News
Activists alarmed after PM promotes Don Sahong
As construction on the Don Sahong dam near the Cambodia-Laos border passes its halfway point, activists and locals are increasingly concerned over the disappearance of Irawaddy dolphins and incidences of illness they suspect are caused by the muddied water. “The waters downstream in Cambodia have ...
PM pushes ministry on governance, administration
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith has called on the Ministry of Home Affairs to adhere to scientific ways in the development of governance and administration, with their strong roots developed from an early stage. Mr Thongloun made the call on December 7 in his address at the ...
China funds poverty reduction in Laos
The Chinese government has agreed to provide grant funding of over 34 billion kip (over 33 million Yuan) to address poverty reduction in Laos, especially in outlying areas of the capital Vientiane and rural areas of Luang Prabang province. The grant is part of the Pilot ...
MPs to mull Japan’s soft loan offer
Parliament will decide this week whether or not to accept a US$824 million soft loan from Japan. The government has proposed the loan to Pyidaungsu Hluttaw for a range of capital projects, including aid to farmers, building roads and bridges for rural development, expanding electricity ...
Customs impounds 100 NGV buses amid duty doubts
The Customs Department has impounded 100 natural gas vehicle air-conditioned buses which were supposed to hit Bangkok streets late this month amid doubts over whether the import order is legitimate or was falsely declared to avoid more than 100 million baht in tax. The first ...
Vietnam’s cocoa receives “fine flavour” designation from Int’l Cocoa organisation
Viet Nam has become the second Asian country to achieve a fine flavour cocoa designation from the International Cocoa Organisation. Forty per cent of the country’s cocoa exports have received this designation. Indonesia was the first Asian country to receive the recognition in 2011, but it ...
Will coal shares bounce back?
The strong increase in coal prices has rekindled hopes for Vietnam’s miners and securities investors after a period of disappointment. After eight years of decline, the coal price began recovering in early 2016. Analysts commented that the coal price has been witnessing the strongest recovery compared ...
Dry season rice plan under consideration
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is considering whether the figure for this year’s dry season rice plan should be revised downwards or remain stable after the last four harvests failed to reach the target. Last dry season, farmers planted only about 99,000 hectares or ...
What does Binh Thuan want: thermal power or a marine-protected area?
Five thermal power projects have been developed in Binh Thuan province, raising serious concerns about pollution, as the plants are located near marine protected area. Binh Thuan has emerged as a province which attracts many industrial projects, especially thermal power ones. The Vinh Tan Power ...
Last chance to see: paddling through time on the Mekong
Humility is a rare commodity in the era of the smartphone, selfies and carefully–coiffed digital personas. Gratitude, too, is unusual in the modern world where a sense of entitlement seems all pervasive. Despite most of us being aware enough to acknowledge that all human beings ...
