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Thursday, June 12, 2025
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WRAP: Air India Plane Crashes After Takeoff from Ahmedabad, One Survivor, Over 204 Dead

Air India Flight AI171, bound for London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on the afternoon of 12 June, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. The sole survivor is a 40-year-old British national, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 PM IST. Moments later, the aircraft issued a MAYDAY call before losing contact with air traffic control. According to flight tracking data from Flightradar24, its final signal was received at an altitude of just 625 feet. The plane was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. It crashed into a densely populated area just outside the airport perimeter, causing...

Economy

LOCA Launches Green Bond to Boost EV Use in Laos

LOCA, the Lao-grown ride-hailing and electric mobility startup, has announced the extension of its current fundraising round through the issuance of a USD 2.5 million Green Bond.  This new funding...

Salavan Opens First Drug Rehabilitation Center to Combat Substance Abuse

Salavan Province inaugurated its first dedicated drug rehabilitation center on 10 June, marking a significant step in tackling substance abuse and supporting the recovery and reintegration of affected individuals. The...

Laos Agricultural Exports Reach USD 977 Million in Early 2025, Eyes Expansion into New Markets

Laos has made significant progress in agricultural exports, generating USD 977 million in revenue during the first five months of 2025, achieving 65 percent of its USD 1.5 billion...

Laos Sees 1.2 Million Tourist Arrivals in Q1 2025, Up 28 Percent from Previous Year

Laos welcomed over 1.2 million tourists in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 28 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, which saw around 1.1 million...

Laos Launches Nationwide Blood Drive Amid Persistent Shortages

As World Blood Donor Day approaches on 14 June, Laos is taking urgent action to address its ongoing struggle with blood shortages through a nationwide campaign. Organized by the...

Bokeo Launches Task Force and Watchtower Amid Surge in Methamphetamine Seizures

Bokeo Province has intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking and related crimes with the launch of a special task force and the completion of a new surveillance watchtower.  These measures...

Travel

Laos Sees 1.2 Million Tourist Arrivals in Q1 2025, Up 28 Percent from Previous Year

Laos welcomed over 1.2 million tourists in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 28 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, which saw around 1.1 million visitors.  According to the government’s Tourist Arrivals to Laos by Month report, domestic tourism also rose by 4.8 percent, with more than 774,000 local travellers recorded from January to March 2025. Thailand led the list of international source markets with 364,474 visitors, a 5 percent rise over last year. China followed with 330,531 visitors, reflecting a strong 36 percent increase, while Vietnam contributed 281,911 tourists, up 7 percent year-on-year. Other ASEAN and Asia-Pacific countries made up 9 percent of total arrivals. South Korea...

Luang Namtha Plans Restoration of Tad Nam Dee Waterfall After Storm Damage

Authorities in Luang Namtha Province are reviewing plans to restore the Tad Nam Dee Waterfall, a popular natural tourist site, following significant damage caused by last year’s floods from Typhoon Yagi. The popular eco-tourism...

Vientiane Launches Sustainable Tourism Initiative with Innovative Technology for Growth

The Lao government has announced plans to boost tourism in Vientiane Capital with the theme "Vientiane's Sustainable Tourism," The initiative aims to incorporate innovative technologies into tourism management and create new attractions for...

Health & Environment

LOCA Launches Green Bond to Boost EV Use in Laos

LOCA, the Lao-grown ride-hailing and electric mobility startup, has announced the extension of its current fundraising round through the issuance of a USD 2.5 million Green Bond.  This new funding is expected to accelerate LOCA’s vision to transform urban transportation in Laos through the adoption of electric mobility and sustainable infrastructure.  The Green Bond issuance and sale will be facilitated by the three securities companies including BCEL-KT Securities Company Limited, LDB Securities Sole Company Limited and Lao-China Securities Public Company. Proceeds from...

Sport

DanceSport to be Included in National Games Medal Competitions

Laos has officially approved DanceSport as a medal event at the Lao 12th National Games, marking the sport’s debut in the country’s competition. The organizing committee officially approved the inclusion of DanceSport on 23...

Lao Runner Lodkeo Inthakoumman Wins Double Gold at Singapore Open 2025

Lodkeo Inthakoumman, a leading long-distance runner from Laos, captured two gold medals at the 85th Singapore Open Track & Field Championships, held from 24–25 April 2025.  The 30-year-old dominated the women’s long-distance events, clocking...

Politics

Latest from the National Assembly: Laos Unveils New Measures to Curb Inflation, Tackle Debt

In the first nine days of the 9th national assembly, which will continue through 26 June, Prime Minister Sonexay...

Laos Agricultural Exports Reach USD 977 Million in Early 2025, Eyes Expansion into New Markets

Laos has made significant progress in agricultural exports, generating USD 977 million in revenue during the first five months...

Six Decades of Tension: Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute Might Head to International Court

Cambodia is escalating a decades-old border dispute with Thailand to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), following the death...

China’s Aircraft Maker Seeks Majority Stake in Lao Airlines Amid Reforms

The Lao government is weighing a proposal from China’s Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC) to acquire a controlling stake in...

Feature

Laos Launches Nationwide Blood Drive Amid Persistent Shortages

As World Blood Donor Day approaches on 14 June, Laos is taking urgent action to address its ongoing struggle with blood shortages through a nationwide campaign. Organized by the Lao Red Cross in partnership with local health departments and hospitals, the blood drive is being rolled out across all provinces with the goal of encouraging more people to donate. The campaign's flagship events are taking place on 11 and 12 June in Luang Prabang and Vientiane Capital, respectively. On 11 June, the Souphatra Hotel in Luang Prabang hosted a full-day blood drive from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, featuring fun activities and prizes to draw in participants. The following day, Lao ITECC Mall in Vientiane is scheduled to welcome donors from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm  While these events aim to celebrate the global spirit of blood donation, they also highlight a sobering reality: many provinces in Laos continue to struggle with meeting their blood supply needs. Luang Prabang, in particular, remains among the most affected areas. Despite repeated campaigns and calls for support, fear and misinformation continue to keep many people from rolling up their sleeves.  Medical officials warn that unless this trend...

Laos Agricultural Exports Reach USD 977 Million in Early 2025, Eyes Expansion into New Markets

Laos has made significant progress in agricultural exports, generating...

Six Decades of Tension: Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute Might Head to International Court

Cambodia is escalating a decades-old border dispute with Thailand...

China’s Aircraft Maker Seeks Majority Stake in Lao Airlines Amid Reforms

The Lao government is weighing a proposal from China’s...

Vocational, Language Education to Grow Under New National Cooperation

A new partnership is set to expand access to...

Kiwa PVEL Releases 11th Edition of the PV Module Reliability Scorecard

The total number of Top Performers remains steady, but...

AXA Launches “Max Goal II Insurance Plan”

Shortest guaranteed breakeven timeframe and market-first Wealth Master Service to...