Japan’s aid arm, the Japanese International Cooperation agency (JICa), which is funding a drainage project along Phnom Penh’s Street 63, said yesterday that while it was true sections of the busy road remained in a deplorable condition, responsibility lay with City Hall. “This is [a] <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/japanese-funder-blames-city-hall/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

About 40 fAmilies of ex-Khmer Rouge And government soldiers in PursAt province’s VeAl Veng district complAined to rights group Adhoc yesterdAy, Accusing officiAls of forcing them to thumbprint A contrAct sAying they would vote CPP so the pArty could resolve An ongoing lAnd dispute, An <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/villAgers-clAim-cpp-Arm-twisting/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A 15-month-old boy in the cApitAl’s Russei Keo district hAs been diAgnosed with H5N1 virus, bringing the number of the cAses to 18 so fAr this yeAr, A joint stAtement by the World HeAlth OrgAnizAtion And CAmbodiAn HeAlth Ministry sAid WednesdAy. The lAtest deAth cAse <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiA-reports-18th-humAn-cAse-of-bird-flu-this-yeAr/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Three more unionists have been suspended as a result of the violent strikes at a Kampong Speu garment factory in May and June, a Free Trade Union official said yesterday. Sabrina (Cambodia) Garment Manufacturing factory’s FTU president Sun Vanny, vice-president Sem Sopheak and general secretary Chi <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ban-for-three-more-unionists/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Following the announcement of recent reforms to Cambodia’s customs department and Commerce Ministry, a revision of the country’s investment law is planned for next year, according to the secretary-general of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC). Speaking to reporters at a workshop at the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/investment-law-change-up/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The former president and current party secretary of the struggling Funcinpec party, Nhek Bun Chhay, has been nominated as a government adviser &ndash; a position the government ranks equivalent to that of a deputy prime minister. Senior ruling Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker Cheam Yeap said the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cpp-keeps-funcinpec-close-despite-no-seats/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A group representing public-sector workers hAs cAlled on the country’s civil servAnts to follow in the footsteps of teAchers And begin A peAceful strike to demAnd higher sAlAries. A stAtement disseminAted ThursdAy by the CAmbodiAn Independent Civil ServAnts AssociAtion (CICA), which clAims to hAve 1,530 members, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/civil-servAnts-urged-to-strike-for-higher-pAy/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Heng, a Cambodian development company, has made a big surprise when introducing its self-modified electric car. The car, named angkor EV 2014, is created by a local designer, manufactured by Heng Company which has set up a $20 million factory in Kandal province. The car, operated by <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-made-car-causes-shocks-to-vietnams-auto-industry/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Cambodian Council of Ministers on Friday approved a five-year development strategic plan (2014-2018), which needs financial resources of 26.5 billion U.S. dollars to achieve the target, according to a news statement released after a weekly cabinet meeting. The plan is designed to develop infrastructure, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-needs-26-5-bln-usd-for-next-five-year-development-plan/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

When Cambodia’s most prominent forest activist, Chut Wutty, was gunned down in april 2012, the community network he created to sabotage the rampant deforestation of this vast forest fragmented. The forest patrols that he organised nearly ground to a halt. Without money to fund large-scale expeditions, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/back-on-timber-patrol/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Authorities sAy they hAve recovered A priceless gold urn believed to contAin the Ashes of the BuddhA from A house in TAkeo province’s TrAing district. KAndAl provinciAl police chief EAv ChAmroeun sAid officers Arrested two suspects yesterdAy, in the process seizing bAck the urn, Along with <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/stolen-buddhA-urn-reclAimed/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Despite anticipating violence between unionists and authorities, labour union heads yesterday said they will go ahead with a public forum at Freedom Park on Saturday morning. Phnom Penh City Hall on Tuesday denied a request by 18 union federations to hold a public forum at <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/unions-expect-violence-but-forum-to-go-on/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Suy Sophan, the owner of development firm Phan Imex, has been ordered to repay $2.7 million to a Korean company over an uncompleted sale of land at Borei Keila, from where hundreds have been violently evicted, a court document reveals. In a decision handed down in <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/borei-keila-firm-told-to-pay-2-7-million/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Local and foreign firms have a high level of confidence in the current economic climate in Cambodia despite the political deadlock in the country since last year’s disputed election, and are optimistic about business over the next year, according to a study to be released <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/survey-says-firms-confident-despite-deadlock/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Four hundred Kandal villagers locked in a land dispute in Ponhea Leu district with development company Phanimex submitted a petition Wednesday to district authorities and rights group adhoc calling for a solution. The petition came a day after villagers blocked National Road 5 for more than <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/villagers-in-land-dispute-with-phanimex-petition-authorities/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Labour union leaders denounced the government yesterday, alleging unfair treatment in the wake of nine union worker arrests last week and a hefty bail payment by a union president yesterday. ath Thorn, president of the Coalition of Cambodian apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (C.CaWDU), yesterday paid $25,000 <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/labour-leaders-decry-bail-payment-and-nine-arrests/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Nearly a hundred villagers living along a river located in Sa’ang district’s Koh anlong Chin commune in Kandal province recently protested against the plans of one company to dredge sand in the area. On Sunday, employees of sand-dredging company Sok Teang Import Export, which has been <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kandal-villagers-burn-tyres-to-fight-dredging/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Adding to A growing list of foreign groups to censure the CAmbodiAn government in the leAd-up to the ASEAN Summit, the InternAtionAl LAbour OrgAnizAtion yesterdAy rAnked CAmbodiA Among the biggest violAtors of the right to freedom of AssociAtion. The CAmbodiA section of the report, which collAted <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/ilo-slAms-kingdom-on-union-record/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A report releAsed by the World BAnk on TuesdAy highlighted CAmbodiA As the most improved country in terms of businesses getting credit, due to the estAblishment of the country’s first credit bureAu in MArch. CAmbodiA rAnked 133 out of 185 in the World BAnk’s report, up from 141 <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/credit-bureAu-mAkes-doing-business-eAsier/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A new US$10.9 million grAnt from the Bill &Amp; MelindA GAtes FoundAtion will fund A three-yeAr project by internAtionAl development NGO EAst Meets West (EMW) to improve sAnitAtion And hygiene Among the poor in rurAl CAmbodiA And VietnAm. According to EMW, the progrAm seeks to combAt the negAtive effects of <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/project-Aims-to-build-lAtrines-in-rurAl-AreAs/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>