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Laos Makes Steady Progress in Poverty Eradication, Several Districts Declared Poverty-Free

The ceremony of graduating from poverty-free in Xay District in Oudomxay Province on 15 July (Photo: ສະຖານີວິທະຍຸ ແລະ ໂທລະພາບ ແຂວງອຸດົມໄຊ)

Laos continues to make significant strides in poverty eradication, with multiple districts across the country being officially declared poverty-free, bringing the nation closer to its goal of graduating from Least Developed Country (LDC) status by 2026.

On 15 July, Xay District in Oudomxay Province was officially recognized as the province’s first poverty-free district. The designation is based on national benchmarks that include access to essential infrastructure, services, and long-term sustainability. 

Acting District Governor Somchanh Thepphaly reported that Xay has achieved 100 percent of its development targets. 

Of the district’s 94 villages, 79 have been declared poverty-free, 44 of which are now classified as “developed”, while only 18 villages remain below the poverty line.

The district’s progress was driven by improvements across key sectors. In education, 15 schools have been built to accommodate local students, while healthcare access has expanded with the operation of 19 hospitals and health centers. A notable highlight is universal access to groundwater, with 95 percent of residents benefiting from a clean water supply system.

Infrastructure development has also played a vital role, including a well-connected road network and a Lao-China railway station, which links the district to neighboring provinces and facilitates travel and commerce.

Shortly after, on 18 February, Xieng Ngeun District in Luang Prabang Province was also declared poverty-free. The district’s economy has grown at an average annual rate of 8.7 percent, reaching a total domestic income of LAK 644.5 billion (approximately USD 37.9 million). 

Recent assessments show that 83.66 percent of villages in Xieng Ngeun have surpassed the poverty line by meeting government standards in areas such as clean water access, sanitation, transportation, school enrollment, market availability, and sustainable environmental management.

In northern Laos, Luang Prabang City, a major cultural and tourist hub, was declared poverty-free on 3 March. This achievement followed significant infrastructure upgrades, economic growth, and a thriving tourism industry that has raised living standards and contributed to local stability. 

This follows major infrastructure improvements and economic growth, including enhanced roads, transportation, utilities, and a tourism sector which has played a crucial role in boosting economic stability and raising residents’ living standards.

Government data shows that 98.3 percent of Luang Prabang City’s population, 16,355 families across 113 villages, have risen out of poverty. This success is attributed to gains in employment, access to permanent housing, secondary education, healthcare, clean water, and electricity.

In the south, Champasack Province marked another milestone on 6 May when six districts, including Pakse City, Phonthong, Bachieng Chalernsouk, Champasack, and Khong, were officially recognized as poverty-free. 

These areas were evaluated based on nine criteria, including the presence of secondary schools, healthcare facilities, access to clean water, road and telecom infrastructure, functioning markets, and effective environmental resource management. 

Each district also had at least 70 percent of villages rise above the poverty threshold.

In 2024, Nam Bak District in Luang Prabang Province and Pak Nguem District in Vientiane Capital were acknowledged for eliminating poverty, driven by economic growth, improved infrastructure, and peaceful social conditions that foster unity and harmony among residents.

The government also reported that in the previous year, 31,232 families were lifted out of poverty, reaching nearly 90 percent of its annual target. 

These poverty reduction initiatives are part of Laos’ objective to graduate from Least Developed Country status by 2026, through sustained economic growth, social development, and enhanced infrastructure.

Laos to Criminally Prosecute Offenders of Natural Resource Crimes

Laos to Criminally Prosecute Offenders of Natural Resource Crimes
Extensive logging in Attapeu province in August 2024, in an area recently identified by satellite data as primary forest, suggesting that deforestation occurred within the past year (Photo credit: Rainforest Investigations Network)

The Lao government has officially ended the use of administrative fines for crimes involving natural resources, replacing them with criminal prosecution. 

