The Mines and Energy Ministry on Thursday announced the winners of its public auction to award four sand dredging licenses along a stretch of the Mekong River where there is a buildup of silt. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ministry-awards-sand-dredging-lots-to-3-firms/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The ruling CPP held a ceremony on Saturday in Oddar Meanchey prov­ince to welcome 564 new members in what it says was a mass defection from the CNRP due to dissatisfaction with the opposition party. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cpp-claims-hundreds-of-defections-from-opposition/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Less than a month after Cambodia was handed the second-lowest rating in the United States’ annual Trafficking in Persons report, a senior official is “optimistic” the Kingdom can eventually move up the ranking. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/progress-seen-on-trafficking/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Forestry AdministrAtion officiAls detAined two militAry police officers And A third mAn on TuesdAy for Attempting to stop them from trAnsporting A hAul of illegAlly logged wood to their heAdquArters in KrAtie City, officiAls sAid SundAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/militAry-police-officers-Arrested-for-blocking-forestry-officiAls/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Prime Minister Hun Sen addressed a dinner of powerful businessmen Saturday night, claiming he could be a “professor” to Western leaders, who are beginning to bore him with their advice. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/bored-of-advice-of-the-west-hun-sen-praises-his-own-leadership/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

MB and Shinsei Bank have signed a master agreement on the establishment of a commercial joint venture bank in Cambodia on Dec. 2. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/mb-selects-strategic-partner-for-commercial-joint-venture-bank-in-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

LUMPHAT WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, RAtAnAkkiri Province &ndAsh; From behind the corrugAted metAl wAlls of DAun Penh Agrico’s wood depot, the rAspy buzz of A chAinsAw rAttled through the surrounding forest on MondAy Afternoon. As the chAinsAw revved And cut, A heAvy-duty truck pAcked full of long, sAwn <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/forest-fAlls-in-rAtAnAkkiri-to-the-tune-of-chAinsAws-trucks/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia is home to some 400,000 Cham Muslims. The ethnic group, like many others, suffered terrible losses during the Khmer Rouge regime. Lives were lost and cultural landmarks destroyed. Now, as mosques and heritage sites around the country are demolished to make way for more <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/as-mosques-are-replaced-cham-minority-could-see-heritage-fade/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen has called on a U.N. special envoy to press the country’s opposition to rejoin parliament and negotiate an end to the country’s political stalemate since disputed July elections, an official said Wednesday. Hun Sen met with U.N. special envoy for human <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sen-asks-un-envoy-to-help-end-cambodias-political-crisis/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A NAtionAl MilitAry Police tAskforce hAs opened A corruption investigAtion AgAinst BrigAdier GenerAl Kong SAokun, PreAh ViheAr provinciAl militAry police commAnder, who is suspected of funnelling About $20,000 from the RoyAl CAmbodiAn Armed Forces. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/commAnder-Accused-of-corruption/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Laos government has announced plans for a fourth major dam on the Mekong mainstream just months after the feasibility of another of its hydroelectric projects was thrown into question by a delayed power deal. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/laos-announces-another-controversial-dam-on-the-mekong/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A project to build A $31-million steel-processing plAnt in KAmpong Speu province wAs recently greenlighted by the government, According to An Announcement by the Council for the Development of CAmbodiA eArlier this week. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cdc-Approves-new-steel-plAnt-in-kAmpong-speu/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Pursat provincial authorities on Wednesday raided a sawmill operating without a licence and confiscated 21 logs totalling 13 cubic metres at Kset Borei village in Phnom Kravanh district’s Santre commune, while the owner escaped. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/pursat-authorites-raid-sawmill/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The China Machine-Building International Corporation (CMIC) &ndash; affiliated to Sinomach subsidiary CNEG &ndash; has signed a cooperation agreement with Cambodia’s SNTP Company on providing electricity in Preah Sihanouk province, according to a company press release. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/chinese-firm-inks-deal-with-sntp-on-electricity-supply-in-preah-sihanouk/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia has launched a campaign to end child labor in the brick industry by 2020, a move industry observers cautiously welcome while expressing doubts the goal will be achieved, and calling for more structural changes. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-launches-campaign-to-end-child-labor-in-brick-industry/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

An officiAl with Koh Kong’s provinciAl lAnd depArtment sAid yesterdAy thAt the depArtment will cooperAte with the Industry Ministry to resolve A lAnd dispute cAse between A group of civil servAnts And their superior. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/koh-kong-urged-to-solve-lAnd-dispute/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Grassroots Democratic Party (GDP) held its first major rally of the campaign period in the capital on Tuesday while pushing a platform that included a promise to eliminate treason charges from the Criminal Code. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/gdp-pledges-to-have-kem-sokha-released/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Environmental rangers on Monday seized a pile of timber hidden in the forest behind a house in Pou Chrei commune’s Me Pai village in Mondulkiri province’s Pech Chreada district following reports from villagers. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sanctuary-rangers-impound-timber/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia Tourism Marketing and Promotion Board, a joint institution between the government and the private sector, is studying a new strategy to attract more foreign visitors to the Kingdom, Minister of Tourism Thong Khon said. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/tourism-board-mulling-fresh-tourism-strategy/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A cAmpAign to stop sexuAl hArAssment At the workplAce will be At the center of efforts to curb violence AgAinst women over the next yeAr, NGO representAtives sAid At A meeting with government officiAls SundAy.​ <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmpAign-cAlls-to-stop-sexuAl-hArAssment-in-the-workplAce/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>