Thursday, February 02, 2012 08:58 PM -0500 ------ Update at Least Twice a Day





Jan 30-Feb 5, 2012



ADB grant to protect biodiversity corridors in Laos (VT)
The Asian Development Bank will provide US$20 million to the Lao government for the second phase of its Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Project (BCCP) in southern Laos. The funding will allow the project to continue from 2011-2019, and forms part of a collaborative conservation effort between the countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region
Laos river tubing, turbulent waters (eTBB)
While most visitors leave Vang Vieng with nothing more serious than a hangover, the once tranquil setting in Laos is now a craze of river tubing and riverside bars, making this latest ‘must do’ activity also the most dangerous place in Laos for travellers. To many adventurous travellers visiting Laos, a highlight would be floating down the Nam Song River on a tractor
Road upgrades planned for northern Laos (VT)
Some US$42.3 million will be spent to improve roads in the northern provinces of Huaphan and Xieng Khuang. Bids are being invited from companies wishing to undertake the project. Deputy Director of Huaphan provincial Public Works and Transport Department Mr Phonesouk Inthavong told Vientiane Times on Monday “The survey and design phases
Other stories about Laos around the world
... Biking in Laos (San Diego Reader)
... Zipping through the jungles of Laos (Crikey)
... Lao cement industry urged for reforms (ANN)
... Lao-American Obituary: Khay Baccam (SCJ)
... Land use policies under scrutiny in Laos (VT)
... Laos: Drilling commences at Xinzhai project (Irasia)
... Drills for copper, silver extensions at Xinzhai project in Laos
... Laos bank uses NZ payments technology (Computer World)
... Lao Party seeks to bolster propaganda at grass roots level (VT)
... Regional knowledge sharing strengthens rural livelihoods in Laos(VT)
... Vientiane Steel sees pick up in steel demand in Laos in Feb (SG)
... Lao Deputy PM calls for more detailed register of UXO victims (VT)
... UNPO UN Reports Highlight Persecution Of Indigenous Peoples In Vietnam & Laos
... Vientiane: New hotel on track for ASEM Summit (VT)
... Dining at the Charming Lao Hotel, Oudomxai, Laos (Examiner)
... Japan to help Laos with environmentally friendly public transport (VT)
... Small Saffron Deli delivers on big Southeast Asian flavors ~ Laos (IP)
... Lao-American: Drexel MBA Student Begins Prestigious Valley Vision Fellowship
... The Best Restaurants of Luang Prabang (Venere)
... Govt approves Vientiane urban development plan (VT)
... Fund boosts health prospects in Laos' northern provinces (VT)
... The Complexities of Peace and Religious Freedom in Laos (PZ)
... Laos Opens New Tourism Site Phoukeng Mountain In Paek District (Bernama)
... Conference centre for ASEM Summit 20 percent complete (VT)
... Laos committed to meeting UNESCO priorities (VT)
... Germany backs growth of Lao forestry (VT)




