World

Lao Migrant Workers Send Home USD 500 Million in First Seven Months of 2026

Lao migrant workers sent an estimated USD 500.7 million back to Laos during the first seven months of 2026, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.  The ministry shared the figures during a labor migration meeting in Vientiane on 22 September. Employment Department Director General Anousone Khamsingsavath said...

Vietnam Emerges as Laos’ Second-Largest Foreign Investor with USD 8 Billion in Projects

Vietnam has become Laos's second-largest foreign investor, with more than 400 projects worth a...

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

Laos and China have launched a new digital payment link that allows Chinese visitors...

Miss Universe Dispute Leaves Six Southeast Asian Franchises in Limbo

The Miss Universe Organization is facing a major dispute just weeks before its 75th...

Laos, Thailand Move Forward With Plans for New Friendship Bridge Linking Vientiane, Loei

Laos and Thailand are studying a possible new Friendship Bridge linking Vientiane Province with...

Laos–Vietnam Railway Construction to Begin in 2026, Operations Targeted for 2030

Construction of the first railway linking Laos and Vietnam is scheduled to begin in 2026, with the line expected to become operational by 2030,...

Survivors Pick Up Pieces in Flood-Hit Indonesia as More Rain Predicted

By Marchio GORBIANO and Taris IMAN/AFP - Survivors in Indonesia were piecing back shattered lives Friday after devastating floods killed more than 1,750 people...

Princess Aiko Shares Thoughts on Six-Day Trip to Laos

Her Royal Highness Princess Aiko of Japan has shared her thoughts following her first official overseas visit, concluding a trip to Laos from 17...

Laos-Vietnam Trade, Investment Surges as Leaders Eye USD 5 Billion Target

Trade between Laos and Vietnam reached USD 2.6 billion in the first ten months of 2025, a 50 percent rise from last year.  These numbers...

China to Tax Condoms After Three Decades in Demographic Policy Shift

After three decades of tax-free status, condoms in China will soon be subject to VAT under a new policy aimed at countering the country’s...

Japan Backs Southern Laos Hospital Upgrades as Public Voices Mixed Reactions

Japan has funded JPY 2,865 million (approximately USD 18 million) to support the improvement of referral hospitals in southern Laos including Champasak, Salavan, Sekong,...