President Thongloun Sisoulith participated in talks with Dmitry Medvedev, Chairman of the United Russia Party and Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, after extending an invitation to the Russian delegation on 23 May.
Lao President Meets High-Level Russian Delegation

IMF Sees Laos Return to Steady Growth, Warns of Debt Risk
This year’s conversation with Laos saw the IMF focused on how to support steady economic growth in 2023, considering the high public debt that still poses a risk for the country.
XSGD expands multichain ecosystem with support on Hedera
XSGD is the first Southeast Asian fiat-backed stablecoin to launch on Hedera’s carbon negative network
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 24 May 2023 – StraitsX, the Southeast Asia-based digital asset payment infrastructure, announced support for the StraitsX Singapore Dollar (XSGD) on the Hedera network.
Since its launch in October 2020, XSGD has gained rapid adoption, surpassing over 7 billion XSGD in on-chain transactions, making it one of the largest non-USD stablecoin by market capitalisation today. Starting today, users can leverage the StraitsX platform to send and receive XSGD on the Hedera network. XSGD (Hedera) is also expected to be listed on global exchanges in the coming months.
Hedera is a leaderless proof-of-stake (POS) network powered by hashgraph consensus, achieving the highest-grade of security possible (ABFT). Combining high throughput, low fees, and finality in seconds, transactions on Hedera are blazing fast with incredibly low bandwidth consumption. HBAR is the native, energy-efficient cryptocurrency of Hedera that powers the decentralised economy.
XSGD support on the Hedera network aligns with the primary focus of the HBAR Foundation, providing entrepreneurs with the ecosystem resources needed to build and deploy new applications on the Hedera network. XSGD on Hedera offers the benefits of a Southeast Asian fiat-backed stablecoin to end-users and applications built on the Hedera network, enabling instant cross-border settlement, with high transaction scalability and low, predictable transaction fees.
Kenny Chan, Head of StraitsX said, “We are excited to have XSGD on the Hedera network natively, contributing to a flourishing ecosystem of applications that offer real-time XSGD stablecoin payments. With Hedera’s energy-efficient framework, micropayments in stablecoins will become increasingly viable, leading to greater financial inclusion in the region.”
Sabrina Tachdjian, Head of Fintech & Payments at The HBAR Foundation said, “We are excited to be working with StraitsX to bring a hedera-native XSGD to the market and add a new regulated and fully reserved stablecoin to our ecosystem. We believe XSGD will add value to Hedera-based applications in APAC and beyond, including in the financial inclusion space as evidenced by our earlier POC with StraitsX.’
Hashtag: #Blockchain #Web3 #FutureOfFinance #Stablecoins #NonUSDStablecoins
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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About StraitsX
StraitsX is the pioneering payments infrastructure for the digital assets space in Southeast Asia. StraitsX is a Major Payment Institution licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and is part of the Fazz’s ecosystem of financial services which powers business banking in Southeast Asia. StraitsX offers personal and business account holders to mint, redeem, and swap
stablecoins, manage payments as well as connect their accounts to digital asset platforms. Business accounts can also access B2B API-enabled payment rails for digital asset platforms.
About HBAR Foundation
Founded in 2021, the HBAR Foundation fuels development of the Hedera ecosystem by providing grants and other resources to developers, startups, and organizations that seek to launch decentralized applications in DeFi, NFTs, CBDCs, ESGs, and other sectors. In addition to providing funding through a streamlined grant process, the HBAR Foundation acts as an integrated force multiplier through expert support across technical, marketing, business development, and other operations that are required to scale. For information about the HBAR Foundation, please visit us at www.hbarfoundation.org.
DHL Global Forwarding announces leadership change in Asia Pacific
- After more than two decades with the company, Kelvin Leung, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding, Asia Pacific, retires from Deutsche Post DHL Group
- His successor will be Niki Frank, currently CEO, DHL Global Forwarding South Asia
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 24 May 2023 – DHL Global Forwarding, the freight specialist arm of Deutsche Post DHL Group, announces a change in its Asia Pacific management as Kelvin Leung, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding, Asia Pacific, retires from the Group after more than two decades of valued contribution. His successor, Niki Frank, currently CEO, DHL Global Forwarding South Asia, will assume his new role as CEO of DHL Global Forwarding for the Asia Pacific region, effective July 1, 2023.

