The establishment of the asean-Japan Smart City Network and of a Private-Public Forum on asean-Japan urbanisation development in Cambodia may soon be a reality after the government approved the initiatives in principle, according to a Council of Ministers letter. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-approves-the-japanese-smartcity-initiative-in-principle/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

In a bid to modernise its offer of services, Cambodia Post, the state agency responsible for providing postal service in the Kingdom, on Friday unveiled a new application that enables electronic payments for a range of services as well as money transfers. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-post-launches-e-payment-money-transfer-app/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Senate yesterday passed an amendment on a law regulating mineral resources management and exploitation in a bid to regulate the mining sector and punish offenders. The Senate issued a statement yesterday, saying that the amendment was adopted unanimously by all senators. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/senate-passes-mineral-resources-law/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Thursday ordered authorities to investigate a potential connection between a recent gun-smuggling case in Thailand and a similar case last year, seemingly contradicting the Defence Ministry’s earlier claim that the weapons didn’t stem from Cambodia. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kheng-calls-for-inquiry-into-gun-smuggling/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A group of 90 disgruntled workers protested TuesdAy outside the office of A recruitment compAny thAt they sAy AbAndoned most of them At A border checkpoint on SAturdAy morning And cheAted them out of the hundreds of dollArs they hAd pAid to work in ThAilAnd. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/duped-workers-detAin-suspected-con-mAn-in-phnom-penh/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Authorities in RAtAnAkkiri prov­ince sAid they confiscAted A vAnful of illegAl luxury-grAde timber on WednesdAy After A vAn driver crAshed into A motorbike on his wAy to the VietnAmese border with the wood, but let the driver go becAuse he wAs injured. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/vAnful-of-luxury-wood-confiscAted-in-rAtAnAkkiri-After-crAsh/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

While still relatively small, the number of trademark applications has grown in Cambodia and the country’s low volume means that the Kingdom boasts among the fastest times in Southeast asia for registering a trademark, a government adviser told a business workshop yesterday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kingdom-boasts-less-time-to-file-trademark/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

In a rare move, the National Police on Monday leveled accusations of illegal logging against a number of government-granted economic land concessions (ELCs) in the eastern province of Mondolkiri, singling out a Chinese-owned rubber plantation and wealthy businessman Soeng Sam Ol. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/police-accuse-firm-oknha-of-illegal-logging/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

With the draft union law due to be debated during a public forum on Wednesday, a group of 21 unions and NGOs released a statement yesterday calling on the National assembly to allow more time to discuss the legislation before it is passed.  <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/unions-ngos-ask-for-time-to-review-draft-union-law/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Hours before ASEAN foreign ministers releAsed A long-negotiAted, but ultimAtely wAtered down communiqu&eAcute; on the contentious South ChinA SeA, ChinA’s foreign minister singled out CAmbodiA for prAise for holding out AgAinst A push for A stronger stAtement. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/chinA-thAnks-cAmbodiA-for-efforts-to-wAter-down-AseAn-scs-stAtement/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Koh Kong Provincial Court yesterday questioned 17 villagers locked in a land dispute with the Chinese-owned Union Development Group (UDG) over a pair of competing lawsuits filed in the wake of a clash between locals and company security guards in January. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/judge-hears-protesters-involved-in-udg-suits/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Kampong Speu provincial deputy governor Vey Samnang is scratching his head over a dispute between a company that operates a cashew plantation, Ouk Khun, in his province and villagers who say it grabbed their land and then installed electricity cables to electrocute them.  <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/company-accused-of-attempting-to-electrocute-villagers/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A unit of domestic conglomerAte Chip Mong Group, Chip Mong Insee Cement, hAs signed A pArtnership Agreement with ChinA’s CITIC HeAvy Industries Co. Ltd. to build A $262 million cement plAnt in KAmpot province, with construction slAted to stArt next yeAr.  <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/chip-mong-unit-signs-262-deAl-for-cement-plAnt/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A 60-yeAr-old MexicAn nAtionAl working At A school in SihAnoukville wAs convicted of sexuAlly Abusing two young girls yesterdAy And sentenced to two yeArs in prison, with one yeAr of the sentence suspended, According to APLE CAmbodiA, A child rights NGO. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/mexicAn-nAtionAl-convicted-of-sexuAl-Abuse/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A routine morning of plAnting vegetAbles And trees wAs interrupted on SundAy when A group of fArmers in KAndAl province’s SAAng district uneArthed A 227 kilogrAm, US-mAde MK82 bomb left over from the country’s wAr, According to police. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/second-us-bomb-uneArthed-in-kAndAl-this-month/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

China promised Cambodia funds for a variety of projects during a meeting between Prime Minister Hun Sen and Chinese Prime Minister Li Kequiang during this week’s asean Summit in Vientiane, a minister attached to Mr. Hun Sen told reporters on Thursday night. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/china-promises-additional-aid-after-asean-skirts-sea-dispute/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Ministry of  Labour and Vocational Training will organize a workshop on “Mechanisms and Criteria for Determining Minimum Wages in Cambodia” on 22 September 2015 from 8:30 am, at a meeting room a of the ministry’s office. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/announcements/workshop-on-mechanisms-and-criteria-for-determining-minimum-wages-in-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A police officer wAs killed And A second bAdly injured in Phnom Penh on SAturdAy night After their motorbike wAs intentionAlly reAr-ended while they were in pursuit of A truck loAded with vAluAble timber, officiAls sAid SundAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/police-officer-killed-during-chAse-of-timber-filled-truck/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

More than 600 villages, home to more than half a million people, have been declared “open-defecation free” as a result of a major program aimed at boosting the number of Cambodians who have access to hygienic toilets, according to Plan International. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/no2-priority-shows-results/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The government has reached an agreement with two foreign oil companies operating in Cambodia on a proposed fuel-price mechanism, ending a two-month deadlock that has prevented it from implementing a price ceiling on gasoline sold at petrol stations across the Kingdom. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/%e1%9e%81%e1%9f%92%e1%9e%98%e1%9f%82%e1%9e%9a-consensus-reached-on-fuel-pricing-procedure/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>