January 23-29, 2012



Melbourne student dies in second tubing tragedy in Laos (SMH or News)
The body of a Melbourne teenager has been found in a river in Laos, three days after he disappeared while tubing in the popular tourist destination. Daniel Eimutis, 19, was on holidays with six friends when he disappeared at Vang Vieng on Monday night, triggering a frantic search by family and friends.  The University of Melbourne student’s aunt, Anna
In Luang Prabang, Lao New Year is drenched in color — and water (WP)
As our minivan rounded a mountain pass, a gaggle of giggling teenagers appeared at the fringe of a thatched-roof village. Hey, I thought, what’s with the buckets and the water guns?  Splash! Ah. I’d traveled to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to ring in the Lao New Year, but I had only a vague notion of how wet things were about to get.
Lao Govt postpones this year's logging quota (VT)
The government has decided not to approve this year's logging quota from production forests due to a lack of detailed planning, except where required along road corridors, mine sites or hydropower plants... The government has gradually reduced the timber quota it has approved, from 600,000 cubic metres in 2008 to less than 200,000 cubic metres in 2011.
Laos-focused miner PanAust slips despite posting strong result (Australian)
LAOS-focused miner PanAust expects higher copper output this year but production costs are likely to rise as it upgrades the processing plant at its flagship Phu Kham mine.  Shares in the company backtracked, despite its production report for last year being solid, Ord Minnett senior resources analyst Peter Arden said. PanAust finished down 13c, or 3.49%, at $3.60.
Wattay airport extension underway (VT)
The improvements at Wattay International Airport are progressing as planned and are set to be completed before the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit to be held in Vientiane in November. Funded by grant aid from the government of Japan and a low interest loan from the government of China, the improvements will enable the airport to accommodate more
Other stories about Laos around the world
... Burma Changes Prompt Lao Debate (RFA)
... Phu Bia to open new gold mine in Laos (LV/VT)
... Dining at Ban Vilaylac, Vientiane, Laos (Examiner)
... 32nd Institut Pasteur Launched In Vientiane, Laos (AS)
... Four killed, three injured as UXO continues to haunt Laos (VT)
... Forecast, 2011 - 2015: Laos to Have 6.2 Million Mobile Subscriber (CNBC)
... UNPFA Pledges To Help Laos On Mother And Child Health Care (Bernama)
... Disruption to cement distribution seen as cause of price hike in Vientiane (VT)
... 326 prisoners in Vientiane granted pardon (VT)
... Tributes flow after tubing tragedy claims teen (Sydney MH)
... ADB Loans US$5 Million To Boost Agriculture In Laos (Bernama)
... Laos' river of booze and tubes may be river of no return (Sydney MH)
... National Commission for UNESCO urged to improve coordination (VT)
... ‘Easter New Year’ in Laos (Easier Travel)
... In Laos, tubing can be deadly (Global Post)
... Lao Central Bank to issue 100,000 kip note (VT)
... Melbourne man killed in Laos tubing accident (ABC)
... Lao Govt reaffirms readiness to host ASEM Summit (VT)
... Poor management a barrier to forestry targets in Laos (VT)
... Hydropower Driving Social Change in Laos (Jakarta Globe)
... HM the King receives a thanks cable from Laos President (BNA)
... Saitama Prefecture Pledges To Continue To Help Laos (Bernama)
... ADB loan to boost small agribusiness in Laos (VT)
... Lao PM urges focus on tackling social problems (VT)
... EU advises Asean to look at integrated food chain control (VT)
... Business booming for the dog smugglers of the Mekong (CNN)
... The Trauma of Escape: A Hmong Refugee's Journey to the U.S. (Cal Report)
... PanAust expects earnings growth (SMH)
... Laos aiming to speed up UXO clearance (VT)
... An Alternative to Tubing in Vang Vieng (OWW)
... EU aid to Laos to remain despite euro crisis (MTZ)
... EU aid to Laos not to be affected by euro crisis (VT)
... Lao PM praises progress in Pakngum of Vientiane (VT)
... Chinese, Vietnamese communities rejoice at New Year (VT)
... Electronic payments to increase accountability in Laos (VT)
... Laos to Use e-Payments for Loan Accountability (Loan Safe)
... No political agenda for Thaksin’s visit to Laos (Pattaya Daily News)




