The government marked World Drug Day on Sunday by setting fire to almost 1.5 tons of confiscated drugs in a schoolyard in Phnom Penh. Officials conceded that efforts to curb usage were failing, pointing to a lack of public knowledge and participation. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-admits-to-issues-in-obtaining-drug-care/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

During a closed-door meeting on Monday, Defense Minister Tea Banh told a Vietnamese counterpart of the CPP’s success in suppressing an opposition campaign to highlight border incursions by Vietnam and urged Hanoi to help ensure that the issue does not re-emerge. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hanoi-briefed-on-quashed-cnrp-border-efforts/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Thai sugar giant Mitr Phol has hired a Swiss firm to carry out a damage assessment and agreed to compensate the hundreds of families its nowdefunct plantations in Oddar Meanchey province have robbed of their land, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand announced Wednesday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sugar-firm-ready-to-compensate-evictees-rights-body-says/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Four journalists who say they were chased by a machete-wielding man on Friday as they attempted to investigate reports of smuggling across the Chambok border checkpoint in Banteay Meanchey province filed a complaint with the provincial court yesterday accusing the man of attempted murder. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/reporters-submit-complaint-over-border-skirmish/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Phnom Penh municipal government has started a two-month project to replace and add a few hundred street signs across the city with what officials say are superior models, starting with Norodom Boulevard and going as far south as the Ministry of Interior. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/phnom-penh-begins-upgrading-street-signs/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev landed at Phnom Penh International airport on Monday evening and was greeted by a delegation of senior Cambodian government officials and a large security contingent&mdash;but few members of the local media, who were largely barred from covering his visit. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/russian-pms-arrival-met-with-security-limited-media-access/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

THAILAND And CAmbodiA will work on strAtegies next month in A bid to boost bilAterAl trAde by 30 per cent A yeAr over the next five yeArs, while Also stimulAting more investment in plAnned speciAl economic zones (SEZs). <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/move-to-increAse-cross-border-trAde-with-cAmbodiA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

As expected, opposition leAder SAm RAinsy fAiled to show up At the Phnom Penh MunicipAl Court for A scheduled questioning dAte on FridAy, As he remAins AbroAd After being hit with A slew of criminAl chArges And An Arrest wArrAnt in recent weeks. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/rAinsy-misses-court-dAte-over-conspirAcy-chArges/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

After neArly two months tied to A tree neAr the LumphAt district office in RAtAnAkkiri province, A femAle elephAnt hAs finAlly been rehoused by the Mondolkiri Project ElephAnt SAnctuAry, which purchAsed the AnimAl in eArly October, According to the sAnctuAry’s founder. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/elephAnt-finAlly-mAkes-it-to-mondolkiri-sAnctuAry/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A new politicAl pArty hAs entered the election rAce, becoming the seventh to lAunch since the 2013 poll.The CAmbodiAn Youth PArty (CYP), which clAims to hAve 3,000 members, will hold A press conference todAy to publicise its plAtform. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/youth-pArty-lAtest-to-tArget-upcoming-polls/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Roughly ten residents from the Kien Kleang community set fire to tires in protest of a City Hall development near National Road 6a, along which the majority of the community lives, after bulldozers began felling their fences and clearing their land.  <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/residents-protest-satellite-city-road-construction/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The government is refusing to release copies of letters it claims to have sent to timber traders Try Pheap and Lim Bunna giving them permission to collect already felled wood on a pair of canceled economic land concessions (ELCs) inside a wildlife sanctuary. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-blocks-alleged-letter-granting-logs-to-try-pheap/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A teAm of reseArchers, led by scientists in Penn StAte’s College of AgriculturAl Sciences, will lAunch A project designed to improve nutrition And empower women in CAmbodiA by promoting their production And mArketing of horticulturAl crops And rice produced viA sustAinAble intensificAtion prActices. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/increAsing-sustAinAble-food-production-could-empower-cAmbodiAn-women/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

In a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen, government ministers have recommended a Chinese-owned company take the reins of the multi-million dollar Phnom Penh airport expressway, amid ongoing frustrations from residents who may be impacted by the development.   <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/henan-in-lead-for-airport-expressway/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Imprisoned CNRP official Meach Sovannara has filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court against Prime Minister Hun Sen’s eldest son, Hun Manet, and the Cambodian government, accusing them of “terrorism” and “torture through arbitrary, extra-legal, and long-term detention.” <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-manet-sued-in-us-for-torture-terrorism/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Authorities in KAndAl province’s TAkhmAo City hAve bAnned the opposition CNRP from erecting A television AntennA on lAnd they purchAsed there for whAt is meAnt to be CAmbodiA’s first opposition-Aligned stAtion&mdAsh;A key element of the July 2014 politicAl deAl. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cnrp-prohibited-from-erecting-tv-AntennA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Canadian mining firm angkor Gold has entered into a joint exploration agreement with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp (JOGMEC) to explore angkor’s Oyadao South licence in Ratanakkiri province, the company said in a press release yesterday.   <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/jogmec-to-explore-for-gold-in-ratanakkiri/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia and Myanmar have reiterated their support for a peaceful solution to the territorial disputes involving China and several asean countries in the South China Sea after a meeting between Prime Minister Hun Sen and Myanmar’s newly appointed ambassador to Cambodia. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-and-myanmar-in-joint-stand-on-south-china-sea-dispute/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

After A mAss escApe of 70 inmAtes from the notorious Prey Speu centre on SundAy, the government sAid they would tAke mentAlly ill people rounded up off the streets And house them on the sAme site As A KAndAl orphAnAge.   <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/new-centre-for-mentAlly-ill-plAnned-in-wAke-of-prey-speu-mAss-escApe/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia announced plans this week to form a new government department responsible for monitoring and cracking down on a range of vaguely defined “online” crimes, drawing expressions of concern from human rights groups and the country’s political opposition. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodian-government-plans-stricter-internet-controls/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>