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10th Edition of Lao Fashion Week 2023 Launched at French Embassy

Launch of 10th Lao Fashion Week 2023 at French Residence
A photograph of models who participated in the Fashion Day

On 8 September, the French Embassy hosted the launch of the 10th edition of the Lao Fashion Week and also celebrated the 70th anniversary of their Treaty of Friendship and Association.

ADB Lowers Laos’ 2023 Economic Growth Forecast to 3.7 Percent

Inflation and Debt Weigh Down Laos Economic Recovery, World Bank Report Says
Tourists in Luang Prabang.

According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), economic growth in Laos will be slower than expected due to weaker growth prospects in China, adverse weather conditions brought about by late monsoons, and macroeconomic pressures arising from unsustainable public debt and a weak Lao kip.

Infobip recognized as communications platform Leader by analyst firm Gartner®

Infobip has been recognized for its ability to execute and completeness of vision in the first Gartner Magic Quadrant™ for the Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) market

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 21 September 2023 – Global cloud communications platform Infobip has been named a Leader in the Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) market by analyst firm Gartner. In the first Gartner Magic Quadrant for CPaaS, Infobip is recognized as a Leader for its overall completeness of vision and ability to execute[1].

Infobip recognized as communications platform Leader by analyst firm Gartner.jpg
Infobip recognized as communications platform Leader by analyst firm Gartner

In its Competitive Landscape CPaaS report, Gartner said: “the communications platform as a service market is evolving beyond APIs to encompass the entire customer journey. Existing conversational commerce use cases are broadening to become conversational everything.” In the same report, the analyst recommended CPaaS providers must: “construct customer experience as a service (CXaaS) offerings to target the entire customer life cycle by encompassing not just CPaaS, but also contact center, customer data platform (CDP) and conversational artificial intelligence (CAI), as well as customer journey orchestration.” Gartner also recommended providers: “accelerate time to value for customer experience (CX) by providing tools such as user-friendly templates, ‘solutions in a box’ for advanced use cases, improved visual builders and detailed journey analytics.”

To meet these evolving demands, Infobip recently launched Experiences, a revolutionary generative AI-powered, no-code journey builder that helps businesses engage customers, foster loyalty, and drive growth. Infobip Experiences enables organizations to orchestrate customer journeys and save time with a library of journey templates from onboarding and engagement to retention and loyalty. Alongside its network of 43 data centers and 9,700 global connections, of which 800 are direct operator connections, customers cite Infobip’s worldwide reach and scale, along with its delivery and latency guarantees, as key differentiators.

Silvio Kutić, CEO at Infobip, said: “We believe the Gartner recognition of Infobip as a Leader in the CPaaS market reflects the investments we’re making to provide innovative new products and services alongside our global reach and scale. Moreover, our acquisitions of U.S. messaging heavyweight OpenMarket and VoIP provider Peerless Network have cemented our superior position in America alongside our market-leading offer globally.

“As a result, we offer a global one-stop shop for omnichannel interactions and communications. But we’re not stopping now. With the CPaaS market forecast to grow to $30.6 billion by 2026[2], we are keeping our foot on the gas to ensure we remain the leading full-stack omnichannel communications platform for every platform.”

Gartner’s Magic Quadrant reports are a culmination of rigorous, fact-based research in specific markets, providing a wide-angle view of the relative positions of the providers in those markets. Providers are positioned into four quadrants: Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries, and Niche Players.

Gartner disclaimer
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner and Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

View a complimentary copy of the report at https://www.infobip.com/analyst-reports/gartner-mq-cpaas-2023.


[1] Gartner, “Magic Quadrant for Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS)” by Lisa Unden-Farboud and Ajit Patankar, September 2023

[2] Gartner, “Competitive Landscape: Communications Platform as a Service report” by Brian Doherty, Daniel O’Connell, Lisa Unden-Farboud, Ajit Patankar, 17 March 2023

Hashtag: #Infobip



The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Infobip

Infobip is a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected experiences across all stages of the customer journey. Accessed through a single platform, Infobip’s omnichannel engagement, identity, user authentication and contact centre solutions help businesses and partners overcome the complexity of consumer communications to grow business and increase loyalty. With over a decade of industry experience, Infobip has expanded to 75+ offices globally. It offers natively built technology with the capacity to reach over seven billion mobile devices and ‘things’ in 6 continents connected to over 9,700+ connections of which 800+ are direct operator connections. Infobip was established in 2006 and is led by its co-founders, CEO Silvio Kutić, Roberto Kutić and Izabel Jelenić.

