News
Vietnam seafood businesses look forward to TPP
With nearly half of their exports going to the 11 other countries that are set to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership with Vietnam, seafood businesses have become the latest supporters of the controversial and secretive free trade agreement. Keep reading ...
Ho Chi Minh City smog to hang for another month
The smog covering Ho Chi Minh City since early this month will continue until at least the end of November when Indonesia is expected to put out its forest fires, an expert has said. After lifting for a while, the thick haze is back over many ...
Thai expats to register online to vote
Expat Thais will be able to register to vote online in the next general election, a move which could boost overseas voter turnout, the Election Commission said on 22 October. Keep reading ...
How greatly must Laos suffer at the hands of drug traffickers?
Almost every day, Lao local newspapers report about the apprehension of drug traffickers, while every so often they report the murder of innocent people such as women and children as a result of drug use, particularly amphetamines. One example was reported on 11 October when a ...
Laos hosts Chinese banana rush
Northern Laos is emerging as an important source of fresh bananas for the Chinese market, with several different investors from China itself understood to be establishing plantations covering thousands of hectares across several different regions. The investors have been drawn to the region by good availability ...
ASEAN chokes on haze crisis
ASEAN leaders must seek an opportunity from the worsening haze crisis to tackle the problem at its roots and show the way to sustainable development. The smoke haze and accompanying pollutants that have blanketed several countries in the region is primarily caused by the burning of forest ...
Cambodia's dengue cases up 300%
The number of dengue fever cases in Cambodia has skyrocketed, with children hit hardest by the killer disease, according to new government figures. Incidences of dengue leapt by more than 300 per cent to 11,828 cases between January and September this year. Keep reading ...
Myanmar maid death draws attention to flouting of domestic worker ban
A Myanmar domestic worker in Singapore fell 18 storeys from a condominium and died on 19 October, according to police reports. The incident has once again cast a spotlight on Singapore’s maid industry, which continues to thrive despite bans and restrictions. Keep reading ...
Road safety efforts ‘insufficient’
A new study warns that a UN initiative to cut global road deaths in half by 2020 is on course to fail amid “clearly insufficient” efforts, with middle- and lower-income countries such as Cambodia at the forefront of the battle. Keep reading ...
ILO seeks to raise attention on slavery
A new global treaty from the International Labour Organization (ILO) is calling on governments to step-up their commitment to tackling modern slavery in countries like Cambodia where forced labour remains endemic. Keep reading ...