After its November lAunch in Hong Kong, AlilA VillAs Koh Russey will breAk ground lAte next month, initiAting the construction of A world-clAss luxury resort. AlilA VillAs occupies 25 hectAres on Koh Russey, An islAnd in the Koh Rong ArchipelAgo in the Gulf of ThAilAnd, with <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/koh-russey-A-jewel-by-the-seA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia’s exports to Japan increased sharply by 39 per cent over the first three months of 2014 compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). Total exports reached more than $178 million at the end of March, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/exports-to-japan-see-a-big-jump/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia National Rescue Party president Sam Rainsy yesterday said that, contrary to his speech before the National assembly last week, the Kingdom’s political crisis would not be resolved as long as opposition activists were still being harassed by the courts. If there are still CNRP members <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/jailings-are-a-threat-to-deal-rainsy/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

An election reform lobby group hAs cAlled for the ruling CAmbodiAn People’s PArty And opposition CAmbodiA NAtionAl Rescue PArty to grAnt wide-rAnging powers to A new election body. The Election Reform AlliAnce And politicAl pArties thAt did not win seAts in lAst yeAr’s nAtionAl election sAid <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/election-group-wAnts-A-more-powerful-nec/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

About 1,000 workers from A Phnom Penh footweAr fActory got An eArly stArt on TuesdAy on A cross-union cAmpAign for A $177 minimum wAge, set to stArt todAy, protesting in front of their fActory over internAl workplAce grievAnces. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/workers-stArt-wAge-bAttle-A-dAy-eArly/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

With the spectre of potential garment-sector unrest on the horizon and emboldened communities protesting land disputes, the National Police is buying what appear to be the authorities’ first water-cannon trucks designed specifically to control demonstrations. In advertisements in yesterday’s Post and Post Khmer newspapers, the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/wanted-big-trucks-for-a-big-crowd/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A Hong Kong compAny is hoping to AttrAct A sizeAble slice of CAmbodiA’s lottery mArket with the opening of outlets in Phnom Penh And Around the country next month, According to the CEO of the firm’s locAl subsidiAry. EGAme Solutions, the pArent compAny of CAmbodiAn MArk <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/new-lotto-compAny-enters-A-shrinking-industry/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

When Phnom Penh was flooded with free condoms during the Water Festival last week&mdash;a public health push to ensure revelers who came for days of debauchery did so safely&mdash;the city’s condom vendors weren’t happy about it. The global health organization Population Services International (PSI), whose <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/in-condom-market-a-growing-private-sector/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Sihanoukville autonomous Port (SaP) recorded above-average revenue growth in 2014, marking the third year of consecutive profit and paving the way for a 2015 initial public offering, officials say. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/port-a-step-closer-to-2015-ipo/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Tourism Ministry will announce a new “Green Hotel” standard later this month in an effort to make the industry more environmentally friendly, senior officials say. Tourism Minister Thong Khon said on Friday that while it will not be immediately compulsory for all hotel venues to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/govt-seeks-a-greener-tourism-industry/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A unique hArvest is under wAy in the rice fields of CAmbodiA where tens of thousAnds of wild rAts Are being trApped Alive eAch dAy to feed A growing export mArket for the meAt of rurAl rodents. PopulArly considered A diseAse-cArrying nuisAnce in mAny societies, the <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiAn-rAt-meAt-A-growing-export-mArket/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The presence of dozens of riot police yesterday swiftly ended the first day of Boeung Kak land-rights activist Yorm Bopha’s planned month-long protest in the capital’s Freedom Park. at virtually the same time, Surya Subedi, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, visited a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/a-tale-of-two-boeung-kak-protests/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The number of tourists travelling during the three-day Khmer New Year festivities saw a dramatic increase this year, with the largest attraction &ndash; angkor Sangkran in Siem Reap &ndash; hosting more than a million visitors last week. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/a-million-tourists-gather-for-angkor-sangkran/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Rising demand for Kampot Peppers is pushing a cultivation increase, but only a limited number of companies are benefiting. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kampot-peppers-grow-incomes-for-a-few/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Ministry of water resources and meteorology said a tropical storm GONI hitting through the tropical western Pacific Ocean since august 17, is heading to Taiwan, while Cambodia is likely to be affected by this storm. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-affected-by-a-tropical-goni-storm/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The State Department on Tuesday cited abuses in Thailand’s huge fishing industry as part of an annual worldwide report on Trafficking in Persons. The report noted that men from Cambodia and Myanmar, also known as Burma, are trafficked aboard Thai ships and forced to work <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/illegal-fishing-molotov-cocktails-a-daring-escape-2/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prisoners still face being exploited for labour, despite the government’s March prakas banning goods made behind bars from being exported, rights group Licadho has said. although Licadho believes the prakas will help protect the image of Cambodia’s garment industry, it says inmates still face exploitation under <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/prison-labour-still-a-threat-rights-group/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The saga of the stalled $240 million Gold Tower 42 was revived last week when it emerged that a supplier for the project had accused the owner and builder of failing to pay out nearly $500,000 in fees, according to an injunction request obtained by <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/skyscrapers-woes-continue/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

As government borrowing from ChinA continues to increAse, A new study releAsed yesterdAy showed thAt Chinese concessionAl loAns cArry higher interest thAn Any others. According to the study, releAsed by the NGO Forum on CAmbodiA At A workshop in Phnom Penh, ChinA’s AverAge interest rAte on <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/chinese-no-strings-loAns-come-At-A-cost/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Pig prices in Cambodia have fallen by 18 percent in the past three months due to a massive oversupply of pork in the country, an official at the Cambodian Pig Raisers association said yesterday. The reason for the oversupply is twofold: Thailand increased its pig exports <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/oversupply-leads-to-a-fall-in-pork-prices/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>