Laotian Times and AFP – Thailand has officially lifted its decades-old ban on alcohol sales between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM, a move aimed at stimulating tourism and economic activity during major travel periods, including the New Year and next year’s Songkran festival.
Thailand’s Afternoon Alcohol Sales Ban Lifted Ahead of New Year Celebrations
Ericsson and LotusFlare Announce Equity Investment and Strategic Partnership
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STOCKHOLM and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ericsson, a global leader in telecommunications solutions, today announced the closing of an equity investment in LotusFlare, a provider of a cloud-native digital commerce and monetization platform for communications service providers (CSPs). The investment will complement Ericsson’s broad end-to-end solutions to CSPs to expose and monetize network Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and enhance LotusFlare’s global scale and go-to-market capabilities. Kickstart Ventures, the venture arm of Globe Telecom, also participated in the investment round.
This strategic partnership is built on the shared vision of accelerating the development and commercial deployment of AI-powered software solutions in the telecommunications industry, to create a global network API ecosystem. Ericsson’s investment for a minority stake in LotusFlare is a validation of LotusFlare’s DNO Cloud offering that will provide network abstraction and external network exposure, including consent management, for network APIs. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in LotusFlare’s journey as it prepares for its next phase of growth and expansion.
LotusFlare’s differentiated market position is underpinned by two highly integrated product lines designed to drive revenue growth, operational efficiency, and scalable monetization for CSPs:
- LotusFlare Digital Network Operator® (DNO™) Cloud, an AI-powered digital commerce and monetization platform that delivers valuable business outcomes to CSPs across consumer, enterprise and wholesale lines of business. Today, DNO powers API marketplaces, mobile, broadband and converged brands, as well as MVNE/O platforms for leading global operators.
- Nomad eSIM, a game-changing global connectivity product that provides travelers with convenient, reliable, and affordable data plans in over 200 destinations worldwide.
Niklas Heuveldop, Senior Vice President, Head of Business Area Global Communications Platform and CEO of Vonage, says: “We are delighted to establish this strategic partnership with LotusFlare. The combination of Ericsson’s high-performance, programmable networks with LotusFlare’s Network Abstraction capabilities, Aduna’s global network API aggregation capabilities, and Vonage’s network powered enterprise solutions will accelerate CSPs ability to unlock new network capabilities and take advantage of one of the most important value creation opportunities for the industry. By further strengthening the industry ecosystem, Ericsson is accelerating the opportunity for CSPs, enterprises, and developers to collaborate and innovate at hyperscale, leveraging the full potential of 5G and AI.”
“We are delighted to welcome Ericsson as an investor in LotusFlare,” says Sam Gadodia, CEO and Co-Founder of LotusFlare. “Since our founding, our mission has been to simplify technology and customer experience. We have made significant progress towards this goal through both our DNO Cloud and Nomad eSIM businesses. Ericsson’s investment represents a powerful validation of our product innovation and market impact. We are confident this partnership will unlock new market opportunities and accelerate the development of critical network asset monetization capabilities for CSPs globally.”
“LotusFlare has consistently shown that it can build and deploy world-class products in ways that can move the needle for mobile operators like our LP, Globe Telecom. Our investment reflects our conviction in their strong performance and continuous strategic relevance. We believe this latest round led by Ericsson makes the opportunity even more compelling for us and positions LotusFlare for a strong next chapter,” says Kickstart Ventures Managing Partner and Co-founder Dan Siazon.
The two companies plan to explore opportunities related to network asset monetization and API exposure. With this investment, LotusFlare will expand its global presence, accelerate development of AI-ready solutions that reduce cost and complexity, and deliver industry-leading platforms for CSPs.
Gunderson Dettmer served as legal counsel to LotusFlare led by partner Bennett Yee.
About LotusFlare
LotusFlare’s mission is to design, build, and continuously advance a cloud-native commerce and monetization platform, DNO Cloud, that simplifies technology and customer experience to deliver valuable outcomes to enterprises. LotusFlare owns and operates Nomad eSIM, which is transforming global connectivity by providing travelers with convenient, reliable, and affordable data plans in over 200 destinations.
About Ericsson
Ericsson’s high-performing networks provide connectivity for billions of people every day. For nearly 150 years, we’ve been pioneers in creating technology for communication. We offer mobile communication and connectivity solutions for service providers and enterprises. Together with our customers and partners, we make the digital world of tomorrow a reality. www.ericsson.com
About Kickstart Ventures
Driven by its vision to shape a better future, Kickstart Ventures invests in tech startups that solve real-world problems through sustainable and holistic innovation. The corporate venture capital firm of the Philippines’ leading corporations, Kickstart Ventures has 71 investments globally led by 140+ founders.
