Solved puzzle reveals fabled Cambodian temple

By Suy Se (AFP) – SIEM REAP, Cambodia — It has taken half a century, but archaeologists in Cambodia have finally completed the renovation of an ancient Angkor temple described as the world's largest three dimensional puzzle.The restoration of the 11th-century Baphuon ruin is the result of decades of painstaking work, hampered by tropical rains and civil war, to take apart hundreds of thousands of sandstone blocks and piece them back together again."When I first saw how devastated the monument was, I never thought we would be able to put it back together," said Cambodian restorer Ieng Te, who joined the project as a young student in 1960 and was tasked with numbering stones."I am so happy and excited that we were able to rebuild our historic temple," the now 66-year-old said as...

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Cambodia’s ruling party marks founding anniversary

The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) held a meeting in Phnom Penh on June 28 to mark its 60th founding anniversary (June 28).Addressing the meeting, CPP President Chea Sim affirmed his Party’s consistent ideal and goal of tirelessly striving for the Cambodian people since the CPP, formerly known as the People's Revolutionary Party of Kampuchea, was established 60 years ago.He stressed that the CPP gathered the people to overthrow the Khmer Rouge genocide regime (1975-1979) and win the victory on January 7, 1979.The CPP leader said attributed the victory and national recovery associate with great national unity strength, patriotism and impartial, timely and effective assistance...

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KRouge defendant vows to help court find 'truth'

(AFP) – PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — A top ex-Khmer Rouge leader on trial for genocide on Thursday vowed to cooperate with Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes court to reveal the truth about the country's "Killing Fields" era."I personally am not fully knowledgeable about everything, but I will try from the bottom of my heart to make sure that everything is fully revealed," said Khieu Samphan, the former head of state of the brutal regime."This is the most important moment for me and for my compatriots who are eager to know and understand what happened between 1975 and 1979."Along with "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea, ex-foreign minister Ieng Sary and his wife, one-time social affairs minister Ieng Thirith, Khieu Samphan faces charges including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.The...

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Greek parliament approves austerity programme

Parliament passes second vote on austerity package following overnight clashes that rocked the capital.Greece's ruling socialist party has passed a second austerity bill needed to implement an austerity package to secure more funds from the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The vote saw 155 members of parliament voting in favour of the bill, 136 voting against and five abstentions. Politicians voted on Thursday on the second of two austerity bills that are key to receiving funding, after endorsing an initial law on Wednesday to slash $40bn off the national debt. The government of Prime Minister George Papandreou won the first vote by 155 to 138 votes. But the package of taxes, spending cuts and privatisations has angered many Greeks, with thousands taking...

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Cambodia a capital success

By Julie Masis PHNOM PENH - Cambodia's capital today is unrecognizable compared with five years ago. Then the tallest structure was a seven-story hotel and vast areas of the city would have appeared dark due to a lack of reliable electricity.Now there are nine buildings of 20 or more stories and 55 structures of between 10 and 19 stories, according to the city's department of construction. More high-rises are on the way: projects have been...

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UQ’s Engineering students Make it So in Cambodia

University of Queensland undergraduate engineering students will apply their innovation and skills to ensure a floating village in South East Asia has access to a sanitary waste management system. The project is being conducted as part of 2011's Year of Humanitarian Engineering and the Make it So campaign.The Tonie Sap is a combined lake and river system of major importance to Cambodia.As the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia, Tonle Sap is home to a number of communities who live in floating villages on and around it, who do not have access to appropriate lavatory facilities. This has resulted in widespread contamination of the lake and a range of health issues affecting locals within the region.In collaboration with Engineers Without Borders, UQ's Innovate Team (UQIT), consisting...

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Thailand rejects Cambodia’s conditions to defer Preah Vihear management plan

PARIS, June 23 – Thailand has refused to accept a draft resolution proposed by Cambodia with conditions that the consideration on the Preah Vihear management plan could be postponed until next year if Thailand allows international observers into the contested area around the temple and restoration of the ancient Hindu temple damaged in recent border clashes, according to the head of Thailand’s delegation to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee (WHC) meeting. Thai Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti heading the Thai delegation at the heritage committee's 35th session at the agency’s Paris headquarters told reporters that a representative of UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova gave Cambodia’s...

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ambodian Gold Rush Lures Foreign Giants

A Cambodian man looking for gold at O'Clor village in Mondulkiri province, some 550 kilometers northeast of Phnom Penh. (AFP Photo) O'Clor, Cambodia. Squinting in the harsh midday sun, Ry Kuok emerges slowly with a bag of rocks on his back from a hand-dug mine in a remote corner of Cambodia known as the "Gold Forest".He's one of hundreds of prospectors searching for the yellow metal in the isolated village of O'Clor in northeast Mondulkiri province, where a modern-day gold rush is threatened by the arrival of foreign mining giants.On a good day, the 29-year-old can earn about...

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