LFNC Proposes Law to Woo Overseas Laotians Back Home   Lao authorities admitted that a key objective of a new draft law proposed by the Lao Front for National Construction was to encourage overseas Laotians, who want to return home, to take part in the national development.

Laos’ Finance Minister Admits Decline in Tax Revenues   Laotian Finance Minister admitted a substantial decline in tax and excise revenues this year as a result of the global financial crisis; therefore, the government would need more foreign aid to balance the budget. (English and Lao descriptions)

Laos: Land Concessions Cause Widespread Impacts on People   Lao authorities said the government would seek to review all current long-termed land concession agreements awarded to local and foreign investors after finding that most of them violate laws and regulations. (English and Lao descriptions)

Lao Lawmakers: People Are Most Concerned with Illegal Logging   Lao people request their national assembly members to investigate illegal logging across the country, especially illicit logging in national forest conservation zones and in concession areas. (English and Lao descriptions)

Luang Prabang Tourism Revenues Expected to Decline   Luang Prabang province’s revenues for the 2008-09 fiscal year are expected to fall short of the set goal, due mainly to the impact of the global economic and financial crisis. (English and Lao descriptions)

Laos: NA Unsatisfied with Social and Economic Performances   Laos’ National Assembly (NA) President says government performances during the first half of the 2008-2009 fiscal year have not gone as planned and failed to achieve many set goals. (English and Lao descriptions)

NGO: Irrawaddy Dolphins In Danger of Extinction   A coalition of international environmental organizations launched a campaign to raise awareness for the need to protect the environment and oppose the construction of hydropower dams along the Mekong River. (English and Lao texts)

Huay Namkhao Hmong Leaders: Ethnic Cleansing Still Exists in Laos   A key leader of the Hmong refugees at Ban Huay Nam Khao camp insists that the siege and persecution of Hmongs in Laos  still continue; thus, they do not want to return to Laos. (English and Lao descriptions)

Laos, Thailand, Vietnam Begin Cross-Border Transportation   Laos, Thailand and Vietnam recently began implementing their Cross Border Transport Agreement, allowing their passenger cars and commercial trucks to proceed directly to final destinations in each other’s country. (English and Lao descriptions)

Thai Prime Minister to Discuss Dam Construction on Mekong River   Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva assured a Mekong river conservation group that he will bring up the issue of dam construction on the Mekong river for discussion with the international community. (English and Lao descriptions)

Laos, US Cooperation Continues to Progress   Laos and the United States continue to expand their cooperation in many fields, lately in the area of preventing the A-H1N1 and H5N1 influenzas outbreaks. (English and Lao descriptions)

Laos to Develop Viengxay as a Tourist Attraction   Lao authorities plan to develop the town of Vienxay into a historical tourist attraction showcasing the revolutionary battles and hiding places of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party leaders during the Indochina war. (English and Lao descriptions)

Laos Committed to Help Reduce Global Warming   Laos' Prime Minister affirms that his country will implement its strategic plan that will make it one of the nations playing an important role in helping to reduce global warming. (English and Lao descriptions)

Pregnant Samantha Orobator Given Life Sentence in Laos   Mr. Chanthaly Douangvilay of the Lao People's Court confirmed that British national Samantha Orobator was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of drug possession and smuggling.(English and Lao descriptions)

Wider Impact of Global Financial Crisis on Laos   The impact of the global financial and economic crisis on Laos is becoming more serious and widespread, especially in the export sectors of different provinces, which experience drops in their exports. (English Description and link to Lao Description)

Laos, Thailand Confident of Completing Hmong Repatriation by Year's End   Thai military authorities maintain that the Hmong refugees have no alternative except to go back to Laos voluntarily, and reiterate their goal of returning all the refugees by the end of 2009.(English and Lao descriptions)

Electricity Demand in Laos Increasing   Lao electricity state enterprise reports that the demand of electricity usage in Laos, from now to 2016, will increase up to 18% per year in average. (Details in Lao)

Laos: Prosecution of Samantha Orobator Will Be Delayed   An official of the Lao Ministry of Public Security says the prosecution and trial of jailed Samantha Orobator on charges of heroin smuggling, will have to be delayed because of her pregnancy.(English and Lao descriptions)

Laos Increases Minimum Wage   Lao authorities confirm that they are implementing the decree on minimum wage increase which was approved on April 30. The decree will increase the minimum wage for Lao workers from 290,000 Kip to 348,000 per month. (Details in Lao)

