Chinese mining firm demands ransom to free Lao gold diggers
A Chinese mining company in northern Laos’ Luang Prabang province has detained as many as 50 villagers for illegally digging gold on their concession and...
Month : August 2023
Philippine officials release footage of sea standoff, as senator pushes for inquiry
A senator called Wednesday for an inquiry into how the Philippines could strengthen control of its South China Sea territory, as the coast guard released...
Riding jet ski, activist jailed over anti-Xi Jinping T-shirt flees to South Korea
A dissident who served jail time for wearing T-shirts likening Chinese leader Xi Jinping to Hitler has fled to South Korea in a daring escape...
G20 spent a record $1.4 trillion on fossil fuels in 2022, report says
The world’s biggest economies, the G20, provided a record U.S.$1.4 trillion in public money for fossil fuels in 2022 despite the promise to reduce spending,...
To make extra money, North Koreans pay big bribes for gold refinery jobs
North Koreans wanting to land plum jobs as assayers at a well-known gold refinery — and to make extra money from illegally siphoning off some...
India pushes back hundreds of Myanmar refugees fleeing fighting
India has pushed back at least 300 hundred Burmese refugees who spilled across the border while fleeing fighting between Myanmar’s military and rebel forces, forcing...
Thai lawmakers elect Srettha Thavisin to serve as prime minister
Following three months of political intrigue, Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai Party on Tuesday secured enough votes from lawmakers in Parliament to become Thailand’s...
Myanmar troops arrest 100 villagers, kill man in Magway region
Junta troops arrested around 100 villagers in Myanmar’s Magway region, killing one man, locals told RFA Tuesday. Around 100 soldiers raided Shwe Lin Swea in...
To cope with surging inflation, Laos raises minimum wage by about 25%
The Lao government has raised the monthly minimum wage for workers at privately owned companies by nearly 25%, though laborers say it is still too...
Cambodia’s king calls on lawmakers, government to resolve their differences
In an opening speech to Cambodia’s newly elected parliament on Monday, King Norodom Sihamoni called on lawmakers and the government to reconcile their deep divisions,...
