A ground breaking ceremony for the Vang Vieng Central Plaza Project was held on June 1 at the former airport site in Vang Vieng District, Vientiane Province. (Photo by VTE9 Channel)
Preparations are underway for a USD 216 million tourism complex at the old airfield in Vang Vieng.
Lao Yijin Group Co., Ltd. is leading the project, which received government approval after passing feasibility and regulatory reviews, according to state media. The company signed a concession agreement with Vientiane provincial authorities and plans to complete construction within five years on 16.24 hectares formerly managed by the Ministry of National Defense.
The development will feature a five-star hotel, a private hospital, a public park, and a casino, though the casino must still be approved by authorities. Officials will relocate residents within the project area, noting the land does not legally belong to them and that affected households will receive support during the transition.
The developer estimates the complex will generate 4,000–5,000 jobs for local residents and contribute additional tax revenue, supporting long-term economic growth in Vang Vieng and Vientiane Province.
Vang Vieng has a long history as a travel destination, growing into a major adventure tourism hub by the late 1990s thanks to its natural surroundings and outdoor activities. The old airport, constructed in the 1960s and 1970s as a war-era airstrip, still bears remnants of its military past.
Improved infrastructure has made Vang Vieng more accessible. The Vientiane–Vang Vieng Expressway, completed in 2020, reduced travel time from around four hours to roughly 1.5 hours, boosting tourism and investment. The China–Laos Railway further enhances connectivity, shortening travel to key destinations and increasing arrivals, particularly from China and regional markets.
Authorities began clearing commercial stalls near the old airport in 2023, instructing vendors and restaurants to vacate by 30 April of the same year. The government emphasized the project’s potential to create jobs, attract international tourists, and stimulate economic activity, while acknowledging that some small local businesses may face temporary disruption.
The Central Plaza development represents a major step in Vang Vieng’s transformation into a modern tourism and commercial hub, leveraging improved transport networks and regional integration to expand the district’s economy and tourism sector.
NEW DELHI / BENGALURU, INDIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 June 2026 – Having recently won championships at Blackpool, Brigham Young University’s internationally acclaimed Ballroom Dance Company will bring its elegant and high-energy performances to India this June, with scheduled appearances in New Delhi on 4 June and 6 June 2026, and Bengaluru on 9 June 2026.
The award-winning dance company is one of the premier collegiate dance ensembles in the United States, renowned for its elite performance and vibrant stage presence. It has captivated audiences worldwide with its unique blend of standard ballroom and Latin dances, including the Waltz, Tango, Quickstep, Cha-cha and Samba.
BYU Ballroom Dance Company brings its elite performances to New Delhi and Bengaluru this June.
Audiences in India can look forward to an unforgettable evening of entertainment, featuring artistic moves with dazzling costumes. These appearances are part of the Company’s annual international tour, which seeks to foster cultural understanding and strengthen global friendships through the universal language of dance.
Last year, they had the privilege of performing for His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Suthida in Thailand; Her Royal Highness Preah Reach Botrey Samdech Norodom Arunrasmy in Cambodia; as well as other dignitaries and professionals in Vietnam, demonstrating their role as cultural ambassadors on the global stage.
“We feel deeply honored for the opportunity to travel to India and experience its remarkable culture and traditions firsthand,” said Curt Holman, the artistic director of the Company. “Ballroom dance has a unique ability to transcend language and culture, and through movement and music. Our students look forward not only to sharing their artistry, but also to learning from the people of India.”
By special invitation from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the 32 student dancers will, in addition to their performances, participate in cultural exchanges with local artists and engage in community service. These interactions reflect BYU’s broader commitment to education, cultural dialogue, and humanitarian outreach, creating meaningful connections beyond the stage.
Interested individuals may now reserve complimentary tickets through Eventbrite, while availability lasts. Tickets for the New Delhi shows have already been fully reserved.
Bengaluru:
9 June 2026
7:00–8:30 p.m.
MLR Convention Center (4th Cross Road, Kaveri Nagar, Whitefield, Bengaluru, KA 560048)
Pictures of 36 UXOs being displayed on the convention at kasi district, Vientiane Province. (Photo by VientianeMai)
A bomb clearance operation in Kasi district, Vientiane province, has uncovered 36 unexploded Authorities in Kasi district, Vientiane province, have uncovered 36 unexploded ordnance (UXO) items as Laos continues efforts to remove explosive remnants and make land safe for communities.