January 16-22, 2012



Xayaburi Dam: What Next? (International Rivers)
On December 8th, we watched the future of the Mekong River hang by the threads of a single meeting. Government ministers from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam met to decide whether to approve Laos’ controversial Xayaburi Dam, the first of twelve large dams across the Mainstream Mekong River. Scientists warn that the dams would decimate the Mekong
Absence Of Law Fuels Trafficking in Laos (RFA)
The absence of a specific law to check human trafficking in Laos is fueling the smuggling of newborn babies in the country, officials acknowledged Wednesday. This "loophole" allows human traffickers to pose as "adopted parents," making it difficult for officials to distinguish them from "genuine adopted parents" and even more difficult to indict them due to lack of
Customs Agents Intercept Smuggled Animal Skulls from Laos (SFW or MN)
In a statement this morning, the agency announced that six mouse deer skulls were found concealed in bags of dried fruit peels at the international mail center at San Francisco International Airport. The mail came from Laos, and was destined for Minnesota. The fruit peels and skulls (pictured) ) were seized and destroyed. The mouse deer, also known
iPad 5 4G, iPhone clamshell and other Apple rip-offs found in Laos (NW)
The last few months have seen considerable speculation mount about the kind of products that Apple might be putting out today. I am currently spending some time in Laos, where I saw the future…of sorts. Laos, alongside many of its Southeast Asian neighbours, is well known for producing counterfeit goods of all types, and with the world going technology crazy
Laos: Bird flu risk not to be sneezed at (VT)
The Vientiane Health Department has advised vendors to be extremely vigilant and sell only healthy poultry, hoping to avert a bird flu outbreak after recent reports of the virus in other Asian countries.  The warning comes as the Chinese and Vietnamese New Year approaches, when thousands of families will buy extra ducks and chickens for celebratory meals.
Nam Phou project approved after sixth design (VT)
Authorities have finally given the go ahead to plans for the development of Nam Phou in central Vientiane after the design was finalised at a meeting last week.  Vice Mayor of Vientiane Mr Anouphab Tounalom informed the Vientiane Times of the decision after the meeting, saying the authorities have finally agreed to the project design, which is the sixth
Other stories about Laos around the world
... Laos & Vietnam: Blokes on bikes (Stuff)
... Laos luxury at Hotel de la Paix (Examiner)
... Golf: Laos to host first professional tournament (TI)
... Lao leaders observe military training operations (VT)
... Golf-Laos to host first professional tournament (Yahoo)
... Pittsfield native brings hope to youth in Laos (Berkshire Eagle)
... Lao Government Launched Website, 9th Asem Logo (Bernama)
... Duty-free shopping complex in Lao capital gets green light (M&C)
... No political agenda for Thaksin's visit to Laos: Noppadol (MCOT)
... Fine Dining in Laos: Vientiane’s Kong View Restaurant (Examiner)
... EU confident of Laos' success in hosting Asia-Europe Summit (Yahoo)
... AsiaBaseMetals Agrees to Acquire Majority Interest in Laos Potash Project
... Banque Franco-Lao taps GFG Group and Bred IT for private label debit card
... UNDP backs ministry's efforts to achieve development goals in Laos (VT)
... Nation Building in Laos (UNC)
... Groups Peddle 'Legal' Babies in Laos (RFA)
... Vietnam boasts telecom bonanza in Laos (VN)
... Natalie takes on life-saving bike challenge in Laos (IM)
... Lao PM visits focus areas to stimulate development (VT)
... 50-villa project in Vientiane is on track for ASEM Summit (VT)
... Electronic systems planned for Laos' special economic zones (VT)
... Lao President calls for army unity (VT)
... Neb. chef finds purpose in Laos (Omaha)
... A culinary trip to [Laos and] Thailand (MN)
... WB finances repairs to Road No. 13 (VT)
... Chinese cargo ship fired on from Laos (M&C)
... Laos sees surge in non-resource exports (VT)
... Hydrotek looking to tap markets in Indochina (BP)
... Relocation of Kaleum district admin office under way (VT)
... Canadian firms seek investment opportunities in Laos (VT)
... ‘Dream son’ who died in Laos home to lay at rest (Leader)
... MoU signed on setting up Laos Records Book Centre (VN)
... Khammuan turns down gov't funding for rice stockpile (VT)
... China says shots fired at cargo boat on Mekong from Laos (AFP/Google)
... Lao Deputy PM stresses need for ‘breakthrough' approach to agriculture (VT)




