They may be a new generation, but Cambodian music vendors and fans say they are not ready for Britney Spear's new image, nor those of her wild partying friends, and it is changing the face of music in Cambodia.
Once images of Britney adorned every second girl's T-shirt, and businesses from beauty parlors to souvenir shops used her image to promote their image. But no more, according to experts.
Interpol has launched an unprecedented global public appeal to help identify a man shown sexually abusing children in photographs posted on the internet.
The man appears in about 200 images depicting the abuse of 12 boys, which police said were taken in Vietnam and Cambodia, possibly in 2002 and 2003.
The pictures had been digitally altered but police computer specialists have produced identifiable images.
Interpol says the man is a danger to children while he remains at large.
t's never easy being a vegetarian in a foreign country. Even if you learn to say "Knom ot che nam sach tee" in your first week, the concept of avoiding meat (and especially fish!) sometimes require a little explanation. Fortunately, Phnom Penh's range of restaurants means that the meat-phobic among us can still have a social life and enjoy some of the amazing food that this country has to offer (just don't try to ask whether anything is made out of fish sauce... it's just easier to be in denial until you get home).
In other countries, scrap collectors scramble for cans and bottles. In Cambodia, especially in provinces which experienced heavy fighting, your local "etchay" may have a stash of bombs and bullets.
Authorities in Banteay Meanchey district on the Thailand border confiscated 6,000 bullets and more than 1,000 bombs and grenades from scrap collectors in the past two days, saying they posed a threat to public order as the seven raided storage areas are mostly located in built-up areas.
"It's all about soul" Billy Joel sang on his 1993 album River of Dreams. Billy Joel may not be coming to Phnom Penh any time soon, but another Billy has brought soul to the Kingdom.
Billy Haynes is a big man with a big voice and since his arrival in Phnom Penh has given couple of sneak previews (one of them via satellite to the whole nation) of what it is he does and what he does is sing. Oh, and play the bass. Last night was his opening night at the Cambodiana Hotel's Q-ba and Billy doesn't just sing. He rocks.
EAS confers on culture with Teri Yamada and Kho Dararith of the Nou Hach Literary Journal, which is having its annual meeting this weekend.
Isn't it an utterly unprofitable idea to publish new writing in Cambodia, one of the least literate countries in Southeast Asia?
Without some contemporary literature to read, why bother reading for pleasure?
Why the name Nou Hach?
It's one of Phnom Penh's most visible architectural relics: a prime project for preservation and a developer's dream. It's known as simply the "Old French Mansion," and now it has a new owner, and a bright future.
After years of interest and negotiations, the FCC Phnom Penh and its parent company Indochina Assets Limited recently obtained the title for the ornate colonial-era villa across from the National Museum at 32 Sothearos Boulevard.
Freebird is an old name in Phnom Penh. If you can get a copy of an old guide book, it will probably be described as "American-style bar with large injections of Australia and New Zealand." Or something very similar. Since its "re-launch" on Independence Day, 2005, the reviews tend to emphasise the "American-ness".
In 2005 the Freebird Bar and Grill was awarded "Best Restaurant" in Phnom Penh. A year later, after the categories were modified to separate bars and restaurants, Freebird was awarded "Best Value for Money".
The diversity and quality of the international cuisine available in Phnom Penh is a constant source of surprise and excitement to me, however cuisine from the Middle East has been notably under-represented.
Needing some sort of pick-up after the aftermath of a rowdy Friday night, I was glad to be going to the opening of Phnom Penh's new Lebanese restaurant, Le Cedre. Greeted by the owners in the stylish front garden, I was quickly ushered to the outdoor dining section, and poured a sharp, but very drinkable red from Lebanon.
More photos of Le Cedre are available in the EAS Photo Gallery.
Billy Haynes lists musicians like Lou Rawls and Tina Turner on his CV. He played in the Middle East just months after 9/11 in an attempt to soothe tensions with his music. And now he is in Cambodia looking to overhaul the live music scene.
Billy Haynes is one of the top Rhythm and Blues artists to ever come out of Los Angeles.
"Well, it's a challenge - I mean, this is not a music town," he says of Phnom Penh. "But that's the great thing about it. In LA, London, Amsterdam, if you try to do this, there are already people doing it. This is a one-horse town."