Ericsson Contact
Ralf Bagner, Head of Media Relations
Phone: +46 76 128 47 89
E-mail: ralf.bagner@ericsson.com
https://x.com/ericsson
https://www.facebook.com/ericsson
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ericsson
LotusFlare Contact
Eric Morhenn
Chief Commercial Officer
Email Address: eric@lotusflare.com
LotusFlare News: https://lotusflare.com/news/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lotusflare
Kickstart Ventures Contact
Celina Durante
Head of Communications
Email Address: celina@kickstart.ph
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kickstart-ventures-inc-
Guangzhou’s Nansha emerges as cultural performance hub in GBA
GUANGZHOU, China, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from South:
The upcoming Mayday 25th Anniversary Tour in Guangzhou, set for December 5 to 15 at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Culture and Sports Center, underscores Nansha’s rapid rise as a premier destination for major cultural events. This marks the district’s seventh large-scale music event this year, solidifying its ambition to become the GBA’s “city of performances.”
The momentum began with the Guangzhou Strawberry Music Festival in December 2024. Since then, Nansha has hosted a packed calendar, including the “Head In The Clouds” music and arts festival, The Chainsmokers concert, the AniSonic holographic concert, a Hong Kong-style golden hits concert for the Qixi Festival, and both the Guangzhou Taihai and Super Strawberry music festivals. The lineups have featured international stars, such as Karen Mok, Janice Vidal, Miriam Yeung, David Tao, and Wen Zhaolun, alongside virtual singer Luo Tianyi.
Beyond Mayday, December will also welcome the SoNTILLa Sandilla Music Festival and the 2025 Guangzhou stop of the Storm Electronic Music Festival. The latter, returning to Nansha for a second year, captivated audiences with its New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
Cultural vibrancy extends beyond music. The inaugural GBA Lantern Fair this year attracted 710,000 visitors, highlighting Nansha’s broader cultural appeal.
A cornerstone of this development is the newly operational GBA Culture and Sports Center. After debuting with three sporting events in August, it now prepares for its first major performance undertaking—the six Mayday concerts. This world-class facility, featuring a 60,000-seat stadium, a 20,000-seat arena, and a 4,000-seat aquatics center, is poised to become a shared space for high-level competitions and public cultural life in the region.
As a national strategic area, Nansha aims for higher-level openness. Leveraging professional venues like the center and the expertise of operators such as China Resources Culture and Sports, the district encourages more international and domestic events, participating in the city’s dynamic development opportunities.
Behind each major concert lies a powerful emotional connection that sparks the entire cultural tourism consumption chain and boosts urban visibility. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, Nansha, with its mantra “a young city serving young people,” is fast-tracking its identity as a high-quality development model. By rapidly hosting large-scale events and attracting intercity travelers “following concerts,” this coastal district is confidently striding toward its goal as the GBA’s new performance highland.
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 working visit from 20 to 26 November in Singapore by a joint delegation from the Lao Employment Business Association under the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW) and Singapore’s Association of Employment Agencies.
During the visit, both delegations met with the Lao Ambassador to Singapore to discuss legal frameworks for deploying Lao workers under recognized international labor standards. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the outcomes and established a technical understanding to strengthen future collaboration. MLSW described the visit as a “new step forward” in advancing bilateral labor cooperation.
The MLSW highlighted key benefits for Lao workers, including employment contracts of two years or longer and the opportunity to remain employed in Singapore until age 63. Workers are encouraged to focus on language skills, a positive mindset and perseverance, and job-specific technical skills that meet Singapore’s requirements.
Singapore, the only high-income economy in ASEAN according to the 2025 International Monetary Fund report, ranks first in the region and fourth globally. Its developed economy, strict legal protections, and reduced risks of exploitation make it an attractive destination for Lao workers seeking secure and long-term employment.
EL CHATO TAKES THE NO.1 SPOT IN LATIN AMERICA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS 2025
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ANTIGUA, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The culinary community gathered for the first time in the city of Antigua, Guatemala for the unveiling of the 13th edition of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. The list highlights restaurants from 21 cities, with El Chato in Bogotá taking the No.1 position. Led by chef Álvaro Clavijo, this contemporary Colombian restaurant has been internationally recognised for its culinary excellence as well as its commitment to local producers and ingredients.
El Chato in Bogotá takes the No.1 spot in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna
For the full 1-50 list, click here.
Buenos Aires is a culinary powerhouse in the region with eight restaurants ranked in the 1-50 list, followed by Lima with seven and Santiago with five. Kjolle (No.2) in Lima is named The Best Restaurant in Peru, while Don Julio (No.3) in Buenos Aires is The Best Restaurant in Argentina.
