News
Meet on freedom of information law as due date nears
Representatives of around 20 civil society organisations will meet on September 16 to discuss key chapters of Cambodia’s long-gestating freedom of information law, which is meant to be completed by late December. “We’ll discuss mechanisms to submit complaints if people don’t receive the requested information,” said ...
Lao construction companies to benefit from planned railway
Twenty Lao companies will be selected as sub-contractors for construction work on the almost-US$6 billion railway that will link Vientiane to the Chinese border. But these companies must be sub-contracted by Chinese companies, who will supervise their work and provide technical assistance to ensure high quality ...
Warmer oceans bringing more severe tropical cyclones to land
Human-caused climate change has made certain typhoons more frequent and severe. Tropical cyclones can cause devastating and lethal damage to East and Southeast Asian countries. But accurately tracking changes in the frequency and intensity of typhoons is challenging in part because the data on these storms hasn’t ...
The changing face of ASEAN
With much of ASEAN stuck in the economic doldrums and its senior members beset with issues ranging from unprecedented levels of corruption to violent insurgencies and maritime disputes with China, the regional bloc has known better days. But from the most unlikely corners of northern ASEAN, a more ...
Pulp and paper supplier denies draining peat on island near Singapore
A NASA satellite detected 140 hotspots in West Kalimantan on September 12 as smallholders in the province continued to burn land for agriculture, Indonesia’s disaster management agency said on September 13. Data from Global Forest Watch shows the district of Ketapang recorded 144 fire alerts over the ...
Provinces prepare for worst amid downpour
With the rainy season in full swing, authorities in Oddar Meanchey and Kampong Thom provinces are taking measures to cope with flooding that has resulted from three straight days of downpour. Chea Piseth, spokesman for Oddar Meanchey Provincial Hall, on September 14 said that National Road 67A ...
No sign of relief for rice industry
As the harvest season of Cambodia’s most important crop kicks off, a crisis is looming as both rice farmers and millers face crippling capital shortages and a promised industry lifeline has yet to materialise. Industry experts said on September 14 that these small farmers desperate to pay ...
Will Vietnam redraw the world’s aviation market map?
With a powerful fleet which has been expanding recently, Vietnam is expected to play a role in the international aviation market. Analysts have said that Vietnam’s aviation industry has made especially big improvements in the last three years with domestic air carriers spending tens of billions ...
PPP gross cost investment model ‘best for motorway projects’
The Highways Department proposed at a meeting on September 14 that two motorway projects. The meeting was held to prepare for today’s meeting of the Private Public Partnership Policy Committee. The committee is to consider the two projects. According to the Highways Department, the PPP Gross Cost model ...
Funding needed to improve lives of disabled people
The Cooperative Orthotic & Prosthetic Enterprise Centre in Vientiane is continuing its work to raise money to improve conditions for disabled people in Laos, with over 1,000 people in need of the centre’s help. COPE Chief Executive Officer Ms Bounlanh Phayboun told Vientiane Times on September ...
