The temples of Angkor Wat, Cambodia in mind

Ann told her experience and feeling in Angkor temples as well as in Siem Reap, Cambodia when she took part in an eighteen day travel through Asia with her husband.Independent travel has been great, but after 4 months on the road all the planning and organizing was getting a bit tiresome. We booked an 18-day guided tour that would take us from Bangkok all the way through Cambodia and Vietnam with the luxury of nearly everything being planned for us.In Bangkok we met up with our group of 11 fellow travelers, as well as our guide and a new trainee. As it turns out, everyone has been great and our group is getting along quite nicely.The first part...

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Health Care to Dominate Lawmakers' Summer Recess After Quick Deal Eludes Congress

And just like that, the fast track is gone, and the push for health care reform has stepped off the bullet train. In three days, it will be August and the start of the House's summer recess, and congressional leaders have conceded they will not approve health care reform legislation by then. President Obama says that's "OK." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says it'll get done "whenever."That's a big change from just two weeks ago, when it seemed the legislation was on autopilot, cruising through votes in three committees while the president and his allies predicted swift passage on the floor despite GOP opposition. And although some members of a coalition...

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Woman in baby cut from womb case is arraigned

By HOLLY RAMERThe Associated PressThursday, July 30, 2009; 11:29 AMCONCORD, N.H. -- A woman accused of cutting a baby girl from her mother's womb in Massachusetts has been arraigned on a fugitive from justice charge in New Hampshire and is being held on $2 million bail.Thirty-five-year-old Julie Corey of Worcester, Mass., appeared in Concord District Court via video from the county jail Thursday morning, a day after she was arrested at a homeless shelter in Plymouth, N.H. She did not waive extradition to be brought back to Massachusetts. The judge scheduled a hearing for Aug. 30.Police say she was arrested after acquaintances became suspicious...

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Jackson mother 'agrees custody'

A lawyer for Michael Jackson's mother has told US TV that an agreement has been reached over the custody of the late pop star's three children.Londell McMillan told CBS News that Katherine Jackson is to be awarded custody of Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11 and Prince Michael II, seven.He said Debbie Rowe, the mother of Jackson's two elder children, would have "meaningful visitation rights".A court hearing to formalise custody is scheduled for Monday in Los Angeles.Katherine Jackson was granted temporary custody of the children after the star's death on 25 June.The biological mother of Prince Michael II, also known as Blanket, has never been revealed."It's...

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Obama's day: Hot dispute, cold beers

Good morning from The Oval. Exactly 90 years ago, federal troops were called out to respond to race riots in Chicago.The patchy road of race relations has run throughout American history. Today marks a unique milepost: Beers at the White House between a president, an African-American college professor, and a white police officer who arrested the professor at his home.President Obama, Henry Gates, and James Crowley meet at 6 p.m., at a picnic table behind the Oval Office. Obama is hoping for a "teachable moment."Meanwhile, reactions to the Henry Gates-James Crowley flap have landed some public employees in big trouble. And the woman who made the...

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ADIos cristiano ronaldo..

salam..ayat macam biasa..'lama x update blog ni'..haha..buzy da dengan kenduri kahwin akak aku..lepak gila..hehe..gambarnya akan diupload next entri la..nak kena kumpul gambar bebanyak dulu....entri ni nak cerita pasal ronalDOh..ampeh tul..dah komfem dah mamat tu nak blah..xpe2..real madrid memang mantop la next season..dengan kaka lagi..memang fight la dengan barca..bila lak mu nak beli orang ni..komfem kena beli..dah kaya x kan x nak beli orang kot.. ang latest kot..Klaas-Jan Huntelaar..stylo gak la mamat ni..ntah la..kita tunggu je la..siapa yang jadi pengganti ronaldo season depan..huhuyang lain2 ada gak..karim benzema dari dulu usha..x dapat2...

