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Plastic Rocket Kills Man During Festival in Xiengkhouang

Rocket Festival in Laos

A rocket made of plastic pipe struck and killed a 46-year-old man during Bun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival) celebrations in Perp village, Pek district, Xiengkhouang Province, on 5 May afternoon.

Rescue units responded to the incident around 4:00 PM. They found the man, a resident of Na Khuan village, unconscious with a severe wound near his ear. He died shortly after, Rescue 1623 Xiengkhouang confirmed in a Facebook post

Witnesses said the rocket veered off course and exploded near the victim. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause and check for safety violations.

As they promptly suspended the launches, officials urged all festival participants to follow stricter safety guidelines to prevent further injuries.

Every year, villagers across Laos celebrate Bun Bang Fai by launching homemade rockets to call for rain and mark the beginning of the planting season. 

Though the rockets were once made of bamboo, many now use metal or PVC, increasing the risk of accidents.

Before the festival, each village forms a committee to plan the event, setting rules, inviting neighboring communities, and drafting safety measures. 

Villagers also compete for prizes awarded for the highest-flying and best-decorated rockets, adding a competitive edge to the celebrations.

Bun Bang Fai is a centuries-old Lao tradition. Families and friends craft rockets from bamboo or modern materials and launch them in open fields to encourage rainfall. 

These events also include parades, music, traditional performances, and local food, drawing large crowds from across the country.

Tanoto Foundation and Gates Foundation to Advance Health, Nutrition and Education in Asia

Better Health, Brighter Futures: Tanoto and Gates Foundations Join Hands for Asia’s Communities


SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 6 May 2025 – Tanoto Foundation and Gates Foundation today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore collaborative efforts aimed at unlocking human potential and helping communities thrive across Asia. The MoU brings together the two foundations’ shared commitment and experience in advancing healthcare, nutrition, education, and strengthening the philanthropic ecosystem in the region.

Tanoto Foundation x Gates Foundation MoU
Tanoto Foundation x Gates Foundation MoU

Through this partnership, the two foundations build on their existing relationship to collaborate and work together to identify, design, and implement joint initiatives in areas including Public health and healthcare delivery; Maternal and child nutrition; Access to quality education and; Strengthening philanthropic ecosystem and capacity-building in Asia.

“This partnership is a significant step toward unlocking new possibilities for systems change in Asia and builds on our existing impactful programs,” said Belinda Tanoto, member of the Board of Trustees, Tanoto Foundation. “In today’s rapidly changing world, the challenges we face are complex and interconnected, from widening funding gaps to the rising disparity between rich and poor. No single organization, no matter how large or resourceful, can tackle these issues alone. That’s why collaboration is so critical. By partnering with like-minded organizations like the Gates Foundation, we can leverage our collective strengths to catalyze lasting change. We believe that when we invest in people, we unlock human potential and transform futures. Through collaboration, we can work together to create more impactful, sustainable solutions that reach the communities that need them the most.”

Each project under this partnership will be governed by its own specific agreement, which will outline the objectives, scope, budget, roles, and responsibilities of both parties. These project-specific agreements will also reflect a shared commitment to the principle of ensuring that innovations, knowledge, and solutions developed are affordable and accessible to the communities that need them the most.

The Gates Foundation emphasized the importance of long-term partnerships in driving meaningful change. “Collaboration with local and regional partners is key to achieving lasting impact,” said Hari Menon, Director, South and Southeast Asia of the Gates Foundation. “We’re excited to deepen our partnership with the Tanoto Foundation, building on the important work we have done together, starting from our nutrition partnership in Indonesia. By bringing together our complementary strengths, networks, and regional expertise, we can accelerate progress and help improve the lives of millions across Asia.”

Both organizations have a long-standing commitment to addressing systemic societal issues. Tanoto Foundation has over 40 years of experience working across Asia to support education systems, healthcare innovation, and leadership development, while the Gates Foundation has been instrumental in global efforts to eradicate diseases, expand financial inclusion, and improve agricultural productivity.

Hashtag: #TanotoFoundation

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

About Gates Foundation:

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, we work with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential. In the United States, we aim to ensure that everyone—especially those with the fewest resources—has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Bill Gates and our governing board.

