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Rare Earth Ponds Burst in Houaphanh, Villages Halt River Use Pending Inspections

Village authorities along the Nam Vaen and Nam Xam rivers have told residents to stop using river water after two rare earth mining ponds in Houaphanh burst on 1 November and released chemical wastewater into the Nam Vaen River. According to the 3-November notice, residents of Meuangvaen, Nakao, and Nakhoun...

Muddy Nam Song River Raises Public Doubts Over Official Explanation

Vang Vieng’s Nam Song River has been muddy for weeks, but many residents are...

Laos Revokes Import Licences of Six Vehicle Companies

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has revoked the import licences of six vehicle-importing...

Laos Inflation Eases to 7.7 Percent as Electricity Costs Remain High

Laos’ inflation edged down to 7.7 percent in October from 7.8 percent in September,...

Laos to Raise Private Sector Minimum Wage to LAK 3.4 Million from January 2027

Laos will raise the minimum monthly pay for private sector workers to LAK 3.4...

New Risk-Sharing Facility Targets SME Growth, Job Creation in Laos

On 17 June, Banque Franco-Lao Ltd. (BFL Bred Group) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) signed a new financing agreement aimed at widening access...

Lao Gin Claims Top Honor at 2026 International Competition

A gin from Laos received a Gold Outstanding medal, the highest distinction, at the 2026 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC), placing it among...

LAK 210 Million Tequila Bill Puts Laos Night Out in Viral Spotlight

A single receipt forwarded in a group chat has turned into one of Laos' most entertaining social media moments in recent weeks, all because...

Several Areas in Vientiane to Face Power Outages from 5 to 9 June

Electricité du Laos (EDL) announced that several areas in Vientiane are set to face power outages lasting several hours during daytime from 5 to...

Finnish Diver Scraps Flight Home to Continue Lao Cave Rescue

Finnish cave diver Mikko Paasi has decided to stay in Laos to search for two people still trapped in a flooded cave in Xaysomboun...

Five Survivors Rescued from Xaysomboun Cave, Search Continues

Five villagers trapped inside a flooded cave in Xaysomboun province have now been brought out alive in a major breakthrough in a rescue operation...