Education & STEM: Cambodia’s 2025-2026 Upper Secondary School Examination (Baccalaureate) opened today at 244 centres nationwide, with 151,238 registered candidates; the science stream includes 37,445 students. Written tests run Aug. 10-11, marking Aug. 13-19, with computerised score processing Aug. 20-30 and results printed Sept. 1. Energy & Industry: Mongolia began initial testing at a new 70 MW thermal power plant in Sukhbaatar soum, aiming to ease electricity and heating shortages ahead of the winter peak; the project is built on a turnkey basis by Cambodia’s MITIME Group and includes modern modular carbon chimney tech. Water Security: Cambodia launched long-term river basin planning for the Tonle Sap River Basin Group, supported by the ADB, to guide water allocation, flood/drought management, and future investment across 11 sub-basins over the next year. Health & Biotech: Shanghai Henlius reported final long-term survival results for Hetronifly (serplulimab) in a Phase 3 ASTRUM-002 trial for driver gene-negative advanced nsqNSCLC, with nearly four years of follow-up. Science Ethics: A documentary highlights primatologist Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel quitting animal testing work to oppose lab use of macaques. Digital Safety & Fraud: Cambodia-linked scam laundering networks and AI-enabled fraud tactics continue to draw international scrutiny, including reporting on OpenAI-linked scam activity and regional scam awareness efforts. Governance & AI-ready Defense: Malaysia and Cambodia discussed expanding defense cooperation, including capacity building in AI for the defense sector. Culture & Indigenous Knowledge: PM Hun Manet urged preserving indigenous midwives’ traditional medical practices, linking heritage protection with modern healthcare. Tech & Business Climate: A government-private sector forum meeting flagged issues like electricity costs, skilled labour shortages, and online business compliance as priorities for improving Cambodia’s business environment.