January 9-15, 2012



Laos Frees Christian Leaders; Churches Confiscated (BNL)
even Christian leaders who were detained and tortured for nearly a month in southern Laos have been released, but concerns remain about "the confiscation" of church buildings, an official assisting them told BosNewsLife Friday, January 13. "Almost one month after their arrest and detention in Boukham village [in the] Ad-Sapathong district [of] Savannakhet
Aussie tells of Laos tubing nightmare (Nine MSN)
A young Melbourne woman badly injured "tubing" in Vang Vieng, Laos, has issued a warning to others not to be "stupid tourists" and take care in the party town. Her warning comes two days after a 26-year-old Australian backpacker died after leaping off a tower and landing awkwardly in the Nam Song River. Vang Vieng, a magnet for backpackers travelling
Laos tourist death 'accident waiting to happen' (News)
WHEN I heard an Australian tourist had been killed while tubing in Laos, I wasn't in the least surprised. While the incident is being described as a "freak accident'', I would say it was more an accident waiting to happen. I travelled to Laos a few years ago and spent a couple of days in Vang Vieng, where the "must do'' backpacker activity is tubing the Nam Song. 
Sydneysider dies leaping into river while 'tubing' in Laos (Sydney MH)
A Sydney man has died after leaping from a tower into a river, while tubing in Laos. Lee Hudswell, 26, of Cronulla in the Sutherland Shire, was on holidays in the south-east Asian country, experiencing the popular river entertainment of floating along on an inner tube.   Brad Haigh, from New Zealand, saw the accident that occurred in the riverside town of
Laos: Asia's new backpacker mecca, from $6 a night (Sydney MH)
Every now and then on the Laos hippie trail you spy a traveller wearing a T-shirt that reads “Been There Don Det”. Most people think it is yet another pun based on the 'hilarities' of the language barrier (see “Same Same But Different”) but actually it's an inside joke for those who had ventured far enough south to visit a small island hidden in the mist of the Mekong
Lao PM urges crackdown on crime (VT)
Social problems are on the rise in Laos, mainly in the form of criminal activities like robberies, illegal trade, prostitution, corruption, and drug abuse and trafficking, according to Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong. Speaking at a meeting yesterday to discuss social problems prevalent in Vientiane, the PM called on the relevant sectors to actively combat
Other stories about Laos around the world
... CIMB sets sight on Laos (BT)
... Lao Alps: A place of mystery (MENA FN)
... Chinese cargo boat attacked in Laos (ANN)
... PanAust boosts copper production in Laos (Nine MSN
... PanAust sets new high for materials moved (Australian)
... Giant catfish caught, released in Champassak (VT)
... Nearly extinct giant catfish caught in Laos (Jakarta Post)
... Nine more Cambodian ‘loggers’ nabbed in Laos (PPP)
... Lao Gov't, UNDP brainstorm 2012 development plans (VT)
... Lao stock market a 'worthy investment' (ANN)
... Combating climate change in Laos (DW-World)
... Sydney man dies on holiday in Laos (Nine MSN)
... Xieng Khuang reveals new tourist attractions (VT)
... Aussie killed tubing in freak holiday accident in Laos (News)
... Borikhamxay villagers ordered to evacuate bomb site (VT)
... Forest protection project takes root in Xekong, Saravan (VT)
... Beauty, adventure, and spa treatments at the Kuang Si Falls near Luang Prabang
... Laos upgrades golf course to economic zone (VN)
... Ban Bear-Bile Farming in China and Laos (Care2)
... New six-lane road in Vientiane gets green light (VT)
... Swiss aid flows to drinking water project in Laos (VT)
... Laos raises bar for foreign ownership (Business Times)
... Govt relaxes foreign share ownership restriction (LV/VT)
... Lao Govt approves funding to power irrigation systems (VT)
... Exploring the Pak Ou Caves near Luang Prabang, Laos (Gadling)
... Laos seeks larger EU market for forest products (LV/VT)
... Talatsao mall vendors to pay tax online (LV/VT)
... Full SSO pay-out for Lao worker (Nation)
... Laos: Party offices to have online link (VT)
... Learning @ My Library, Laos (Epoch Times)
... Vietnam, Laos target $1b trade turnover (VN)
... Recent persecution of Christians in Laos (Catholic Culture)
... Laos: Land tax collection transferred to finance ministry (VT)
... S'pore Red Cross donates $130k to Lao flood relief (AO, CNA)
... Romania next to Liberia and Laos for giving up farming land (AM)
... Pinoys in Laos raise $2,500 for 'Sendong' victims (GMA Network)
... Specialised UXO clearance vehicle soon to reach Xieng Khuang (VT)