Medicins Sans Frontieres Withdraws from Huay Namkhao   The organization Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) announced that it has stopped its humanitarian operations at the Huay Namkhao refugee camp, citing the inability to operate under heavy pressure by the Thai government.(English and Lao descriptions)

Lao Government to Allow Citizens to Form NGO   Laos will allow its citizens and private sector to form NGOs by the end of this year, which will enable foreign organizations and overseas Lao to directly assist local organizations. (Details in Lao)

Lao FM on Samantha Orobator’s Case   Lao Foreign Minister maintains that Samantha Orobator, the jailed British woman accused of drug possession, will be extradited to England after the Lao People’s Court sentences her case. (Details in Lao)

Lao President Pays State Visit to Thailand   Laos' President Choumaly Sayasone paid a working state visit to Thailand at the invitation of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. During the visit, the two nations signed seven documents on bilateral cooperation. (English description with link to Lao)

Laos-Vietnam Relations   Top Lao and Vietnamese officials reconfirm their commitment to continue promote their lasting special friendship and comprehensive cooperative relationship, with the aim to strengthen their close and sustainable cooperation. (Details in Lao)

Namtheun II (Update)   The Nam Theun II investors say that the project is now over  90% completed, and is expected to be able to launch an electricity production trial by mid-2010 aiming to sell to Thailand by the end of next year as planned. (Details in Lao)

Drug Use Remains Problem in Laos   Lao Prime Minister admits that drug use in Laos has a tendency to increase, especially in big cities and along the borders with neiboring countries. (Details in Lao)

Laos: Pregnant British Will Not Face Execution   Lao authorities confirm that Samantha Orobator, a British national, will not be executed because she is pregnant. In addition, she will also have an opportunity to be sent back to Britain to face prosecution there. (Details in Lao)

Laos Questions Thai FM's Position Regarding Detained Hmongs in Nongkhai   Laos authorities question the Thai Foreign Minister's position regarding the 158 detained Hmongs in Nongkhai, after the Thai official said that these Hmongs are eligible to seek asylum in a third country.   (Details in Lao)

Sepone Mining Creates Revenues, Yet Local People Still Poor   Despite hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues from the Sepone mines and the government's promise to distribute the wealth, the majority of local people still lives under the poverty line.(Details in Lao)

Laos Takes Measures Against Swine Flu     Lao authorities are taking preventive measures to guard against the quickly spreading swine flu, by ordering medical personnel to check the temperature and health of people in the country as well as foreigners traveling to and from Laos. (Details in Lao)

Thailand Insists on Completion of Hmong Refugees Repatriation   Thailand's Foreign Minister says he has ordered Thai military officials to lay out a detailed repatriation plan so his government can appropriate sufficient budget for sending all the HNK Hmongs back home this year. (Details in Lao)

ADB: Laos' Economy to Grow at 5.5% this Year   The Asian Development Bank forecasts that due to the impact of global financial crisis, Laos' economy in 2009 will increase only 5.5%, which is at least 1.7% lower than last year's growth rate. (Details in Lao)

Lao Children Under Five Face Severe Malnutrition   WFP: More than 40% of Lao children under the age of five across the nation suffer severe and chronic malnutrition, due to poverty and lack of health care for mother and child.(Details in Lao)

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Laos' Exports Further Decline   Laos' export growth rate is showing a new negative trend as its value in the second semester of 2008-09 fiscal year has continually declined as a direct impact of the global economic and financial crisis. (Details in Lao)

Thailand Comfirms Support for Fourth Lao-Thai Bridge on the Mekong   Thai authorities confirm that their government has appropriated funding to support the building of the 4th Mekong bridge and the construction is expected to start by the end of this year. (Details in Lao)

Laos Expects Thailand To Buy More Electricity   Lao authorities expect Thailand will buy electricity from Laos as stated in their MOU, which is 7,000 megawatts starting from 2015. (Details in Lao)

Laos Still Unable to Launch Vientiane Industrial Zone   Lao authorities admit that they are still unable to begin the development of a planned industrial zone in the Khosaath area of Vientiane because local residents refuse to relocate.(Details in Lao)

FAO Assists Laos in Rice Development   The Food and Agriculture Organization confirms that the statistic improvement project in data collection on the production and consumption of rice will help Laos improve its rice production for export purposes.(Details in Lao)