Seven restaurants debut on the list, led by Santiago’s Casa Las Cujas at No.14, winning the Highest New Entry Award. Other Santiago debuts include Yum Cha (No.28), Demo Magnolia (No.31) and Karai by Mitsuharu (No.45). Additional new entries are Arami (No.48) from La Paz, El Mercado (No.27) from Buenos Aires and Afluente (No.34) from Bogotá.
Special award winners include Cosme (No.9), earning the Highest Climber Award, sponsored by Lee Kum Kee, after jumping 19 positions to No.9; Rodolfo Guzmán of Boragó (No.6) receives the Icon Award; Bianca Mirabili of Evvai (No.20) is named Latin America’s Best Pastry Chef, sponsored by República del Cacao; Alejandro Chamorro of Nuema (No.10) wins the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award; Tássia Magalhães is awarded Latin America’s Best Female Chef; Maximiliano Pérez is named Latin America’s Best Sommelier, sponsored by Vik and Oda (No.76) in Bogotá wins the Sustainable Restaurant Award.
Craig Hawtin-Butcher, Managing Director for 50 Best, says: “We are truly delighted to celebrate El Chato as The Best Restaurant in Latin America 2025. Our sincerest congratulations to Álvaro Clavijo and his entire team for creating such a special space that has brought Colombian cuisine to the forefront of the international stage. We extend our congratulations to all the restaurants included in this year’s list.”
50 Best works with Deloitte as its official independent adjudication partner to ensure voting integrity through 300 regional experts. More details here.
Media Centre: https://mediacentre.theworlds50best.com/
Blackpanda and ST Engineering Partner to Strengthen Cyber Incident Response Across Asia
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The partnership explores the integration of Blackpanda’s IR-1 and ST Engineering’s AETHER solution to advance regional cyber defence capabilities.
SINGAPORE, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Blackpanda, Asia’s leading cyber incident response firm, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MOC) with ST Engineering‘s Cyber Business, an industry leader in cybersecurity trusted across critical sectors and markets. The collaboration marks a significant step forward in expanding accessible, enterprise-grade incident response across Asia, leveraging the combined strengths of both organisations.
Memorandum of Collaboration (MOC) between Blackpanda and ST Engineering inked at GovWare 2025 by Gene Yu, Founder & CEO, Blackpanda; Victor Tan, Managing Director, SEA, Blackpanda; Lim Meng Hwee, Senior VP/Head, Cyber Solutions & Infrastructure, ST Engineering; Goh Eng Choon, President of Cyber, ST Engineering.
WATCH VIDEO: WHAT IS BLACKPANDA IR-1?
Blackpanda and ST Engineering will collaborate to strengthen regional cyber resilience through technical collaboration and market development, exploring integration opportunities for Blackpanda’s IR-1 assurance solution and ST Engineering’s AETHER AI-enabled threat elimination and response solution. This partnership aims to create an integrated, proactive, and responsive ecosystem that helps SMEs across the region prepare for, respond to, and recover from cyber attacks with unprecedented speed and assurance.
“Blackpanda’s IR-1 rapid response capabilities, combined with ST Engineering’s deep expertise in cybersecurity infrastructure, represent a powerful alliance for Asia’s cyber resilience,” said Victor Tan, Managing Director, Southeast Asia, Blackpanda. “Together, we are making it possible for SMEs to access the same level of protection and recovery once reserved only for the largest corporations.”
Democratising Access to Cyber Emergency Response
As digital transformation accelerates across Asia, SMEs face an escalating volume and complexity of cyber threats, from AI-powered phishing to supply chain attacks. Yet despite this growing risk, most enterprises remain unprepared for major incidents. SME businesses require an incident response service that is specifically tailored to meet their needs and budget.
Blackpanda’s IR-1 cyber emergency subscription addresses it by providing always-on access to elite cyber responders, digital forensics, and access to discounted cyber insurance coverage from its Lloyd’s of London insurance coverholder — ensuring immediate expert support when a breach occurs. Through this collaboration, both companies seek to expand IR-1’s accessibility and strengthen organisations’ ability to withstand cyber crises.
“Through this collaboration, we are combining our rapid response capability with ST Engineering’s robust AETHER solution to make professional cyber emergency response widely available,” said Gene Yu, CEO of Blackpanda.
For more insights on cyber resilience and incident response across Asia, visit the Blackpanda Knowledge Hub. To learn more about the impact Blackpanda is making in the Asia market, view real-life case studies here. To learn about Blackpanda IR-1 in less than two minutes, watch the short video here.
