People and government
DPM calls for joint efforts to end violence against women
With a number of women continuing to suffer violence, Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Sonexay Siphandone has called for joint efforts from all walks of life to put an end to violence against women. Delivering a message on November 22 to mark International Day for the Elimination ...
CA$11.9M initiative to boost ASEAN SMEs
Canada is working with ASEAN to deliver an ambitious five-year, CA$11.9 million initiative through a partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region.Keep reading ...
Officials look to formulate national policy on ageing
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement hosted an event this week in Yangon aimed at drafting a national policy for a growing contingent of those over 60 years old. One in every 11 Myanmar citizens is elderly, the ministry’s deputy director general Daw ...
The challenge for Asia's female politicians

Asia is seeing a new wave of successful female politicians, but getting to the top requires hard choices. What a disastrous few months for women in politics. The world started 2016 with the hopes of seeing both the first female UN secretary general and first ...
Cabinet approves five decrees to boost economy, improve administration

The government cabinet has approved five new and amended draft prime ministerial decrees to boost socio-economic development and improve administration. They are the draft Decree on Government Bond, Decree on Tourism Fund, Decree on Technical Positions of Civil Servants, amended draft Decree on Private Education Institute ...
Lese majeste suspects 'bottled up in Laos'

A number of suspected lese majeste offenders are holed up in Laos and police will work with public prosecutors and Interpol to track them down, the national police chief says. Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda said the Thai and Lao governments have discussed the matter and ...
Xayaboury vocational school initiates solar power engineering course
A solar power system engineering class is being trialled at Xayaboury Technical and Vocational School with a view to it becoming a regular subject, according to a press release from the Energy and Climate Policy Institute. The Director of the province’s statistics planning division education ...
Overseas students shift focus to Australia after Trump election
A website designed to attract international students to Australia has reported a huge spike in hits following the election of Donald Trump as the next president of the US. Chris Lester, chief executive of the Good Education Group, said traffic to its Studies in Australia site ...
Changing Mekong currents compound dam anxieties in Southeast Asia

Several factors are disrupting the terrain for investment in large hydropower dams, and governments should take note. The government of Laos officially submitted the Pak Beng Dam to the Mekong River Commission in mid-November and has begun preparatory work around the future dam site. While ...
Over 470 hydropower projects to be cut

The Ministry of Industry and Trade removed 471 hydropower plant projects from its power development plan after reviewing the plan in accordance with a National Assembly resolution passed in 2013. According to the ministry and the people’s committees of provinces nationwide, the projects are mostly small ...