Prime Minister Hun Sen who presided over the inauguration ceremony said from now on, the Royal Academy of Cambodia will be using the “Indra Devi” building for teaching along with a new building called “Khemarak Pitu”.

“In the future, we plan to gather all intellectuals and foreign language experts to translate authorised documents deemed valuable to the country.

“We think that if those documents are [translated] in Khmer, researchers and students will have an easier time understanding the texts,” said the president of Royal Academy of Cambodia Sok Touch.

Touch said the building would also be used for workshops, conferences, and other round-table discussions to talk about prevailing issues in the social, political, economic, and technological realms.

“In short, this building will serve as a place for researchers specialising in the natural and social sciences to come up with research plans that would contribute to social development.”

He said in the 20 years since its establishment, the Royal Academy of Cambodia had completed many types of research and had collaborated with numerous international educational institutions from around the world.

Hun Sen advised the academy to align its researches to the current social and economic climate and to only expend resources for the things that benefit the academy.

“It doesn’t mean that once you send the research document to me, I will forward it to government institutions to apply it,” Hun Sen clarified.

The prime minister agreed to provide the Royal Academy with a $200,000 laboratory equipped with materials used for plant breeding. He also approved Touch’s request to start offering a tourism course at the Royal Academy of Cambodia.

Touch said the building has three floors with 24 rooms – an administration room, a meeting room, a room for thesis defence, 18 classrooms, two laboratories, and a conference hall. The total expense for the building was over $1.5 million.

For the first time, Amazon directly linked comments by the president to the award of the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract to Microsoft last month. Though Amazon filed its protest under seal, it also notified the Court of Federal Claims that it intends to use four videos as exhibits, including one of Trump at a February 2016 campaign rally, as well as a Fox News host urging him to prevent the Pentagon from awarding the contract to the online retail giant.

The e-commerce giant formally filed a protest with the Court of Federal Claims to protest the award of the cloud-computing contract, following through on a threat it made last week. It did so under seal to protect trade secrets.

In a statement, the e-commerce giant repeated its claims that “unmistakable bias” and “political influence” tainted the decision-making process. Trump has repeatedly criticized Amazon, whose chief executive, Jeff Bezos, owns The Washington Post.

Amazon also repeated its suggestion that the award of the JEDI contract to Microsoft was improperly influenced by President Donald Trump.

“We also believe it’s critical for our country that the government and its elected leaders administer procurements objectively and in a manner that is free from political influence,” Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener reiterated, issuing the same statement he gave a week ago. “Numerous aspects of the JEDI evaluation process contained clear deficiencies, errors, and unmistakable bias- and it’s important that these matters be examined and rectified.”

The JEDI contract could be worth up to $10 billion over 10 years. Amazon, which pioneered the commercial cloud-computing market business and dominates it with a 48 percent market share, according to market-research firm Gartner, had been seen as the most likely winner. It said it would protest after Microsoft, which holds a 15.5 percent share of the market, got the contract.

Microsoft also filed to intervene in the protest, giving it an opportunity to participate in the case.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration told consumers to throw away any romaine lettuce they may already have purchased. Restaurants should not serve it, stores should not sell it, and people should not buy it, if it was harvested from Salinas, a growing area in Northern California. It doesn’t matter if it is chopped, whole head, precut or part of a mix.

Most romaine lettuce products are now labeled with a harvest location showing where they were grown. Officials said to throw out lettuce if it doesn’t have a label specifying where it’s from.

“We are concerned about the potential for contaminated lettuce on store shelves and in people’s refrigerators,” said Robert Tauxe, director of CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases. “Heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, it is critically important to avoid buying or eating romaine lettuce from the Salinas growing area so you can protect yourself and your family.”

No deaths have been reported in this E. coli outbreak, but the strain is the same one that caused outbreaks linked to leafy greens and romaine lettuce in the last two years. Just two days before Thanksgiving last year, CDC issued an unusually broad alert, warning consumers to avoid eating romaine lettuce of any kind in response to an outbreak.

