At least 165 people have died and hundreds remain missing after a massive flash flood and mudslide struck the Nepal-China border, destroying homes, roads and bridges and disrupting a major crossing between the two countries.
The disaster hit Nepal’s Rasuwa and nearby districts on 26 August, with floodwaters and debris sweeping through settlements along the Lhende, Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers. Nepalese authorities said hundreds of tourists and other travelers remain unaccounted for, including nationals from India, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.
In Tibet’s Gyirong County, Chinese authorities reported three deaths and 558 people missing, including 260 foreigners. The mudslide also damaged the Gyirong border port, cutting...
Laos's Cabinet approved 12 draft laws and proposals during its August 24-25 meeting, as the government reported average inflation of 7.6 percent and reviewed economic, social and disaster-related challenges...
Laos’ economy expanded 5 percent in the first half of 2026, helped by a strong tourism season and growth in services, but slowed in the second quarter as the...
Attapeu is expanding its employment services as the province seeks to respond to labor shortages and help people who have left school find work, according to provincial media.
At a...
Laos is moving to update its electricity sector as the government prepares to adopt a revised Electricity Law aimed at supporting a greener, more modern and sustainable energy system.
The...
The Bank of Laos (BOL) has cut its seven-day base interest rate from 8 percent to 7 percent a year as inflation remains below the government’s 8 percent target.
The...
Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has called for stronger management of the Boten Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Luang Namtha as Laos seeks to expand the border area as a...
A US federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that paused immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, including Laos.
The ruling, issued on 21 August by US District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan, found that the State Department had exceeded its legal authority by stopping consular officers from individually assessing applicants and instead suspending visa issuance based on nationality.
But the decision does not lift the separate US travel restrictions currently covering Lao nationals.
Laos remains subject to a partial entry and visa suspension under a Presidential Proclamation issued by President Donald Trump in June 2025.
That means the court ruling does not, by itself, reopen the US immigrant...
Laos expects to welcome between 5 and 6 million international tourists in 2026, with Chinese visitors projected to account for around 2 million of that total, according to government estimates.
The numbers will be...
Laos welcomed nearly 3.8 million international tourists in the first ten months of 2025, a 13 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
In figures released on 7 December, the Tourism Development...
Laos continues working to develop chess among younger generations.
A group of young Lao players has returned from Singapore with 12 medals after gaining international experience against competitors from across Asia and beyond.
Team Laos competed in the 24th ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships from 7 to 17 August, earning wins across six podium finishes in Standard, Rapid and Blitz events.
The Lao delegation included 24 players, who competed against young chess players from Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, India, New Zealand and...
Laos continues working to develop chess among younger generations.
A group of young Lao players has returned from Singapore with 12 medals after gaining international experience against competitors from across Asia and beyond.
Team Laos...
The Lao Football Federation (LFF) has reported suspected match-fixing by national team players to police, following the team’s four straight losses at the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026.
The letter, dated 7 August, said the...
Cats spend much of their day sleeping, stretching in the sun, at times hunting, or just watching the world go by. For a group of Lao artists, those habits have become the inspiration for art.
Life feels busier than ever, and Laos is no exception. Seven artists in Laos have turned to cats to explore what many people seem to be searching for today: a little more freedom, self-acceptance and joy in the ordinary moments of everyday life.
Their exhibition, Like a Cat's Tiny Life, running until 31 July at The Tamper Coffee & Studio in Vientiane, brings together paintings, illustrations and photography that ask a simple question: what can people learn from slowing down?
Why Cats?
“All seven of us wanted to create a small space filled with warmth through stories about cats. We wanted people to experience life through the artists’ small perspectives on cats,” artist Fanta Keomanila told The Laotian Times.
For him, cats represent independence.
He described them as animals that follow their own way, sleeping and resting when they choose and finding happiness in simple moments such as watching birds or lying in the warm sun, rather than conforming to...
