Regional

Seven-Year-Old Becomes Laos’ Youngest Internationally Rated Chess Player

Seven-year-old Bounthiengtham “Jayson” Sengphachan has already done something no Lao chess player his age has done before. The young player from Vientiane Chess Academy recently became the youngest Lao player to receive an official FIDE Rapid rating, a ranking based on performance in faster-paced chess games, scoring 1503 after a...

Thailand’s HIV Cases Pass 550,000, Laos Reports Rising Infections Among Young People

Thailand has recorded 557,993 cumulative HIV cases, health authorities say, even as new infections...

Laos, Vietnam Set USD 4 Billion Trade Goal as Economic Ties Grow

Laos and Vietnam are pushing to take their economic partnership to the next level,...

Former MRC Chief Anoulak Kittikhoun Named First Lao Head of Mekong Institute

Former Mekong River Commission (MRC) Chief Executive Officer Anoulak Kittikhoun has been appointed Executive...

Lao Police Arrest Two Nationals in Cross-Border Heroin Investigation

Two Lao nationals have been arrested in Laos as part of a growing cross-border...

Accused Scam Boss Chen Zhi Arrested in Cambodia, Extradited to China: Phnom Penh

AFP - Chinese-born tycoon Chen Zhi, who was indicted by the United States on fraud and money-laundering charges for running a multibillion-dollar cyberscam network...

Indonesia Flood Kills 16, Displaces Hundreds

AFP - Torrential rains battered Indonesia's Siau island, causing a flash flood that killed at least 16 people, with another three missing, authorities said...

Laos Urges Restraint, Dialogue as Tensions Rise Over Venezuela

Laos has voiced concern over the escalating situation in Venezuela, calling on all parties to respect international law and resolve differences through dialogue rather...

Vietnam Introduces Strict Ban on E-Cigarettes, Heated Tobacco Products

Vietnam has imposed strict fines and mandated the destruction of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products under a new government decree as part of its...

Thailand Releases 18 Cambodian Soldiers Held Since July: Govts

AFP - Thailand on Wednesday, 31 December, released 18 Cambodian soldiers captured in July, both governments said, after a fresh ceasefire between the neighbors...

Thais, Cambodians Fear Returning Home Despite Border Truce

By Thanaporn Promyamyai with Suy Se in Phnom Penh/AFP - At a Thai university-turned-shelter for displaced people, Kanlaya Somjettana is reluctant to go home...