Next year’s national election is unlikely to slow the rapid pace of bank lending growth but could put a temporary crimp in deposits, though the sector is expected to have sufficient liquidity to absorb the impact, according to a report released yesterday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/election-to-have-little-impact-on-banks-msp/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Giving a speech to high-ranking officials on Wednesday, Borith spoke of the rising tensions between Washington and Phnom Penh following the arrest of opposition leader Kem Sokha and the closure of U.S.-linked media outlets and a democracy promotion NGO. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-searching-for-new-export-markets-in-case-of-u-s-sanctions/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A former senior Army officiAl And heAd of the lAte CheA Sim’s bodyguArd unit yesterdAy AppeAled to the Supreme Court to once AgAin reduce his jAil time for A rAft of crimes including embezzlement, weApons possession, breAch of trust And forgery. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cheA-sim-bodyguArd-AppeAls-sentence/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak has announced that the government will be spearheading a new National Cassava Policy which aims to address challenges in the industry and work towards ensuring a sustainable and resilient crop, strong value chains and greater regional market presence. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-plans-new-cassava-policy/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Garment workers from the Gawon apparel factory in Kandal province’s Takhmao town have agreed to stop blocking a road leading to the factory for the next 15 days as they await a solution to their labour dispute from the arbitration Council. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/protesters-to-stop-blocking-road/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Some 30 families from Poipet city’s Phsar Kandal commune yesterday protested in front of the Poipet Town Hall to demand intervention from authorities to resolve a land dispute with a man who claims to be an “adviser” to Prime Minister Hun Sen. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/poipet-families-protest-for-help-in-land-dispute/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Council of Ministers released a no-holds-barred book about its efforts to root out a purported foreign-backed “colour revolution” in Cambodia yesterday, lashing out at superpowers like the United States for supposedly trying to cause “immeasurable catastrophe” in the country.​ <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-unit-publishes-132-page-treatise-on-threat-of-colour-revolution/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Minister for Mines and Energy Suy Sem will appear at the National assembly on Thursday to answer questions about a more than $700 million discrepancy in data on sand exports to Singapore, according to a letter signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/minister-to-be-grilled-on-sand-export-discrepancy/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia could reduce its projected carbon emissions by 57 percent over the next 30 years without taking a financial hit if it implements low-carbon development policies in five key sectors, according to a new report in the journal Energy Policy. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/set-of-steps-could-cut-carbon-in-half-report/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

After A two-hour meeting, CAmbodiAn And LAo provinciAl militAry And border officiAls yesterdAy reAched An Agreement to drAw bAck forces from two undemArcAted zones where the building of outposts hAd recently spArked militAry stAnd-offs, According to A generAl in the AreA. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiA-lAos-drAw-bAck-troops-in-bid-to-Avoid-escAlAtion-At-border/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

An environmentAl Activist brAnded An “AnArchist” by A government spokesmAn sAid he fled to the U.N. humAn rights office in Phnom Penh on MondAy After police hArAssed him for becoming involved in A dispute between sAnd dredgers And villAgers in KAndAl province. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/AnArchist-Activist-flees-villAge-for-un-Alleging-hArAssment/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Police are searching for four suspects believed to have carried weapons illegally across the Thai border in a case in which three Cambodians and six Thais were arrested last month for alleged weapons trafficking, a Banteay Meanchey police official said on Monday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/police-seeking-four-more-for-allegedly-smuggling-weapons/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

On the same day that Prime Minister Hun Sen gave a speech touting salary increases for teachers ahead of next year’s national election, about 20 Cambodian Independent Teachers’ association (CITa) members were blocked from having a peaceful demonstration seeking just that. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/teachers-wage-rally-blocked/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The cabinet will hold a debate on Friday and is expected to approve the 2018 budget of $5.86 billion, an increase of 16.2 percent from last year’s $5.04 billion, according to a government document seen by Khmer Times yesterday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-may-approve-5-86b-for-next-years-budget/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A slew of new heAlth And mAternity benefits for workers took effect At the stroke of midnight yesterdAy in A drAmAtic expAnsion of the country’s sociAl security frAmework, even As lAbour AdvocAtes And business experts rAised concerns About cost And quAlity. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/new-worker-benefits-tAke-effect/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Two activists from the conservation group Mother Nature were tried yesterday in Koh Kong for photographing a vessel at sea, with their lawyer asking the court to dismiss the charges due to a lack of evidence that they had committed any crime. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/lack-of-proof-in-mother-nature-activists-hearing/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Environment Ministry, partner organisations and a Japanese company expect that implementation of a $1.5 million forest conservation project for three years will help prevent forest crime, biodiversity loss and improve the livelihoods of community members in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/agreement-signed-to-protect-prey-lang-forest/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The chief of 120 students spearheading the government’s land-titling program in Pursat province has filed a report with Prime Minister Hun Sen’s second son, Hun Manith, to find a solution for villagers who say local officials in the area have confiscated their registration documents. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/students-refer-land-dispute-to-hun-sens-son/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A 144-tonne shipment of CAmbodiAn frAgrAnt rice will leAve Phnom Penh for Fuzhou, ChinA on SAturdAy, the first Chinese order for the Kingdom’s milled rice After A recent government Agreement wAs reAched on Chinese regulAtion. Mekong OryzA TrAding received the order months eArlier <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/first-milled-rice-order-destined-for-chinA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday charged two government officials and four farmers from Kampong Thom province’s Stoung district with encroachment onto protected land after they allegedly bulldozed a flooded forest that was designated as a protected fish hatchery, police and NGO officials said. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/men-charged-in-bulldozing-protected-forest/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>