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Vientiane Authorities Report Over 135 Hectares of Illegal Mining

This photo is for representational purpose only.

Vientiane authorities have revealed that illegal mining activities across the capital cover over 135 hectares, far exceeding legal limits. 

Of eight companies operating in the city, three held legal permits covering 10 hectares but were found mining over 61.82 hectares, surpassing their authorized limits. 

Meanwhile, five companies operated without authorization over 83.38 hectares. Combined, mining activities from all eight companies affected 145.20 hectares, surpassing the legal limit by 135.20 hectares, the city’s deputy mayor said on 14 August.

The municipal meeting on 14 August 2025 in Vientiane Capital was attended by Saichai Kommasith, Deputy Minister of Defence of Laos, and Sililaththongsin Thongpheng, Deputy Mayor of Vientiane Capital. (Photo credit: Vientiane Mai)

Officials emphasized the urgent need for coordinated action among municipal authorities, district offices, and government agencies. Measures include enforcing mining regulations, enhancing monitoring along rivers and streams, and developing targeted action plans to address illegal mining.

This follows the Lao government’s suspension of all potash exploration and mining projects in Vientiane Capital, effective 1 July, due to serious environmental and safety concerns.

Authorities stressed mitigating environmental and social impacts and ensuring strict compliance with the law.

The municipal meeting on 14 August 2025 in Vientiane Capital was attended by Saichai Kommasith, Deputy Minister of Defence of Laos, and Sililaththongsin Thongpheng, Deputy Mayor of Vientiane Capital. (Photo credit: Vientiane Mai)

Ba0Ba0 and OceanBase Forge Partnership to Expand Intelligent Automation Through Combined AI and Database Expertise

SINGAPORE, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ba0Ba0, a Singapore-based AI company with a zero token, zero licensing cost model and a local LLM CPU-first architecture, today announced a strategic partnership with OceanBase to co-develop and expand AI automation solutions across Singapore and other ASEAN markets. The partnership will merge Ba0Ba0’s affordable, locally deployable AI capabilities with OceanBase’s industry-leading database technology, enabling enterprises across banking, healthcare, retail, and other sectors to accelerate digital transformation with unmatched efficiency and cost control.


Through this partnership, Ba0Ba0 will integrate OceanBase’s AI-ready, multi-cloud distributed database capabilities into its AI automation solutions, delivering higher efficiency, reliability, and scalability for enterprise backends. This integration ensures secure, high-performance deployments while eliminating the usage-based fees and licensing costs that have historically limited AI adoption in many industries.

OceanBase’s built-in vector capabilities enable AI development directly within SQL, simplifying the AI stack and allowing seamless hybrid searches across structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data — all while integrating OLTP, OLAP, and AI workloads in a single database. These innovations unlock modernized AI applications such as intelligent recommendations, AI-powered conversational systems through Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and enterprise-level AI agents.

OceanBase’s advanced AI database capabilities have been leveraged by customers across diverse scenarios, including a hotel image retrieval and display system developed by Trip.com Group, and Lalamove’s advanced solutions such as a  loss-prevention code recognition system and an AI assistant for data warehouse inquiry.


“Our mission has always been to make AI affordable, accessible, and impactful for every industry, regardless of size or budget,” said Jesslyn Wong, Founder of Ba0Ba0 AI. “By partnering with OceanBase, we are combining leading-edge AI automation with world-class database technology to empower businesses across banking, healthcare, retail, and beyond. This December, we are taking our vision beyond Earth — with the Ba0Ba0 AI LLM set to be deployed aboard a space cubesat satellite as part of the Tristar mission in collaboration with the Russian space agency — marking a milestone in making AI truly universal.”

Hong-Chia How, General Manager of the APAC market at OceanBase. remarked, “The emergence of the new AI era, accompanied by exponential growth in data warehouses, presents unprecedented opportunities alongside significant challenges in data storage, management, and analysis. OceanBase is evolving from an integrated database into a comprehensive, AI-ready data platform, with AI as a core strategic pillar of our future. By strengthening our Data x AI capabilities, we aim to unlock real-world impact from the latest AI innovations.

