News
New funding programme to help improve ecosystems in Borikhamxay
The Wildlife Conservation Society Laos Programme will work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to protect and conserve the unique and important species, habitats, and ecosystems in Borikhamxay province. An agreement on the Integrated Ecosystem and Wildlife Management Programme Phase 3 was signed ...
Foreign diplomats wish Laos continued success in development
The heads of diplomatic missions in Laos have expressed confidence that the current National Socio-Economic Development Plan will lead to tangible progress in achieving continuous, inclusive and sustainable growth. This was the main message delivered by foreign diplomats to the country’s leaders, government and citizens ...
Japan supports gender education in Bokeo
The Japanese government has provided grant assistance of more than US$450,381 to build secondary school facilities and support gender education in Bokeo province. A signing ceremony for a grant contract for the project took place on December 1 between the Ambassador of Japan to Laos, ...
Hydropower in the Mekong: an alternative approach
Laos needs to rethink its aggressive hydropower plans as new markets and technologies create an opportunity to change course. A report published in September by the Stimson Center, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, challenges prevailing notions about the future of hydropower in the Mekong subregion, an ...
Thailand's crown prince becomes country's new king
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, 64, became Thailand’s new king on December 1 after he accepted an invitation from parliament to succeed his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October. King Bhumibol, 88, was widely loved and regarded as a pillar of stability during decades of ...
China is stepping up its global power play
With US president-elect Donald Trump threatening to build a wall on the Mexican border and force Asian allies to increase defence spending, Beijing is busy luring countries across the eastern hemisphere into its orbit. President Xi Jinping, who is consolidating his power at home, is ...
Adolescents with HIV struggle with drug regimens, stigma
Young people with HIV are facing unique challenges, according to a recent report from Doctors Without Borders Myanmar released ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1. Adolescents with HIV aged 10 to 19 are three times more likely to experience failure with first-line anti-retroviral treatment ...
Tea touted as solution to budgetary woes
As the government has found itself without enough cash to complete development projects scheduled in the current fiscal year, one cabinet member has aired an unusual proposal for financing the shortfall: tea money. Speaking in parliament on December 1, the minister for agriculture, livestock and ...
Minimum wage law still not cutting it for garment workers: report
A New report on the state of the garment industry from Progressive Voice found that last year’s minimum wage law is causing negative workplace impacts for a majority of labourers and, for many, is still not resulting in a living wage. The report, released on ...
Rice exports tipped to beat state target
Rice shipments out of Thailand are expected to fare better than the government’s target of 10 million tonnes because of price competitiveness and recovering exports of hom mali fragrant rice, shippers say. Even so, that amount would be insufficient to retake the title of world’s ...