World

Laos Steps Up Anti-Corruption Reforms, Deepens Cooperation With Vietnam

Laos is ramping up efforts to strengthen transparency and public accountability, rolling out a new Party resolution alongside deeper cooperation with Vietnam on inspection and anti-corruption work. At high-level talks in Hanoi on 25 August, Lao and Vietnamese officials agreed to strengthen ties between their inspection and anti-corruption agencies, exchanging...

US Court Strikes Down 75-Country Visa Pause, but Ruling Does Not Lift Laos Travel Ban

A US federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that paused immigrant...

Japanese Arrivals to Laos Jump 36 Percent Amid Renewed Tokyo Tourism Push

Laos welcomed 23,133 Japanese tourists in the first six months of 2026, a 36...

Prime Minister Calls for Tighter Oversight of Boten SEZ Amid Development Challenges

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has called for stronger management of the Boten Special Economic...

Laos-China Railway Trade Surges as Cross-Border Freight Hits New Highs

Trade along the Laos-China Railway continued to grow sharply in the first half of...

Lao Communities in United States Observes Two Lao Festivals in June

In June, the Lao community in the United States celebrated two major Lao-related events: Sabaidee Fest from 14 to 16 June and the Lao...

Global Reading Crisis: 300 Million Children at Risk by 2030, Report Says

More than 300 million children, representing 37 percent of all young people worldwide, will fail to achieve basic reading proficiency by 2030 if immediate...

Chinese Girl Sparks Debate After Entering Global Math Contest Finals

Jiang Ping, a 17-year-old student in China, has sparked debate on mathematics and education after she was shortlisted for the 2024 Alibaba Global Mathematics...

Thailand’s Senate Overwhelmingly Approves Landmark Bill to Legalize Marriage Equality

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday, 18 June, to approve a marriage equality bill, clearing the last legislative hurdle for the...

Laos, Vietnam to Launch Cross-Border QR Payment Service in August

Laos and Vietnam will launch a cross-border QR payment service to enhance tourism and economic exchanges between the two nations. The service is expected...

Thaksin Indicted on Charge of Royal Defamation as More Court Cases Stir Thailand’s Political Woes

BANGKOK (AP) — Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was formally indicted Tuesday on a charge of defaming Thailand’s monarchy in one of several court cases that...