More information is available at

About Tanoto Foundation:

At Tanoto Foundation, we unlock human potential, help communities thrive, and create lasting impact. Founded in 1981 by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto, we are an independent family foundation that believes in providing every person with the opportunity to realize his or her full potential. To do so, we catalyze systems change in education and healthcare. Our approach is impact-first, collaborative, and evidence-based. We invest for the long term and strive to develop leaders who can drive sustained, positive outcomes.

More information is available at

Sinch and OneReach.ai Announce Strategic Partnership

Bringing Customer Communication and Agentic AI to Businesses Globally

ATLANTA and STOCKHOLM, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Sinch (Sinch AB (publ)) – (XSTO: SINCH,) which is pioneering the way the world communicates through its Customer Communications Cloud, today announced a strategic partnership with OneReach.ai., a leader in the Forrester Wave and Gartner Magic Quadrant for Conversational AI. This partnership will empower businesses worldwide to rapidly deploy customized agentic AI experiences across the communication channels their customers use most.

As companies increasingly embrace AI to scale personalized engagement, this collaboration combines Sinch’s enterprise-grade global messaging, voice, and email capabilities with OneReach.ai’s Generative Studio X (GSX)—a powerful, end-to-end platform that enables organizations to build, deploy, and orchestrate AI-native applications. Together, Sinch and OneReach.ai aim to set a new standard for making it easy to incorporate agentic AI in customer communications.

GSX empowers businesses to rapidly develop and orchestrate AI agents capable of handling complex, omni-channel interactions that leverage real-time data, coordinate across systems, and improve over time. With over 1,000 pre-built components and a composable architecture, GSX dramatically accelerates time to value – helping organizations automate workflows, reduce costs, and increase satisfaction across both customer and employee touchpoints.

“At Sinch, we’re relentlessly focused on helping businesses create personalized, relevant, and timely experiences on the channels that matter most,” said Robert Gerstmann, Chief Evangelist, and Co-Founder at Sinch. “Our partnership with OneReach.ai expands on that mission – combining our intelligent global communications infrastructure with their powerful AI agent orchestration platform. This is one of many collaborations where Sinch is powering the next generation of agentic AI through our enterprise-grade architecture, scale, and global presence.”

With OneReach.ai’s open architecture and extensive library of pre-built integrations—including CRM, ERP, and IT Service Management systems—enterprises can seamlessly add communications to existing businesses processes, ensuring data flows freely and AI agents can act with full context and precision.

“We chose to add Sinch as a partner to amplify the reach of our AI Agent Orchestration Platform, particularly given their global leadership in CPaaS and RCS,” said Robb Wilson, CEO at OneReach.ai. “With GSX, we’re enabling enterprises to transform customer and employee experiences by combining our strengths in intelligent automation with Sinch’s strength in global communications infrastructure, offering unmatched flexibility in deploying sophisticated agentic solutions.”

Sinch’s approach to AI is rooted in intentional intelligence – leveraging the right tools and partnerships to deliver smarter, safer conversational experiences. As a trusted provider across industries like financial services, healthcare, and telecom, Sinch powers agentic AI through enterprise-grade architecture, unmatched scale, and a global presence.

Together with partners like OneReach.ai, Sinch is helping all over the world to connect with customers at every step of their journey. For more information visit Sinch.com

For more information please contact:
Janet Lennon, Director of Global PR & Communications
janet.lennon@sinch.com |1.206.914.6175

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

 

ZEELOOL Unveils Rebrand as the Ultimate “Daily Optical Stylist”

AUSTIN, Texas, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ZEELOOL, the innovative online eyewear retailer has recently launched a complete rebrand that positions itself as the ultimate “Daily Optical Stylist” The revamped strategy introduces an overhauled and visual identity, improved digital shopper experience, and refocuses the brand on it’s strength, providing practical, affordable fashion eyewear for all of life’s moments.

Eyewear Crafted for Every Moment
Eyewear Crafted for Every Moment

Eyewear Crafted for Every Moment

The new ZEELOOL is built around a simple concept: Eyewear Crafted for Every Moment. In practice, this shows up in the brand’s versatile and creative eyewear collections designed around moments we all experience in our daily lives, as seen in their Professional Life, Weekend Wear, and Vacation Mood collections. Through an affordable yet stylish product offering ZEELOOL encourages and enables consumers to match glasses and sunglasses with every outfit, outing, and occasion. No longer are shoppers bound to one or two pairs of cost-prohibitive glasses; they are free to explore and express themselves at will, thanks to a progressive direct-to-consumer retail model and affordable pricing that eliminates unnecessary middlemen.