“We are excited to join hands with Ba0Ba0, bringing our AI database expertise to accelerate AI transformation across Southeast Asia. We invite organizations exploring AI use cases , as well as SaaS providers seeking to transform their applications, to partner with us on this journey.” added How.

Ba0Ba0 stems from charity roots and remains privately owned for the benefit of the masses, focusing on delivering enterprise-grade AI automation without hidden costs. Its CPU-first, locally deployable large language model ensures data sovereignty, scalability, and zero token/zero licensing cost, enabling organizations to adopt AI without financial or operational lock-in.

Operating in over 170 availability zones across more than 50 geographic regions on major global cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, and Tencent Cloud, OceanBase has successfully assisted over 2,000 customers worldwide in upgrading their database systems.

About Ba0Ba0

Ba0Ba0 is a Singapore-based AI company dedicated to making advanced AI automation accessible to all. Built on charity-inspired values, Ba0Ba0 remains privately owned to safeguard its mission of serving the public good. Its flagship technology features a zero token, zero licensing cost model and a local LLM CPU-first architecture, enabling secure, scalable, and cost-efficient AI deployments without reliance on expensive cloud GPU infrastructure. Ba0Ba0 empowers industries including banking, healthcare, and retail to harness AI automation while retaining full control of their data and costs.

About OceanBase

OceanBase is a distributed database launched in 2010. It provides strong data consistency, high availability, high performance, cost efficiency, elastic scalability, and compatibility with mainstream relational databases. It handles transactional, analytical, and AI workloads through a unified data engine, enabling mission-critical applications and real-time analytics. To learn more, please visit: https://www.oceanbase.com/ 

Media Contacts

Ba0Ba0 AI
Media Relations
Email: press@ba0ba0.com
Website: https://www.ba0ba0.com

Laos Takes Proactive Measures to Mitigate Peak Rainy Season Disasters

Laos Takes Proactive Measures to Mitigate Peak Rainy Season Disasters

As the rainy season intensifies across Laos, the Irrigation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has stepped up efforts to manage natural disasters, especially floods and droughts.

HR Path Strengthens Global Presence with Strategic Acquisition of RKM Consulting in Australia

PARIS, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — HR Path, a global leader in HR consulting and HRIS solutions, is proud to announce its strategic acquisition of RKM Consulting, an Australian based company specialized in advising & implementing HRIS systems, with a strong focus on SAP SuccessFactors.

With a presence in 28 countries and a team of over 2,500 professionals, HR Path is a trusted partner for businesses navigating the complexities of Human Resources. Specializing in advisory, implementation, and operational services, HR Path delivers cutting-edge solutions designed to enhance efficiency and foster growth. Since its founding in 2001, the company has remained steadfast in its mission to transform HR practices globally.

Founded in 2000, RKM Consulting has built a strong reputation for delivering customer-focused HR Technology solutions.  RKM was formed with the focus on partnering with the HR customer community to ensure that their HR Technology solutions are delivered successfully. RKM Consulting’s business of human resources technology services, specializes in collaborating with clients to deliver human resources information systems (“HRIS”) solutions and supporting those HRIS solutions in the selection, implementation delivery, and the business-as-usual user environment of its customers.

This acquisition represents a significant milestone for HR Path, solidifying its position as a leader in the HR industry and expanding its presence in the Australian/New Zealand market. RKM Consulting’s specialized focus on HRIS technology, in particular SAP SuccessFactors, reinforces HR Path’s already well-established position in the SAP HCM market and further supports its commitment to driving organizational growth and excellence through strategic HR solutions. HR Path has been active in Australia since 2019 through the acquisition of DDG, and the opening of our Australian office in 2024 marked a renewed commitment to the region. RKM Consulting’s customer centric focus on HRIS technology, perfectly complements HR Path’s vision of driving organizational growth and excellence through strategic HR solutions.