About Blackpanda
Blackpanda is a Lloyd’s of London–accredited insurance coverholder and Asia’s leading local cyber incident response firm, delivering end-to-end digital emergency support across the region. We are pioneering the A2I (Assurance-to-Insurance) model in cybersecurity — uniting preparation, response, and insurance into a seamless pathway that minimises financial and operational impact from cyber attack. Through expert consulting services, response assurance subscriptions, and innovative cyber insurance, we help organisations get ready, respond, and recover from cyber attacks — all delivered by local specialists working in concert. Our mission is clear: to bring complete cyber peace of mind to every organisation in Asia, from the first moment of breach through full recovery and beyond.
Laos Among Nations Affected by U.S. Halt on Green Card, Citizenship Processing
The Trump administration in the United States has temporarily frozen immigration applications from 19 countries, including Laos, deepening what officials describe as a sweeping security review but raising uncertainty for Lao nationals seeking permanent residency or naturalization in the United States.
The pause affects green card and citizenship requests handled by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), following last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, which officials linked to an Afghan asylum recipient.
Since then, the administration has suspended asylum processing, reviewed past approvals, and directed a re-examination of existing residency permits from countries deemed “of concern.”
Laos is among those on the list, alongside Myanmar, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Cuba, Afghanistan, and several other low-income nations. The immigration services said the halt was necessary to ensure applicants “are the best of the best,” but immigration lawyers across the US reported cancelled oath ceremonies, scrapped interviews and confused applicants being turned away without explanation.
While the number of Lao nationals affected is currently unknown, the move introduces new complications for Lao citizens studying, working, or seeking family reunification in America.
The US has long been a destination for higher education and resettlement among Lao communities, with multi-generation diaspora links in states such as Minnesota, California and Washington.
The new restriction also arrives at a sensitive moment for Laos, whose young people are increasingly looking outward for education and employment.
Migration to Thailand dominates, but smaller streams head to Australia, South Korea, Japan, and the US, often relying on study pathways or family sponsorships now caught in uncertainty.
Officials in Washington have framed the crackdown as a national security response, but with no timeline for lifting the pause, Lao applicants could face lengthy delays in what was already a backlogged immigration system.
CNN’s ‘Tech for Good’ explores how young innovators are making agriculture smarter, greener and more resilient
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HONG KONG, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In the latest episode of ‘Tech for Good’, CNN anchor and correspondent Kristie Lu Stout meets the young innovators developing cutting-edge technology that could one day revolutionize agriculture, food production, and reforestation. From robot harvesters to self-burying seeds, ‘Tech for Good’ dives into the future of farming and environmental restoration – designed, coded, and cultivated by the next generation.
CNN’s ‘Tech for Good’ explores how young innovators are making agriculture smarter, greener and more resilient
Kristie first visits a farm on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, to meet SwagBot, an AI-powered agriculture robot. What began as a cattle-herding robot has evolved to autonomously collect data about animal grazing patterns, weather, and nutrition, helping farmers optimize livestock care and increase productivity. Kristie meets post-doctorate researcher Fiorella Sibona who is testing how SwagBot, and a host of other robots developed at the University of Sydney, can be used to make farming more sustainable.
Next, ‘Tech for Good’ heads to Switzerland to visit École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne’s CREATE Lab, where students are developing new forms of intelligent robots for agriculture. We first meet a dexterous robot that can plant, monitor, and harvest vegetables autonomously; its robotic arms were made from scratch and have been trained by students using bespoke haptic gloves and AI. Then we meet the GOAT (Good On All Terrains) robot, a shapeshifting, multi-modal robot capable of rolling, crawling, and flying, that could one day be used for environmental monitoring and mapping on difficult terrains like steep vineyards.
‘Tech for Good’ also revisits Flash Forest, a Canadian startup featured in 2021, which uses drones and advanced technology to plant seed pods in areas affected by wildfires. Kristie speaks to co-founder Cameron Jones to find out how the company is now leveraging AI, lidar sensors and more advanced drones to expand their reach, as they aim to plant one billion trees by the early 2030s.
Finally, in America, a team at the University of California, Berkeley is developing ‘E-seeds’, which are biodegradable, self-planting seed carriers that can automatically corkscrew into the soil when moistened. We meet PhD student Semina Yi, who is testing how her new seed carrier prototype can be deployed using drones, in a bid to help with land reforestation.
Tech for Good trailers: http://bit.ly/43ZBlmc
Tech for Good images: https://bit.ly/443bKbW
Tech for Good microsite: https://cnn.it/3PB5DSq
Airtimes for 30-minute special:
Saturday, 6th December at 2:30pm and 7:30pm HKT
Sunday, 7th December at 10:30am HKT
Monday, 8th December at 2am and 12pm HKT
About CNN International
CNN’s portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms, reaching more than 379 million households around the globe. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region, and Latin America and has a US presence that includes CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. Around 1,000 hours of long-form series, documentaries and specials are produced every year by CNNI’s non-news programming division. CNN has 36 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is a Warner Bros. Discovery company.
