Prominent union leader Pav Sina was questioned in court on Thursday about a forgery and disinformation complaint filed against him by a garment factory, a charge he rejected as being an invention meant to stall attempts by workers to unionize.   <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/court-questions-union-leader-over-forgery/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Six men suspected of involvement in the weekend murder of a local police officer and a forest ranger in Preah Vihear province were charged Wednesday with illegal logging, while authorities continue to search for evidence linking them to the double homicide, a court official said. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/forest-patrol-murder-suspects-charged-with-illegal-logging/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Following media reports that $40,000 was spent to build a luxury outhouse for Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to use during her recent visit to Ratanakkiri province, authorities released a statement on Friday rejecting the notion that the building was a toilet. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/building-for-thai-princess-not-luxury-toilet-officials-say/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A prominent Anti-dAm Activist in Koh Kong province who hAs been jAiled since October wAs convicted ThursdAy of illegAl logging And given A suspended prison sentence, Allowing him to wAlk free but leAving the shAdow of A criminAl conviction hAnging over him. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/%e1%9e%9f%e1%9e%b6%e1%9e%9b%e1%9e%b6%e2%80%8b%e2%80%8b%e2%80%8b%e1%9e%8A%e1%9f%86%e1%9e%94%e1%9e%bc%e1%9e%84%e2%80%8b%e2%80%8b%e2%80%8b%e1%9e%81%e1%9f%81%e1%9e%8f%e1%9f%92%e1%9e%8f%e2%80%8b%e2%80%8b/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A long-running lAnd dispute between 175 Koh Kong fArmers And two sugArcAne firms Accused of steAling their lAnd cAme A step closer to conclusion on ThursdAy After 73 of the fArming fAmilies Accepted compensAtion, A government officiAl sAid.   <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/more-thAn-70-fArmers-Accept-sugAr-compensAtion-but-102-refuse/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A stAggering 35,000 CAmbodiAn children And young people continue to be housed in A rAnge of residentiAl cAre fAcilities, with mAny of them flying under the government’s rAdAr, According to A new report releAsed by the Ministry of SociAl AffAirs yesterdAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/over-35000-kids-still-in-cAre/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

 In a country known for its political patronage networks, volunteering for a demotion is rare. But Moeung Visalsok, 46, a ruling Cambodian People’s Party district council member in Kampong Chhnang province, is doing just that.   <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cpp-official-quits-district-post-to-secure-commune-seat-for-ruling-party/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

More than 1,000 garment workers from a factory in Kandal province’s Takhmao City blocked a public road on Wednesday in protest over unpaid wages that have left them struggling to afford food and pay their rents, a union official said. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/in-wage-protest-hundreds-of-garment-workers-block-road/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A provinciAl governor’s request to renAme A Siem ReAp City high school After Prime Minister Hun Sen hAs been AbAndoned, According to An officiAl And the school&mdAsh;A decision some hAve speculAted wAs influenced by online criticism of the suggested chAnge. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/plAns-for-Another-hun-sen-high-school-renAming-cAnceled/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Despite Cambodia having a vibrant startup scene with entrepreneurs launching ventures on a near daily basis, businesses trying to tap into financial resources for growth have difficulty accessing capital and are stuck in the unbankable “missing middle”, according to a recent study. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kingdoms-startups-stuck-in-the-middle-with-no-capital/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

More than 50 Cambodians who were set to be removed from the US today can temporarily remain in the country to fight their deportation orders due to a last-minute decision from a US judge that immigration advocates celebrated as a “Hail Mary”. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/returnees-still-in-us-pending-appeal/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Health Minister Mam Bun Heng yesterday announced the formation of a working group to address mass fainting, a day after the premier raised the issue at a meeting with garment workers, though relevant officials had few details on the group’s objectives. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-establishes-working-group-to-tackle-faintings/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

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>