Methanol poisoning diplomacy: Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong met Laos Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane in the Philippines to press for answers over the 2024 deaths of Australian teens Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones in Vang Vieng, after Laos said it lacked enough grounds for serious charges and autopsies were not carried out; Wong said families “deserve justice” and that Laos must hold those responsible to account. Regional security talks: ASEAN foreign ministers convened in Manila with Myanmar normalization expected to dominate, while Russia’s Sergey Lavrov arrived for ASEAN-related meetings amid wider focus on Myanmar, South China Sea tensions, and Middle East trade disruptions. Cross-border crime warning: A UNODC report says scam gangs defrauded Asia-Pacific residents of at least US$88bn in 2025, citing syndicates’ use of AI, money laundering networks, and forced labor in scam compounds, with operations shifting across countries including Laos-linked relocations. Finance & markets: Laos and Hong Kong signed an MoU to deepen cooperation in financial services and develop a modern, internationally integrated gold market, including regulatory and gold value-chain collaboration. Energy infrastructure: Vientiane Times reports the Luang Prabang Mekong Hydropower Project is 72% complete, a major Laos energy build tied to regional power security.