Claims that Prime Minister Hun Sen’s recent spike in Facebook popularity is the result of purchasing “likes” from abroad are “completely twisted,” the government’s National Counter-Terrorism Committee concluded in a five-page report released on Wednesday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sens-facebook-likes-real-government-declares/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Robin Loveridge had rolled out of his hammock at dawn to go on a walk along the Sekong River in Siem Pang forest when he saw three bright gold faces peering down at him from the tree canopy. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rare-costumed-ape-sighted-in-forest/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Commerce Ministry has scrubbed its website of all corporate shareholder information since last month’s release of a report damned by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s children for shedding light on the first family’s sprawling business empire. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-scrubs-database-that-exposed-hun-family-riches/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Local innovations have catapulted Cambodia, which has long had dire toilet use numbers, to be a leader in sanitation. On World Toilet Day, the country gears up to attain ambitious new targets, Joanna Mayhew reports. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-makes-progress-flushing-sanitation-problems/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A senior member of the ElectorAl Reform AlliAnce yesterdAy AppeAled for the NAtionAl Election Committee to be given speciAl jurisdictionAl powers over certAin AreAs Around the country during election cAmpAigns so thAt it cAn ensure freedom of Assembly. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/nec-run-sAfe-zones-suggested/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Prime Minister Hun Sen emerged from a meeting with visiting Burmese President Htin Kyaw on Saturday declaring he did not support the “internationalization” of Burma’s escalating Rohingya crisis, going against mounting global fears of an impending genocide. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-against-internationalization-of-rohingya-crisis/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen set the date for next year’s national election as July 29, officially backtracking on a deal his ruling CPP made with the opposition in 2014 to hold the poll during the dry season. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sen-sets-date-for-next-national-election-july-29-2018/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Interior Minister Sar Kheng said on Wednesday that 100 to 200 Cambodians illegally cross the border with Thailand every day, well under an estimate from a U.N. agency that puts the figure at 3,000 to 4,000. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ministry-vows-to-stop-illegal-thai-border-crossings/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A Swedish diplomAt yesterdAy wArned thAt the potentiAl dissolution of the CAmbodiA NAtionAl Rescue PArty could leAd the ScAndinAviAn country to rethink its relAtionship with the Kingdom, though she didn’t detAil which Actions were on the tAble. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/sweden-worried-over-cnrps-dissolution/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Ministry of Health’s communicable disease control department has produced a short video in advance of next month’s Khmer New Year warning revellers of the dangers of consuming rice wine, which has been linked to multiple deaths. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/health-ministry-highlights-rice-wine-dangers/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Five Cambodians expelled from the U.S. arrived in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, a U.S. Embassy spokesman said, as Cambodia continued to call for revisions to the 2002 agreement with the U.S. that allowed their deportation. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/five-cambodians-deported-from-us-arrive-in-phnom-penh/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The National Bank of Cambodia yesterday revoked the licence of Dubai-based Royal Index Pte., an affiliate of Royal Index UaE, after it failed to fulfill its mandatory obligations as a derivatives trading firm operating in the kingdom. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/national-bank-revokes-licence-of-dubai-firm/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday pledged to remain in power 10 more years to “maintain stability” in Cambodia, going on to blame the fatal crackdown on wage protests in 2014 on a “conspiracy” orchestrated by the beleaguered opposition. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sen-vows-to-stay-in-power-another-decade-for-the-sake-of-stability/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Cambodian riel accounted for about 17 percent of total currency circulation last year, a number similar to previous years, but central bank officials said they remained optimistic that use of the local currency will grow in the future. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/nbc-officials-optimistic-about-growing-riel-usage/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A lAwyer for Eurth Ang, the mAn Accused of murdering politicAl AnAlyst Kem Ley, hAs Asked for his MArch 1 triAl to be delAyed becAuse he hAs not received the cAse file or spoken to his new client yet. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/ley-cAse-Accused-seeks-court-delAy/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Minister of Interior Sar Kheng yesterday issued an order demanding that all provincial governors create a “standby working group” to monitor the political situation in anticipation of unrest following the opposition party’s potential dissolution later this week. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/interior-ministry-puts-provinces-on-high-alert-ahead-of-cnrp-court-date/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The interim representative of the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia met yesterday with the head of the Cambodian government’s rights body, voicing concerns about the threatened closure of a prominent outspoken local NGO. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-rights-head-meets-envoy/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Senate election campaign kicked off with little fanfare on Saturday, with only the ruling Cambodian People’s Party holding a large public event. The campaign period will last 14 days, ending two days before the February 25 polls. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/senate-campaign-kicks-off-with-only-cpp-staging-big-rally/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Four days after the Labour advisory Committee approved a monthly minimum wage increase to $75 starting in May, more than 500 workers at the Su Tong Fang garment factory yesterday demanded that their company begin the wage increase one month early. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/garment-sector-protests-go-on-in-spite-of-wage-rise/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

An Adviser to IrAn’s pArliAment speAker sAid SAturdAy thAt A four-strong teAm of CAmbodiAn lAwmAkers is plAnned to pAy An officiAl visit to IrAn tomorrow. The delegAtion will be led by CAmbodiAn PArliAment Vice-SpeAker Negonen Nehel, SheikholeslAm Added. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiA-to-dispAtch-pArliAmentAry-delegAtion-to-irAn/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>