JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Southeast Asian defense ministers expressed “profound concern” on Thursday, 16 November over the loss of civilian lives in the Israel-Hamas war and called for an immediate truce and the creation of a humanitarian corridor to deliver aid.
ASEAN Defense Chiefs Call for Immediate Truce, Aid Corridor in Israel-Hamas War

Laos Records Seventh Consecutive Month of Trade Deficit
Despite all the effort the Lao government is putting forth, the country continues to record a trade deficit for the seventh month in a row, the eighth month of the year.
Biden, Xi Met for Hours, Agreed to ‘Pick up the Phone’ for Any Urgent Concerns: ‘That’s Progress’

WOODSIDE, Calif. (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping emerged Wednesday from their first face-to-face meeting in a year vowing to stabilize their fraught relationship and showcasing modest agreements to combat illegal fentanyl and re-establish military communications. However, there were still deep differences in economic competition and global security threats.
Tree Planting Ceremony Commemorates Laos, France 70 Years of Friendship

In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic friendship between Laos and France, officials from both countries gathered on the morning of 16 November at Chao Anouvong Park in Vientiane Capital for a tree-planting ceremony.
ASEAN Youth Conference 2023 Highlights Need for Better Education Infrastructure
ASEAN youths are taking the lead in regional meetings.
Laos Plans Crackdown on Non-Compliant Crypto Firms
The Lao government has announced plans to take stern action against companies that fail to make progress or comply with agreements related to cryptocurrency mining and trade.
A Cleaner That Luang Festival: It Starts With Me

We have all witnessed or seen images of garbage in Vientiane’s streets in the past few years after a week of celebrations for the That Luang festival. More recently, the Boat Racing festival exacerbated the issue with considerable amounts of single-use plastic strewn along the Mekong River bank roads.
Thailand Grants Stay Extension for Migrant Workers from Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam
In a recent move aimed at supporting migrant workers, Thailand has granted a stay extension to migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam while they undergo work permit applications, the Thai Ministry of Interior announced on 14 November. They are now allowed to stay in the country until 20 January 2024. The previous cabinet resolution allowed them to stay only until September 30.