News

Section 44 of the interim charter could be invoked by the prime minister to expedite six double-track rail projects, Deputy Transport Minister Ormsin Chivapruck says. In a radio interview on 29 October, Mr Ormsin said the six projects need a shot in the arm to speed ...

Desperate residents along Khlong Prawet Burirom have threatened to take their grievance over a severely polluted canal to the highest levels of government. Suchin Kummanee, head of the Sangkharacha community in Lat Krabang district along Khlong Prawet Burirom said almost 20,000 residents in 20 communities ...

The Thai government will roll out an executive decree and other measures next week to deal with illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Speaking after chairing a meeting 29 October on the problem, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said a committee set up to tackle IUU ...

Police seized more than 54 kilograms of heroin and methamphetamine in the border province of Stung Treng in June – one of the biggest drug busts in the country’s history. Analysts caution that large drug busts like this will only become more common as Cambodia ...

Hanoi has opened the country’s biggest research and development center for technologies related to mechanics, electronics, energy and environment, local media reported. Keep reading ...

The Ministry of Transport is looking for a private company to operate a tourist rail line in the Central Highlands resort town of Da Lat, following decades of losses, news website Saigon Times Online reported on 28 October. Keep reading ...

The national broadcaster Vietnam Television will disinvest from the pay TV market by selling most of its stakes in three major providers, whose combined market share is almost 73 percent, local media reported. Keep reading ...

Candidates for Myanmar’s main opposition party are continuing to face hurdles campaigning in Arakan State, with local administrators in several townships reportedly declining to facilitate the party’s activities. The Irrawaddy spoke with six candidates from the National League for Democracy (NLD) competing in races in northern Arakan ...

A United Nations rights investigator raised concern on 28 October about whether Myanmar’s election next month could be considered free and fair because dozens of candidates had been disqualified and hundreds of thousands of people denied the right to vote. Yanghee Lee, UN special rapporteur on rights in ...

Laos and the Republic of Korea have enjoyed growing bilateral relations and cooperation over the past two decades since they established diplomatic ties on 25 October 1995. Officials of both sides hailed the diplomatic and cooperation achievements at a ceremony this week at the Lao Embassy ...