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Graduating Students Cook, Serve French Dinner at Luang Prabang Academy

It was a busy day in the kitchen at The Academy Luang Prabang on 18 September. A group of students who were about to graduate were hard at work, preparing a special four-course French dinner. The students cooked for nearly 40 guests, served the food, poured glasses of wine, and...

Deported to Laos, US Returnees Find Their Way in an Unfamiliar Home

The men behind a barbecue grill in Vientiane speak English more easily than Lao. Some...

Laos Orders Banks to Block Crypto Purchases on Unlicensed Foreign Platforms

Laos has moved to tighten controls on cryptocurrency purchases through foreign platforms, ordering banks...

Vientiane Shuts Down KM38 Dharma Practice Center After Leader Defies Order Over Reborn Buddha Claim

On 24 September, Vientiane authorities shut down the KM38 Dharma Practice Center in Sangsai...

African Swine Fever Disrupts Pork Supplies, Beef Prices Rise in Vientiane

The pork shortage is putting pressure on Vientiane’s meat markets as African swine fever...

Authorities Seize Illegal Drugs in Vang Vieng, Minors Taken in for Investigation

Authorities in Vang Vieng have detained 23 people, most of them under the age of 18, during a raid targeting drug use at a...

Laos, Australia Develop New Teacher Resource to Support Inclusive Education

The Lao Ministry of Education and Sports, with support from Australia through the BEQUAL program, is preparing to release a new Teacher Support Pack...

Xayabouly to Host Annual Elephant Festival Amid Ongoing Animal Welfare Debate

The Elephant Festival (Boun Xang) 2026 will take place in Xayabouly district, the provincial capital, featuring 50 elephants in honor of the 50th anniversary...

Japan Arrests Man Suspected of Running Child Prostitution Blog Targeting Laos

Japanese authorities arrested a 61-year-old man on 29 January for allegedly operating a blog promoting child prostitution in Laos, according to local Japanese media. Tokyo...

Seven Years On, Vientiane’s Blue Emergency Poles Largely Unused

Vientiane’s blue emergency poles, installed in 2019 as part of an early “smart city” push, have largely faded from daily use, as residents increasingly...

Clearance Teams Destroy Over 1,000 UXO Items in Champasak Province

Clearance teams destroyed more than 1,000 unexploded ordnance (UXO) items during a large-scale operation in Champasak Province. The demolition took place in Lak 48 village,...