A court in Vietnam on 11 July jailed 30 people including several former senior officials over graft that cost the state USD 45 million, with one ex-official convicted of taking suitcases stuffed with cash bribes.
The communist nation’s crackdown on corruption in recent years has seen two presidents and three deputy prime ministers deposed and top business leaders taken down.
On Friday, state media said a Hanoi court announced verdicts for 30 former officials and 11 businesspeople charged with bribery, abuse of power and violating bidding and contracting laws.
Thirty of the 41 were convicted of corruption that prosecutors say caused damages worth more than VND 1.16 trillion (USD 44.6 million) to...
The Lao government has begun compensating residents whose land and property have been affected by the Lao-Thai Railway Project, despite ongoing delays in updating land documentation.
During the 9th Ordinary...
Underprivileged Lao youths are set to receive skills training and job preparation through a newly launched initiative designed to improve living conditions and close the employment gap for those...
On 9 July, the Vientiane Capital People’s Council approved a proposal to increase tap water prices, citing mounting production costs that have left the city’s water utility operating at...
Laos is stepping up efforts to tackle climate-related food insecurity and open new export opportunities, with USD 68.5 million in support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and partners...
The Lao government will begin a major upgrade of a 50-kilometer stretch of National Road No. 13 South in October 2025 to boost freight capacity and regional connectivity, with...
Bokeo Province recorded an export value of USD 17.23 million in the first six months of 2025, marking steady growth in trade and industrial activities.
The figure was shared during...
Vientiane’s BRT service is scheduled to begin trial operations free of charge for three months by the end of August, Mayor of Vientiane Capital Athsphangthong Siphandone announced during the 9th Ordinary Session of the Vientiane People’s Council’s second legislature on 7 July.
The BRT project has made substantial progress, with construction of lanes and stations currently at 71.64 percent completion, according to Athsphangthong. Officials expect construction to reach 90 percent completion by the end of July, positioning the system to become fully operational by the end of 2025.
The BRT system will feature 12-meter electric air-conditioned express buses with 40 seats each, operating on dedicated routes for faster and safer service....
The Lao government has announced plans to boost tourism in Vientiane Capital with the theme "Vientiane's Sustainable Tourism," The initiative aims to incorporate innovative technologies into tourism management and create new attractions for...
Laos hosted the Mekong Tourism Forum 2025 in Luang Prabang from 24 to 27 June, spotlighting the proposed ASEAN Rail Tourism Corridor (ARTC) as a key initiative to boost regional travel and connectivity.
Held...
On World Population Day, UNFPA Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Mr. Pio Smith calls for systems that empower young people across the region to decide on their future where parenthood is a choice – not a risk or a burden.
Across Asia and the Pacific, fertility rates are falling. Headlines warn of “population collapse,” and young people are often blamed, accused of turning away from parenthood. But the real crisis is not “too many” or “too few” births. It’s about...
As hundreds of voices erupted around the boxing ring, anticipation surged through the arena. It was the moment Soukan “Nong Oh” Taypanyavong had been training for, a battle that would decide whether years...
Football fans in Laos now have a new reason to celebrate.
Jasmine International Public Company Limited (JAS), the exclusive rights holder for the English Premier League (EPL) and FA Cup across Thailand, Cambodia,...
On World Population Day, UNFPA Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Mr. Pio Smith calls for systems that empower young people across the region to decide on their future where parenthood is a choice – not a risk or a burden.
Across Asia and the Pacific, fertility rates are falling. Headlines warn of “population collapse,” and young people are often blamed, accused of turning away from parenthood. But the real crisis is not “too many” or “too few” births. It’s about whether young people can choose when and how to start or grow a family, on their own terms. For too many young people who ask the question: Can I build the life I want? The answer is no.
This is the fertility story we need to tell. Not one driven by panic but by the urgent need to support reproductive agency and real choice.
Around the region and the world, young people are either shut out of parenthood or forced into it by systems that fail them. Systems that push girls into early motherhood without access to contraception or education, that delay parenthood for couples facing job insecurity, unaffordable housing or rigid...