Recent award wins include:

  • Infobip named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) 2023 Vendor Assessment (May 2023)
  • Infobip named a leader in the CPaaS Leaderboard, Juniper Research (Feb 2023)
  • Infobip named a leader in the CCaaS Leaderboard, Juniper Research (Aug 2022)
  • Omdia Ranks Infobip as Leader in CPaaS Universe Report (May 2022)
  • Ranked the leading service provider in CPaaS by Juniper Research in its new Competitor Leaderboard CPaaS Vendors (October 2021)
  • Infobip named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) 2021 Vendor Assessment (May 2021)
  • Best A2P SMS provider for the fourth year running by mobile operators and enterprises in ROCCO’s annual Messaging Vendor Benchmarking Report
  • Best CPaaS Provider of the Year, Best RCS Provider of the Year, and Mover & Shaker in Telco Innovation at the 2021 Juniper Digital Awards

Popular 90 Day Fiance Contestants Meet in Laos

Beloved 90 Day Fiance Co-Stars Meet in Laos
Annie (left) and David (right) in their debut season for the 90 Day Fiance reality TV show. (Photo: TLC)

As seen in a new Instagram post, a fan-favorite couple from the US reality show, 90 Day Fiance, met up in Laos with a former cast member for a surprise reunion.

TCCF PITCHING Attracts a Record-Breaking Number of Entries with Cash Prizes Exceeding $150,000 USD

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach – 21 September 2023 – Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) 2023 kicks off its largest edition to date this November 7th and, for the first time, the festival organized by Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) welcomes international works into its PITCHING section. Of the record -breaking 539 submitted projects from 29 regions such as Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Iran, France and USA, 53 have been officially selected to participate in PITCHING. The event will take place between November 7-10 and is divided into two sub-sections, Project to Screen, featuring high-quality film and TV proposals and Story to Screen, focusing on Taiwanese IPs with great adaptability potential. Projects from both programs are eligible for a significant number of cash prizes and awards, with a total combined value exceeding $150,000 USD.

TCCF PITCHING 2022
TCCF PITCHING 2022

Considered the largest pitching session in Asia, TCCF PITCHING arrives with an exciting international roster of projects ready to be showcased to investors traveling to Taipei this fall. Given the large number of entries this year, the Project to Screen section will be split into four sessions: Feature Films, Series, Animation Features and Series and Documentary Features and Series. The Feature Films session introduces Golden Lion nominee and Un Certain Regard winning Japanese director Koji Fukada’s new project. In his upcoming film, Nagi Note, he will pay tribute to one of his inspirations, legendary French filmmaker Éric Rohmer. The Shadows by Japanese horror producer Takashige Ichise and Taiwanese director Lingo Hsieh (The Bride, Green Door) will mark Hsieh’s first foray into the English-speaking market. On Series, Malaysian director Edmund Yeo adapts Yoko Tawada’s dystopian novel The Last Children of Tokyo on an international co-production between Betula Films and Flash Forward Entertainment (Taiwan), and NHK (Japan). Director Teng I-Hang, creator of one of the most internationally recognized Taiwanese dramas, Fragrance of the First Flower, will also present her new project So May We Start, a coming of age story with the Taiwanese indie rock music scene as background.

TCCF PITCHING also introduces Animation and, for the first time, Documentary sessions given the increased popularity of these two formats in the region. In the Animation Features and Series session, French director Denis Do, recipient of the Grand Jury Prize at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, weaves an emotional tale in SORYA, following a young Cambodian woman seeking freedom in the city. Lastly, the Cannes Docs-in-Progress Award winner Island of the Winds, documenting 20 years of history of the Losheng Sanatorium, and PALIMPSEST: traces of a name by Éric Rohmer’s frequent collaborator, editor and director Mary Stephen, will both be present at the Documentary Features and Series sessions. All projects in the Project to Screen program are eligible to the $30,000 USD TCCF Award: Best Project in addition to prizes from local and international partners such as the Motion Picture Association, Udine Far East Film Festival or Series Mania. If they fulfill all other prerequisites, this year’s selections for the Project to Screen section will also be eligible for TAICCA’s “Creative Content Development Program – Development Fund” (CCDP) and “Taiwan’s International Co-funding Program” (TICP) with up to $300,000 USD available in funding.

In addition, the single-session Story to Screen will introduce some of the most exciting upcoming Taiwanese IPs to international buyers. Story features projects from some of the most well-known IP holders in Asia such as Kadokawa Taiwan Corporation, Mirror Fiction Inc. and NAVER Webtoon. Three projects will receive the TCCF Award: Best Story with a cash prize of $100,000 NTD, and all selected entries are eligible to other awards from collaborators such as the Taiwanese broadcaster Sanlih.

Project to Screen projects were chosen by 15 international jurors with Paperheart producer and mylab curator Lorna Tee, and former TorinoFilmLab artistic director Matthieu Darras among them. Meanwhile, Story to Screen’s jury was formed by 5 Taiwanese industry leaders such as Jayde Lin, chairwoman of KOKO Entertainment, the production behind political drama Wave Makers. Producers and/or directors behind each project will also attend pitching workshops organized by TCCF between October and November. Besides showcasing their projects on stage in front of local and international buyers during TCCF, they will also have the chance to meet one on one with key players looking to invest in each of the IPs.