“We’re thrilled to welcome RKM Consulting to the HR Path family. This acquisition is a significant milestone for our growth journey in Australia and New Zealand,” said Suraj K. K., Managing Director of HR Path ANZ.

“We are excited about this new chapter!” said Rob Makinson, Managing Director at RKM Consulting. “This step opens exciting opportunities for our team, clients and provides a platform for our continued growth and success. We will maintain our commitment to delivering exceptional customer service within the Australian HR Business Community while exploring new possibilities within HR Path.”

Contact:  Fabienne LATOUR – Fabienne.latour@hr-path.com 

PDF – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2749030/HR_Path.pdf

 

Clarivate Launches AI-powered Regulatory Assistant Within Cortellis Suite to Boost Productivity and Ease Regulatory Burden

Integrated into Cortellis Regulatory Intelligence, new AI capability helps regulatory teams streamline access to critical intelligence and understand requirements with ease

LONDON, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Clarivate Plc (NYSE:CLVT), a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, today announced the beta launch of its AI-powered Regulatory Assistant within Cortellis Regulatory Intelligence. This new capability is designed to help regulatory professionals navigate complex and evolving global requirements with greater ease, speed and confidence. Informed by customer input and tested with industry partners, the beta version of the Regulatory Assistant is built to meet the real-world needs of regulatory professionals across biopharma, medtech and research organizations. The Regulatory Assistant will be launched to all Cortellis Regulatory Intelligence users in September with additional capabilities designed to further enhance usability, personalization and decision support.

Clarivate logo

Features within the Beta version of Cortellis Regulatory Intelligence AI Assistant include:

  • Conversational AI with referenced answers: Users can ask regulatory questions naturally and get precise, cited responses, saving hours of manual work. The AI-powered Assistant, guided by domain expertise, understands regulatory nuances to provide customers with accurate answers.
  • Your conversations, always within reach: Users can pick up right where they left off with chat history, resulting in more relevant, personalized responses.
  • Multilingual by design: Search and interact in preferred languages for a seamless, tailored experience.

Yuval Kiselstein, VP, R&D, Life Sciences & Healthcare at Clarivate, said: “Today’s regulatory environment is increasingly complex and fast-changing. The beta launch of the Regulatory Assistant is a key milestone in our mission to empower regulatory teams with intuitive, AI-driven tools that enhance productivity and support confident, compliant decision-making. By working closely with our Collaborative Partners, we are building a solution that reflects real-world workflows and priorities.”

Janeen Skutnik-Wilkinson, Director, Regulatory Intelligence & External Engagement, Moderna, said: “We are so pleased to be a part of the beta testing for the new AI Regulatory assistant. This tool will save us significant time and resources compared to searching manually, and we are already seeing how this will speed up internal enquiries and intelligence work. We have been impressed with how the team is actively engaging clients in the development process by seeking out and acting upon our feedback to continually improve the product. They are dedicated to building a useful tool that meets our needs while ensuring that it is also accurate and user-friendly.”

With market-leading intelligence solutions, transformative data technologies and trusted AI, Clarivate equips customers with the insight and foresight they need across every stage of the product lifecycle, from early discovery through commercialization and beyond. In line with this commitment, the new AI-powered Regulatory Assistant brings the Clarivate mission to life by helping customers navigate complexity, accelerate decision-making and shape the future of healthcare.

As regulatory professionals face mounting pressure to keep pace with global changes, interpret complex requirements, and ensure compliance, the Regulatory Assistant streamlines access to trusted intelligence, enabling faster, more confident decisions. Built on the same proven Clarivate AI platform that powers Clarivate solutions, including Web of Science, and trusted by hundreds of organizations, it combines powerful technology with 30+ years of regulatory expertise relied on by top pharma and global agencies.

To learn more about the Cortellis Regulatory Intelligence AI-powered Regulatory Assistant, visit here.