Operations began in early May, targeting more than 18 hectares of land. So far, teams have cleared 41,847 square meters, roughly 23 percent of the planned area. Officials expect the project to be completed by the end of 2026, after which the cleared land will be handed over for safe agricultural use and local development.
The clearance effort is being carried out with international support and coordinated by Laos’ National Regulatory Authority for the UXO sector.
UXO removal continues in other provinces. Between 17 and 19 May, UXO Lao teams in Attapeu safely destroyed three MK 82 GPLD aerial bombs, each weighing 226.7 kilograms, discovered in a cassava plantation in Vonglakhone village, Phouvong district.
Following the discovery, UXO Lao teams surveyed the site, coordinated with local authorities, and informed residents. The bombs were transported 1.5 kilometers to a demolition area and safely destroyed using a low-order detonation technique in line with established safety procedures.
Both parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost trade facilitation across businesses in ASEAN
The partnership will empower MSMEs through training and tools to navigate digital, finance, and logistics challenges, while improving trade standards, sustainability, and cross-border processes=
MANILA, THE PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 June 2026 – DHL Express and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) have formalized a strategic collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance trade facilitation, strengthen supply chain resilience, and empower micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the ASEAN member states. The initiative underscores a shared commitment to accelerate ASEAN’s economic integration and global competitiveness.
George Barcelon, Council Member, ASEAN Business Advisory Council and Herbert Vongpusanachai, Senior Vice President – Commercial for Asia Pacific, DHL Express signed the MoU in Manila
The partnership will focus on four key areas:
Empowering MSMEs including women-led businesses with enhanced access to and effective participation in cross-border trade
Strengthening supply chain resilience and promoting digital logistics adoption
Advancing decarbonization practices in the region
Harmonizing supply chain and digital trade standards through policy advocacy
These focus areas align with ASEAN’s broader ambition to enhance intra-regional and global trade connectivity. Equally, it highlights DHL’s GT20 initiative, which prioritizes the world’s 20 most significant markets; six of these are ASEAN member states. Through this collaboration, both organizations will work to reduce barriers to cross border commerce and improve customs processes and standards. ASEAN businesses – particularly MSMEs – will be able to gain a competitive edge in the global trade landscape.
“ASEAN’s strength will not be measured by the success of a few, but by the number of people we bring into the circle of growth and opportunity,” said ASEAN Business Advisory Council Chair Jose Ma. Concepcion III. “Advancing Prosperity for All” means building an ASEAN where businesses of all sizes can grow and innovate. Through stronger regional collaboration, and this partnership with DHL, we want to ensure that no one – especially MSMEs and the small entrepreneurs – is left behind.”
“Global trade has proven its resilience time and again, and ASEAN continues to stand out as a critical pillar of that growth. MSMEs are at the heart of ASEAN’s economies, and their ability to compete internationally will define the region’s next phase of development. DHL has been a constant in enabling cross-border trade – providing the infrastructure, expertise and reliability that businesses depend on. Our partnership with ASEAN-BAC and our GoTrade program show that we are doubling down on our commitment to MSMEs so that they can confidently scale beyond their home markets,” said Herbert Vongpusanachai, Senior Vice President for Commercial – Asia Pacific, DHL Express.
Asia remains a key anchor in global trade, according to the latest DHL Global Connectedness Report, with ASEAN also contributing significantly to trade flows. As a prominent manufacturing base that handled USD4.4 trillion (~EUR3.79 trillion) in merchandise trade, it is essential to ensure the region’s MSMEs receive the support they need to scale.
Under the MoU, DHL will provide expertise via its GoTrade program* and related MSME support initiatives. GoTrade training programs will be introduced region-wide to help MSMEs navigate complexities such as digital, finance and logistics when trading internationally. The DHL GoTrade program is a DHL strategic initiative that aims to unlock global trade opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Meanwhile, ASEAN-BAC Philippines, as chair for 2026, continues to champion MSMEs as a core priority embedded across its four strategic pillars: People (inclusivity), Planet (sustainability, Platform (innovation), and Productivity (competitiveness). Its flagship legacy project, the ASEAN mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network, launched during its last chairmanship in 2017, will be expanded into a digital platform to further scale mentorship, market access, innovation support, and regional opportunities for MSMEs across the region.