Simplifying Digital Transformation with HashMicro ERP

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Malaysia’s IT landscape is undergoing rapid growth, with the digital transformation market projected to reach USD 10.68 billion by 2025 and expand to USD 25.4 billion by 2030. This surge reflects Malaysia’s strong commitment to becoming a digital-first economy, powered by innovation, modernization, and global competitiveness.

To support this vision, the Malaysian government has launched major initiatives such as the MyDIGITAL Economy Blueprint, which channels investments into infrastructure, talent, and digital policy. The country also aims to position itself as a regional AI hub. Yet, despite this progress, many Malaysian businesses remain hesitant to embrace digital transformation. Concerns around cost, complexity, and change management lead many to cling to manual workflows and disconnected systems, slowing the pace of true adoption.

Digital success requires more than just advanced technology. It depends on social readiness, public trust, digital literacy, and organizational support. Understanding this, HashMicro, a Singapore-based enterprise software provider, has built its reputation across Southeast Asia by offering solutions that align not only with operational needs but also with local business mindsets.

“In Southeast Asia, we often assume that what worked in the past will always work,” says Lusiana Lu of HashMicro. “But the world has changed. At HashMicro, we focus not just on building features, but on creating the conditions that make those features truly work.”

HashMicro helps businesses transition smoothly through an intuitive, integrated ERP system that simplifies complex operations. With ready-to-use templates, automation flows, and a user-friendly interface, it enables companies to modernize without having to rebuild from scratch. The platform unifies fragmented processes into one source of truth, bringing clarity, speed, and consistency to daily operations.

Beyond tools, HashMicro invests in people. Internal teams receive continuous training to master every feature and update, and this expertise is passed on to clients to help them fully leverage the system in their unique environments. “We don’t just build tools, we build the people behind them,” Lusiana explains.

Compliance is another key strength. HashMicro localizes its systems to match regional regulations and provides ongoing updates to ensure businesses stay aligned with local policies. As digital transformation accelerates in Malaysia, HashMicro offers not just software, but confidence. “Once Malaysian businesses see how manageable the transition is,” says Lusiana, “they don’t just adapt, they grow.”

HashMicro real-time dashboard for increased company performance
HashMicro real-time dashboard for increased company performance

 

Asiamoneypost Launches: The Premier Guide for Financial Management Knowledge and Account Opening Offers for Hong Kong & Asian Investors

HONG KONG, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In today’s rapidly evolving financial markets, the demand for reliable, professional financial management information among investors in Hong Kong and Asia is growing exponentially. To meet this critical need, Asiamoneypost (https://asiamoneypost.com) is proud to announce its official launch, committed to becoming the leading authority platform for financial management knowledge and account opening offers across Hong Kong and Asia. Asiamoneypost’s mission is to empower investors to confidently navigate the complex financial landscape and achieve their dreams of financial freedom, by providing expert in-depth financial management analysis, rigorously verified and factual content, and authentic experience sharing.

Expert Team & Rigorous Review: The Cornerstone of Professional & Authoritative Content

The core team at Asiamoneypost comprises seasoned professionals with over 6 years of practical experience in the Hong Kong and international financial markets, including Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA), Certified Public Accountants (CPA), and Certified Financial Planners (CFP). They not only possess extensive real-world financial management experience but also a profound understanding of global and Hong Kong market dynamics. They recognize the critical importance of accuracy in financial management information; thus, all content on the website undergoes strict review by multiple experts and multi-layered data verification, ensuring absolute accuracy, objectivity, and timeliness. This unwavering commitment to professionalism and credibility is the foundation upon which Asiamoneypost builds its reputation for expertise and authority, earning the trust of a wide user base.

