The two performances of the Phnom Penh International Opera Festival on December 12 and 14, 2025, at the NABA Theatre were of exceptional quality, captivating the audience with the emotional intensity of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

At the Royal University of Fine Arts (RUFA) in Phnom Penh, art and faith came together this week as students, faculty and staff held a solemn prayer event dedicated to Cambodian soldiers standing firm on a volatile border.

Thai military forces intensified operations on Saturday, December 13, 2025, launching multiple airstrikes on Cambodian soil in what marks a serious escalation along the contested border, just hours after a new ceasefire was announced under U.S. mediation.

Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to halt hostilities and return to a previously negotiated peace framework after days of escalating violence along their disputed border, U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday. The renewed truce came after Trump spoke by phone with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Trump credited Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for helping facilitate the talks and urged both sides to cease fire and re

As the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia intensifies, a generation of young people on both sides finds itself caught between nationalism, digital propaganda and a deep longing for peace. For many youths, the war is no longer a distant political dispute: it is lived daily through social media feeds, disrupted friendships, and uncertain futures.

Thailand has long cultivated a flexible foreign policy often described as “bamboo diplomacy” — bending with geopolitical winds without breaking ties. In 2025, this approach is again at the heart of Bangkok’s efforts to navigate increasingly intense competition between China and the United States, while preserving its strategic autonomy.

In a celebration of innovation and entrepreneurial courage, the 2025 Business Grand Prix organized by the French-Cambodian Chamber of Commerce (CCIFC) crowned its newest winners last week in Phnom Penh. Among them, Jean-Benoît Lasselin and his creative studio Colorblind captured top honors in the New Enterprise or Activity category, a testament to their distinctive approach to fashion and corporate design.

The way the international press reports on the conflict inflicted by Thailand on Cambodia leads me to recall a number of undeniable facts.

In Phnom Penh, French entrepreneur and designer Alix Langlois has been honored by CCI France Cambodge (CCIFC), winning the 2025 “Businesswoman” award at the Grand Prix des Affaires 2025 — a tribute to her circular-economy initiative that transforms plastic waste into design objects, earning her visibility through the French Embassy and a potential nomination for the 2026 Trophées CCI France International in Paris.

The Secretary-General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), Louise Mushikiwabo, has voiced deep concern over the renewed armed clashes between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Thailand along their shared border.

In the past 48 hours, fighting along the Thai–Cambodian border has surged again, with Thai air strikes and bombardments targeting Cambodian military positions — but also hitting civilian areas, triggering a massive displacement of people.

As armed clashes intensify along the border between Cambodia and Thailand, the international community is sounding the alarm. On 8 December, artillery exchanges and small‑arms fire reached a worrying level, prompting the U.S. to issue a security alert to its citizens — advising them to avoid any area within 50 kilometres of the border line.

The Cambodian Ministry of Defence warns: “aggressive” attacks by the Thai army have forced more than 54,550 civilians to flee their homes in Military Regions 4 and 5 — that’s 16,598 families. The provisional toll, as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, reports seven civilian deaths and twenty wounded, mainly in the provinces of Oddar Meanchey (three killed, eight wounded), Preah Vihear (three killed, ten wounded) and Banteay Meanchey (one killed, two wounded).

Despite a fragile cease-fire negotiated in July 2025 under the auspices of Donald Trump, Thailand resumed military operations against Cambodia in early December — launching air strikes, triggering massive evacuations, and sowing grave uncertainty over the future of peace between the two nations.

The event crowned three winners across three categories — Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), New Company or Activity, and Businesswoman. On that occasion, the French Ambassador to Cambodia, Olivier Richard, emphatically reaffirmed the exceptional tenacity and vitality of the French-Cambodian business community, a true pillar of bilateral economic dynamism. Meanwhile, Cyril Girot, president of the CCIFC, warmly thanked the participants and sponsors for the enthusiastic tur

For the third consecutive day, the Thai armed forces have unleashed a torrent of fire on Cambodian territory, extending their assaults as far as Pursat province — inflicting devastating destruction on the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO-listed heritage site.

The King of Cambodia, His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, has recently been admitted to the Académie des sciences d’outre‑mer — a prestigious institution founded in Paris in 1922 and operating under the high patronage of the President of the French Republic.

Since 2023, TLScontact has been streamlining Schengen-visa procedures in Phnom Penh, offering appointments within 24 hours, a modern centre and an average processing time of about 10 working days.

It was in the gardens of the Topaz — transformed for the occasion into a true luxury studio — that last Friday evening took place the official launch of the partnership between Mintha Care and the Ucare pharmacy network for the exclusive distribution of the prestigious French brand Nuxe.

As the 20th Sommet de la Francophonie draws near — scheduled for November 2026 in Siem Reap, at the heart of the Angkor temples — Cambodia intends to refine its tourism strategy. The CCI France-Cambodge (Franco-Cambodian Chamber of Commerce and Industry), through its Siem Reap branch, is strongly committing alongside the Ministry of Tourism to promote the Kingdom’s assets to francophone investors and travelers.

Cambodia is making a bold move to revitalize its vital tourism sector. Starting today, holders of ordinary passports from the People's Republic of China, valid for international travel, are exempt from visa requirements for tourist stays of up to 30 days. This measure is part of a temporary pilot program that will last for one year, from July 19, 2024, to July 18, 2025.

Hier, le Centre Bophana, bastion audiovisuel de la capitale cambodgienne, soufflait ses 19 bougies. Fondé le 4 décembre 2006 par le cinéaste franco-cambodgien Rithy Panh et Ieu Pannakar, l’institution célèbre une odyssée dédiée à la sauvegarde et à la transmission du patrimoine culturel khmer, dans un pays marqué par les cicatrices des Khmers rouges.​

In a country where youth make up 60% of the population, the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) is reiterating its strict ban on the sale and distribution of energy drinks in schools, in response to a alarming rise in diabetes among children.​

On November 28, 2025, the Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh proudly celebrated the birth of the Francophone Gazette. This bilingual French-Khmer review, entirely conceived and produced by students, highlights their work and ideas within the Francophone programs in law, economics, and management.​