The collaboration will also reinforce the region’s strategic importance in global supply chains. By jointly developing research papers on ASEAN trade challenges faced by MSMEs, promoting digital trade processes, and engaging governments on aligned standards, DHL and ASEAN-BAC aim to further elevate ASEAN’s position in international trade networks.
The global DHL GoTrade Summit will also be held in Manila this year. Both ASEAN-BAC and the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines are partners of the event, which convenes experts and policymakers to ideate and discuss ways to help MSMEs trade better across borders.
*Note to editor:
Go Trade is DHL’s strategic initiative to unlock global trade opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). By partnering and building an ecosystem with public and private sector stakeholders, and collaborating with international development and intergovernmental agencies, Go Trade addresses systemic barriers to SME participation in international markets and promotes sustainable trade growth worldwide.
The program leverages DHL’s unparalleled global network, logistics expertise, and market insights to connect SMEs with cross-border opportunities. Through Capacity Building and Trade Advocacy, Go Trade equips businesses with the skills, resources, and support needed to scale internationally and operate sustainably. This approach not only accelerates SME growth but also drives economic development in emerging markets, creating long-term value for stakeholders and contributing to resilient global supply chains.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
DHL – The logistics company for the world
DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With approximately 389,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.
DHL is part of DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of approximately 82.9 billion euros in 2025. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. DHL Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions logistics by 2050.
ABOUT THE ASEAN BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL
The ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN‑BAC) is the region’s principal private sector advisory body, providing business insights and recommendations to ASEAN Leaders. It serves as the primary platform for the private sector to engage with policymakers, advocate for economic cooperation, and advance ASEAN’s integration agenda
TAIPEI, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Recharge Power (7921-TW), a pioneer and market leader in Taiwan’s battery energy storage systems (BESS) industry, today announced the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement with Australian energy developer Energy Decarb. The two companies will jointly develop renewable energy projects in Australia through a newly established joint venture (the JV), marking Recharge Power’s latest milestone in expanding its overseas footprint.
Recharge Power (7921-TW), a pioneer and market leader in Taiwan’s battery energy storage systems (BESS) industry, today announced the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement with Australian energy developer Energy Decarb.
Recharge Power and Energy Decarb have already captured an active project pipeline totaling 128MW / 292MWh in Australia. These projects are expected to be delivered through the JV and progressively completed over the next two years, establishing a solid foundation for future expansion into large-scale utility energy infrastructure.
The initial phase of the partnership will focus on commercial and industrial (C&I) customers, including hotels, shopping centers, manufacturing plants, logistics hubs, and sports venues. By providing integrated solar and BESS EPC solutions alongside Energy Service Company (ESCO) offerings, the partnership aims to help businesses reduce electricity costs, enhance energy resilience, and unlock additional revenue opportunities through participation in Australia’s electricity market.
“We intend to replicate the proven success we achieved in Taiwan and Japan—gaining swift local traction and then scaling rapidly,” said Spencer Feng, Chief Executive Officer of Recharge Power.
Spencer added that the partnership combines the strengths of both companies. Recharge Power brings proprietary Energy Management System (EMS) software and comprehensive system integration capabilities spanning project engineering, construction, and long-term operations and maintenance (O&M). Energy Decarb contributes deep local market knowledge and industry insight, project development expertise, and electricity trading capabilities. Together, the companies are well positioned to capture growing opportunities arising from Australia’s accelerating energy transition.
Combined Forces to Capture the World’s Third-Largest Storage Market
The establishment of the JV is strategically timed to ride the massive growth momentum of Australia’s clean energy shift. According to the Clean Energy Council’s 2026 Clean Energy Australia Report, cumulative investment in Australia’s renewable energy sector reached AUD 31.4 billion by the end of 2025. Investment in battery energy storage projects alone totaled AUD 4.8 billion in 2025, representing a 67% increase year-over-year and reinforcing Australia’s position as the world’s third-largest energy storage market.
About Energy Decarb
Energy Decarb is an Australian renewable energy developer specializing in integrated PV, BESS, and EV charging infrastructure. The company excels in electricity market management, utilizing advanced software to optimize client assets, lower demand charges, and unlock revenue streams through wholesale arbitrage and Frequency Control Auxiliary Services (FCAS).
As a St Baker Energy Group company, Energy Decarb leverages the extensive technical resources and project financing depth of its anchor investor, St Baker Capital. The group is backed by prominent energy pioneer Trevor St Baker AO—founder of ERM Power (formerly Australia’s fourth-largest electricity retailer before being acquired by Shell Energy Australia) —bringing over 60 years of deep institutional market influence to the venture.
