News
Laos yet to formulate drought response plan
An official from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Mrs Sonephet Phosarath said on 28 April that the relevant ministries have an emergency response plan to fight against the worsening drought. “Someday, the Lao government will make a plan to respond to worsening droughts and floods,” ...
Vietnam tells Taiwan firm to dig up waste pipe amid "red tide" disaster
Vietnam has told owners of a Taiwanese-built steel plant to dig up a controversial waste pipe, even after it found no evidence tying its discharge to mass fish deaths that have triggered health fears and public anger. Environment Minister Tran Hong Ha declared illegal the waste ...
Fishery groups step up bid to avoid EU action
Isara Vongkusolkit, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber was gravely concerned about the IUU issue and had tried its best to promote cooperation with private counterparts in the fishing industry to create a traceability system for products. Mr Poj insisted that, whatever ...
Abandoned Rohingya migrants reveal new smuggling route
Police apprehended 13 illegal Rohingya migrants left on a roadside in Chumphon province on 27 April, learning that the Malaysia-bound Muslims were being smuggled on a previously unknown route. Keep reading ...
Bird flu outbreak in Monywa leads to poultry transport ban
After tens of thousands of chickens had to be killed due to an outbreak of bird flu in Monywa, officials are now preventing transportation of poultry and poultry products outside of the affected area. U Kyi Lwin Oo, deputy chair of the Sagaing Region Livestock Federation, ...
Vietnam seeks aid as drought threatens millions
Officials from the country’s agriculture ministry and the United Nations said more than 60,000 women and children in 18 hardest-hit provinces in southern and central Vietnam are facing malnutrition while around 1.75 million people from farming families have had their livelihoods badly hit. Keep reading ...
Laos prepares for timber trade agreement with EU
The Technical Working Group of the Lao Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) process has elaborated a first draft Timber Legality Definition in preparation for the first face-to-face FLEGT/Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) negotiations between Laos and the European Union. The two-day workshop brought together 50 ...
Asean debates food safety issues
The three-day meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Health and attended by representatives of the Asean Secretariat and officials concerned with food safety matters from the 10 Asean member states. The importance of food safety has increased significantly in recent years following a series of ...
New protected forest areas revealed
At a workshop on 25 April, Environment Minister Say Sam Al revealed the five areas to be included within 900,000 hectares of new protected forest would include parts of Prey Lang, Krovanh Khang Tbong, Preah Rokar, Siem Pang Khang Lech and Vern Sai forests with further ...
Record 60-day rice sale blitz set to begin
Mr Suthep said he is certain there will be sufficient water reserves in the irrigation zone during the rainy season for the main rice crop. But the agency will need to assess whether the water collected will last for the second rice crop which follows ...