Of those who have been sickened in this outbreak by E. coli O157: H7, 28 people have been hospitalized, including five who have developed a type of kidney failure. This E. coli strain produces a Shiga toxin that can enter a person’s bloodstream and wreak havoc on kidney function. Symptoms of infection include vomiting, painful cramps and diarrhea that is often bloody.

The largest number of cases reported so far has been in Wisconsin, with 10 cases. Other cases have been reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.

FDA and states are tracing the source of the romaine lettuce eaten by the ill consumers. No common grower, supplier, distributor, or brand of romaine lettuce has been identified.

The Maryland Department of Health identified E. coli O157: H7 in romaine lettuce from an unopened package of Ready Pac Foods Bistro Chicken Caesar salad collected from a sick person’s home in Maryland. Ill people in Maryland also reported eating Ready Pac Foods Bistro Chicken Caesar salad, which contained romaine from Salinas. To date, sickened consumers in other states have not reported eating this particular salad.

Laboratory evidence and interviews with the sickened consumers indicate that romaine lettuce from the Salinas region may be contaminated with this strain. Whole genome sequencing shows the strain in romaine lettuce tested by the Maryland Health Department is closely related genetically to the E. coli found in sick people. That lettuce was harvested from the Salinas growing region.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a list of 35 recalled products. They were sold under different brand names and “use by” dates from Oct. 29, 2019 to Nov. 1, 2019. Brands include Bonduelle Chef Salad, Marketside Bistro, Signature Cafe and Signature Farms. On Thursday, Missa Bay LLC recalled salad products due to possible E. coli contamination.

At this time, there is no recommendation for consumers or retailers to avoid using or selling romaine harvested from places other than Salinas, or labeled as indoor, or hydroponically- or greenhouse-grown, FDA officials said.

Convenience salads, from tubs of prewashed baby spinach to bags of chopped romaine, are regularly implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks. Last year, an outbreak that began in March from chopped, bagged, as well as whole heads of romaine was the largest E. coli outbreak in more than a decade, killing five people and sickening more than 200 others in three dozen states.

Food safety experts have said those convenience greens carry an extra risk because they come in contact with more people and machinery before they arrive on your plate. Contamination can occur on the farm from birds flying overhead or when low-lying fields flood with contaminated water. E. coli can also be spread by farmworkers who don’t wash their hands or via farm equipment that has manure on it.

Once the greens are picked, they move to a packaging plant, where they’re exposed to more workers and more equipment. Products from multiple farms is often bagged in the same facility, which further increases the odds of cross-contamination.

Rezaian, then The Post’s Tehran-based correspondent, and his newlywed wife were seized July 22, 2014; placed separately in solitary confinement; and threatened with execution, physical mutilation and dismemberment, his family testified earlier this year. He spent 544 days in custody. His wife was released after two months.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon of Washington entered a default judgment against Iran, which did not answer the lawsuit, following a two-day hearing in January.

Leon granted Rezaian $23.8 million in compensatory damages for pain, suffering and economic losses; his brother Ali $2.7 million and their mother, Mary, $3.1 million for similar claims; and the family $150 million in punitive damages.

“Holding a man hostage and torturing him to gain leverage in negotiations with the United States is outrageous, deserving of punishment, and surely in need of deterrence,” Leon wrote in a 30-page opinion.

Rezaian was released with three other Americans in a prisoner swap completed Jan. 16, 2016, the day the nuclear pact was implemented. In exchange, seven Iranians charged or imprisoned on sanctions violations won U.S. grants of clemency. Rezaian’s wife, Yeganeh Rezaian, had been released separately and is not a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Rezaian’s attorney David Bowker said the family had sought $44 million in compensatory damages and $1 billion in punitive damages to force Iranian authorities “to recalculate the costs and benefits” of using hostages and terrorism as tools of diplomatic leverage.

In his opinion, Leon cited as an “exacerbating factor” evidence showing that Iran held arrested, detained and tortured Rezaian “to increase its bargaining leverage in ongoing negotiations with the United States,” calling the need for deterring such conduct “critical.”

The ruling comes as U.S.-Iran relations have been on a recent downward spiral. After withdrawing last year from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, the Trump administration has escalated devastating sanctions against Iran’s economy. The regime remains defiant, however, scaling back its commitments.

