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...

Lao, Thai Authorities Arrest Malaysian Drug Dealer Hiding in Laos

Ong Gim Wah, a 39-year-old Malaysian national, was apprehended for drug-related crimes in Laos in a joint operation between Lao and Thai authorities on...

South Korean Opposition Leader is Stabbed in the Neck by a Knife-Wielding Man

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck by an unidentified knife-wielding man during a visit...

Furnace Explosion at Chinese-Owned Nickel Plant in Indonesia Kills at Least 13 and Injures 46 Others

PALU, Indonesia (AP) — A smelting furnace exploded Sunday at a Chinese-owned nickel plant on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, killing at least 13 workers and injuring dozens...

Vietnam Considers Importing Electricity From Laos to Tackle Power Shortage

In response to the persistent power shortages in Northern Vietnam, the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) has put forth a proposal to import wind power...

Earthquake in Northwest China That Killed at Least 148 Causes Economic Losses Worth Millions

BEIJING (AP) — The strong earthquake that hit northwest China this week, killing at least 148 people, caused economic losses estimated to be worth tens of...

Thailand Readies for Same-Sex Marriage in Wake of Papal Decision, Sparking Hope in Lao LGBTQ+ Community

As the Roman Catholic Church navigates varied reactions to Pope Francis' recent approval of same-gender marriages, Thailand is on the verge of making history...