Delivering a Premium Digital Experience

When it comes to establishing a premium and frictionless digital experience for shoppers, there are two primary aspects. 1. A beautifully designed visual experience that showcases products as they actually are, and 2. A user experience that is intuitive and reduces unnecessary screens and flows.

ZEELOOL‘s rebranding completely refreshes their visual system, featuring a new sleeker logo, tightened color palette, and elevated photographic standards. The new aesthetic better communicates their “Daily Optical Stylist position and is both professional and approachable, allowing any and all customers to feel comfortable shopping their online platforms. 

Beyond the visual update, ZEELOOL’s online platforms have been redesigned to focus on clarity of information and ease of use. Users have all their questions about the product and purchasing preemptively answered through an intuitive interface and product pages that include all essential, practical, and aesthetic information. Additional improvements include a cleaner landing page, improved checkout, and a redesigned mobile app allowing users to shop on whatever device they’re most comfortable with.

The refreshed ZEELOOL brand is now live across all digital platforms. Fashion enthusiasts, eyewear collectors, and those seeking to elevate their personal style with high-quality, affordable glasses are invited to explore the new collections at ZEELOOL.com.

About ZEELOOL

Established in 2017, ZEELOOL makes high-quality, affordable eyewear that blends style into consumers’ daily needs. As your daily optical stylist, ZEELOOL offers prescription glasses and sunglasses that prove fashion doesn’t need a premium price tag. With nearly 2,000 unique frames organized across six collections based on daily scenarios, ZEELOOL provides options for every look, occasion, and personality. Each pair combines durable materials, precise craftsmanship, and the latest optical technology. Through their streamlined digital shopping experience, ZEELOOL continues to make fashionable eyewear accessible to everyone.

Shoplazza Sponsors Hassan Sunny’s Seattle Visit, Empowering Youth Through Soccer and Technology

SEATTLE, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — United Sports FC, with the support of Singapore Global Network (SGN), East West Bank USA, and global e-commerce platform Shoplazza, successfully hosted Hassan Sunny, former Singapore national team goalkeeper and current player for Albirex Niigata Singapore FC, in Seattle, Washington. From April 28 to May 5, Hassan participated in a week-long series of youth soccer activities, including free clinics, charity events, and mentorship sessions designed to inspire the next generation of soccer players.

As one of the most influential and inspiring footballers for Asian soccer fans, Hassan Sunny brought both experience and passion to the field. He earned his first international cap for the Singapore National Team two decades ago, has made 115 international appearances, and was named to the 2020 AFF Championship Team of the Tournament. His excellence between the posts earned him a ranking as the 18th best goalkeeper in the world by The Daily Telegraph. In 2023, his standout performance—making 11 crucial saves against Thailand—helped China narrowly advance to the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, sparking a surge in popularity across the Chinese-speaking world.

During his Seattle visit, Hassan led hands-on training sessions, engaged in coaching workshops, and shared his professional journey through a path to pro discussion with United Sports FC founder Ye Tian, league officials, and FIFA ambassador. His special guest appearance in a United Sports FC match not only energized the crowd and promoted the men’s team in the Premier Soccer League, but also served as a meaningful gesture to connect professional football with the next generation of young players in the local community.

Hassan Sunny with young players from United Sports FC
Hassan Sunny with young players from United Sports FC

The initiative reflects Shoplazza’s ongoing commitment to supporting youth development and cross-cultural engagement through technology. As a leading global e-commerce platform, Shoplazza empowers brands and organizations with tools to grow digitally while fostering meaningful social impact.

“Youth sports build more than just skill — they shape confidence, discipline, and connection,” said a Shoplazza spokesperson. “We’re proud to support Hassan’s journey and help provide a platform for young talent to thrive.”

In addition, United Sports FC’s official fanware store was recently launched using the Shoplazza platform, offering the club a robust e-commerce solution to better engage its growing fanbase. The collaboration showcases the potential of digital tools in advancing community-focused sports organizations.

