Border-Driven Culture Shift: Cambodia has canceled Phnom Penh’s Water Festival for the second straight year, citing the Thailand border dispute and support needs for displaced residents, while keeping the Nov. 23–25 public holiday for workers and civil servants. Legal Rights Under Pressure: Nation Power Party adviser Rong Chhun has petitioned the Justice Ministry for a retrial and restoration of political rights after the Supreme Court upheld his incitement conviction, leaving him under judicial supervision and barred from leaving Phnom Penh. Diplomacy & Aviation: Cambodia and the U.S. signed a landmark Open Skies deal to modernize civil aviation and expand direct routes, including all-cargo seventh-freedom rights. Security Cooperation: Cambodia and the U.S. army chiefs pledged deeper military ties and set up the joint exercise “Angkor Sentinel 2027,” while Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam push a trilateral border-security mechanism to tackle online scams and transnational crime. Food Security Focus: PM Hun Manet highlighted agriculture and fisheries as pillars of national food security, ordering enforcement against illegal fishing and releasing 1.5 million fish into the Vai Ko River. Tourism Strategy: Cambodia is rolling out “gastro-diplomacy” to link Khmer cuisine with tourism growth, including hygiene and authenticity standards and use of major events like the Francophonie Summit. Trade Connectivity: Cambodia launched a Laos-to-China overland transit corridor for key farm products, with durian leading an initial shipment, aiming to expand market access beyond maritime routes.