After yeArs of discussion, the CAmbodiAn And ThAi governments on TuesdAy Agreed At the AyeyAwAdy-ChAo PhrAyA-Mekong Economic Co-operAtion StrAtegy (ACMECS) summit in LAos to estAblish A CAmbodiAn-ThAi Business Council in A bid to enhAnce trAde And investment between the ASEAN neighbours After A decline in <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/Agreement-reAched-on-thAi-trAde/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Malaysia-based Harta Packaging Industries Sdn Bhd opened a new Cambodian factory to meet the demands of a growing exports sector and benefit from Sihanoukville port’s ambitious expansion plans, officials said. Harta Packaging, a wholly owned subsidiary of HPI Resources Berhad and part of the Oji Paper <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/harta-packaging-bets-on-cambodian-growth/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

n a rare public statement, King Norodom Sihamoni yesterday weighed in on the disputed election, calling for the parties to reach a “peaceful” resolution. “For the interest of the nation and our people, and for peace and national stability, I would like to appeal to the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/king-makes-appeal-for-resolution/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

More economic activity and a better understanding of using formal financial services among rural residents are leading to good loan performance rates and increases in savings deposits in Cambodia’s microfinance industry, according to industry sources. The loan portfolios of the 35 registered microfinance institutions (MFI) and <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/huge-increase-in-mfi-loans-deposits/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Gambia’s recent announcement that it would ban rice imports in about three years to spur local demand will only have a small impact on Cambodia, which sends a portion of its annual output to the west african country and other nations on the continent, data <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-shrugs-at-gambias-import-ban-2/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Sri Lankan agricultural group Lankem Ceylon PLC says it plans to plant 20,000 hectares of rubber in Cambodia as part of a diversification strategy. Lankem chairman a Rajaratnam disclosed the strategy in the company’s annual report for the year to March, 2012, released by the company <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sri-lankan-company-to-plant-20000-hectares-of-rubber-in-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Villagers in Oddar Meanchey province’s Samroang town filed a complaint to adhoc yesterday after local authorities repeatedly failed to budge a nearby military unit, which the villagers say has stationed six tanks on their farmland and refused to grant residents access to their crops, or <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/tanks-sit-between-villagers-farmland/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s political rivals are set to hold crisis talks as crowds massed for a second day to protest a disputed election, following violence that left one demonstrator dead and several wounded. Prime Minister Hun Sen and opposition leader Sam Rainsy were due to meet at 9am <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-rivals-to-meet-after-protests/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy has scored a late political victory in his whirlwind two-week tour to Europe and the United States to try and ramp up international pressure on the newly formed Cambodian government ahead of his return Tuesday. Last Wednesday, a prominent Republican Party senator, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/us-senator-wants-military-aid-tied-to-election-probe/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Two teenagers and a couple in their twenties were injured in a roller coaster accident on Sunday at Chamkar Pring amusement park in Sen Sok district, police said Monday. Keo Sothout, district police chief, said that a bolt on the ride came loose and sent two <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/four-injured-in-roller-coaster-accident/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Amid strict reforms to guArd AgAinst rAmpAnt cheAting on the high-stAkes nAtionAl exAm, educAtion officiAls yesterdAy showed surprising leniency towArds underperforming grAde 12 students. In A notice releAsed yesterdAy, the Ministry of EducAtion instructed upper secondAry schools to hold re-exAminAtions for grAde 12 students who fAiled <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/protest-leAds-to-second-chAnce-on-nAtl-exAms/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Members of the European Union’s parliament are calling for the Cambodian government to conduct an investigation into allegations of fraud in July’s election. a resolution passed by EU parliamentarians last week follows a violent crackdown on labor and opposition protests that have posed a challenge to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/eu-parliament-calls-for-investigation-of-julys-election/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A union leAder Among 21 workers And Activists Arrested in JAnuAry demonstrAtions will AppeAr in the Court of AppeAl to Argue for bAil next week, despite the sAme court denying his request lAst month. Vorn Pov, president of Independent DemocrAcy of InformAl Economy AssociAtion (IDEA), And <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/bAil-request-for-pov-As-union-seeks-property/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A member of the much-mAligned NAtionAl Election Committee sAid yesterdAy he hoped thAt the body would ceAse to be merely A “pAper tiger” And be grAnted strong powers to punish politicAl pArties for electorAl trAnsgressions when future election reforms Are put in plAce. SpeAking At the <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/nec-strives-for-more-power/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A six-month protest over unpAid bonuses hAs seen production At A Por Sen Chey district box fActory grind to A hAlt over the pAst four dAys, with more thAn 200 former employees blocking gAtes And preventing shipments. Former employees At HArtA PAckAging Industries begAn bArricAding gAtes <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/hAlf-yeAr-protest-shutters-fActory/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Wednesday charged at least seven opposition CNRP lawmakers-elect and a party activist with insurrection and incitement over a protest that turned violent on Tuesday, sending six of the group to Prey Sar prison. Meng Sopheary, a lawyer on the defense <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cnrp-officials-imprisoned-on-insurrection-charges/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia could lose its competitive advantage in bicycle manufacturing and assembly, an industry source says. In a report from the Taipei Cycle Show late Wednesday, the US-based Bicycle Retailer and Industry News said Cambodia had used low wages and zero tariffs in the European Union to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-could-lose-competitive-edge-in-bicycles-report/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Police raided four shops in Phnom Penh’s City Mall yesterday for allegedly selling pirated movies, a move that came a week after mall DVD vendors shut up shop to avoid a planned raid, the details of which were leaked beforehand. Officers conducted yesterday’s raid accompanied <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/city-mall-dvd-shops-raided/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

In a bustling room at Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, doctors from the Philippines, the U.S. and Nigeria gathered Sunday around a young boy, sitting in a plastic chair, and asked him to open his mouth wide. The boy is one of more than 100 <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/new-clinic-marks-turning-point-for-correcting-cleft-surgeries/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said Tuesday that the ruling CPP has agreed to hold a fresh election before the current electoral term expires in July 2018 and that negotiations will now be held to select the election date. However, a CPP lawmaker said the party would <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rainsy-says-cpp-agrees-to-early-election/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>