People attend ThatLuang festival in Laos (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Lao government has ap🔯proved the ‘LaoTravel Green Zone’ programme with an aim to welcome back tourists from January2022.
The programme will see Lao capital Vientiane, Vangvieng townin Vientiane and Luang Prabang designated as "green zones", accordingto a plan of the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. Areas described as green zones must have a vaccination coverage at 70-80 percent of the local population, while 90-95 percent of service providers must alsobe vaccinated. The Lao government has set a target to receive about 1million foreign and 1.2 million domestic tourists in 2022. Laos reported the highest ever daily caseload of COVID-19 on December 10 with 1,645 new infections and seven deaths. The national tallyreached 86,148, with 231 fatalities. Meanwhile, the Indonesian government has allowed localitiesnationwide to roll out COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 6-11 on December24. The National Agency of Drug and Food Control of Indonesia(BPOM) in early November approved the use of COVID-19 vaccine manufactured byChina’s biopharmaceutical company Sinovac for children of the age group. Singapore has detected the first case of Omicron variant ofcoronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in the community, the country’s Ministry of Health announcedon December 9. The patient was a female employee at Changi airport, who hadbeen fully vaccinated and did not exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19. The Health Ministry warned that Singapore will report new Omicron cases in upcoming days. At present, 96 percent of Singapore population have beenfully inoculated. Authorities are calling on people to receive booster shots toraise antibody levels and strengthen the body's defence against infection./.
President Joko Widodo on December 6 said Indonesia is one of the five countries in the world that have managed to control the COVID-19 pandemic at level 1.
Lao authorities have ordered stricter control at borders with neighbouring countries after the first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was confirmed in Thailand on December 6.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
People attend ThatLuang festival in Laos (Photo: VNA) 