About Clarivate
Clarivate is a leading global provider of transformative intelligence. We offer enriched data, insights & analytics, workflow solutions and expert services in the areas of Academia & Government, Intellectual Property and Life Sciences & Healthcare.  For more information, please visit clarivate.com

Media Contact:

Catherine Daniel
Director, External Communications, Life Sciences & Healthcare
Clarivate
newsroom@clarivate.com

 

SHEIN’s Second “Tools Day” Event Highlights Over 60 Innovations Developed to Drive Supplier Manufacturing Improvements

SINGAPORE, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SHEIN, a global online fashion and lifestyle retailer, showcased over 60 unique sewing and garment production tools at the second edition of its Tools Day event, demonstrating how targeted innovations are helping third-party suppliers overcome technical barriers, reduce the time spent at various stages of production, and improve the quality and consistency of the garments produced. 

SHEIN's Tools Day event demonstrates how targeted innovations are helping third-party suppliers overcome technical barriers, and aims to help suppliers reduce the time spent at various stages of production and improve the quality and consistency of the garments produced.
SHEIN’s Tools Day event demonstrates how targeted innovations are helping third-party suppliers overcome technical barriers, and aims to help suppliers reduce the time spent at various stages of production and improve the quality and consistency of the garments produced.

Held at SHEIN’s Centre for Innovation in Garment Manufacturing (CIGM), suppliers were able to view and interact with the various technical tools and intelligent equipment developed by the CIGM’s in-house team to address specific pain points in the manufacturing of fashion apparel. Through both on-site demonstrations and a livestreamed virtual tour, the event provided a comprehensive view of SHEIN’s growing ecosystem of innovation, with dedicated zones showcasing some of the more popular tools, newly developed tools, as well as more specialised equipment such as sewing machine attachments to help with shirring and stitching of garments.

Innovative Tools for Delicate Materials: Automating Embellished Fabric Sewing

Sewing sequinned, beaded and rhinestone embellished fabrics, common materials used in evening and formal wear, has long been one of the apparel industry’s most difficult production challenges. Many small and medium-sized clothing manufacturers have avoided producing garments like wedding dresses or evening gowns which use these types of materials and embellishments, due to the complex and labour-intensive processes required to handle these speciality materials and details.

Beads positioned along seam lines often cause sewing needles to get stuck or break. To work around this problem, workers often resorted to crushing beads manually with tools like hammers or pliers. However, this approach slows down the pace of production, leads to inconsistent results, and carries a high risk of damaging the fabric.

To address this, SHEIN’s CIGM team developed two complementary tools:

  • The Beaded Embroidery Seam Presser Foot, which gently moves beads aside allowing the needle to move seamlessly between the beads, and
  • The Bead Breaking Attachment, which combines a component that breaks the beads and a mechanism that blows away the crushed bead fragments, automating bead removal along seam lines.

 

The Beaded Embroidery Seam Presser Foot is a tool developed by SHEIN's CIGM team. It gently moves beads aside allowing the needle to move seamlessly between the beads, making it easier to sew embellished fabrics without damaging beads or sequins and reducing the risk of needle breakage.
The Beaded Embroidery Seam Presser Foot is a tool developed by SHEIN’s CIGM team. It gently moves beads aside allowing the needle to move seamlessly between the beads, making it easier to sew embellished fabrics without damaging beads or sequins and reducing the risk of needle breakage.

When used together, these tools have helped to preserve intricate designs, reduce fabric damage, and dramatically lower the level of manual skill required to construct clothes made using these types of embellished fabrics. Since these two tools were made available to suppliers in 2024, over 900 units have been deployed across supplier factories within SHEIN’s supply chain.

Co-developing Solutions to Drive Real-world Results

This year’s “Tools Day” event also featured seven newly developed tools launched in 2025. These innovations target the often overlooked but technically complex work of applying lace and webbing embellishments to cuffs, necklines, and hemlines, and other areas. Tools such as the Adjustable Flatbed Webbing Puller, the Four-Thread Overlock Lace Tape Presser Foot, and the Flatbed Pearl & Diamond Tape Puller automate alignment and feeding, helping to improve garment finishing, while simplifying previously labour-intensive processes.

