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The Excise Department may ask the government to allow the legal import of electronic cigarettes and baraku, which would be taxed like cigarettes, says director-general Somchai Poolsavasdi. He said the department has noticed a loophole in the current tobacco law, which does not define these products ...

Vietnamese businesses are continuing to import outdated Chinese technology despite repeated warnings by scientists that the country could become a ‘technology landfill’. The latest report of the Ministry of Science & Technology shows that technologies used in most industries in Vietnam are outdated, causing serious pollution ...

Kneeling and sobbing before a top commerce ministry official, a Phichit farmer appealed to the government on October 30 to help growers suffering from the fall in rice prices to 5,000 baht a tonne, the lowest level in decades. Sanit Kaho, a 63-year-old farmer, held the legs ...

Much-needed improvements to Bokeo airport may have to wait a few years more because the government cannot afford to pay for the upgrade of this provincial facility. Minister of Public Works and Transport Dr Bounchan Sinthavong last week informed Assembly members of the situation when speaking ...

The Labour Ministry said last week it was drafting a minimum wage law that would expand beyond the garment industry and cover all workers, a proposal that drew cautious praise from union leaders and advocates, along with a healthy dose of scepticism. The proposed law, revealed ...

Child Fund Australia has provided more than US$1.1 million to support development outcomes relating to health, education, water, sanitation and nutrition for children in Khoun district, Xieng Khuang province. Funds will also go to support the continued need for improvements in education access and quality, targeting ...

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has recently agreed to support Ho Chi Minh City in conducting research on lengthening Metro Line No. 1 from the city to neighboring Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces. “METI has only approved assisting the research stage of the ...

Women denied the right to an abortion are injuring and killing themselves in an attempt to end their pregnancies, doctors and specialists say. In Yangon’s Central Women’s Hospital, it is estimated that from one-third to half of pregnancy deaths occur because of botched abortions, often ...

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has recommended revoking the licences of a chicken farm and a brick factory in Xaythany district, Vientiane, after learning they were causing pollution and affecting nearby communities. Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sommad Pholsena told the National Assembly ...

Global study reveals huge number of children breathing toxic fumes more than six times over safe limits, while billions are affected by air pollution that exceeds guidelines. Three hundred million of the world’s children live in areas with extreme air pollution, where toxic fumes are more ...