People and government

Humans and fungi have always coexisted. In fact, among microbes, fungi are our closest relatives, with far fewer genetic differences than there are for bacteria or viruses. So why are we now hearing so much about “mysterious” infections and “killer superbugs” emerging from the fungal world? When ...

Hundreds of indigenous Karen people in Thailand face evictions from a national park that authorities wish to turn into a World Heritage Site, joining millions in a similarly precarious situation as authorities worldwide push tough conservation laws. The Kaeng Krachan is Thailand’s biggest national park, sprawled ...

Reuters won two Pulitzer Prizes on Monday, one for revealing the massacre of 10 Muslim Rohingya men by Buddhist villagers and Myanmar security forces, and another for photographs of Central American migrants seeking refuge in the United States. The awards marked the second year in a ...

In a classroom on the outskirts of Myanmar’s biggest city, a thin, bespectacled university student led about a dozen peers in boisterous chants of “Censorship is a shame!” and “We don’t believe in censorship!”  It was the final rehearsal of a troupe performing “thangyat”, a centuries-old ...

Daycha Siripatra, founder of the Khaokwan Foundation, would have remained largely unknown had the police and anti-narcotics officials not raided the foundation’s premises in Suphan Buri province and seized 200 cannabis plants, some marijuana extract, oil and seeds.  They also arrested senior foundation member Pornchai Choolert and ...

Việt Nam aims to develop its horticultural industry by learning from the Netherlands’ innovative horticultural techniques and its expertise, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Speaking at a conference on “HortiFuture Vietnam” held in HCM City on Thursday, Deputy Minister Lê Quốc Doanh ...

Around 100 policies and documents related to ethnic minority groups in the Mekong Delta have been implemented to develop essential infrastructure and production, reduce poverty and improve the living standards of local residents. According to Hung Thi Somaly, an official from the Government’s Committee for Ethnic ...

Steel magnolia is a term that comes to Ms Moe Thuzar’s mind when talking of Aung San Suu Kyi. “Daw Suu wouldn’t be Daw Suu without that steely inner core that has been a mainstay of her survival,” says the Myanmar Studies Programme co-coordinator at ...

Vietnam and the Netherlands are expected to announce the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive partnership during an official visit to Vietnam on April 9 by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Within multilateral frameworks, the two countries have cooperated and supported each other’s initiatives, especially ...

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and major financiers on Thursday launched a facility to spur more than $1 billion in green infrastructure investments across Southeast Asia. The facility offers loans and technical assistance for sovereign projects in areas such ...