About United Sports FC

United Sports FC is a non-profit, full-service soccer club primarily based in Bellevue, Washington. Founded by Ye Tian, the former Chinese national women’s football coach, United Sports FC is dedicated to providing a direct pathway and comprehensive support services for aspiring soccer players. With over 20 years of professional experience in Super League and international football coaching, Ye Tian brings a wealth of expertise to the club, helping young athletes achieve their dreams.

About Shoplazza

Shoplazza is a leading Canadian e-commerce platform empowering global businesses to build, launch, and grow their online stores. With a robust omnichannel infrastructure, Shoplazza simplifies how merchants connect with customers across online, in-store, and social channels. Learn more at https://www.shoplazza.com/.

Renovation of Vientiane’s Sithong Road to Be Completed by Year-End

Sithong Road Renovation

Vientiane’s popular Sithong Road, connecting Route 13 North and ASEAN Road, is undergoing a major upgrade, with construction expected to finish by the end of this year, said the local Department of Public Works and Transport.

According to the 30-April announcement, the entire 1,700-meter stretch will be upgraded from asphalt to more durable reinforced concrete.

The upgraded project starts from the Nongnieo traffic light junction and extends to the Dongnathong traffic light intersection.

The project, which will maintain the road’s 10-meter width, began initial preparations in early May 2025. Construction teams are currently working on site, with the full renovation scheduled for completion within six months.

The road has long suffered from potholes and degradation, especially during the rainy seasons. In 2024, some of the most severely damaged sections were upgraded with reinforced concrete to enhance driving conditions. However, some parts remained in poor condition, prompting the need for further repairs.

The authorities have advised all road users to avoid the affected route if possible during the construction period to reduce traffic congestion and ensure smooth operations.

Amid Global Economic Dynamics, BRI Records Profit of IDR 13.8 Trillion

JAKARTA, Indonesia, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Amid global economic dynamics, PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (IDX: BBRI) consistently demonstrates positive growth across all business segments. This growth contributed to BRI’s consolidated net profit in the first quarter of 2025, which reached IDR 13.80 trillion.

The BRI leadership team at the Q1 2025 Financial Performance Press Conference held in Jakarta on 30 April 2025
The BRI leadership team at the Q1 2025 Financial Performance Press Conference held in Jakarta on 30 April 2025

At the BRI Q1 2025 Financial Performance Press Conference, BRI President Director Hery Gunardi stated that amid global economic challenges, BRI Group managed to record a net profit of IDR 13.80 trillion and total assets reaching IDR 2,098.23 trillion, growing 5.49% year-on-year (YoY).

On credit distribution, BRI Micro Director Akhmad Purwakajaya explained that BRI recorded credit disbursement of IDR 1,373.66 trillion, growing 4.97% YoY.
“BRI’s MSME credit growth is supported by efforts to boost financial literacy and inclusion, including the expansion of AgenBRILink” he added.

Regarding credit quality, BRI Risk Management Director Mucharom explained that BRI’s credit growth is driven by the implementation of effective and prudent risk management in loan disbursement.

Additionally, BRI Network & Retail Funding Director Aquarius Rudianto elaborated on BRI’s Third-Party Funds (DPK) performance. “In terms of DPK, BRI managed to collect IDR 1,421.60 trillion. Low-cost funds (CASA) dominated BRI’s DPK collection with a proportion of 65.77%, or equivalent to IDR 934.95 trillion,” said Aquarius.

In terms of liquidity and capital, BRI still has room for stronger growth in the coming periods. “BRI’s positive performance through the end of March 2025 is also supported by adequate liquidity and strong capital. This is indicated by the bank’s Loan to Deposit Ratio (LDR) at 86.03% and a Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 24.03%,” stated Viviana Dyah Ayu, BRI’s Director of Finance & Strategy.

For your information, BRI President Director Hery Gunardi, Director of Risk Management Mucharom, Director of Micro Business Akhmad Purwakajaya, and Director of Network & Retail Funding Aquarius Rudianto were appointed during the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGMS) on March 24, 2025, and may carry out their duties and functions in their respective positions upon obtaining approval from the OJK’s Fit and Proper Test assessment.

