Mekong Pollution Alarm: Thai residents marched to demand action over polluted northern rivers, with reports of dangerous heavy metals and arsenic linked to upstream illegal mining—raising fears for water, fish, food, and public health across the Mekong basin. Mekong Water Safety: Separate reporting highlights arsenic contamination now detected in the Mekong river itself, not just tributaries, with downstream risks for major rice-growing areas. Clean Energy Grid Pressure: A new report warns Southeast Asia’s underfunded, slow-to-reform power grids could block billions in green investment, as renewables and electrification outpace grid capacity and interconnections. Laos–China Cooperation: Laos and China signed agreements for seven Mekong-Lancang Special Fund projects totaling US$3.31 million, spanning water resources, agriculture, public health, and poverty reduction. Laos Flood Readiness: The National Water Resources Committee reviewed the 2026 rainy-season flood plan, stressing better coordination, reservoir operations, and shared data to cut flood impacts. People & Skills: China announced 3,000 scholarships and training opportunities for Lao students and officials to strengthen human resources through 2028+. Wildlife Rescue in Laos: A Singapore-based NGO says it helped extract 27 moon bears from an illegal bile farm in Laos, moving them to a wildlife sanctuary after the operation was shut down. Regional Clean Energy Linkages: Laos–China power interconnection progress was highlighted alongside broader push for regional grid integration to support low-carbon electricity flows.