Health & Environment

Laos Gives Unlicensed Beauty Clinics Until November to Obtain Permits Amid Weak Oversight Concerns

The Ministry of Health has ordered unlicensed medical and beauty facilities across Laos to obtain official permits by 30 November, but the directive has raised questions over its delayed public release and how authorities will enforce the deadline. The Ministry issued the directive on 29 May but did not publicize...

Flooding Hits Over 60,000 in Khammouane as Rivers Rise Above Danger Levels

Flooding has affected more than 60,000 people across all 10 districts of Khammouane province...

Thailand’s HIV Cases Pass 550,000, Laos Reports Rising Infections Among Young People

Thailand has recorded 557,993 cumulative HIV cases, health authorities say, even as new infections...

Trendy ‘Squishy’ Toys Suspended in Laos Over Chemical Safety Concerns

Laos has ordered the immediate suspension of the import and sale of Squishy toys...

Laos Eyes State Fuel Stations as Future EV Charging Hubs

Laos is exploring plans to turn state-owned fuel stations into electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging...

New Protection Shelter for Domestic Violence Victims Opens in Attapeu

A new shelter for survivors of gender-based violence has opened in the province of Attapeu, with support from the governments of Japan, UNFPA, and...

WHO Downgrades COVID Pandemic, Says It’s No Longer Emergency

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization said Friday that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, marking a symbolic end to the devastating...

Sustainable Tourism Can Conserve Environment, Says Tourism Official

Ms. Sengsoda Vanthanouvong, Deputy Director of the Tourism Promotion Department, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICT) recently spoke about the impact of tourism...

Xieng Khouang Authorities Kill Pigs Smuggled from Vietnam

Authorities in Nong Het District, Xieng Khouang Province have seized and killed hundreds of smuggled pigs from Vietnam, which were infected with a deadly...

Two Resorts in Luang Prabang Report Damage Due to Forest Fires

Whether it is lack of occupancy or damage to property, tourism-related businesses in Luang Prabang have continued to get affected by slash-and-burn practices that...

Nine Injured After Being Struck by Lightning in Oudomxay Province

A group of farmers in Oudomxay province was injured on Wednesday after being struck by lightning while working on their farm during a thunderstorm. According...