ASEAN

Miss Universe Dispute Leaves Six Southeast Asian Franchises in Limbo

The Miss Universe Organization is facing a major dispute just weeks before its 75th anniversary pageant, with contestants from six Southeast Asian countries caught in the middle. Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore could all be affected by a disagreement over who has the right to run their national...

Thailand Restores 30-Day Visa-Free Stay, Limits Visa-Free Land Entries to Twice a Year

Thailand has cut its visa-free tourist stay from 60 days back to 30 days,...

Laos Prepares For ASEAN Para Games With 12-Sport Bid

Laos is preparing to compete in 12 sports at the 14th ASEAN Para Games...

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...

Bangkok Bar Fire Kills 27, Leaves Dozens Critically Injured

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

Malaysia King to Choose Prime Minister Amid Hung Parliament

Malaysia's King Al-Sultan Abdullah said yesterday that he will choose the country's next prime minister after last weekend's election ended in a hung parliament. Although...

US VP Kamala Harris Announces USD 20 Million for Clean Energy in Mekong

The announcement was made last week, on the last day of her tour in Thailand for the 21-member APEC Meeting.  She said, "Bold climate action...

Dozens Killed and Hundreds Injured as Massive Earthquake Shakes Indonesia

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake shook Indonesia's main island of Java on Monday, killing nearly 60 people and injuring over 700. The quake hit the Cianjur...

UN Expert Urges Korea Play Enhanced Role in Addressing Myanmar Crisis

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar today urged the Republic of Korea (ROK) to take even stronger action...

Cambodia Wins World’s Best Rice Award for the Fifth Time

Cambodia’s Phka Romduol rice has received the World's Best Rice 2022 Award at the World Rice Conference (WRC). Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and...

In Laos, Smoking Kills More People than Road Accidents

According to statistics revealed by the Ministry of Health, smoking causes more deaths than road accidents every year. Laos recorded 831 deaths by road accidents...