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Nigerian 'Taliban' offensive leaves 150 dead

Islamic group opposed to western education, Boko Haram, launches attacks across four northern provincesDead Nigerians are brought to a police station in the northeastern city of Bauchi after a gun battle in the early morning. Photograph: Ardo Hazzad/ReutersA self-styled "Taliban" intent on imposing sharia law on all Nigerians widened its offensive yesterday in violence that has left 150 people dead.Boko Haram, an Islamic group opposed to western education, has launched attacks across four northern provinces over the last two days and declared its intention to fight to the death.Civilians were pulled from their cars and shot, their corpses then...

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Race row after arrest of professor

Have you heard the one about the president, the professor and the policeman?The issue of race in the US is alive and kicking as the case of the arrest of a Harvard professor last week has highlighted.Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr was arrested at his home after he was seen trying to force his way in to the house.He was held for disorderly conduct after allegedly accusing the arresting officer, Sgt James Crowley, of racism.President Obama used up political capital as he got involved in the case, saying that the police had acted "stupidily".Things have now changed to such an extent that Sgt Crowley is being invited to the White House for a be...

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Buying a touring motorbike in Vietnam

hoto by: DON MORGAN AND STUART MCDONALDNot-so-lonely creek: trifling obstacles such as rivers shouldn’t hold up your progress too much.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ask around if you plan to go into the remote regions of the country. there's no harm in trying your luck.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Phnom Penh PostWednesday, 29 July 2009DON MORGANWhen it comes to transportation, the motorbike reigns supreme in Southeast Asia, probably because it provides a speedy, inexpensive and durable platform for travel around the regionFOR TRAVELFISH.ORGBY...

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Cambodian police arrest British man on child sex charges

Author : DPAPhnom Penh - A British man accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl has been arrested in the Cambodian coastal resort town of Sihanoukville, police said Wednesday. Gareth Ashley Corbett, 51, was taken into custody Tuesday by Phnom Penh police, said Keo Thea, Phnom Penh anti-trafficking police chief.The arrest was reportedly made after an investigation into complaints by two girls that last week led to the arrest of US national Scott Alan Hecker, 41, in Phnom Penh.Dozens of foreigners have been jailed since Cambodia launched a crackdown on child sex crimes in 2003....

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Germany injects over $1 mln to Cambodia, Laos for fighting against hunger

PHNOM PENH, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Fearing with the continued impact by global economic crisis, the government of Germany has provided another 1.3 million euros (approximately 1.8 million U.S. dollars) to Cambodia and Laos to fight against hunger.In a statement released Wednesday, German embassy in Phnom Penh said of the above total amount, one million euro was destined for Cambodia which is expected to help assist about one million Cambodians in 2009.It said the fund was donated through the United Nations agency, World Food Program for its operation in this country.The fund will help improve immediate food security and nutritional status of the Cambodian people while enhancing social stability through interventions in three priority areas: education, health and nutrition, and disaster risk reduction.Xinhua...

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International Groups Express Concern About Cambodian 'AIDS Colony'

Main Category: HIV / AIDSAlso Included In: Public HealthIn an open letter to Cambodia's prime minister and health minister, more than 100 international HIV/AIDS advocates and human rights organizations "accused the Cambodian government of herding HIV-affected families into an 'AIDS colony' outside the capital, Phnom Penh," the Guardian reports (McCurry, 7/28).According to CNN, the letter said the "de facto AIDS colony at Tuol Sambo ... is far away from the jobs, medical facilities and support services" residents had when they lived in the city. The human rights advocates said the HIV-positive residents were moved despite repeated appeals to the government, including from the U.N. (7/28).The groups said they are very concerned about the "life-threatening" conditions in the settlement where...

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Congress pushes for healthcare deal

President Barack Obama participates in a tele-conference town hall event on health care at the AARP in Washington July 28, 2009. (REUTERS/Jason Reed) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol pushed for a healthcare reform deal on Tuesday, with Senate Democrats near agreement with three Republicans on a plan unlikely to include a government-run insurance option backed by President Barack Obama.In closed-door meetings and private negotiating sessions, members of Congress struggled to make progress on a healthcare overhaul before heading home for their August recess.Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee heard an update from...

