Back in 2007 and 2008, Phnom Penh was positively abuzz with the sound of drills, hammers and cranes. Construction sites were found all over the city and it seemed that every day new projects were being announced in the media&mdash;a skyscraper here, a retail development <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/construction-comeback-after-an-overheated-rise-and-thundering-crash-the-building-sector-returns-to-stable-growth/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pledged RMB 329 million ($53 million) in assistance to Cambodia on Sunday during a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen, a Cambodian official said. Ieng Sophalet, an assistant to Hun Sen, told reporters that the grant would be used for water resource <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/china-offers-cambodia-53-mln-to-develop-water-resources/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

More than 400 workers of the Next apparel (Cambodia) factory in Kandal province protested for a third time Saturday and destroyed property while demanding the reinstatement of two workers fired for attempting to establish a union, the Coalition of Cambodian apparel Workers Democratic Union (CCaWDU) <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kandal-workers-protest-fired-union-organizers/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

More than 1,000 families in four communes in Kandal province’s Lvea Em district submitted a petition Sunday to local officials demanding that a private electricity company either lower its rates or the commune switch to cheaper state-run power, villagers and commune chiefs said yesterday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/villagers-demand-that-power-company-lower-rates/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A thousAnd employees wAlked off the job At Nex-t AppArel (CAmbodiA) Co Ltd in Phnom Penh’s DAngkor district yesterdAy After two workers were fired for collecting money to buy wAter for strikers At A neighbouring fActory. DemonstrAtions At Nex-t Are set to continue todAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/strike-After-pAir-fired-for-Aiding-other-strikers/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A group of EuropeAn Union pArliAmentAriAns will Arrive in the Kingdom todAy to “study And reseArch” the orgAnisAtion of elections, the resolution of lAnd disputes, democrAtic development And EU development projects, According to A stAtement issued by the NAtionAl Assembly yesterdAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/visiting-eu-mps-hAve-full-AgendA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Possible remains of three missing U.S. soldiers recovered in Cambodia was repatriated to Hawaii on Wednesday for testing, officials said. During a ceremony at Phnom Penh International airport, american soldiers carried three white coffins draped with U.S. flags onto a C-17 military cargo plane. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-sends-possible-remains-of-3-u-s-soldiers-to-u-s/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A drAft lAw meAnt to improve the mAintenAnce And construction of CAmbodiA’s dilApidAting roAds wAs pAssed yesterdAy in A one-sided session of the NAtionAl Assembly thAt sAw ruling pArty lAwmAkers lAmbAst Public Works And TrAnsport Minister TrAm Iv Tek for his Allegedly poor stewArdship. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/Assembly-oks-lAw-to-pAtch-up-roAdwAys/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Vietnam airlines will launch new international routes on November 1, connecting the Kien Giang Province’s Phu Quoc airport to Singapore and Cambodia. The Phu Quoc &ndash; Singapore route will carry two flights a week and the Phu Quoc &ndash; Siem Riep route will carry three flights <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/vietnam-island-airport-opens-flights-to-singapore-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

More than 50 per cent of candidates nominated by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party in the upcoming provincial and district council elections should be women, a coalition of 12 civil society groups said in a letter on Thursday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ngos-push-for-boost-in-female-candidates/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Hundreds of prisoners will be pardoned or see their sentences reduced on Tuesday following a request by the Ministry of Interior to the King. The royal pardons and sentence reductions, which benefit 339 inmates, coincide with Pisak Bochea Day, a celebration of the Buddha’s birth. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/prisoners-to-receive-pardons/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Thailand’s military government will host the Cambodian defence minister Monday, a report said, in a possible sign of improving ties between the two countries. The Cambodian delegation accompanying Defence Minister Tea Banh includes Hun Manet, the son of Prime Minister Hun Sen, the Bangkok Post reported. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodian-defence-minister-to-hold-talks-with-thai-junta/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Landmines had killed 22 people in Cambodia in 2013, down 49 percent compared with 43 deaths in a year earlier, a report of the Cambodian Mine action authority showed Tuesday. Besides the deaths, 89 others were injured, down 37 percent from 142 injuries, the report said. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/landmines-kill-22-people-in-cambodia-last-year-down-49-pct/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia and Thailand on Thursday signed three deals to pave the way for the two neighbors to broaden bilateral ties and cooperation, a Cambodian spokesman said. The deals aimed to enhance bilateral cooperation in tourism, fighting against human trafficking, and connecting a railway between the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-thailand-ink-3-deals-to-broaden-bilateral-ties/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will lead a high delegation to attend the 8th CLV (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) Summit on Development Triangle area slated for Nov. 24 and 25 in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos, a statement from the Cambodian foreign ministry said <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodian-pm-to-attend-8th-clv-summit-in-laos-next-week/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A VietnAmese fishermAn cAught A 127-kg giAnt bArb (CAtlocArpio siAmensis) in the Mekong DeltA over the weekend, DAn Tri reported. The online news service sAid Nguyen VAn Minh cAught the criticAlly endAngered fish, known As trey kolreAng in Khmer, in Vinh Long province on SAturdAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/fishermAn-cAtches-127-kg-giAnt-bArb-in-mekong-deltA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Rights groups have asked the World Bank to schedule a “special meeting” with evictees before deciding whether to lift a freeze on new loans to Cambodia, and to hold it in Thailand so that participants can speak their minds without fear of reprisal from the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rights-groups-ask-world-bank-to-hold-meeting-with-evictees-2/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Rights groups have asked the World Bank to schedule a “special meeting” with evictees before deciding whether to lift a freeze on new loans to Cambodia, and to hold it in Thailand so that participants can speak their minds without fear of reprisal from the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rights-groups-ask-world-bank-to-hold-meeting-with-evictees/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

About 300 tuk-tuk And moto-tAxi drivers protested outside the Phnom Penh offices of the Angkor Thom newspAper on SundAy morning, demAnding thAt it correct An Article About A trAffic Accident involving one of the drivers, According to A union officiAl And the newspAper’s publisher. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/hundreds-of-tuk-tuk-moto-tAxi-drivers-protest-incorrect-Article/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Dozens of NGOs are planning to boycott a workshop Monday to discuss the new election law, saying that the CPP and CNRP have not given them enough time to review the draft and that they do not want to give the event a veneer of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ngos-to-boycott-election-law-workshop/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>