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Laos to Reopen Applications for Non-Bank Financial Institutions by End of 2026

The Lao central bank plans to resume accepting applications to establish new non-bank financial institutions by the end of 2026, after suspending new applications earlier this year to review and update licensing regulations. Visone Saysongkham, head of the non-bank financial institution supervision department at the Bank of the Lao PDR...

Khammouane Targets UNESCO Geopark Status to Boost Tourism

Khammouane is preparing a UNESCO bid for the Hinboun Geopark, hoping the international designation...

Laos, China Open Joint Military Aviation Center for Lao Air Force Training

Laos and China have opened a joint military support and training center at Ban...

Vientiane’s Smart Road Cleaning, Cooling Pilot Project Nears Completion

Vientiane’s Smart Clean-Cooling Road System pilot project has reached 95 percent completion, and contractors...

Laos Inflation Rises to 7.8 Percent in September as Education, Utility Costs Climb

Laos’ inflation rate rose to 7.8 percent in September, up from 7.7 percent in...

Laos Mandates Graphic Health Warnings on Cigarette Packages to Combat Smoking Epidemic

The Lao Ministry of Health has mandated that 75 percent of all cigarette packages must feature graphic health warning images by December this year....

North Korea’s World Cup Qualifiers Moved from Pyongyang to Laos

North Korea's World Cup qualifying matches against Syria and Myanmar have been relocated from Pyongyang, North Korea, to Vientiane, Laos. This decision marks the...

Largest Buddha Statue Unearthed in Laos Sparks Viral Debate Over Ownership Among Mekong River Nations

The recent discovery of the largest Buddha statue ever found in Laos, standing at least two meters tall, has ignited a viral sensation and...

World Bee Day: Celebrating the Role of Bees in Our Ecosystem

Today, 20 May, the world celebrates World Bee Day, an international event dedicated to recognizing the critical role bees and other pollinators play in...

Jessica Mudditt Chronicles Her Journey Through Southeast Asia in New Memoir

It was the early 2000s when Jessica Mudditt spent months wandering through Southeast Asia, immersing herself in the stories of locals, channeling the spirit...

US Ambassador Heather Variava Outlines Vision for Strengthening Relations with Laos

Heather Variava, the United States (US) Ambassador to Laos, who assumed her position in February this year, spoke with Lao media officials on 14...