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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...

Over 1,600 New HIV Cases Reported in Laos in First Nine Months of 2025

HIV continues its steady, often unseen spread across Laos, where 1,617 people were newly infected in the first nine months of 2025.  Despite years of...

Laos, Singapore Agree to Expand Labor Cooperation for Lao Workers

Laos and Singapore have agreed to expand labor cooperation, creating new employment opportunities for Lao workers in Singapore’s labor market. The agreement follows an official...

Young Lao Push for Change 50 Years After Party Victory

By Beatrice Siviero/AFP - The Lao capital Vientiane has an uncharacteristic buzz lately, bedecked with flags and T-shirt vendors ahead of commemorations of 50...

Thais Navigate Flooded Homes, Ancient Temples by Boat

By Watsamon TRI-YASAKDA/AFP - For three months, Thai retiree Somkid Kijniyom has been sleeping in a small boat surviving on dry food handouts in...

Run for Children 2025: Over 3,000 Runners Unite for Lao Kids

The Run for Children 2025, held on 25 October, brought together more than 3,000 runners from Laos and around the world.  Participants raced through the...

ADB Lowers Laos’ 2025 Growth Forecast to 3.7 Percent Amid Economic Challenges

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has lowered Laos’ 2025 GDP growth forecast from 3.9 percent to 3.7 percent, citing debt vulnerabilities, weak demand, and...