Regional

More Lao Citizens Live Abroad as Foreign Population Nearly Doubles

The number of foreign nationals living in Laos has nearly doubled over the past decade, led by a sharp increase in Chinese residents, even as hundreds of thousands of Lao citizens live abroad. Laos recorded 79,827 foreign residents in its 2025 census, up from 45,538 in 2015. The census also...

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...

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...

Myanmar Supreme Court Rejects Ousted Leader SUU Kyi’s Special Appeal in Bribery Conviction

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s Supreme Court rejected Monday a special appeal by the country’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi against her conviction in a case in which...

Earthquake in Northwestern China Kills at Least 131 People, Deadliest in Nine Years

BEIJING (AP) — A strong overnight earthquake rattled a mountainous region of northwestern China, authorities said Tuesday, reducing homes to rubble, leaving residents outside in...

High Sugar, Salt Content in Infant Foods Across Seven ASEAN Countries, UNICEF Report Reveals

Children across Southeast Asia are exposed to excessive amounts of sugar and salt contained in commercially produced food, a new study revealed. The research assessed...

Regional Leaders Propose Seamless Tourism for Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia

Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong has suggested fostering seamless tourism collaboration among Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, eliminating the need for individual visas for...

Kishida Says Japan Is Ready to Lead Asia in Achieving Decarbonization and Energy Security

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to lead efforts to simultaneously achieve decarbonization, economic growth, and energy security in Asia, an...

Cambodia Welcomes Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Plan to Return Looted Antiquities

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia has welcomed the announcement that New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art will return more than a dozen pieces of...