In-Depth Account Opening Offer Guides: Beyond Expectation User Experience

Asiamoneypost addresses the pain points investors in Hong Kong and Asia may encounter during the brokerage account opening process, offering the most comprehensive and in-depth analysis of account opening offers and tutorials. They specifically focus on providing professional guides for top-tier brokers such as Interactive Brokers (IB) and Futu Securities, offering step-by-step illustrated account opening tutorials. These guides detail the opening procedures, required documents, and important considerations, ensuring users can complete their applications smoothly. Furthermore, Asiamoneypost continuously updates the latest brokerage account opening offers, and provides comparisons with mainstream brokers like Futu, Firstrade, and Webull, helping investors choose the most suitable broker to maximize their welcome rewards.  

Practical Financial Management Strategies & Unique Market Analysis: Empowering Investors to Seize Opportunities

Beyond brokerage account information, Asiamoneypost is dedicated to delivering in-depth and practical financial management education content. The website covers how to perform financial operations on various brokerage platforms (e.g., IBKR), learn financial management knowledge tailored to individual risk preferences, and select appropriate financial management products. The website regularly updates in-depth analysis articles on diverse financial products such as stocks, bonds, funds, and ETFs. These articles not only introduce the characteristics, potential risks, and potential returns of various financial instruments but also incorporate the team’s years of practical financial operation experience and techniques, helping users develop independent thinking skills and make more informed financial decisions. For instance, Asiamoneypost offers a special feature on US stock investing for beginners, detailing the US stock market’s operations, major indices, and industry trends; it also provides an in-depth analysis of ADRs (American Depositary Receipts), helping users understand their advantages and applications.

Robust Website Security & Transparency: Building User Trust

Asiamoneypost prioritizes user online security and trust. They employ the latest encryption technologies to protect website information and ensure compliance with industry security standards. The website design also emphasizes an efficient and fluid user experience, with an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, ensuring users can quickly find needed information.

Conclusion: Begin Your Journey to Financial Freedom with Asiamoneypost

Asiamoneypost’s goal is to become the most trusted and authoritative financial management knowledge sharing platform in Hong Kong and across Asia, particularly concerning account opening offers and financial management knowledge and education. Whether you are a novice investor seeking brokerage account opening tutorials or a seasoned professional looking for comprehensive financial management education, Asiamoneypost will be an indispensable resource. Asiamoneypost is committed to helping every user build independent financial thinking and steadily advance towards financial freedom through continuously updated professional content, practical tools, and multi-verified data. Visit https://asiamoneypost.com now to embark on your financial journey with Asiamoneypost as your best partner, and together, let’s move towards a brighter financial future!

About Asiamoneypost

Asiamoneypost is dedicated to being the leading authority platform for financial management knowledge and account opening offers in Hong Kong and Asia. The management team upholds a professional, factual, multi-verified, and rigorous approach to provide users with the latest, most comprehensive brokerage account opening offers, in-depth financial strategies, market analysis, and financial knowledge sharing. By sharing expert insights gained from years of practical financial operation experience, Asiamoneypost aims to help users develop independent thinking skills and prepare thoroughly for financial freedom and retirement.

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Windward and SGTraDex Sign Strategic Partnership to Advance Digital Trade Finance Solutions

The Maritime AI leader and Singapore’s digital trade infrastructure will collaborate to enhance industry tools and promote digital adoption across the trade finance sector

LONDON and SINGAPORE, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Windward, the leading Maritime AI™ company today announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore Trade Data Exchange Services Pte. Ltd. (“SGTraDex”), Singapore’s digital infrastructure for trade data exchange.

From Left: Mr Tan Chin Hwee, Chairman, SGTraDex | Mr Ami Daniel, Co-Founder and CEO, Windward
From Left: Mr Tan Chin Hwee, Chairman, SGTraDex | Mr Ami Daniel, Co-Founder and CEO, Windward

The strategic partnership aims to advance digital transformation in supply chain financing by co-developing tools and initiatives that strengthen due diligence, enhance compliance, and enable more informed financing decisions across the trade ecosystem. Under the terms of the MoU, both organizations shall endeavor to jointly develop industry solutions for the purpose of accelerating adoption of digital solutions in trade finance. The collaboration will leverage Windward’s advanced Maritime AI™ capabilities and SGTraDex’s role as a trusted digital utility connecting supply chain ecosystem partners. Together, the organizations will work to address evolving challenges in trade finance by promoting greater interoperability, transparency, efficiency, and digital connectivity across maritime trade operations.