These achievements are the result of SHEIN’s approach which ensures that new tools are co-developed with suppliers based on the pain-points they have encountered, and validated in real-world factory settings before being made available to third-party suppliers across SHEIN’s broader supply chain network.

“In the past, when we encountered styles with complex processes, we were often at a loss because there were no suitable solutions available on the market,” said Wang Feng, a supplier who has worked in the apparel industry for over 20 years and joined SHEIN’s as an evening gown supplier four years ago. “Now, whenever we face a technical issue, SHEIN’s professional team responds immediately. They tailor tools for us, provide step-by-step instructional videos, and even send engineers to our factory to ensure the problem is truly solved.”

To date, SHEIN has developed over 170 individual tools, providing nearly 6,000 units of these tools to suppliers since the launch of the CIGM in 2023. These tools, which are made available to suppliers for a fee, help empower them to meet the evolving production demands of the industry with greater agility, precision, and quality. The use of these tools is estimated to have helped third-party suppliers reduce the overall time required for manual labour by up to 80% at the stages of production where the tools are used.

Empowering Suppliers Through Capability-Building

In 2024, SHEIN’s CIGM continued to support supplier capability-building through a range of training and advisory services. The centre delivered 69 vocational training sessions to over 1,200 participants across more than 1,000 suppliers, covering key topics such as garment production technologies, business operations, and organisational processes.

It also ran 97 technical certification courses, enabling more than 1,750 participants to gain certifications in areas such as quality inspection and assurance, as well as national vocational skill level certifications. Beyond training, the CIGM works directly with suppliers by providing advice on strategic factory site selection, layout planning, and facility design to help improve operational efficiency.

Investing in collaboration to drive industry-wide transformation

SHEIN is also deepening its investment in industry collaboration to drive the next wave of manufacturing transformation. In the first half of 2025, SHEIN entered into strategic partnerships with Donghua University and Transfar Chemicals, targeting key areas for textile innovation and technology. Together with Donghua University, SHEIN is co-developing a recycled polyester solution capable of accepting a wider range of materials, including both pre- and post-consumer polyester feedstock, and that results in fibres that can be recycled repeatedly without compromising key material properties. Meanwhile, a joint laboratory established with Transfar Chemicals is focused on advancing new dyeing and finishing processes and developing new functional fabrics. These initiative aims to position SHEIN as a global leader in textile technology innovation.

By embedding innovation into every layer of its digitally enabled, demand-driven supply chain, SHEIN is not only improving supplier capabilities and product quality but also shaping the future of efficient and responsive fashion manufacturing.

About SHEIN

SHEIN is a global online fashion and lifestyle retailer, offering SHEIN branded apparel and products from a global network of vendors, all at affordable prices. SHEIN remains committed to making the beauty of fashion accessible to all, promoting its industry-leading, on-demand production methodology, for a smarter, future-ready industry. To learn more about SHEIN, visit www.sheingroup.com.

Kandao Partners with Fraunhofer IIS to Elevate Audio Performance Across Its Product Line

SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Kandao Technology, an award-winning innovator in 360° imaging and video conferencing solutions, is excited to announce a strategic collaboration with Fraunhofer IIS, one of the world’s most renowned audio research institutions. This partnership brings Fraunhofer IIS’s advanced upHear audio technologies into Kandao’s Meeting Series and QooCam 360 cameras, further enhancing the sound experience across our products.

Focusing on sound clarity and intelligent audio and visual combination, Kandao refines how users hear and connect. By integrating Fraunhofer IIS’s world-class upHear audio processing, Kandao has significantly improved voice clarity, reduced latency, and implemented precise robust echo cancellation — key factors in our Zoom certification success for Kandao Meeting devices.

Kandao Partners with Fraunhofer IIS to Elevate Audio Performance
Kandao Partners with Fraunhofer IIS to Elevate Audio Performance

About Fraunhofer IIS

Fraunhofer IIS, part of the esteemed Fraunhofer Society in Germany, is internationally recognized for pioneering audio formats such as MP3 and AAC. With decades of expertise in audio signal processing and immersive sound, their technologies are foundational in consumer electronics, professional broadcasting, and communications worldwide.

