People and government
Pensions provide small support for elderly
A plan to roll out monthly pensions for the elderly remains mired in a logistical tangle – and those who qualify could receive as little as K15,000 a year. While the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement received the green light in December 2014 to implement ...
Rice scheme civil claim 'still an option'

The Commerce Ministry has rejected widespread criticism on social media that it was too slow to act in demanding financial compensation from suspects in the multi-billion-baht rice-pledging scandal. Keep reading ...
Construction begins on second Thai-Myanmar bridge

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on 30 August for the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge that will play a key role in the East-West Economic Corridor traversing continental Southeast Asia. Keep reading ...
China seizes 620 live turtles, most endangered, in shipment from Vietnam: report

Chinese border patrol officials seized 620 wild turtles and tortoises that were found alive in a shipment claimed to be frozen seafood from Vietnam, Xinhua News Agency said on 30 August. Keep reading ...
Rice federation forecasts exports to resume as scheduled in mid-September

Recently halted after severe flooding that inundated swathes of the country, Myanmar will resume rice exports as scheduled from mid-September, the country’s rice federation said on 31 August. Members of the Myanmar Rice Federation had agreed to a temporary pause on exports and to sell domestically at ...
Rights groups, wife of missing Lao activist renew calls for progress in case
Human rights groups and the wife of a prominent civil rights leader who disappeared nearly three years ago have called on the Lao government to adequately investigate the incident and provide information about the case’s progress. Sombath Somphone went missing on 15 December 2012, when police ...
Cambodian youths urged to prepare for ASEAN integration
Cambodian deputy prime minister and foreign minister Hor Namhong on 30 August urged youths, who represent about 35 percent of the country’s population, to prepare themselves for an ASEAN Community, which will become a reality by the end of 2015. Keep reading ...
Government land sector reform paper to tackle poverty, food security
The government has hailed its track record on land policy reform as it approved a new “white paper” on the subject, although activists doubted authorities’ willingness to tackle Cambodia’s myriad ongoing land disputes. Keep reading ...
Vietnam to free 18,539 prisoners in National Day amnesty
Vietnam will release 18,539 prison inmates, including 34 foreign nationals, as part of this year’s National Day amnesty. Keep reading ...
Lao PM hails military ties with Vietnam
Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong applauded effective co-operation between Vietnam’s and Laos’ armies, which has helped them build peaceful, stable borders. Keep reading ...