“This partnership with SGTraDex represents a significant step forward in our mission to transform global trade through advanced AI and digital connectivity,” said Ami Daniel, CEO and Co-Founder of Windward. “Singapore is a strong leader in both the trade finance industry and global shipping, and SGTraDex is a key digital infrastructure leader in the region, making it the ideal partner for advancing maritime AI solutions. We are proud to collaborate with them to foster innovation that strengthens the integrity and resilience of international maritime trade.”

“Our collaboration with Windward aligns with SGTraDex’s mission to facilitate trusted, secure and inclusive data sharing across supply chain ecosystems,” said Tan Chin Hwee, Chairman of SGTraDex. “Windward’s cutting-edge Maritime AI capabilities complement our digital infrastructure, creating new opportunities to enhance trade and supply chain efficiency, as well as transparency. Together, we will promote the adoption of digital solutions that streamline information flows and build greater connectivity for the supply and trade ecosystem.”

About Windward

Windward is the leading Maritime AI™ company, providing an all-in-one platform to accelerate global trade. Windward’s AI-powered decision support and exception management platform, enhanced with Generative AI, offers a 360° view of the maritime ecosystem and enables stakeholders to make real time, predictive intelligence-driven decisions to achieve business and operational readiness.

By integrating advanced AI and Generative AI capabilities, Windward delivers deeper insights, automated risk analysis, and enhanced maritime intelligence and context. Windward’s Maritime AI™ supports companies across industries. The company’s clients range from energy supermajors, shipowners, mining companies, freight forwarders, and port authorities, to banks, insurers, and governmental organizations.

For more information visit: https://windward.ai

About SGTraDex

Launched on 1 June 2022, the Singapore Trade Data Exchange (“SGTraDex”) is a digital utility that facilitates the sharing of data between supply chain ecosystem partners, streamlining information flows through a common data highway where data can be shared in a trusted, secure and inclusive manner.

SGTraDex is a public-private partnership founded by IMDA, PSA, Trafigura, DBS, Jurong Port, OCBC, ONE, Advario, PIL, Standard Chartered and UOB. Their proprietary technology aims to resolve pain points in supply chain ecosystems including a heavy reliance on a paper-based system which lacks efficiency, transparency, and sustainability.

The move to digitalise information will increase productivity and build supply chain resilience. New efficiencies and opportunities will be unlocked when ecosystem partners can collaborate to achieve a shared visibility of the end-to-end supply chain.

For more information, visit sgtradex.com

Laos Drops Slightly in 2025 Global Peace Index, Remains Among Most Peaceful in Southeast Asia

World peace gong (Photo: Oulayvanh Sisounonth)

Laos is ranked 4th among ASEAN countries in the 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI), published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), which evaluates peace levels in 163 countries and territories worldwide.

PolyU launches advanced education programme, offering short courses to keep learners abreast of sci-tech developments

HONG KONG, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to promoting interdisciplinary research to provide solutions to pressing societal problems. In 2022, the University established the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) with an aim to facilitate interdisciplinary research, transfer technologies to stakeholders, inspire innovation across disciplines, and collaborate with top institutions in the world.

To raise the community’s understanding of interdisciplinary collaboration and its importance in driving positive transformations within societies, the Academy launches the PAIR Advanced Education Programme, to disseminate foundational and advanced knowledge in science and technology on topics that are closely related to daily living.

The first course, focusing on “Healthy Life and Smart Living”, will start this fall. This thirteen-week course, designed by PolyU experts in related disciplines, covers six applied science disciplines including: food and nutrition, sports, smart ageing, mental health, sharp vision, and Chinese medicine. Through the course, learners will understand the overall landscape of some of the pressing problems currently facing the world, as well as PolyU-led innovations that aim to tackle these issues, and technology challenges in related fields.