2023 TCCF PITCHING

Date: November 7-10
Place: Taipei New Horizon 6F, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park

Complete list of selected entries: tccf.tw/en/pitching-selected-entries

Complete list of award partners: tccf.tw/en/pitching-awards

Hashtag: #TAICCA

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The Enabling Festival 2023/24

New roving community exhibit aims to engage persons living with dementia and caregivers through the power of smell and raise dementia awareness

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 21 September 2023 – The Enabling Festival in Singapore presents a year-long showcase on the sensory power of Smell for persons living with dementia and their caregivers through an interactive and ever-expanding exhibition, entitled Scented Stories. Curated from over 100 submissions from caregivers and persons living with dementia, the Festival kicks off with 30 smell-stimulated memories and will expand as more individuals contribute their stories during the exhibition’s tour to different communities in Singapore and beyond.

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Through this showcase, Festival co-founders and family caregivers Daniel Lim and Danny Raven Tan hope to engage members of the public with favourite smells or the familiar scent of a loved one, as a way to connect meaningfully with others and evoke personal memories. “The sense of Smell is directly linked with memory,” says Lim, who, with Tan, established a dementia awareness social enterprise while providing home care for their respective loved ones living well with dementia. “Our aim is to enable our caregiving communities with fun and accessible tools for living well with dementia, like sensory play with favourite scents, and to provide peer support to those who are currently, or may eventually become, caregivers of a loved one with dementia.”

Scented Stories is an alchemy of memories conjured by Smell through an installation of images, jars, objects, and text that represents diverse “scentimental” stories from all walks of life. Aromas include citrusy peonies, crisp household soaps, smoky joss sticks, sulfury curry leaves, sweet jasmine oil, nose-tickling hair cream, the wild earthiness of fresh rain, raw dirt, and sandy beaches – and more! Through this installation, we want the caregivers and members of the public to connect with their loved ones through the sense of smell and how this can be a catalyst for engagement between generations and their carers. The focus is on the stories and how these objects brings back precious memories, especially for caregivers whose loved ones had passed on.

The Enabling Festival is presented by Enable Asia, a volunteer-driven social enterprise by caregivers, for caregivers, in collaboration with the Dementia-Friendly Singapore (DFSG) initiative and with support from Festival Partners, The Majurity Trust and The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). This is the Festival’s 6th edition since 2018, following themes of Sight, Sound, Taste, and Touch – and now, Smell, with Festival Director, Jeremiah Choy.

Scented Stories – a touring exhibition (FREE admission)

16 – 30 Sep 2023 – Punggol Regional Library, Singapore

1 – 31 Oct 2023 – Jurong Regional Library, Singapore

To contribute your own Scented Stories, click the Festival padlet link on the Festival website at https://www.enableasia.org/enabling-festival-2023.

The rest of 2023 and 2024 is open for interested partners, collaborators and like-minded organisations in Singapore and neighbouring cities.

To host the exhibition in your community, contact the Festival Team at daniel.lim@enableasia.org.

Workshops in Singapore – by registration with a small fee to support the cause

The SenEssential Oil Workshop – 1 Oct (4pm – 6pm), 15 Oct (9am – 1pm)

Somatic Movements by Vincent Yong, Part 1: Unappreciated – 8 Nov (7.30pm – 8.45pm)

Fidget Cushion – 25 Nov (10.30am – 12.30pm, 2pm – 4.30pm), 2 Dec (2pm – 4.30pm)

For more details and to register, visit https://enablingfestival.peatix.com/

The Little Red Couch – a Facebook ‘Live’ talk series

Like or Follow https://www.facebook.com/EnableASIASG/ to receive the Live notifications.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Daniel Lim +65 9009 8898 daniel.lim@enableasia.org | Kim Dy-Liacco +63 917 6500631 kim.dyliacco@gmail.com

Hashtag: #enablingfestival #caregiving #caregivers #scentedstories #dementia #enableasia




The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Enable Asia

Enable Asia is a Singaporean Social Enterprise founded by two caregivers to persons living with dementia, who are passionate in educating and raising awareness about the caregiving journey and also to enable those living with dementia. They envision working with an inclusive community to identify problems and co-create solutions through various key initiatives such as The Enabling Festival to achieve their objectives.

For more information, visit .

To support us, visit

Fuel Company: Laos Could Face Renewed Fuel Shortages

fuel
A pump attendant assists a customer with fuel (Photo: PTT)

Laos could face renewed fuel shortages if the current situation regarding foreign exchange is not quickly rectified, fuel companies have warned.

Laos-China Railway Purchases New Train to Boost Passenger Travel

Lao-China Railway EMU train. (Photo: Baolau)

Laos-China Railway Company has purchased a new electric multiple-unit (EMU) train, which will be delivered today, to support domestic and international tourist demand.