Politics

Laos, China Launch Digital Payment Link For Cross-Border Transactions

Laos and China have launched a new digital payment link that allows Chinese visitors to pay Lao businesses using China’s digital yuan, without needing to exchange cash into Lao kip. The system connects China’s digital yuan, known as e-CNY, with Laos’ domestic QR payment network. A Chinese visitor can now...

Timor-Leste Moves to Join Cluster Munition Ban at Vientiane Conference

Timor-Leste has taken a formal step toward joining the Convention on Cluster Munitions, signing...

Laos Warns of Lasting Toll at Vientiane Meeting as Cluster Munition Use Rises Worldwide

Laos is hosting the Convention on Cluster Munitions’ Third Review Conference 16 years after...

Vientiane Court Hands Life Sentences to Former Bank Employees in Major Corruption Cases

A court in Vientiane gave life sentences to several former bank employees for corruption....

Laos, Kazakhstan Seek New Railway Links to Expand Trade

Laos and Kazakhstan are exploring new railway and logistics links that could open a...

Malaysia Makes Owning LGBTQ+ Swatch Punishable by up to 3 Years in Jail

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s government said Thursday that all Swatch products that contain lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer elements — including...

Laos Reviews Preparations for ASEAN Chairmanship at PM-led Meeting

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone chaired a meeting attended by senior officials and ministers on Thursday to assess progress in the preparation for Laos' upcoming...

Chart Thai Pattana Party Joins Pheu Thai-Led Coalition to Form New Government in Thailand

In a move to strengthen their political coalition in Thailand's House of Representatives, the Pheu Thai Party welcomed the Chart Thai Pattana Party along...

Hospital Opens Doors to “One-Stop” Services For Survivors of Violence for First Time in Laos

The Ministry of Health unveiled the nation’s first hospital-based One-Stop Service Unit (OSSU) for survivors of violence in Mahosot Hospital on Monday. The OSSU...

Laos to Receive THB 1.8 Billion Loan From Thailand to Develop Khamsavath Station in Vientiane Capital

Laos is likely to receive a loan worth THB 1.8 billion (around USD 51 million) from Thailand to develop the Khamsavath Station in Vientiane...

Investigators Say Myanmar’s Military is Committing Increasingly Brazen War Crimes

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military and affiliated militias are committing increasingly frequent and brazen war crimes, including aerial bombings targeting civilians, a group of...