For more information about BANK BRI, visit www.bri.co.id

Tencent Cloud Teams Up with C.live to Deliver Seamless, Scalable, and High-Quality Streaming Experiences

The collaboration leverages Tencent Cloud’s advanced streaming and media processing solutions to enhance C.live’s reliability, scalability, and audience engagement

HONG KONG, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Tencent Cloud, the cloud business of global leading technology company Tencent, today announced a strategic partnership with C.live, a premier live streaming platform for sports and entertainment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This collaboration is set to elevate the quality and reliability of event streaming services, delivering a transformative experience for audiences worldwide.

Tencent Cloud Teams Up with C.live to Deliver Seamless, Scalable, and High-Quality Streaming Experiences
Tencent Cloud Teams Up with C.live to Deliver Seamless, Scalable, and High-Quality Streaming Experiences

C.live is dedicated to empowering businesses, event organizers, brands, and creators to broadcast high-quality live sports, events, conferences, concerts, and performing arts experiences in the UAE. Tencent Cloud will enable C.live to better overcome challenges in delivering seamless streaming services, such as latency issues, unstable performance during high-traffic events, limited scalability, bandwidth optimization inefficiencies, technical complexities, and a lack of advanced analytics for real-time audience insights. C.live will leverage on Tencent Cloud’s cutting-edge media solutions, including Tencent Cloud Streaming Services (CSS) and Tencent Cloud Media Processing Service (MPS) to deliver seamless user experiences.

Tencent Cloud Streaming Services (CSS) is a robust cloud solution offering end-to-end live audio and video capabilities, which ensure high-quality, low-latency broadcasting, transcoding, and global content distribution, providing uninterrupted and professional live streaming experiences.

In addition, Tencent Cloud Media Processing Service (MPS) further empowers C.live with advanced cloud-based multimedia transcoding and processing capabilities. MPS allows companies to efficiently transcode audio and video into various formats, bitrates, and resolutions, ensuring smooth playback across PCs, mobile devices, and other playback platforms. Beyond transcoding, MPS offers powerful features such as custom watermarking, screen capturing, smart video cover generation, and smart editing, streamlining media processing workflows and enhancing the overall viewer experience.

Through Tencent Cloud’s solutions, C.live has significantly transformed its streaming capabilities. Users can now enjoy a reliable and high-quality live streaming experience, making it the ideal choice for C.live events. Moreover, the platform’s low-latency streaming ensures seamless real-time interactions, while its robust infrastructure provides unmatched stability even during high-traffic broadcasts. Tencent Cloud’s scalability now also facilitates C.live in reaching broader audiences without compromising performance, while advanced video encoding and real-time analytics have allowed the platform to optimize viewer engagement and deliver professional, efficient streaming services.

Dan Hu, Vice President of Tencent Cloud International for the Middle East, said, “Tencent Cloud is committed to empowering businesses like C.live across the region with cutting-edge cloud solutions that redefine the live streaming experience. Through our CSS and MPS services, we are proud to support their mission of delivering high-quality, engaging, and scalable event streaming services to audiences around the globe.”

Nazim Musthafa Mohammed, General Manager at C.live, said, “We had a great experience using Tencent Cloud’s live streaming service, which provided seamless, high-quality video streaming with minimal latency in the UAE. The platform’s stability, real-time analytics, and smooth audience engagement tools ensured a professional and reliable broadcast. Its scalability and performance made it an excellent choice for our event streaming needs.”

About Tencent Cloud:
Tencent Cloud, one of the world’s leading cloud companies, is committed to creating innovative solutions to resolve real-world issues and enabling digital transformation for smart industries. Through our extensive global infrastructure, Tencent Cloud provides businesses across the globe with stable and secure industry-leading cloud products and services, leveraging technological advancements such as cloud computing, Big Data analytics, AI, IoT, and network security. It is our constant mission to meet the needs of industries across the board, including the fields of gaming, media and entertainment, finance, healthcare, property, retail, travel, and transportation.

About C.live:
Launched in 2023 under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, C.live is an AI-powered live streaming platform that enables sports and entertainment event organizers to monetize their content directly through an exclusive pay-per-view model and advanced AI features.

Designed to support a wide variety of content—from sports tournaments and educational sessions to fitness classes, professional shows, private events, and personal streams—C.live lowers the barrier to entry for creators. Its Intelligent Media Monitoring tool tracks how often sponsor or brand logos appears providing valuable brand visibility insights. A portable AI-driven sports tracking camera that automatically captures and streams games without requiring a manual operator, ensuring professional-quality broadcasts for all levels of sport.