News

In the wake of a crime spree that drew a public expression of concern from Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier this month, Justice Min­ister Ang Vong Vathana met with senior prosecutors from Phnom Penh and all 24 provinces on Fri­day and ordered them to ex­pedite ...

As Cambodians continue to de­bate the government’s whitewashing of a street artist’s multistory mural this week, the information minister publicly critiqued the decision on Friday and drew a comparison to the retrograde attitudes of Soviet leaders toward modern art. ...

Thailand and China have agreed to strengthen ties in trade and investment, while the Chinese have been urged to invest more in the Kingdom, particularly in the focused super-clusters and 10 special economic zones (SEZs). ...

Sara Lamsam, president and chief executive officer, said yesterday that the company has formed a 49:51 joint venture called Sovannaphum Life Assurance with its partner Canadia Investment Holding, the holding company of Canadia Bank, Cambodia’s second-largest bank. ...

Hun Sen will spend two days in Bangkok and is scheduled to meet the leader of Thailand’s military government, Prayuth Chan-ocha, for talks on border issues, agriculture, trade and investment, and regional connectivity. ...

The author Ly Sambo survived the Khmer Rouge and eventually made her way to America as a refugee. Her story is not uncommon from that of other survivors of Cambodia’s atrocities and wars. But she says she helped herself reconcile with the brutal past by ...

In an exclusive interview with Khmer Times’ French edition L’Hebdo, opposition leader Sam Rainsy guaranteed that he will return to the country before the next elections, explaining that he still has faith in the “culture of dialogue,” saying it must be “preserved and developed.” It ...

The number of mothers who died in labour has nearly halved over the past four years, down from 182 fatalities in 2011 to 100 this year, the ministry’s research commission into maternal mortality revealed yesterday.The dramatically reduced death rate was largely due to improvements in ...

Local manufacturers are calling for government support to help them make their products meet quality standards set by other members of ASEAN – standards they say will be the major barrier to access the regional market as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) kicks off at ...

An unruly protest in Svay Rieng province’s Bavet town entered its second day yesterday as thousands of garment workers from a number of special economic zones continued to throw stones and break windows as they demonstrated for a greater increase to the national garment industry ...

Two economic zones in Svay Rieng province’s Bavet City closed down on Thursday, sending some 30,000 workers home over what local officials said were violent protests by groups of workers demanding higher wages. ...

Preah Sihanouk authorities are scheduled to hold their annual emergency exercises for the provincial airport this morning.According to a statement released yesterday, fire engines, ambulances and military vehicles – including helicopters – have been prepped at the airport for the exercise. ...

Government and business representatives continue to remain optimistic about Cambodia’s prospects after the ASEAN Economic Community integration next year, saying that the Kingdom had upped production levels and strengthened quality measures to remain competitive in the region. ...

A third man died of gunshot wounds in Phnom Penh Wednesday night after an Interior Ministry official gunned down a village chief and his relatives when a neighborhood dispute escalated earlier in the day, police said on Thursday. ...

Officials responsible for issuing new identity cards, which every adult will eventually need, must get a grip on the task and speed up, the Ministry of Interior said yesterday.In an “instruction” to staff, Interior Minister Sar Kheng said the number of new ID cards issued ...

Since launching in 2009, Wing has been largely on its own in the mobile money transfer market, opening thousands of payment kiosks across the country and benefitting from rapidly expanding base of mobile phone users. ...

After seven years under discussion and a series of drastic edits, the Trade Union Law is inching closer to being passed by the National Assembly. Human Rights Watch yesterday issued a statement on the latest draft of the union law, saying that while it ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen’s first state visit to Thailand today and tomorrow will be a milestone in enhancing previously frayed diplomatic relations with Cambodia’s largest neighbor and will also pay off economically, diplomats, executives and analysts say. ...

Em Chan Makara, president of the Disability Action Council (DAC), told reporters that his group will issue drivers licenses for people with disabilities in conjunction with the government. The council will also discuss appropriate vehicles for disabled people with other stakeholders. ...

A new government initiative to warn Cambodians about the dangers of smoking tobacco was launched yesterday by the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization. ...

A day after the US Federal Reserve increased interest rates, which can potentially impact incoming investments and make debt more costly, experts say the Kingdom’s strong underlying growth will help maintain investments flows and leave the country largely unaffected.The Fed’s 25 basis point rate hike ...

Nine out of 10 LGBT students have experienced bullying in Cambodia’s schools, which hurts their future educational attainment and makes their lives harder, according to a report released yesterday by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights. ...

New technology, innovation and sleek design are crucial if developers want to keep pace amid a construction boom in Cambodia’s real-estate sector, a senior official from the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction said on Tuesday. Pheung Sophorn, the state secretary of the ...

Cambodia is quietly reducing troop numbers on the contentious shared border with Thailand in Preah Vihear province.Citing the current good relations with the Kingdom’s western neighbour, Ministry of Defence spokesman Chhum Socheath yesterday said members of three units had been ordered to leave the border ...