Myanmar–Laos State Visit: Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Vientiane for a three-day state-level goodwill visit, meeting Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith and Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, as both sides mark 70 years of diplomatic ties and pledge deeper cooperation across defence, trade, transport and energy. Bilateral Cooperation Projects: Laos and India signed an MoU to deliver 10 quick impact projects in 10 Lao provinces under the Mekong–Ganga Cooperation, including schools, health centres and vocational training. ASEAN Diplomacy: Laos’ National Assembly will hold an extraordinary session from July 6–10 to review the first-half national development and budget plans and debate rural development and poverty reduction priorities. Public Safety: Laos reported 144 fires in the first half of 2026, killing eight people and causing about LAK 319.6 billion in damage, with warehouse and cooking/electrical causes highlighted. Anti-Scam Push: Thailand unveiled SHIELD, an international platform to share information on online scams and human trafficking, targeting fraud networks linked to compounds in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. Cross-Border Crime: Thai authorities are expanding a heroin trafficking probe after a cabin crew member was arrested in Australia, while a Thai–Laotian couple was questioned in Loei for suspected links to the dispatch network. Economy & Finance: Lao-Viet Bank received a “27 Years of Excellence – Retail Banking Laos 2026” award, while Laos’ inflation eased to 7.4% in June.