News
Thai banks face biggest default since 1997 crisis
Sahaviriya Steel’s UK steel business has failed with defaults on 50 billion baht of loans from Thai banks, biggest default for Thai banks since 1997 Asian crisis. Keep reading ...
Ethnic leaders meet as ceasefire signing deadline looms
Leaders of some 20 ethnic armed groups from Myanmar are due to meet in Chiang Mai today amid divisions over whether to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement with the government. Pu Zing Cung, general secretary of the Chin National Front and a member of the groups’ ...
Vietnam launches $1-million fund for startup incubators
The Ministry of Science and Technology on Friday announced a 1-million-euro (US$1.12 million) fund for Vietnamese incubators of tech startups, local media reported. Keep reading ...
China imports threaten traditional Vietnam festival masks
Vu Thi Thoan’s family has been making papier mache masks, part of traditional Vietnamese celebrations for the mid-autumn festival, for over four decades. But cheap Chinese toys are threatening her business. The mid-autumn festival, which falls on 27 September with the full moon, is Vietnam’s equivalent of ...
Lower Mekong nations collaborate on flood response during exercise in Laos
Dealing with and attempting to mitigate disaster scenarios is why experts, both military and civilian, from six nations were in the capital of Laos participating in the 2015 Lower Mekong Initiative Disaster Relief Exercise and Exchange. The LMI DREE is an annual civil-military disaster preparedness and ...
Laos prepares for ASEAN chairmanship in 2016
Laos is ready to play the role of ASEAN chair and host the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits which will be held back-to-back in Vientiane next year. Lao Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alounkeo Kittikhoun and Malaysian ambassador Than Tai Hing co-chaired an Asean Consultative Meeting (ACM) in ...
Huge drug hauls in "Safe Mekong" operations
A number of people were arrested and a large quantity of drugs seized in recent operations under the “Safe Mekong” project implemented by Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and China, Office of the Narcotics Suppression Board secretary-general Permpong Chawalit said on 27 September. Keep reading ...
Hanoi to open Vietnamese Goods Week 2015 programme on 27 September
Vietnamese Goods Week 2015 will be held on 27 September in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang to raise public awareness of Vietnamese goods as well as their competitiveness. Accordingly, Vietnamese Goods Week 2015 will organise an exhibition at the Giang Vo Exhibition center ...
Novartis launches chronic disease programme for poor countries
Drugmaker Novartis AG has begun a programme in Kenya, Ethiopia and Vietnam to supply 15 low-cost medicines to fight chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. The Swiss-based pharmaceuticals group said on 24 September its scheme would supply drugs for just $1 per treatment per month to ...
Thailand prioritises border trade
The Thai government is revving up efforts to tackle hurdles to border trade as it aims to achieve 1.5 trillion baht worth of cross-border business this year. Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn, who chaired a panel handling border trade and investment promotion, said the priority is to facilitate ...
