Oct 16: The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization outlined it's strategy

in continuing to assist Cambodia's agricultural development.

In a ceremony on World Food Day the FAO promised to assist the government in assessing

and managing forests and other natural resources and to implement training projects

for a variety of initiatives in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry

and Fisheries.

Oct !8: Agence Khmere de Presse reported: The Australian government is

to continue its non-lethal military aid to Cambodia, according to Australia's military

attaché, David Mead.

The AKP report said Australia had committed nine million Australian dollars to the

Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) and would continue support of the Royal Cambodian

Armed Forces (RCAF) in communications and training in ship repair and maintenance.

In the past the Australian government has provided support for RCAF with medical

assistance, communications and management and English language training.

Oct 20: Reuters reported: A British mine clearance specialist who was kidnapped

in Cambodia seven months ago is alive and well and in the Khmer Rouge stronghold

of Anlong Veng, according to a breakaway Khmer Rouge commander.

Chea Bunheng, commander of regiment 41 in Anlong Veng, said Christopher Howes was

still alive, though he had not been able to see him.

Chea Bunheng said he believed Howes - who was kidnapped with his interpreter Houn

Hourth in the province of Siem Reap in March - is being forced to make homemade bombs

for the hard-line Khmer Rouge guerrillas.

Oct 22: Reuters reported: Cambodian First Prime Minister Prince Norodom

Ranariddh said his party would win the next general elections in 1998 but warned

against intimidation and violence ahead of the polls.

Ranariddh would not point the finger at any one party, but UN peace keepers in Cambodia

in the lead-up to the 1993 polls laid the blame for most of the scores of politically

motivated killings on the Cambodian People's Party.

Ranariddh said his Funcinpec party would not tolerate political suppression in either

the local elections in 1997 or the national poll in 1988.

Oct 24: Agence Khmere de Presse reported: National Assembly Chairman Chea

Sim met with a Vietnamese delegation Wednesday as part of Cambodia's celebration

of the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Agreement.

Vietnam was one of 18 nations which signed the agreement together with four Cambodian

factions on October 23, 1991.

Oct 24: Redd Barna celebrates the first anniversary of it's publication

Mom and Mab - a magazine created to improve low pupil achievement in primary school.

A quarterly publication with a circulation of 25,000, Mom and Mab aims to develop

a taste for reading and to become a forum for the exchange of children's views on

children's issues.

The magazine is distributed to schools, NGO's and international organizations working

with child related issues.

Oct 28: The Japanese Government announced an emergency grant of US$150,000

to repair sections of Route Six damaged in recent floods.

The Japanese have donated a total of approximately US$450,000, joining the United

Nations, Australia, Singapore, Germany, Norway and the Vatican in responding to widespread

flooding of the Mekong River in late September.