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Lawyers Say They Are ‘Free’ To Defend

By Men Kimseng, VOA KhmerOriginal report from WashingtonOpposition lawmaker Mu Sochua faced the court over her defamation suit with the prime minister on Friday without a lawyer. After her first attorney quit—facing defamation charges himself—she was unable to find another, she said, due to “political pressure.”Cambodian lawyers say they are free to represent the clients they want, but Mu Sochua’s case has underscored the entanglement of politics and the court that critics say stops the judiciary from being independent.“There is no problem as long as the client approaches us,” said Cambodian attorney Poeung Thida. “We just puck up a client we...

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Cambodia Angkor Air plans flights to Viet Nam

PHNOM PENH — Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday cut the ribbon launching the new Cambodian national airline, Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA), a joint venture between Viet Nam and Cambodia, at Pochentong International Airport in Phnom Penh.CAA is a joint venture between the Cambodian National Aviation Agency and the Vietnam Airlines Corporation.CAA has two ATR-72-500 aircraft that service domestic flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and Siem Reap.It has plans to expand its operations to other regional countries, including Viet Nam and Thailand, with A-320 and A-321 aircraft.Cambodia’s national airline, Royal Cambodge Airlines (RCA), was established in 1994, but had to close operations in 2001 due to huge losses and the use of planes that did...

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Cambodian art show casts light on Khmer Rouge horrors

Sos Thy speaks in courtroom in Phnom Penh (picture released by Extraordinary Chamber in Courts of Cambodia, 27 Jul 2009)Artist Vann Nath, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge's notorious Tuol Sleng prison, explains a painting to villagers during an art workshop and exhibition project titled "The Art of Survival", in Kamport province, 146 km (91 miles) west of Phnom Penh, July 25, 2009.REUTERS/Chor SokuntheaKOMPOT, Cambodia (Reuters Life!) - Cambodian artist Vann Nath only survived the Khmer Rouge's most brutal prison because its chief torturer liked his paintings of the tyrannical leader Pol Pot.Now, the survivor of the notorious Tuol Sleng prison is...

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Cambodia: Respect For Suspects' Rights

Scoop New Zealandhttp://www.scoop.co.nzTuesday, 28 July 2009Press Release: Asian Human Rights CommissionCambodia: Respect For Suspects' Rights Will Prevent Death In Police CustodyFive suspects in police custody are known to have died in police custody in different locations in Cambodia over the first five months of this year. There have been allegations that they suffered torture or other forms of ill-treatment. However, the police have refuted these allegations and with medical certification as proof, claimed that the suspects had committed suicide. The reference to medical certification has led to further allegations that doctors whom the authorities called in to do the autopsies were themselves under pressure not to antagonize the police and arrive at a conclusion that did not differ from...

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A British army soldier walks past Iraqi army tanks during a training mission in Latifiyah, south of Baghdad (File)By VOA News Britain said it will withdraw its remaining forces in Iraq to neighboring Kuwait. The British Embassy in Baghdad said Tuesday the move is necessary because the Iraqi parliament has failed to pass a deal allowing some British troops to stay beyond the end of July.The deal would have allowed up to 100 British troops to remain in Iraq to help the Iraqi navy protect oil installations off the southern coast.The embassy said the Iraqi parliament has not approved the deal due to a procedural delay. Embassy officials said the...

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Taliban Recruited Kids as Suicide Bombers

PhotoPakistan army soldiers bring detained teenagers, faces covered with cloth, before the media in Mingora, the main town of Pakistan's troubled Swat Valley, July 26, 2009. Brig Tahir Khan, a military commander in Mingora, said they are finding youths still at school being forcefully recruited by the Taliban to become militant fighters or suicide bombers. (AP Photo/Naveed Ali)Pakistan Officials Say Boys Were Also Trained as Soldiers; 9 Rescued, But Hundreds Likely Remain(AP) Security forces have rescued several children forcibly recruited by the Taliban, allegedly to be used as fighters or suicide bombers, and there could be hundreds more...

