Regional

Timor-Leste Moves to Join Cluster Munition Ban at Vientiane Conference

Timor-Leste has taken a formal step toward joining the Convention on Cluster Munitions, signing a declaration of accession in Vientiane on 15 September during the treaty’s Third Review Conference. Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas signed the Declaration of Accession, and handed to Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister...

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...

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...

Vietnam Flooding Submerges Homes, Kills 41, After Relentless Rain

AFP - Rescuers plucked stranded people from the rooftops of submerged homes as widespread flooding inundated central Vietnam, where authorities said on 20 November...

Singapore Seizes Record Rhino Horn Haul Bound for Laos

AFP - Singapore has seized over USD 800,000 worth of illegal rhino horn and animal parts hidden in air cargo bound for Laos, authorities...

Landslides in Vietnam Kill at Least Six

AFP - Landslides triggered by heavy rain in Vietnam have killed at least six people and injured more than a dozen, disaster agency officials...

Mekong–Lancang Nations Step Up Fight Against Cross-Border Cybercrime

Six Mekong-Lancang countries have agreed to intensify cooperation against transnational telecom and online fraud, adopting urgent measures aimed at real-time data sharing, stricter SIM-card...

Thailand to End Tax Exemption on Low-Value Online Imports from January 2026

Thailand is set to eliminate its tax exemption for low-value online purchases starting January 2026, imposing import duties and a 7 percent value-added tax...

Japan Plans to Raise Visa Fees from 2026 Amid Overtourism Concerns

Japan plans to raise its visa issuance fees for foreign visitors starting in the 2026 fiscal year, as the country faces an unprecedented tourism...