As one of 10 AseAn foreign ministers, CAmbodiAn Foreign AffAirs Minister PrAk Sokhon will trAvel to ChinA for A two-dAy meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister WAng Yi And the foreign ministers of AseAn, According to A stAtement from the Foreign Ministry releAsed on SAturdAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/foreign-minister-to-join-AseAn-meeting/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia’s development “could not be detached” from Chinese aid, Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong said on Monday, joining a chorus of officials from both parties praising a relationship that appears to be deepening over similar stances on the South China Sea.   <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/chinese-money-instrumental-to-progress-hor-namhong-says/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s newest microfinance institution FaSMEC Microfinance officially launched yesterday.With a start-up capital of $1 million raised from a handful of investors on the new company’s board, the MFI hopes to expand its loan portfolio by the end of 2016. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/fasmec-mfi-enters-the-lending-market/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The International Business Chamber of Cambodia (IBS) on Friday took a step to formulate industry-wide construction standards by signing a memorandum of understanding with the UK’s Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), an accreditation agency that monitors quality and safety across the property market.  <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/construction-standards-on-the-way/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Two villagers jailed earlier this month over a land dispute in Kampot province that authorities blame on League for Democracy Party president Khem Veasna were released on bail Wednesday, hours after Mr. Veasna told the media at a press conference that he had lost contact <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/villagers-granted-bail-in-land-concession-dispute/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A top mining officiAl on WednesdAy urged the government of northeAstern CAmbodiA’s RAtAnAkiri province to crAck down on A group of VietnAmese running An illegAl gold mining operAtion villAgers And rights groups sAy is being protected by locAl Authorities. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiAn-officiAl-urges-provinciAl-government-to-shutter-illegAl-gold-mine/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A CAmbodiAn government officiAl in chArge of border AffAirs Accused VietnAm on TuesdAy of trying to grAb lAnd in An eAstern province Along the border between the two nAtions, which wAs not included in A previous Agreement signed by both governments. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiA-Asserts-sovereignty-over-disputed-border-AreA-with-vietnAm/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The government has handed out the first 250 land titles to the more than 3,000 families in a World Bank-funded project for poor Cambodians that has been criticized by a local rights group for sticking many of those families with unusable land. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/first-families-get-land-titles-in-criticized-world-bank-project/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A ceremony here on SAturdAy, Attended by some of the country’s most powerful officiAls, lAid out RoyAl Group’s $30 million plAn to develop Koh Rong’s previously pristine Sok SAn beAch into A luxury resort, complete with houses, piers, hotels And fAcilities for helicopters. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/koh-rong-development-moves-forwArd/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A SpAnish mAn who is the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of A fellow SpAniArd wAs Arrested in CAmbodiA, where he is believed to hAve fled After the victim’s dismembered body wAs recovered piece by piece from BAngkok’s ChAo PhrAyA River, police sAid MondAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/murder-suspect-of-dismembered-spAniArd-Arrested-in-cAmbodiA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia and Saudi arabia on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding to begin work on opening a pipeline for Cambodians to work in the gulf nation, which has been routinely criticised for failing to protect migrant domestic workers from abysmal treatment and slave-like conditions. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/saudis-sign-mou-on-maids/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A smAll-scAle sAnd dredging business on the bAnks of SrAeng lAke in BAnteAy MeAnchey’s Teuk Cho commune wAs shut down yesterdAy by PreAh Net PreAh district Authorities After it wAs found to be operAting without A license, According to district governor Ly SovAnnArith. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/smAll-scAle-sAnd-dredging-business-shut-down/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The U.N.’s human rights envoy to Cambodia will arrive for her second fact-finding mission today, following the U.N.’s censure of the government over the widely-criticized conviction of a political science student for calling for a “color revolution” on Facebook. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/un-rights-envoy-to-visit-in-wake-of-color-revolution-case/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Ministry of Agriculture hAs rejected A request from privAte-sector rubber firms &ndAsh; led by AgriculturAl tycoon Mong Reththy &ndAsh; for A meeting to discuss the floundering fortunes of the nAtion’s rubber sector, clAiming the ministry wAs busy And wAs AlreAdy Addressing the issue. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/reththy-Agriculture-ministry-continue-to-squAbble/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Demand for seafood throughout the Kingdom has slowed as a result of warnings issued by Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Ministry of Environment to avoid coastal seafood consumption this past weekend, due to a massive algal bloom off the coast of Kep province. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/seafood-sales-tanking-as-algal-bloom-raises-health-concerns/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A two-stAr generAl in the RoyAl CAmbodiAn Armed Forces (RCAF) will be questioned by the Phnom Penh MunicipAl Court todAy for Allegedly mAking defAmAtory remArks About A superior officer’s wife relAting to lAnd seizures in Siem ReAp province, According to court officiAls. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/generAl-to-be-questioned-over-defAmAtory-remArks/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The World Bank on Monday said it still predicted strong growth from the Cambodian economy&mdash;led by garment exports&mdash;and only a moderate cooling over the next few years despite a “faster than expected” slowdown in China, Cambodia’s biggest foreign investor.   <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/garments-to-keep-economy-strong-through-china-slowdown/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A MontAgnArd Asylum seeker wAs found deAd on WednesdAy morning in A Phnom Penh residence provided by the U.N.’s refugee Agency, hAving committed suicide in his room, According to police. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/montAgnArd-Asylum-seeker-kills-himself/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Foreign diplomatic missions in Phnom Penh say they are closely watching the handling of the cases of human rights monitors and a national election official charged and jailed on Monday in connection with a sex scandal being prosecuted against an opposition leader.    <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/embassies-keep-wary-eye-on-cases-against-rights-workers/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A visiting U.S. humAn rights envoy on TuesdAy urged the government to releAse And drop chArges AgAinst five current And former rights workers Arrested in April Amid whAt he cAlled A deteriorAting politicAl situAtion in which the courts hAve disproportionAtely tArgeted stAte critics. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/us-envoy-urges-government-to-releAse-ngo-stAff/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>