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 Introduces Pre-Arrival Digital Declaration for Foreigners at Ho Chi Minh City Airport

Vietnam has introduced a mandatory digital pre-arrival declaration for all foreign nationals entering on a visa through Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho...

Japan Launches USD 10 Billion Energy Support Plan for Asia

Japan has announced a USD 10 billion energy support initiative for Asian countries as tensions in the Middle East continue to threaten global oil...

Thongloun Congratulates Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing on Presidency

Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith has congratulated Myanmar’s newly elected president Min Aung Hlaing, pledging to strengthen ties between the two countries. In his message, Thongloun...

Southern Laos Joins Vietnam, Thailand to Push East-West Economic Corridor Forward

Top officials from Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand met in Pakse on 3 April to revive East-West Economic Corridor, a 1,450-kilometer route linking the region. With...

Over 16,000 Fire Hotspots Recorded Nationwide as PM 2.5 Blankets Laos

Laos recorded 16,395 fire hotspots in the first three months of 2026, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), producing PM 2.5...

Indonesia Bans Social Media Access for Under-16s

Indonesia became the first country in Southeast Asia to ban children under 16 from social media on 28 March, following a growing global push...