Tensions also have grown over shipping in the Persian Gulf, with Iran shooting down an drone and Washington blaming Tehran for missiles that struck oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.

On Friday, the Treasury Department added Iran’s information minister to its sanctions list, citing his role in cutting Internet access amid protests over the end of fuel subsidies. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged protesters to send videos and photos documenting the crackdown. In a tweet, Pompeo vowed to “expose and sanction the abuses.”

At least five other U.S. citizens, some of them dual nationals, are currently detained in Iran. The United States believes the charges against them are baseless and considers them hostages. Iran has repeatedly suggested it seeks a prisoner swap for Iranians held in U.S. prisons, mostly for convictions related to breaking sanctions.

Rezaian was The Post’s correspondent in Tehran from 2012 to 2016 and is now a writer for its Global Opinions section.

“Our only focus at The Post has been on what was taken away from Jason, which was 544 days of his freedom,” Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron said in a statement. “His imprisonment and that of his wife Yeganeh were wholly unjustified, and his treatment in one of Iran’s worst prisons was horrifying. This legal action was taken solely by Jason and his family. We’ve seen our role as helping the Rezaians through their recovery. Our satisfaction comes from seeing them enjoy their freedom and a peaceful life.”

Since then, Mulvaney and top White House officials have hosted weekend getaways for Republicans at the historic lodge, seeking to butter up Republicans before the big impeachment vote. The casual itinerary includes making s’mores over the campfire, going hiking, shooting clay pigeons and schmoozing with Trump officials, some of whom stay overnight with lawmakers.

During dinners, Trump has called in to compliment members personally.

“I’ve worked with a number of Republican presidents over various administrations . . . and I’ve never, ever been invited to Camp David,” said Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo. “It was amazing to go for the short weekend. So historic.”

The Camp David excursions are one prong of a broad White House charm offensive, meant to hold House and Senate Republicans in line through a House impeachment vote and a trial in the Senate that appears all but inevitable.

Never shy to feud with his own party, Trump has for weeks refrained from full-throated attacks against Republicans who have been even remotely critical of the conduct now under scrutiny by the House: The president’s attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee.

The White House has made sure that a small clutch of Republican lawmakers have accompanied Trump to a trio of recent sporting events, whether at the Ultimate Fighting Championships in New York, the World Series in Washington or at the Alabama-Louisiana State University football game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

In recent weeks, the White House has also invited a group of GOP senators every Thursday to have lunch with the president, where the mealtime conversation rarely centers on impeachment but inevitably veers toward it, according to participants. Trump’s message to the senators echoes what he has said publicly against charges that he abused the powers of his office, and Republicans who’ve attended say they feel no overt pressure from the president to stay on his side.

“The president rightfully believes he has been targeted since the election, before he was even sworn in,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who attended a White House-hosted lunch on Nov. 14. “As a human being, he also talks about the toll it takes, it would take on any family.”

The systematic courting may prove to be one pivotal factor if Republican lawmakers continue to ally behind Trump, who is almost certain to become the third U.S. president in history to become impeached by the House in the coming weeks. The idea, at least for the Camp David getaways, is to make Republicans feel as if they are part of Trump’s family – and make it more difficult for them to vote in favor of impeaching him.

The administration-wide effort to court Republicans was described by 20 lawmakers, administration officials, congressional aides and others familiar with the endeavor.

In all, Trump has met with or reached out personally to 100 GOP members of the House since the impeachment inquiry was launched, and 50 of the 53 Senate Republicans have attended a White House lunch – where chicken is often served – with the president. More than 40 House Republicans, from moderates to conservatives, have made the visit to Camp David at the invitation of Mulvaney and the legislative affairs team – who have invited groups of about 10 for overnight stays.

The wooing appears to be working, particularly the Camp David effort.

Multiple lawmakers who have visited the retreat – nearly 90 miles from Washington – have described the trips as “surreal” and “incredible,” according to a half dozen lawmakers and aides familiar with the outings An invitation is now considered “the envy of the conference,” according to one member who attended.

