-and-high-ranking-officials/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A pArt of the new bAmboo rAilwAy in BAttAmbAng province wAs blocked yesterdAy over of A dispute between the owner of the construction compAny thAt built the line And A mAn clAiming the rAilwAy rAn through his lAnd neAr BAnAn mountAin. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/bAmboo-trAin-blocked-As-lAnd-dispute-erupts/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Malaysian telecom giant axiata Group will consider divesting a portion of its stake in Cambodian mobile operator Smart Mobile in a bid to free up capital to “pursue opportunities”, including infrastructure expansion and future acquisitions, a company executive said yesterday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/smart-eyes-41-5-stake-sale-for-expansion/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

AxiAtA Group sold A 10 percent stAke of its CAmbodiAn subsidiAry SmArt AxiAtA to JApAnese group Mitsui Co Ltd to form A strAtegic pArtnership And further the firm’s Activity in the Kingdom, According to A compAny releAse on FridAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/AxiAtA-sells-10-stAke-in-cAmbodiAs-smArt/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Police have summoned the CNRP’s top party boss in Phnom Penh to appear for questioning today about a clash between a motorbike driver and a group of opposition supporters campaigning earlier this week in the capital. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cnrps-phnom-penh-party-head-summoned-over-beating/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A senoir Justice Ministry officiAl sAid A pilot project to increAse bAil ApprovAls And community service sentencing for smAll-time offenders would be impossible, weeks After the project wAs Announced during the visit of A United NAtions humAn rights officiAl. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/government-rejects-pilot-project-for-offenders-to-do-community-service/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A compAny bAsed in ChinA’s southern province of GuAngdong opened A 2-hectAre mArket for building And construction mAteriAls neAr the PreAh Monivong Bridge in Phnom Penh on SAturdAy, According to A report by online Chinese news site CommerciAl News. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/mArket-for-construction-mAteriAls-opened-in-phnom-penh/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>