Seven-year-old Lao chess player Bounthiengtham “Jayson” Sengphachan became the country’s youngest internationally rated player after his performance at youth tournaments in Australia, including Best U8 titles in Epping and Pymble and a second-place finish

New rules for intellectual property protection wereintroduced, allowing businesses to protect industrial designs internationally through a single application under the Hague System; It simplifies registration and administrative procedures, reducing costs

About $12 million in digital taxes from global technology companies have been collected under new law: foreign providers of online services must register with Lao tax authorities regardless of whether they have a physical presence in the country

Laos has joined the East-West Rail Corridor, a transcontinental network linking Southeast Asia to Europe; The initiative is expected to facilitate trade and position Laos as a key overland transit hub connecting Asian markets with Europe