DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodia launches new 1,000-riel banknote to remember late King Father Sihanouk” plus 3 more

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The National Bank of Cambodia officially issued a new 1,000-riel banknote (in equivalent to 25 U. S. cents) in order to remember and dedicate to late King Father Norodom Sihanouk.

A sub-decree on the issuance of the new 1,000-riel currency was signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday.

The new note displays a portrait of late King Father Sihanouk on the obverse and a picture of a golden swan-shaped float that transported Sihanouk's body on the reverse.

It main colors are pink and blue.

During his life time, Sihanouk's photos were printed on the current banknotes of 5,000 riels, 10,000 riels, 50,000 riels, and 100,000 riels.

Sihanouk died of illness at the age of 90 in Beijing on October 15 last year. His body is now lying in state at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh for the public to pay tribute.

The body will be moved from the Palace to a custom-built crematorium at the Veal Preah Meru Square next to the Palace on February 1 and kept it for another three days at the site before it is cremated on February 4.

About 1.5 million mourners are expected to attend the funeral, which will be safeguarded by some 11,000 security forces.

Born on Oct. 31, 1922, Sihanouk ruled Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his voluntary abdication on Oct. 7, 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni.

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia had granted licenses to 157 domestic and foreign investment projects with a total investment of 2.28 billion U.S. dollars in 2012, according to a report of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) on Tuesday.

Domestic investors topped the chart among all investors last year with a total investment of 907 million U.S. dollars, followed by South Korea with 287 million U.S. dollars, China with 263 million U.S. dollars, and Japan with 212 million U.S. dollars, the report said.

Local investors focused their investment on garment and shoe manufacturing, cassava factory, rice mills, and tourism resort development, while South Korea focused on clothes manufacturing, toys factory, electronic assembling, tapioca processing and bio- ethanol plant.

China's investment is made in the fields of garment manufacturing, furniture manufacturing, and rice mills, whilst Japan is in shopping mall, garment manufacturing and electricity equipment.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony of students at the Vanda Institute of Accounting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the government has been working actively to fight against corruption in a bid to further attract both local and foreign investors.

Other foreign investors in the country last year are the United States, Canada, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, China's Taiwan, China's Hong Kong, India, Australia, France, Luxembourg, and Samoa.

In 2011, the Southeast Asian nation received 164 domestic and foreign investment projects worth 7 billion U.S. dollars.

YANGON, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) has appointed Japanese technical expertise Teshima Atsushi as head coach of Myanmar U-14 national football team,according to Myanmar Football Federation (MFF)'s website Tuesday.

The Japanese coach was hired with one year contract which will be signed in February this year, the sources said, adding that he will be responsible for coming AFC U-14 Championship which will be held in Nay Pyi Taw this year.

Teshima, 49-year-old, has a lot of experiences in youth development such as Technical Director and Youth Coach.

Since 1992, he spent seven years in J-League as an assistant coach of Urawa Red Diamonds.

Teshima was named the technical director of Cambodia Football Federation in 2007. He also managed Cambodia U-14 and U-15 National Football Teams as a Head Coach.

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday urged people who will participate in the royal cremation of late King Father Norodom Sihanouk early next month to pay high attention to safety and public order in order to make the funeral proceed successfully.

Sihanouk died of illness at the age of 90 in Beijing on October 15, last year. His body is now lying in state at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh for the public to pay tribute.

The body will be moved from the Palace to a custom-built crematorium at the Veal Preah Meru Square next to the Palace on February 1 and kept it for another three days at the site before it is cremated on February 4.

It is expected that some 1.5 million people will attend the funeral.

"It is just four days away, the ceremony will begin. I'd like to appeal to all forthcoming participants to pay high attention to safety and public order in order to ensure the successful proceedings of the funeral," the premier said during a graduation ceremony of students at the Vanda Institute of Accounting. "We will use more than 10,000 security forces to safeguard the ceremony."

Hun Sen said that people in provinces and rural areas can gather at pagodas or watch live broadcasts through all local television channels.

A number of foreign leaders will also come to pay their tribute to the late King on the cremation day, he said.

Among them are Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Laos Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, Vice President of the Philippines Jejomar C. Binay, and Japan's Prince Akishino, according to the ministry of foreign affairs last Friday.

"It will be our last respect to late King Father Norodom Sihanouk," Hun Sen said.

The country will hold the second time of a week-long mourning for the late King from Feb. 1-7, he said.

During the period, all radios, TV stations and entertainment places must suspend broadcasting joyful spectacles, performances, and concerts, and flags must be all flying at half-mast.

On the cremation day, some 500 prisoners will be either released or cut jail terms in order to mark the ceremony, Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana said.

Born on Oct. 31, 1922, Sihanouk ruled Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his voluntary abdication on Oct. 7, 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni.

He wrote in a royal letter in January, 2012 that he requested his body to be cremated instead of being buried and his ashes to be put in an urn, preferably made of gold, and placed in a stupa at the Royal Palace.