Asia Laos The $5.9 billion railway connecting Vientiane and Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province, has been officially inaugurated with Buddhist monks blessing the first of the bullet trains, though it’s unclear when a regular service will begin
Asia Laos Nearly 3/4 of Vientiane's drivers habitually break speed limits and nearly 1/3 of drivers have been drinking alcohol, as a new research on the growing problem of road accidents by the Department of Transport and Traffic Police Department shows
Asia Laos Despite several environmental groups reporting fears of serious damage to the Mekong ecosystem and local people's livelihoods, the country will supply electricity from three hydropower projects to Thailand
Asia Laos A giant 100-meter tall Buddha statue to be built in Vientiane has triggered anti-Chinese anger throughout the country, as beneath religious symbolism lies fear of economic and political dominance by China
Asia Laos The two audit authorities State Audit Organization and State Inspection Authority have discovered massive losses - millions of dollars are involved - due to corruption; in 2020, the country was the third most corrupt country in the ASEAN bloc
Asia Laos Professor Dr. Mayfong Mayxay, vice-president of the University of Health Sciences, has received an Asia Innovation Award for his research on malaria, one of the country's key SDGs
Asia Laos The country has been able to successfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 34% over the past ten years, having incorporated the Paris Agreement targets into its national socio-economic development plan and national green growth strategy
Asia Laos The second phase of the construction of a flood protection embankment along the Mekong River in Vientiane has been signed and works will begin next month
Asia Laos The upgrade of Road 13 North, the main arterial link to neighboring countries, is now over 40% complete; works are securing water drainage and safety for pedestrians
Asia Laos The installation of electricity transmission poles along the Laos-China Railway have been completed, as well as the external power grid; officials confirm inauguration in early December 2021
Asia Laos State-owned enterprises are to be reformed under a new plan whereby failed managers running state-owned enterprises could lose their jobs if they have a poor performance and if the enterprise they run faces continuous losses
Asia Laos Online registration for the National University of Laos entrance exams has begun, with more than 4.000 so far people applying; the registration process is aiming to allow fast and convenient procedures while avoiding proximity in a new Covid-19 outbreak
Asia Laos Savannakhet businesses have openly expressed interest in providing jobs for over 50.000 Laotian migrant workers who have returned from Thailand