About Recharge Power
Headquartered in Taiwan, Recharge Power provides one-stop BESS solutions, including project development, engineering, EPC, O&M, and aggregator services. As the pioneer and leader of Taiwan’s BESS industry, Recharge Power has surpassed 1GWh in cumulative deployment capacity. The company has consistently set industry benchmarks by delivering multiple milestones, including Taiwan’s first Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) project, Taiwan’s first PV+BESS project, Taiwan Power Company’s first self-owned substation BESS project, and the largest private-sector BESS project of Taiwan.
Following its entry into the Japanese market in late 2024, Recharge Power has demonstrated exceptional execution and established a commanding market presence, with 10 BESS projects successfully connected to the grid to date.
BEIJING, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Malaysia will continue to deepen friendly cooperation with China and jointly develop cutting-edge industries, said Nur Jazlan, deputy president of the Malaysian Senate.
In an interview with media when attending the 2026 RCEP Local Governments and Friendship Cities Cooperation (Huangshan) Forum held in east China’s Anhui Province on May 27-29, Nur Jazlan said that bilateral economic ties between China and Malaysia have been deepening over the past years with closer people-to-people exchanges. The partnership between the two countries is genuine and stable, he noted.
Referring to regional cooperation, Nur Jazlan said that cooperation between Malaysia and China’s Anhui Province has great potential, expressing his expectations for deeper ties in tourism, cutting-edge industries, automobile industry and agriculture.
The launch of direct flights between Malaysia and Anhui has greatly facilitated people-to-people exchanges between the two sides, said Nur Jazlan, adding that there remains enormous untapped potential for deeper tourism cooperation.
Speaking of industrial cooperation, Nur Jazlan expressed strong confidence in the prospects for collaboration between Malaysia and Anhui. He noted that Anhui enjoys strengths in cutting-edge industries such as aerospace and artificial intelligence (AI), from which Malaysia can benefit. The two sides can work together to nurture emerging industries across Southeast Asia.
Anhui is home to a mature automotive industry. Nur Jazlan expected more Anhui-based automakers to establish new energy assembly and manufacturing facilities in Malaysia. He also suggested deepening cooperation between universities of the two sides to cultivate more talents in fields such as AI and the new economy, building a strong talent pool to support regional development.
He pointed out that as one of the major grain-producing provinces in China, Anhui has increased agricultural productivity through the application of advanced technologies. As agriculture is equally critical to Malaysia’s food security, cooperation with Anhui in the agricultural field is of strategic importance for Malaysia. He highlighted the vast cooperation opportunities in food processing industry, particularly freeze-dried foods, in the backdrop of accelerating urbanization and faster-paced lifestyles.
As an annual national-level institutional forum, the forum has become an important platform for exchanges and cooperation between Anhui and member countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) since its inaugural session in 2023.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 June 2026 – UnionPay International (UPI) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have renewed their strategic partnership to jointly promote Singapore tourism and enhance payment experiences for international travelers through integrated marketing campaigns, merchant collaborations, and cross-border payment initiatives.
Signing ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding between Singapore Tourism Board and UnionPay International
The renewed three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) builds on previous successful collaborations between both parties and aims to drive tourism spending by combining STB’s destination marketing resources with UnionPay’s global payment network and regional marketing channels.
Under the partnership, both parties will jointly launch tourism and payment campaigns targeting key visitor markets including China and other regional outbound travel segments. Campaigns will promote Singapore tourism offerings alongside UnionPay’s payment privileges, merchant promotions, and acceptance network across shopping, dining, attractions, transportation and hospitality sectors.
The collaboration will also focus on premium travel and MICE segments through partnerships with banks, luxury travel platforms and tourism stakeholders to introduce tailored privileges and curated experiences for UnionPay cardholders visiting Singapore.
According to STB, Singapore welcomed approximately 16.9 million international visitors in 2025, with China’s mainland remaining the country’s largest source market. As international travel demand continues to recover, seamless and secure payment experiences are playing an increasingly important role in enhancing visitor satisfaction and driving tourism consumption.
Over the past cooperation period, UPI and STB jointly launched multiple tourism campaigns through leading travel and digital platforms, generating more than 40 million impressions and strengthening UnionPay’s presence among travelers visiting Singapore.
