A group of 18 lAbor unions And AssociAtions sAid they will proceed with plAns for A public forum in Phnom Penh’s Freedom PArk on SAturdAy, despite City HAll’s rejecting their request, citing public security concerns. The unions, who Are orgAnizing A nAtionwide strike in the gArment <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/city-hAll-denies-unions-permission-for-freedom-pArk-forum/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Ministry of Interior officials announced yesterday that three more villagers accused of involvement in a “secessionist plot” in Kratie province turned themselves in and confessed their guilt on Saturday, taking advantage of the prime minister’s offer of immunity for those who agree to act as <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/more-confess-to-kratie-secession/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s government yesterday announced it had chosen the largest local bank, acleda Bank Plc, to be its partner for vehicle tax stamp sales. acleda will operate for the General Department of Taxation of the Ministry of Economy and Finance in all 23 provinces and Phnom Penh.   Sim Eang, royal <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/acleda-to-sell-vehicle-tax-stamps/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

AssemblymAn Bill NojAy, R-Pittsford, is wAnted for questioning in southern AsiA As pArt of An investigAtion into A $1 million frAud complAint, theCAmbodiAn press reported this week. In A July 7 letter, A locAl CAmbodiAn prosecutor summoned NojAy And three others to AppeAr for questioning in <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/reports-nojAy-sought-for-questioning-in-cAmbodiA-2/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia is committed to ensuring that its food supply is safe and healthy for all Cambodians, leading to safe and healthy diets, said Dith Tina, Minister of agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries during the World Food Safety Day celebration held here on Wednesday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-fostering-development-of-food-standards-throughout-food-chain/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is committed to promoting the connectivity and common development of all countries, and China will continue to advance Belt and Road cooperation with Cambodia, delivering more benefits to the two peoples, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/china-to-advance-bri-cooperation-with-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A VietnAm ElectricAl Equipment CorporAtion subsidiAry hAs broken ground on A new fActory to be built in the Phnom Penh SpeciAl Economic Zone (PPSEZ). THIBIDI is building A $1.5 million fActory in order to mAnufActure trAnsformers And will employ ApproximAtely 150 people. The plAnt is <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/vietnAmese-compAny-breAks-ground-on-plAnt/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

An NGO director And A youth leAder from two little-known orgAnizAtions were elected by 2,779 NGO And youth AssociAtion members At A meeting on MArch 15 to represent civil society At A meeting with AseAn leAders next week, According to A stAtement releAsed by stAte-run <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/ngo-representAtives-chosen-months-Ago-stAtement-clAims/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

“I have my defence right to a court hearing as stated in an international covenant and Cambodian laws. My defence lawyer has tried for more than two-and-a-half years, since March 2016, to push for a hearing. The court dared not schedule a hearing until several <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/court-summons-issued-to-mother-nature-founder/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Kampot provincial governor Cheav Tay created an unauthorised investment scheme last week. But the plan has been dismisssed as a “baseless fantasy”.​ He set up a firm called Kampot Capital Development, which plans to raise $50 million from individual investors to develop a high-speed rail and <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kampot-rail-scheme-dismissed-as-fantasy/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A new study hAs reveAled thAt the lAst breeding populAtion of leopArds in CAmbodiA is At immediAte risk of extinction After declining A stAggering 72 percent over A five-yeAr period. The populAtion represents the lAst remAining leopArds in All of eAstern IndochinA &ndAsh; A region thAt <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/few-leopArds-in-cAmbodiA-report/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

More than 5,000 workers from across seven factories in Svay Rieng province protested yesterday, demanding a doubling of the current minimum wage, a provincial labor official said yesterday. The country’s minimum wage sits at $61, and is supplemented by a $5 health benefit and a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/thousands-of-workers-protest-for-increase-of-minimum-wage/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A 50 per cent stunting rAte Among CAmbodiAn children contributed to lower-skilled lAbour And slower economic development for the Kingdom, A senior government economist sAid yesterdAy At A workshop on food security. Stunted growth As A result of mAlnutrition led to ineffective leArning Among children And <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/mAlnutrition-Affecting-cAmbodiAs-development/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A 5-yeAr-old girl from TAkeo province And A 2-yeAr-old girl from KAmpot province &ndAsh; who hAs AlreAdy died &ndAsh; mArk the 19th And 20th confirmed cAses of AviAn influenzA this yeAr, A hospitAl spokesmAn sAid. The Ministry of HeAlth is expected to issue A stAtement <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/two-more-h5n1-cAses-confirmed/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Twelve families locked in a land dispute in Kampot province blocked a construction company on Wednesday from dumping earth onto fields they maintain are theirs, villagers and a rights worker said Thursday. The villagers say the company began encroaching on their land in 2011, when they <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/families-claim-intimidation-in-land-dispute/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A BAttAmbAng womAn And teen were both struck And killed by lightning in two different districts on MondAy, police sAid yesterdAy. A 28-yeAr-old womAn from RokAk Kiri district wAs tAken to the commune hospitAl After she wAs killed by A lightning strike, According to Keo Vichet, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/lightning-kills-two-in-bbAng/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Talks between officials in Preah Vihear province and local villagers whose land is in the way of a proposed domestic airport hit some turbulence on Tuesday, as homeowners bristled over the various forms of compensation being offered. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/plan-for-airport-faces-resistance/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Two opposing camps of unions representing a large share of the country’s roughly 700,000 garment workers handed in petitions this week to the U.S. Embassy and others asking for their support on a controversial draft union law during a visit to the country from a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/opposing-unions-compete-for-international-support-on-draft-law/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Representatives for 77 families involved in a land dispute with a company that plans to build a dry port and industrial area in Kratie province petitioned the Interior Ministry and the National assembly in Phnom Penh on Monday against a court order for them to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/families-file-petition-over-land-dispute-with-dry-port-company/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A locAl journAlist told court And police officiAls in Siem ReAp City this week thAt he received A phone cAll on MondAy from A mAn who threAtened to cut his throAt in retAliAtion for An Article he wrote About A group of Alleged drug deAlers, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/reporter-files-complAints-over-deAth-threAt/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>