“It’s an impressive effort to engage at the member level,” said the GOP lawmaker, who like several others requested anonymity to speak candidly about the coveted invites. “My colleagues have been blown away by it. And by the way, notice Republicans are united on impeachment.”

When Mulvaney first pitched the idea of turning Camp David into a weekend retreat for lawmakers, Trump was surprised, officials said. The acting chief of staff has told GOP attendees that the president didn’t see the allure, asking: “Who would want to go there?”

But it’s clear plenty of House Republicans do. Lawmakers and their spouses are given a tour of the historic grounds once they arrive, attendees said. Many are in awe over the hot tub, golf course and, in particular, who had previously stayed there, as they flip through books containing names of foreign ministers, famous White House staffers and other dignitaries who have slept in the same beds, participants said.

The grounds also include an arcade, a bowling alley and a shooting range. Lawmakers are encouraged to go have fun. And since no phones are allowed on the premises, members have been letting loose – with one attendee likening it to an “adult playground.”

Mulvaney and Eric Ueland, the White House’s chief legislative liaison, have at times broached the subject of impeachment – but more as a discussion of process rather than a hard loyalty sell. The legislative affairs team also gives presentations about policy priorities like prescription drugs and trade.

Though not as elaborate, the Thursday lunches with Trump and GOP senators have a similarly open agenda that the president allows the lawmakers to largely dictate, according to attendees.

Topics vary widely, often on policy matters ranging from foreign affairs to trade to vaping to prescription drugs. The president and senators have also discussed his previous life as a businessman, his books and his first board game; Conan, the military canine who played a key role in the raid that killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi; and parochial issues that Trump promises to fix, according to people who have attended the lunches.

Trump has regularly bragged to the senators about the power of his Twitter feed and his poll numbers.

The president also finds time for a personal touch. In one recent lunch, he personally thanked Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., for his support, vaguely mentioning that he was one of seven, according to a person briefed on the encounter. It was unclear to those in attendance what Trump was referring to, although Moran was recently listed as one of seven GOP senators in a Daily Caller story who had explicitly ruled out impeaching the president or removing him from office.

Not much impeachment trial strategy is actually discussed, with most of the impeachment chatter from Trump focusing on the rough transcript of his July 25 call with Ukrainian leader Volodymr Zelensky and his proclamations that he did nothing improper.

“He just said over and over, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong,'” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., describing one lunch.

In one lunch, Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., asked Trump whether he would like to see a swift dismissal of a Senate trial, particularly if Republicans believe the Democrats’ case is fundamentally flawed, or whether he would like to see a lengthier proceeding that allows for more time to present his defense. Trump declined to take a position, deferring to the senators instead to determine that.

The light and friendly touch from Trump is not an accident.

After Trump called Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, a “pompous ‘ass'” when the Utah senator criticized his conduct on Ukraine, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., at an Oct. 21 meeting at the White House, urged the president to lay off attacks against Republicans.

A Trump adviser says the president so far is not seeking to attack or directly pressure wary senators. At a recent donor event at Trump International Hotel in Washington, Trump made sure to call out and compliment senators such as Tillis, Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, whom Trump noted he “kind of” likes “but she really doesn’t like me.”

Trump expressed confidence in a meeting last week with advisers that Romney would not vote to convict him in a Senate impeachment trial, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting. Romney, who has taken up anti-vaping as a key cause in the Senate, was seated next to Trump Friday at a White House event on the issue.

“I don’t think he’s needing any reinforcement by these lunches,” Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., said.

Indeed, few if any Republicans have strayed from the party view that Trump’s pressure on Ukraine does not amount to impeachable conduct – both before and after the days of damaging testimony from a cavalcade of witnesses in front of the House intelligence panel this month.

At the Nov. 9 Alabama-LSU game, Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., said he listened as Trump spoke – again – about impeachment, expressing surprise while chatting with lawmakers in a luxury box at Bryant-Denny Stadium that Democrats were even moving forward with proceedings.

Trump, again, implored the Alabama and Louisiana Republicans in attendance to read the memorandum of the call with Zelensky. He also stressed that he is pleased Republicans have been united behind him so far.

“He had more impeachment on his mind,” Aderholt recalled, “than anything else.”