Moving forward, both parties will continue to explore new opportunities in tourism marketing, merchant collaboration, and consumer engagement to further support Singapore’s tourism growth and cross-border travel ecosystem.
Hashtag: #Unionpay
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
TAIPEI, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Life science research is entering an AI era, but most discovery teams still cannot use frontier models at scale. Advanced AI models, molecular simulation tools, scientific databases, inference optimization and GPU infrastructure remain fragmented across separate systems. For many pharmaceutical companies, ingredient innovators, biotech teams, and research groups, this makes AI adoption slow, costly, and technically demanding.
Agentic AI for scientific execution. Vecura 2.0 moves beyond simple prompts and responses into autonomous scientific coordination.
NYB.AI, a Singapore Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology startup developing infrastructure for molecular discovery and life science research, aims to address this gap with Vecura, its agentic AI platform that connects scientific models, biological data, molecular analysis tools, and GPU accelerated computing into a unified discovery workflow.
Vecura 2.0 builds on the original Vecura 1.0 platform, which provided access to AI models and scientific tools for molecular discovery. With the new agentic layer, Vecura 2.0 moves beyond tool access toward workflow execution. It is designed to help research teams define scientific objectives, retrieve relevant context, activate suitable models, compare outputs, and generate structured decision support with less manual coordination.
From model access to agentic workflows
Vecura was built around a simple premise: the next barrier in AI for science is not access to more models. It is the ability to make those models work together in discovery settings. The original Vecura platform brought hundreds of AI models, scientific tools, biological data, and molecular analysis capabilities into connected workflows, helping research teams move across compound analysis, target exploration, formulation research, toxicity assessment, and translational R&D without relying on separate systems at every step.
Vecura 2.0 extends this foundation with an agentic AI layer. The upgraded platform is designed to reason across the workflow by understanding research objectives, retrieving relevant scientific context, selecting suitable models, coordinating execution, comparing outputs, and generating structured next step recommendations. This evolves Vecura from a workflow platform into a more intelligent discovery system that can assist scientists at scale, closer to how real research decisions are made.
This agentic approach allows scientists to focus on research direction rather than infrastructure management. It also supports NYB.AI’s broader vision to democratize molecular discovery by making advanced AI models, scientific tools, and GPU intensive workflows more accessible to teams beyond large pharmaceutical organizations and specialized computational labs.
Scaling access through NVIDIA technologies
NYB.AI is strengthening Vecura’s agentic architecture for scientific discovery using NVIDIA technologies. As a member of the NVIDIA Inception program for startups, NYB.AI received access to NVIDIA Hopper GPUs through NVIDIA Innovation Lab, along with engineering guidance to advance Vecura’s ability to plan, execute, and coordinate complex research tasks. This support enables Vecura to move beyond isolated model execution toward connected workflows where scientific context, model selection, inference, comparison, and decision support operate as one system.
Vecura is powered by NVIDIA technologies spanning agentic orchestration, scientific modeling, data and retrieval, and production deployment – all running on NVIDIA accelerated computing.
NYB.AI is also developing a token based access model for Vecura 2.0. Through platform credits, biopharma companies, ingredient companies, and research teams can access AI powered discovery workflows such as compound screening, bioactivity prediction, and molecular docking. This model allows users to run compute intensive scientific tasks through NYB.AI’s platform without needing to build or operate their own infrastructure.
What’s next?
NYB.AI is bringing Vecura 2.0 to the NVIDIA Inception Startup Showcase at the Inception Pavilion during InnoVEX 2026 (June 2–5, 2026, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center). The showcase will give NYB.AI an opportunity to validate Vecura 2.0 with enterprise leaders, investors, ecosystem partners, and international buyers, and strengthens its visibility within NVIDIA Inception ecosystem — demonstrating how agentic AI can move beyond model experimentation into usable research infrastructure for molecular discovery teams.
At InnoVEX 2026, NYB.AI will demonstrate how Vecura 2.0 can support molecular discovery and life science research across pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, food science, functional ingredients, and consumer health. The platform reflects NYB.AI’s broader mission to make advanced AI discovery infrastructure more usable, scalable, and accessible across the life science ecosystem.
About NYB.AI
NYB.AI is an AI biotechnology company developing infrastructure for molecular discovery and life science research. Its flagship platform, Vecura, is an agentic AI platform that connects AI models, scientific tools, biological data, retrieval systems, accelerated computing, and autonomous workflows to help life science teams shorten discovery cycles and prioritize high-potential candidates.
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