News
PM announces continued suspension of mining concessions

Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said on October 19 the government will maintain the moratorium on new mining concessions because it needs more time to inspect a number of operations. The prime minister was speaking at a three-day conference taking place at the National Convention Centre for mining ...
Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia eye social sciences boost
Delegates and dialogue partners from Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia on October 19 discussed human resources development in the field of social sciences in the context of global integration. The talks took place at the countries’ 5th annual international conference on this issue. Speaking at the meeting, President ...
Thai hospitality industry offers advice as Myanmar hotels eye boost in standards
A joint seminar on hospitality management development will be held on October 22, in a cooperative effort between the Myanmar Hotelier Association and Thai industry figures. The conference is to be held by Krung Thai Bank at Taw Win Garden Hotel, Hotelier Association joint secretary ...
Low marks for Cambodia’s efforts to combat illicit trade
Cambodia ranked third-worst for illicit trade out of 17 countries in the Asia-Pacific region in a recently released index by the Economist Intelligence Unit that analysed governments’ abilities to combat illegal trade operations. The report, commissioned by the European Chamber of Commerce of Singapore, reviewed countries ...
FDI sluggish as investor mood dims
Foreign direct investment for the whole of 2016 is expected to grow by just 2.7%, indicating that confidence in the Thai economy remains fragile, says Vallop Vitanakorn, vice-chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries. He said the likely FDI growth of 2.7% is low when ...
NA to hold first ordinary session next week
The national socio-economic development plan, state budget, monetary policy, audit results, the work of prosecutors and judges and legislation approval will all be on the agenda of the upcoming first ordinary session of the National Assembly’s ‘s Eighth Legislature. Head of the NA Secretariat Ms Suansavanh ...
More powercuts forecast for Yangon

Get ready for the blackouts. A regional minister has acknowledged that decayed powerlines and a surging demand for electricity will once again leave the commercial capital in the dark. Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation had hoped a handful of patchwork measures would help boost the supply but ...
China may give Filipino fishermen access to Scarborough - sources

China will consider giving Filipino fishermen conditional access to disputed waters in the South China Sea after the presidents of the two countries meet in Beijing this week, two Chinese sources with ties to the leadership said. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte plans to raise the plight ...
Myanmar’s disappointing new investment law

A new investment law has been rushed through Burma’s Parliament, with the Upper House giving its approval on October 6. According to the Myanmar Investment Commission, the law is expected to take effect soon. Earth Rights International and other civil society groups are concerned that the ...
Four reasons why Asia is a prime target for cybercriminals

From attacks on Ukrainian power grids to central bank heists in Bangladesh and the leak of stolen information from the Democratic National Committee in the U.S., cybersecurity threats have escalated massively in recent years. Governments, companies and individuals are equally susceptible all over the world, but ...