Regional

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...

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...

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,...

Thailand Relaxes Alcohol Sales Ban on Major Buddhist Holidays

Thailand has officially relaxed its long-standing ban on alcohol sales during major Buddhist holidays, marking a significant shift in policy that takes effect immediately. The...

Pest Migration from Southeast Asia Threatens Crops in Southern China, Research Found

Southern China is facing a surge in agricultural pests migrating from neighboring Southeast Asian countries, including Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. This pest migration, driven...

India Launches Strikes on Pakistan, Islamabad Vows to ‘Settle the Score’

By Sajjad QAYYUM with Bhuvan Bagga in Poonch/AFP - India fired missiles at Pakistani territory early Wednesday, killing at least eight people, according to...

Gunfire Near Lao-Thai Border Leaves Two Lao Soldiers Dead, Bullet Strikes Thai Home

Tensions are rising along the Thai–Lao border following a deadly armed clash on 3 May that left two Lao soldiers dead and sent stray...

Singapore Ruling Party Wins Election in Landslide

By Satish Cheney/AFP - Voters have handed Singapore's long-time ruling party a landslide election victory, offering Prime Minister Lawrence Wong a clear mandate to...

Mekong Communities at Risk as Arsenic Levels Soar in Northern Thai Rivers, Researcher Found

Arsenic levels up to 19 times higher than safety limits have contaminated rivers feeding into the Mekong, putting downstream communities across Southeast Asia at...