Kelvin has had a long and illustrious career in the logistics industry, having joined Danzas AEI in 2002 and assuming various leadership roles in DHL Global Forwarding in the region before he took on the position of CEO, DHL Global Forwarding North Asia Pacific in 2008. In 2011, Kelvin’s leadership responsibilities expanded with his appointment as CEO of Asia Pacific. In this role, he achieved record revenue and tremendous market share growth. He was instrumental in transforming the region by improving freight forwarding solutions, making DHL Global Forwarding a pioneer of rail solutions between Asia and Europe, and growing the Intra-Asia business substantially.
“I wish to express my sincere thanks to Kelvin for his strong commitment, outstanding contributions to the business, and the results achieved over the past years. We wish him all the best for his well-deserved retirement,” said Tim Scharwath, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight. “Congratulations to Niki on his new role, and I wish him great success in his new position. Niki’s extensive experience, strategic acumen, and proven track record in driving performance make him the ideal choice to lead the Asia Pacific region.”
“I am grateful for the trust placed in me and am looking forward to this new challenge. Kelvin has built a solid foundation and a stellar regional team over the last 12 years. I am fully committed to driving our digitalization and sustainability agenda while fostering an inclusive and respectful culture that makes us a great workplace for all. Together with our dedicated teams, I am confident that we will further strengthen our position as a market leader, deliver exceptional customer experiences, and contribute to a more sustainable future,” said Niki Frank, designated CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.
Niki Frank brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role as CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific. He began his career at DPDHL Group in 2012, joining as Vice President of Corporate Strategy. Throughout his career at DHL Global Forwarding, Niki has held various leadership positions, significantly contributing to the company’s growth and success. He played a major role in the company’s turnaround program and helped shape the “Simplify” Strategy. In 2019, he assumed the role of CEO, India before taking on additional responsibilities for the newly created subregion of South Asia in 2021. In recent years he has successfully driven performance along all three bottom lines to record levels and positioned India as a major profit contributor in the DHL Global Forwarding network. In addition, he managed to create substantial synergies across the countries of his subregion, strategically preparing them for future growth.
Hashtag: #DHL
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
DHL – The logistics company for the world
DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 395,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.
DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 94 billion euros in 2022. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions logistics by 2050.
Lao Beauty Queens Walk Red Carpet at Cannes Film Festival 2023
Payengxa Lor, Miss Universe Laos 2022 and a finalist at the Miss Universe pageant, and Piyamarth Phounpaseuth, Miss International Laos 2018 attended the Cannes Film Festival this year.
Govt Approves Lao Tourism Year Campaign in May Cabinet Meeting

The government has approved the idea of promoting 2023-2024 as Lao Tourism Year, at the latest cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Cambodian Land Activists Arrested for Allegedly Inciting Farmers to Hate the Rich

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Three Cambodian land rights activists who were arrested on charges of plotting against the government planned to provoke a peasant revolution by teaching farmers about class divisions between rich and poor, an official said Tuesday.
Vantage Data Centers Opens New Expanded Asia Pacific Headquarters in Singapore
New local HQ to propel Vantage’s strategic growth across APAC
DENVER, USA and SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 24 May 2023 – Vantage Data Centers, a leading global provider of hyperscale data center campuses, today announced the official opening of a new Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Singapore. The expansion reflects Vantage’s commitment to invest and bolster its presence in Asia Pacific to capitalize on growing market demand for hyperscale data centers that are both reliable and sustainable.

“The Asia-Pacific region is a strategic market for Vantage and an integral part of our growth story. Moving from our smaller office in Singapore to a new, expanded regional headquarters paves the way for future growth as we continue hiring team members to scale our business to meet customer requirements,” said Jeff Tench, executive vice president of North America and APAC for Vantage.
“We are thrilled to strengthen our presence in the APAC region with the opening of our new regional headquarters, serving as the strategic hub to realize Vantage’s ambitious business goals and catalyze new growth across APAC,” said Giles Proctor, chief operating officer of Vantage’s APAC business. “Our new Singapore office is designed to be people-centric and promote collaboration, empowering our talent from diverse backgrounds to thrive and grow with the company.”
Conveniently located in the central business district, the 8,000-square-foot (740 square meters) regional headquarters will house Vantage’s APAC leadership team and various corporate functional teams. It will enable Vantage to coordinate and manage business more efficiently and provide even greater support to customers across the region. The new Singapore headquarters was strategically chosen for its business-friendly environment, access to a strong pool of technology talent and proximity to the fast-growing Southeast Asia markets.
Vantage Data Centers is rapidly expanding the local team in response to sustained customer growth. The company currently has more than 200 employees across eight cities in Asia Pacific and anticipates adding 80 new roles by the end of the year. Vantage’s APAC portfolio includes seven campuses that are either operational or under development, including the recently announced 256MW KUL2 campus to be developed in Malaysia.
For more information on the company’s campuses in the Asia-Pacific region, please visit https://vantage-dc.com/data-center-locations/apac/.
Hashtag: #GoVantageAPAC #VantageDataCenters
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Vantage Data Centers
Vantage Data Centers powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across five continents in North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands.