Regional

Lao Buddhist Organization Tightens Social Media Guidelines

The Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organization has issued new nationwide guidelines governing how monks use social media, highlighting growing concerns about online conduct as digital platforms become increasingly embedded in religious life. The notice, issued on 2 June, also applies to other religious practitioners including novices, white-robed male devotees, and white-robed...

Five Survivors Rescued from Xaysomboun Cave, Search Continues

Five villagers trapped inside a flooded cave in Xaysomboun province have now been brought...

International Cave Diving Experts Join Xaysomboun Rescue Mission as Two Villagers Remain Trapped

International cave diving specialists from several countries are joining rescue efforts in Xaysomboun as...

Thailand, Vietnam Target USD 25 Billion Trade Goal as Ties Enter ‘New Phase’

Thailand and Vietnam pledged deeper economic and security cooperation on 28 May as the...

Laos Deports 46 Foreign Nationals Amid Crackdown on Scam Networks

Lao authorities handed over 46 Chinese nationals to Chinese officials on 26 May following...

January Trade Surplus Marks Sharp Rebound from Year-Earlier Deficit

Laos began 2026 on stronger footing, with exports rising to USD 886.7 million in January, up 36 percent from the same month last year....

Myanmar Expels Timor-Leste’s Representative Over War Crimes Case

AFP - Myanmar's junta on 15 February announced the ejection of East Timor's top representative in the country, after a rights group said Dili...

Japan Commits USD 2.7 Million to Strengthen Mekong Water Monitoring

Japan has pledged up to JPY 424 million (over USD 2.7 million) to improve water quality monitoring and management in the Lower Mekong Basin,...

Man Arrested in Thailand for Smuggling Rhino Horn Hidden in Meat Bound for Laos

AFP - Thai authorities arrested a man for allegedly smuggling more than 11 kilograms of rhino horns inside wrapped meat, in a case officials...

Authorities Intensify Crackdown on Illegal Opium Poppy Cultivation in Northern Laos

Lao authorities have stepped up enforcement against illegal opium poppy cultivation in northern Laos, destroying more than 13 hectares of illicit crops in early...

Laos Arrests Nearly 2,800 Suspects in Golden Triangle Zone Since 2023, Officials Say

Nearly 2,800 suspects from 27 nationalities have been arrested in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) in Bokeo Province for telecommunications fraud and...