News
Fires burn large parts of Battambang forest
Fires have consumed more than 2,000 hectares of Prek Toal protected area in Cambodia’s Battambang province, killing some animals and destroying the breeding sites of multiple endangered species, Prek Toal project managers said on 5 May.Keep reading ...
Ten Vientiane industrial plants discharging unclean water
The Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment of Laos has confirmed that 10 industrial plants in Vientiane are discharging unclean and untreated water, some of which contains potentially harmful chemicals. Director General of the ministry’s Department of Pollution Control, Mr Khamphanh Nanthavong, addressed the issue on ...
Government rolls out ambitious plan to eliminate hunger
Backed by the U.N., Cambodia on 4 May launched a national action plan to completely eliminate hunger in the country by 2025, the first step in an ambitious initiative that the government signed on to last year. Newly appointed Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon said during the plan’s ...
Myanmar’s media landscape through the years
Recent years have seen dramatic changes to Myanmar’s media landscape, with the previous quasi-civilian government taking steps to unshackle a press corps long muzzled by successive military regimes dating back to 1962. In the wake of World Press Freedom Day, which was celebrated on 3 May, ...
Vietnam among fastest-growing economies in Asia, driven by electronic exports: IMF
Strong rises in exports and foreign investment in the manufacturing sector will continue to accelerate Vietnam’s GDP growth, the IMF said in its April update on Asia-Pacific economic outlook. In the region, only several frontier economies will see higher rates, including Myanmar’s 8.6 percent, Laos’ 7.4 ...
Media workers lament decline in freedom of expression in Thailand
“We are the worst, even when compared to Laos or Vietnam,” said Kulachada Chaipipat, campaign manager at the Southeast Asia Press Alliance. “Those two countries have seen stagnant, bad situations, but Thailand is going down.” Speaking on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on ...
Laos needs to consolidate to be successful Asean member: PM
Laos is looking for uncovered potential and opportunities to effectively integrate with the Asean Economic Community in ways that benefit the country. Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said, “Asean has been approved as a community, but Laos is still seeking uncovered possibilities, potential and opportunities that will benefit ...
Drought exacerbates hoof and mouth outbreak among cattle
A vaccine campaign has been launched in response to an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease exacerbated by drought conditions in Kampong Thom province, officials said yesterday, as drought-relief efforts continued in Banteay Meanchey.Chan Panhavoan, director of the veterinary office of the Kampong Thom provincial ...
Fire at Arakan state IDP camp leaves hundreds homeless
A fire near Arakan State’s Sittwe Township left hundreds of Rohingya Muslims homeless as it swept through dozens of shelters at the Baw Du Ba internally displaced person camp on 3 May, local sources said. “A total of 392 families stayed in the 49 longhouses. We ...
Mining slump, improper planning blamed for budget tensions
The enormous drop in revenue generated from mining coupled with improper budget planning has been the main cause of the budget tensions Laos has faced over the past few years, Deputy Prime Minister SomdyDouangdy told parliament recently. MrSomdy, who is also Minister of Finance, said revenue ...