January 2-8, 2012



Laos: Road, the River and a Citadel (WEHO News)
The road over the mountains from the Vietnamese border at Tay Trang to I-don’t-know-where in Laos is an engineering marvel, carved out of solid rock, with sheer drops winding through thick jungle, following the gorge of a narrow river far below.  The road is in various stages of construction, none of which is anywhere near finished. Nothing is paved yet, all is raw, rocky,
Land prices in Vientiane soaring sharply (VT)
Land prices in Vientiane have increased many times over in recent years due to the inflow of foreign investment and developing urbanisation. Officials involved in the sector told Vientiane Times yesterday that land in the city centre now sells for US$2,500 to US$3,000 per square metre, especially in areas close to the Morning Market. They attributed the soaring price to
Visit Laos Year 2012 gets underway (VT)
The government declared the start of Visit Laos Year 2012 on New Year's Eve as thousands of revellers gathered to share the final hours of 2011 and count down to the start of 2012.  Deputy Prime Minister Asang Laoly announced the start of the nationwide tourist campaign at the National Culture Hall on Saturday as the minutes ticked away to the end of 2011.
Other stories about Laos around the world
... Dongphosy project rezoned to attract investors (VT)
... Laos, Vietnam agree on further cooperation (VT)
... Vietnam’s Deputy PM welcomed in Laos (TN)
... Vietnam, Laos, Thailand cooperate along shared highways (MCOT)
... Hundreds Attend Memorial Ceremony for General Vang Pao (WSAW)
... Vietnam Rubber Group has 24 projects in Cambodia, Laos (Saigon)
... Life in a foreign city can be difficult but Lao culture still prevails (LV/VT)
... Vietnam sets up first special economic zone in Laos (Vietnam IR)
... Laos to ramp up cattle exports (ANN)
... Almsgivers pay tribute to King Fa Ngum (VT)
... Food festival in Laos gets tastebuds tingling (VT)
... Laos, Vietnam extend war on crime in north (VT)
... Thai Defence minister visits Laos (Bangkok Post)
... Lao-American: Family blends two cultures of eating (BN)
... A guide to giving alms in Laos, South East Asia (Gadling)
... While finding their place in the world, Hmong chose Banning (RG)
... In suspension - Further delays to a planned giant dam in Laos (Economist)
... Field test in Laos: Army extends EMR to humanitarian assistance, disaster relief
... Nongtha wetland cleared for development (VT)
... Govt gives nod to ‘Visit Laos Year 2012' funding (VT)
... Building of fourth Mekong bridge slips behind schedule (VT)
... Kaysone Phomvihane Culture Hall underway in Savannakhet (VT)
... Tan Chong unit to sell SYM bikes in Laos (Sun Daily)
... Lao Central Airlines ready for take-off (MENA FN)
... Border two-step: Lao loggers head home after swap (PPP)
... Laos' continued development fraught with challenges (XN)
... Govt promotes advancement of women for national devpt (VT)
... Northern Laos: Local labour needed to tap rubber profits (VT)
... Vietnam’s company to plant rubber trees in Laos (ND)
... Avic’s MA600 Makes International Debut in Laos (AIN Online)





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