Audio Advancements Across Kandao’s Product Line

QooCam 360 Cameras now feature immersive spatial audio capture for a more realistic sound environment reproduction, intelligent noise reduction to minimize background distractions, and wind noise suppression to ensure clear audio capture in outdoor settings.

Kandao Meeting Series devices are enhanced with advanced audio processing technologies from the upHear catalogue such as superior acoustic echo cancellation and AI-based noise cancellation. Together they facilitate crystal-clear and uninterrupted communication, and 360-degree high quality audio pickup and ensure that every participant is clearly heard.

This partnership between Kandao and Fraunhofer IIS is more than just a collaboration — it is a shared vision to revolutionize how technology connects with people. Together, Kandao and Fraunhofer IIS are raising the bar for audio innovation worldwide.

For more information, visit

Kandao Technology: https://us.kandaovr.com/collections/meeting

Fraunhofer IIS: https://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/

Huawei Cloud: Accelerating Intelligence in ASEAN and Forging a Regional AI Innovation Highland

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The ASEAN AI Malaysia Summit 2025 took place today. Aka Dai, Director of Huawei Cloud Marketing, gave a keynote speech titled “Accelerate Intelligence, Ignite Smart ASEAN.” He shared insights on how Huawei Cloud collaborates with ASEAN nations to capitalize on AI opportunities, boost growth, enhance competitiveness, and improve social welfare through cloud and AI technologies.

Aka Dai, Director of Huawei Cloud Marketing
Aka Dai, Director of Huawei Cloud Marketing

Cloud and AI are now driving national development and enterprise innovation. At this pivotal moment, ASEAN, with its vibrant energy and vision, is embracing these technologies to build global AI leadership. Despite their diverse approaches, member countries share a common goal: to create a forward-thinking innovation hub.

“This region is not just a dynamic growth engine. It is a land of pioneers, eager for innovation,” said Aka Dai. Huawei has operated in ASEAN for 26 years, and Huawei Cloud has served the region for 7 years. Committed to the principle “In ASEAN, For ASEAN,” Huawei Cloud has brought significant local investments and technological advancements. As the fastest-growing cloud provider in ASEAN, Huawei Cloud has seen a 30-fold increase over five years, with annual market growth surpassing 40%, serving numerous public services, financial institutions, carriers, and internet companies.

In industry applications, Huawei Cloud follows the “AI for Industries” strategy. Collaborating with customers on real-world projects, Huawei’s team of engineers and PhDs has built deep industry knowledge, enhancing productivity worldwide. From R&D and production to supply chain, sales, customer service, and operations—Huawei Cloud has explored over 500 use cases across 30 sectors. In ASEAN, Huawei Cloud has successfully integrated AI into public services, finance, telecommunications, and transportation.

In terms of technological innovation, Huawei Cloud significantly lowers the barrier to adopting AI through systematic innovation, making it easier for businesses to harness its power. It offers three core capabilities. First, a robust global network spanning 34 Regions and 101 availability zones (AZs), ensuring high scalability, low latency, and exceptional reliability. In ASEAN alone, Huawei Cloud operates 5 Regions and 17 AZs, offering top-notch network performance for local users. Second, Huawei Cloud features an open model ecosystem, supporting over 160 leading open-source models. Third, Huawei Cloud’s Pangu models enable companies to develop cutting-edge industry solutions using a full-range, multi-modal, and innovative three-layer decoupling architecture.

When it comes to fostering a thriving ecosystem, Huawei Cloud actively promotes the “Cloud for Good” initiative, leveraging cloud and AI to benefit humanity, nature, and sustainable development. In terms of talent development, Huawei has partnered with 49 institutions in Malaysia since 2021 to train over 54,000 individuals and aims to train 30,000 AI professionals in the next three years.

Huawei Cloud is dedicated to being a long-term partner in the dynamic, agile, and inclusive ASEAN region. We collaborate with local businesses to drive continuous innovation, aiming to empower AI pioneers in industries.