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washingtonpost.com > Nation > Wires U.S., China talk money, climate; no breakthroughs

2Mr Obama said he was under 'no illusions that the United States and China will agree on every issue' Photo: REUTERS By David Lawder and Sue PlemingReutersWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and China broached two touchy topics -- currencies and climate change -- in talks on Tuesday that appeared to be more about establishing positions than hammering out firm commitments.In the first round of what will be an annual "Strategic and Economic Dialogue," the two major economic powers signed a memorandum promising greater cooperation in tackling climate change, energy and the environment, although the document was not publicly released and few...

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Police Search Home of Jackson’s Doctor

guardian.co.ukPolice Search Home of Jackson's DoctorNew York Times - Steve Friess, Solomon Moore - ‎1 hour ago‎LAS VEGAS - The police searched the home and office of Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, here on Tuesday morning.Video: Police Raid Home of MJ's Doctor CBSBy STEVE FRIESS and SOLOMON MOOREPublished: July 28, 2009LAS VEGAS — The police searched the home and office of Michael Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, here on Tuesday morning.Detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles bureau of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department served...

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Cash-for-clunkers auto eligibility list changed

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in Washington on Monday at an event promoting the "cash-for-clunkers" car buyer incentive program.y Chris Woodyard, USA TODAYAs it prepared for its "cash-for-clunkers" program, the government rejiggered gas mileage figures on about 100 older vehicles last week in a way that changed whether they would be eligible for up to $4,500 in sales inducements.The Environmental Protection Agency says the changes resulted from a double-check of its fuel-efficiency ratings on more than 30,000 1984 and newer vehicles in advance of the official start of the clunkers program Monday.OFFICIAL WORD: Government website on 'cash-for-clunkers'SEND...

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AP source: Michael Jackson's inner sanctum chaotic

By THOMAS WATKINS (AP)LOS ANGELES — With towering ceilings and an elaborate facade, Michael Jackson's rented Beverly Hills mansion was the epitome of opulence.Inside, on the top floor, the scene was less elegant, according to a law enforcement official.Clothes and other items were strewn about and handwritten notes stuck on the walls. One read: "children are sweet and innocent." And no one working in the house was allowed upstairs to clean up the mess.data:image/jpeg;base64,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The...

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Human Impact on Critically Endangered Waterbird Beneficial

A white-shouldered ibis in Cambodia. Human impact on this critically endangered bird can be beneficial rather than destructive, and could even save it from extinction. (Credit: Hugh Wright)ScienceDaily (July 26, 2009) — Human impact on one of the world's most threatened bird species can be beneficial rather than destructive - and could even save it from extinction - according to counterintuitive new findings by the University of East Anglia (UEA).Published in the peer-reviewed journal Animal Conservation, the study by UEA conservation experts explores the exact reasons behind the decline of the critically endangered white-shouldered ibis.The...

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Suu Kyi trial enters final phase in Myanmar

FILE - In this November 8, 2007 file photo, released by China's Xinhua news agency, detained Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, left, is greeted by U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari during their meeting, in Yangon, Myanmar. Lawyers for Myanmar's jailed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi are scheduled to present final arguments Friday July 24, 2009 in their efforts to save her from a five-year prison term. (AP Photo/Xinhua, File)YANGON, Myanmar — The trial of Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was adjourned until Tuesday when the prosecution was to deliver its closing arguments, a government official said.The 64-year-old Nobel Peace...

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Japan Opposition Unveils Campaign Pledges

The Canadian PressDPJ Promises to Stimulate Spending, Shift Power to LawmakersBy TAKASHI NAKAMICHITOKYO -- The opposition Democratic Party of Japan, which looks likely to win a general election next month and form a new government, unveiled Monday an election manifesto promising to stimulate consumer spending and shift policy-making power from bureaucrats to lawmakers.The DPJ's release of its campaign pledges comes as analysts closely watch to see how the party may govern if it wins key lower-house polls planned for Aug. 30.Based on its campaign pledges, the costs of the economic measures would amount to ¥7.1 trillion ($74.7 billion) in the coming...

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