70 years of Lao-Japan diplomatic ties marked by Princess Aiko's first time visit to Laos

Credit:  NHK World (Japan), November 18, 2025

Lao Friends Hospital for Children in Luangprabang celebrates its 10th year

Credit:  Friends Without a Border, 2025

Lao PDR's graduation from LDC set for 2026

Image:  UN document A/76/L.6/Rev.1

Source:  UN

Back on November 11, 2021, the UN Economic and Social Council's Committee for Development Policy, recommended that the Lao PDR graduate from the least developed country (LDC) category.  This would be seen as an incredible milestone in Laos' development since the country's modern inception in 1975 when it became a republic.

Canada and Lao Refugees

Title:  Hearts of Freedom - Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees
By:  Peter Duschinsky, Colleen Lundy, Michael J. Molloy, Allan Moscovitch, Stephanie Phetsamay Stobbe
Forward by:  Rt. Hon. Joe Clark (former Prime Minister of Canada)
Publisher, Year:  McGill-Queens University Press, 2025
Price:  CAD$35

Written from the Canadian perspective, the release of this book is serendipitously perfect as this year, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of when Canada and many other countries began letting in Lao immigrants following the end of the Vietnam War.

Sent back to Laos

Since the beginning of 2025 in America under the Trump Administration, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began aggressively rounding up those with orders to leave the country and in particular with those with criminal records - no matter how minor the infraction or how long ago it was - and deporting them back to Laos.

An ode to Xiengkhouang

 

ຊຽງຂວາງແດນງາມ xiengkhouang deen ngam

Cover ໂດຍ: ຕ໋ອງ ກິດຕິພົງ ບຸນທອງສີ ແລະ ຕີ່ງນ່ອຍໆ

Source:  Tingnoinoi, 2021

If you've never heard this song before, get into it.

Vegetarian restaurants in Vientiane

 

Source:  foXnoMad, 2024

Follow along as Youtube vlogger FoxNomad explores Vientiane and tries out Lao vegetarian food options.