Flood Risk in Laos: Laos issued a warning as prolonged heavy rains trigger flash floods and landslides, with Khammuan already seeing flooding that has damaged roads and disrupted travel; authorities urged round-the-clock monitoring, evacuation readiness, and urgent repairs. Pandemic Preparedness Push: The Lao government, FAO and UNICEF launched ALERT-LAO, backed by a US$17.59m Pandemic Fund grant, to strengthen disease surveillance, early warning, lab capacity and One Health workforce training across all 18 provinces. Media and Public Trust: Ahead of Lao Media and Publishing Day, citizens highlighted Lao media’s role in delivering timely, credible information on Party and state policies and boosting public participation in national development. Trade and Industry Signals: Laos-Vietnam set a US$10bn bilateral trade target by 2030, while lawmakers reviewed major infrastructure investment plans tied to transport and logistics growth. Regional Business and Energy Finance: A report from Fair Finance Asia and I-JET urged banks to stop financing coal expansion in ASEAN including Lao PDR, calling for a just, Paris-aligned phase-out with stronger social safeguards.