The course does not require learners to have relevant knowledge background and is particularly suitable to individuals who wish to broaden their understanding of interdisciplinary science and know about recent developments in science and technology. The course is offered in dual mode, that is, students can choose to attend classes in-person or online, providing flexible learning options to interested learners coming from Hong Kong and abroad. Learners fulfilling attendance requirement are eligible to apply for a certificate of completion.

To encourage the community’s active participation in sci-tech learning, the first course is offered free of charge to eligible members of the public. The course has received enthusiastic response since its launch. Quota for physical class attendance is now full, while quota for online attendance is available on a first come, first served basis. Course enrolment will close on 31 July. For enrolment or details, please visit the programme website: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/pair/education/.

An Invitation to Hainan Prefecture for a Harmonious Symphony of Humans and Nature

BEIJING, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Nestled south of Qinghai Lake, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province is revered as the “gateway to Qinghai and Xizang regions”. Amidst modernization, how can this ecologically vulnerable and culturally distinctive plateau nurture a symbiotic relationship between traditions and contemporary development? In pursuit of this question, the China Center for International Communication Development and the Publicity Department of the CPC Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Committee jointly present Here is Hainan (2025). Through six grassroots stories, the program unveils the new landscape of Hainan Prefecture and invites us to join an inspiring journey, exploring the secrets of harmonious coexistence. Russian content creator Huanhuan brings a fresh perspective, deciphering how, at 3,000 meters, local people commit to preserving nature, inheriting traditions, and rebuilding homeland.

 

An Invitation to Hainan Prefecture for a Harmonious Symphony of Humans and Nature

At Quanwan Protection Station, the patrol routes of Cuomu, a young guardian born in the 1990s, connect the mysteries of the wetlands’ rich biodiversity. Along the Heima River, the life-changing journey of Zhuoma’s family as they return to their hometown witnesses how cultural and tourism inject fresh vitality into the grassland communities. On the Qieji Prairie, a 22-year relay in safeguarding the Przewalski’s gazelle renews the enduring partnership between humanity and nature. By the glow of the herbal stoves at Xinghai Tibetan Hospital, traditional medicinal knowledge finds resonance with modern science. At the archaeological site of the Zongri Ruins in Tongde County, each piece of pottery tells a part of the story, coming together to reveal the spiritual heritage of the ancient communities along the upper Yellow River. And in Hongliutan Village, the joint efforts of post-2000 “village keepers” and elderly residents write an unconventional chapter in rural revitalization. More than just depictions of picturesque landscapes, these stories tap into the essence of ecological preservation, cultural heritage, and civilization tracing, giving the plateau narrative both grounding substance and intellectual sparkle.

Huanhuan’s journey is anything but a routine exercise in observation and recording. Her joyful study of the Wetland Bird Handbook by Qinghai Lake breaks the barriers that often separate experts from laypeople in ecological patrols. Her clumsy yet heartfelt attempts at street vending by the Heima River breathe life into rural revitalization. Her breathless attention while piecing together pottery shards at the Zongri Ruins lends a real-time pulse to the quest for civilization’s origins. The pauses in communication and the slips in comprehension are the key to empathy, because real understanding isn’t about flawless performance, but about earnest, sometimes imperfect moments of shared discovery.

Whether it’s the flying birds above the Qinghai Lake, the prancing gazelles on the Qieji Grassland, the fireside warmth of the Tibetan hospital, the intricate pottery patterns at the Zongri Ruins, the cheerful chatter by the Heima River, or the painted walls in the Hongliutan Village—Here is Hainan (2025) captures the interplay of these vivid scenes. Through unadorned storytelling, it paints for the world a picture of harmonious coexistence in Hainan Prefecture. Here, Hainan Prefecture is not a distant land, but a shared home where nature and humanity, tradition and modernity, live and thrive together.