ASEAN

Bear Paws, Pangolin Meat Seized in Vientiane Restaurant Raid Amid Laos’ Wider Crackdown

Lao authorities have stepped up their crackdown on illegal wildlife trade after raiding a Chinese-owned restaurant in central Vientiane, one of several wildlife enforcement operations carried out this year. On 18 May, officers from the Law Enforcement Network for Aquatic Animals, Wildlife and Forestry (LAO-WEN) inspected a restaurant in Chommany...

Bangkok Bar Fire Kills 27, Leaves Dozens Critically Injured

A fire late on Sunday night at a packed pub in Bangkok has killed...

Vietnam, Philippines Reach Upper-Middle-Income Status as Laos Eyes 2035 Target

Vietnam and the Philippines have been reclassified as upper-middle-income economies by the World Bank,...

Lao Deputy PM Holds Talks in Myanmar to Deepen Bilateral Ties

Laos and Myanmar are moving to expand bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors following an...

At Least 19 Dead After 7.8-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Southern Philippines

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao in the southern Philippines...

ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Seeks to Reinstate Peace and Stability in Region

The 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held on July 11-12, in Jakarta, Indonesia, during which, leaders from the US, Russia, China, Australia, New...

High Times in Thailand: New Weed Laws Draw Tourists From Across Asia

BANGKOK (AP) — A Japanese tourist reaches into a baggie of cannabis he’s just bought in a central Bangkok weed shop, pulling out a...

EU Rejects Myanmar’s Diplomatic Role and Says It Still Doesn’t Recognize Generals

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The European Union’s top diplomat on Thursday expressed opposition to Myanmar’s upcoming role as the overseer of relations between the...

Lao Foreign Ministry Leaders Attend ASEAN Meetings in Indonesia

Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongphane Savanphet, participated in the Southeast Asia...

Vietnam Frees Australian Pro-democracy Campaigner Sentenced in 2019 to 12 Years in Prison

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Vietnam allowed 73-year-old pro-democracy campaigner Chau Van Kham to return home to Sydney on Tuesday after Australian Prime Minister Anthony...

Lao Deputy PM Meets Senior Chinese Diplomat to Discuss Future Cooperation

Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith met with Wang Yi, director of the Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of...