The week's news from Cambodia is all over the place, so where better to start than with happenings in Minnesota ...

Wat Munisotaram, a bit of Cambodian Buddhism on the prairie, was recently consecrated and its Buddha image blessed.

The $1.58 million temple has been years in the building, but according to some of the 7,000 visitors stopping by during the three-day open house, it is well worth the time and money. Constructed with the layout... more

Continued from here ...

Politics are, of course, always a hot topic in Cambodia, and right now the biggies in the royalist parties are talking about working together to try to gain some finger-hold through next year's general elections.

With Prince Sisowath Thomico joining Prince Sisowath Siriroath and leaving Prince Norodom Ranariddh, there's not much support... more

An early, warm wet season is being blamed for one of the worst outbreaks of Dengue Fever to hit Cambodia and the rest of SE Asia in recent history.

A British adoptive father, along with other volunteers, set up a UK Registered Charity, The Cambodia Children's... more

The opening of the new National Assembly building in Phnom Penh is timed to coincide with the ten-year anniversary of Prime Minister Hun Sen's victory over Prince Ranariddh.

I suppose that's appropriate.

Too bad it marks a time when scores of people lost their lives in political in-fighting and the beginning of an era that's seen no serious challenge to the CCP ... the PM's party ... since.

The government does happily point out, however, that the country is developing... more

As always, the weekly news from Cambodia is about some good, some bad and some ugly. It never ceases to amaze me how the dichotomy that is the country is all pervasive, from the grand to the horrible, to the ancient to the brand-spanking-new, right up to from the historical to today's news.

Starting with another big bump in tourism, with Korea being the country sending the most visitors. A ... more

Holding the first donor meeting of its own hosting, Cambodia has upped its request for donor dollars to 689 million -- a 15% increase on the previous year.

In a joint statement, donors said that reforms and progress has been made by Cambodia and the country has achieved double-digit economic growth for the pastseveral years while financial management reforms have also been put in place and,diplomats and participants said they are encouraged... more

Angelina Jolie has been talking to Anderson Cooper about Cambodia, among other things.

"I fell in love with the people of Cambodia," she told Cooper, "and I was sitting with a little kid playing blocks and feeling like my son was somewhere there. And he was."

As well as discussing her extensive humanitarian and... more

Continuing with the week's news from Cambodia ... At the same time Cambodia is courting strip malls, they're also renewing efforts to get UNESCO to classify an ancient temple on the Thai... more

There has been some action toward progress in the Khmer Rouge trials, and word is coming out that war crimes indictments are to be issued within weeks.

With the mainstream media adept at jumping through the hoops on this topic, it's refreshing to find Global Voices grazing the blog world... more

This thought process started here. International adoptive parents' desire to bring as much birth culture as possible into the life of their children is nobel and respectful, but no matter how much you strive to duplicate native foods, celebrate important holidays or practice ancient dance in traditional dress, you can't help but be missing most of the basic of basics your kids would be have been experiencing.

Although... more