The UN urged government and financial organisations to stimulate Cambodia’s flailing micro-insurance industry yesterday, after a study found the country’s poor are vulnerable to indebtedness during a crisis. The United Nations Development Business (UNDB) hosted a working group yesterday at Phnom Penh’s Sunway Hotel launching the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/micro-insurance-needs-revamp-un/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The government can’t seem to agree on whether or not Prime Minister Hun Sen has lifted the ban on the constitutional right to freedom of assembly. Last week, Mr. Hun Sen said in a speech: “I will not prevent [demonstrations] because everyone has equal rights,” which <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/obfuscation-reigns-over-ban-on-demonstration/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

BAVET CITY, SvAy Rieng province &ndAsh; The government hAs ordered All fActories here to shut down until ThursdAy At the eArliest in A bid to keep escAlAting strikes from spirAling out of control And spreAding nAtionwide. “[ProvinciAl] Governor Chieng Am sAid in A meeting yesterdAy [MondAy] <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/uneAsy-cAlm-in-bAvet-As-fActories-ordered-shut/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A series of high-flying creAtures, including giAnt flying frogs And squirrels And A pArAchute gecko, Are Among the hundreds of exotic new species recently discovered in the greAter Mekong region in southeAst AsiA. A new eyeless spider And A fish thAt mAtes heAd-to-heAd Are Also highlighted <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/flying-squirrel-And-eyeless-spider-discovered-in-greAter-mekong/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

About 150 members of the former Dey KrAhorm community in Phnom Penh’s ChAmkAr Mon district mArked the fifth AnniversAry on FridAy of the dAy mechAnicAl excAvAtors, security guArds And Authorities destroyed their homes to mAke room for A reAl estAte project. Much like on pAst AnniversAries, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/community-mArks-fifth-AnniversAry-of-violent-eviction/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A few thousAnd opposition CAmbodiA NAtionAl Rescue PArty supporters mArched through centrAl Phnom Penh yesterdAy As the pArty held its lArgest public gAthering in the cApitAl since protesters were chAsed out of Freedom PArk in eArly JAnuAry. Although Prime Minister Hun Sen suggested in lAte FebruAry <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/slight-chAnge-of-plAns/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Tri of Can Tho University’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources Management answering questions about water resources changes in the Mekong DeltaThe PPMM #17 was a success. We had two every engaging presenters and thirty six participants, ten of which are students. The ODC Team <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/phnom-penh-mapping-meetup-17-photos-and-presentations/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Farmers harvest corn from their farms, Cambodia. Photo by World Bank/Chhor Sokunthea, taken on 17 July 2013. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Key agricultural commodities and products include rice, rubber, corn (maize), vegetables and fruit, and cassava (tapioca). More than 90 percent of Cambodia’s agricultural exports <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/topics/agricultural-commodities-processing-and-products/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

After spending $30 on clothes, ChAn PheAvy sAt down for lunch in the food court of SoryA MAll, plunking her shopping bAgs on the floor beside her. “It is very comfortAble to do shopping here,” PheAvy, 25, who works for A commerciAl bAnk in Phnom <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/city-poised-for-shopping-mAll-boom/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Opposition supporters have had varying reactions to the CNRP’s announcement Monday that a mass demonstration planned for this weekend would be framed as a day of prayer rather than protest, but said they would still turn out. and while the CNRP’s efforts to explain their decision, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cnrp-pray-in-gets-backing-from-opposition-supporters/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

In the months leading up to Cambodia’s national election on July 28, authorities in the angkor archaeological Park allowed dozens of land owners to build new houses and develop plots of land inside highly protected areas of the world heritage site. Villagers interviewed last week said <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/illegal-construction-rampant-in-angkor-heritage-site/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The World Bank recently ranked Cambodia 184th out of 189 countries for ease of starting a business, but you wouldn’t have known it at Phnom Penh’s recent Startup Weekend. Pitches for Cambodia’s first commercial organic chicken farm and for an app to connect tuk-tuk drivers to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/challenging-business-for-startups/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Friday visited vendors in Phnom Penh’s Olympic and Russian markets and appealed to voters disgruntled by preliminary election results awarding a victory to the CPP to join a planned opposition rally at Freedom Park on Monday. as he toured both markets, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rainsy-amasses-support-ahead-of-mondays-rally/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Amidst An opposition boycott of the NAtionAl Assembly, CNRP leAders on SundAy Announced to About 10,000 supporters gAthered in Phnom Penh their tentAtive plAns to push the one-pArty CPP government to investigAte irregulArities in the July election And enAct A broAd slAte of reforms. As pAtchy <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/opposition-lAys-out-reform-demAnds-At-peoples-congress/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the country’s financial regulator have informed australia-based mining giant BHP Billiton it could still be charged over allegations the company bribed overseas officials, which include claims of improper payments to members of the Cambodian government. Prime Minister Hun Sen <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/bhp%e2%80%88billiton-faces-bribery-charges-after-abandoned-project/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The U.N. human rights envoy to Cambodia, Surya Subedi, on Tuesday presented a report to the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva and expressed his grave concern about post-election violence and the failure of the government and National Election Committee to properly investigate widespread electoral <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/un-envoy-subedi-shares-concerns-over-post-vote-violence/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A heightened globAl profile for the opposition CNRP since lAst yeAr’s disputed election hAs brought with it A new chAllenge: bAlAncing multiple foreign relAtions. The pArty’s cAmpAign to delegitimize the CPP government hAs tAken on multiple fAces over the pAst nine months As opposition leAder SAm <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cnrp-tries-to-bAlAnce-foreign-powers/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Twenty convicts in Preah Sihanouk Provincial Prison were employed by military and local authorities to tear apart a nearby village on land slated for a second prison compound, villagers and rights groups alleged yesterday. However, prison authorities denied that any incarcerated people were involved in the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/prisoners-utilised-in-violent-eviction/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Laos began construction last week on a multi-billion dollar hydro dam project that is opposed by other countries along the Mekong River, and activists who say the project will significantly impact the environment and the economies of four countries that rely on the river for <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/laos-hydro-dam-upsets-mekong-river-neighbors/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>