Rappler's latest stories on Laos
China tech giant Tencent duped by saucy scammers
The aim of the 3 people who had faked a Lao Gan Ma company seal and pretended to be managers of the chilli firm 'was to obtain online game package codes' which they later resold, says a police statement

Upbeat Chinese FM says virus control efforts 'are working'
Speaking in Laos before talks with peers from the 10 ASEAN countries, Wang Yi says the outbreak is 'controllable and curable' despite the global panic it has seeded

Southeast Asia feels the burn as coronavirus keeps Chinese tourists at home
Businesses are praying for a bounce back if and when the virus is controlled

13 Chinese tourists killed as bus plunges into ravine in Laos
The bus carries more than 40 Chinese nationals heading towards the tourist town of Luang Prabang when the accident occurred late Monday

Philippines bans Laos pork imports due to African swine fever
The Department of Agriculture's temporary import ban on pork goods from Laos will immediately take effect

Filipina carries torch for PH in global sustainability
Janice Lao is the first Filipino and Asian to win the prestigious edie Award for Sustainability Leader of the Year

Kaya-Iloilo absorbs heartbreaking draw in AFC Cup 2019 opener
Kaya-Iloilo FC concedes a late header from Lao Toyota FC that denies the Philippine club from taking home its first 3 points

Bong Quinto, Kyles Lao pumped up for 2018 PBA Rookie Draft
Bong Quinto and Kyles Lao are two of the 48 neophytes hoping to be picked in the 2018 PBA Draft on Sunday, December 16

Former UP Maroon Kyles Lao ready for PBA
The former UAAP Rookie of the Year admits there's pressure as he applies for the 2018 PBA Draft
Ex-UP Maroon Kyles Lao keen on stepping up for Manila Stars
The former UAAP Rookie of the Year says he's always ready to contribute whenever given the playing time
4 siblings who were senior citizens die in a fire in Camiguin
Tragedy befalls the reunion of two brothers and two sisters when a fire razes their century-old ancestral home

Thick mud hampers Laos dam rescue with hundreds still unaccounted for
The exact number of dead and missing from the dam collapse remains a mystery because of the complexity of the rescue operation and the secretive reflexes of Laos's Communist authorities in the face of an unprecedented crisis.

The week in photos: July 21-27, 2018
This week's selection of photo highlights here and around the world

Floods from Laos dam collapse force evacuations in Cambodia
Twenty-seven people are confirmed dead, with 131 still missing, after the Xe-Namnoy dam collapsed on Monday in a remote southern corner of Laos, leaving villagers with little time to escape

'Battery of Asia': Laos's controversial hydro ambitions
The dam collapse this week in southern Laos that left at least 26 dead and scores missing has shed light on the perils of the country's big bet on hydropower

Laos PM says 131 missing from dam collapse as 26 bodies recovered
(4th UPDATE) Questions begin to emerge over the collapse, with some of the displaced saying they were warned to evacuate homes only hours before disaster struck

Hundreds missing in Laos after hydropower dam collapse
(UPDATED) The accident releases 5 billion cubic meters of water – more than 2 million Olympic swimming pools

12 officials of CIIF-OMG resign over appointment of 'incompetent' CEO
Officials of the Coconut Industry Investment Fund-Oil Mills Group claim its new CEO Rehan Lao is the national president of Sulong ang Pag-Unlad Movement, a group pushing Special Assistant to the President Christopher 'Bong' Go to run for senator

Tackle graft, governance to stem 'Golden Triangle' meth trade – UNODC
Worth an estimated $40 billion a year, huge volumes of meth pass through the Golden Triangle – a wedge of land which intersects China, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar – waved through by corrupt law enforcement and border controls

'Kung Fu' red pandas settle into new Laos sanctuary
The 3 animals, nicknamed Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Peace, were among six found stuffed into crates during a random check of a van traveling from China over the border into northern Laos in January

BOC files smuggling charges vs 2 ATI officials, importers
Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña says there will also be an investigation into the possible involvement of customs personnel in the illegal release of 105 containers

Rappler statement on Bong Go's 'fake news' accusation
Is 'fake news' the new defense of public officials against public scrutiny?

Senate hearing tackles blogs vs Bong Go on warships deal
Centerlaw lawyer Gilbert Andres cautions against tagging 'political opinion' as 'fake news'

Bong Go 'not aware' of Palace meeting on Navy frigate deal
The trusted Palace aide was supposedly clueless about a meeting arranged by his own undersecretary

Navy frigate project controversy, Aguirre on Rappler probe, SWS survey | Evening wRap
Watch the evening newscast with Mara Cepeda

[EXCLUSIVE] Undersecretary in Bong Go's office confirms letter on frigate deal
Former Palace official Lloyd Christopher Lao says the letter and meeting with Navy officials are a 'usual course of action' in Secretary Bong Go's office

Malacañang claims no chance Bong Go intervened in frigate deal
But the allegations focus not on the contract for the frigates as a whole, but on the selection of a secondary supplier for the Combat Management Systems of the ships

A region in panic: ASEAN doubles down against ISIS threat
World leaders understand that the ISIS threat is not over and a war could erupt again – in their countries, if not in the Philippines – as they expect the return of Asian fighters from the Middle East

What were the other ASEAN countries up to in Manila?
A rundown of the main concerns and activities of the ASEAN member-states at the 31st Summit in Manila
7 PH soap operas that made waves in Southeast Asia
Filipino teleseryes have also become popular among our ASEAN neighbors

Miss Earth 2017 candidates share views on ASEAN, love for country
The Southeast Asian ladies tell us what they want their leaders to push for during the 31st ASEAN Summit, and what they love about their countries

[OPINION] How rich are Filipinos compared to our ASEAN neighbors?
Compared to our ASEAN neighbors, the Philippines has treaded on a deviant growth path. Now, our poorer neighbors are growing faster than us. As we lead this year’s special ASEAN Summit, we might ask ourselves: How can we bolster our shaky standing in the region?

FAST FACTS: Minimum wage in ASEAN countries
The Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia have the highest minimum wage rates in the region
21 must-try dishes from ASEAN countries
Each Southeast Asian country offers a remarkable food experience you should not miss

Press freedom: What challenges do ASEAN journalists face?
Censorship by state authorities, harassment and intimidation by armed forces, and repressive press laws continue to stifle free expression among ASEAN member countries

PH can be ASEAN model for migration policies – World Bank
A new World Bank study says ASEAN countries should reform their migration policies to boost labor mobility and promote the welfare of migrant workers in the region

Rappler Talk: Meet the ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes
MovePH s Voltaire Tupaz talks to two ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes on Rappler Talk at 8 pm Tuesday August 8 Bookmark this page to watch the interview

TIMELINE: Agreements, challenges in ASEAN
The regional bloc's unity and mettle have been put to the test over the last 5 decades

6 Vietnamese workers killed by blast at Laos hydropower plant
A construction worker says a gas cylinder suddenly erupted at the construction site of Nam Ngiep plant

Firearms seized in Cagayan de Oro raids
Raids on the houses of a businessman and an alleged gunrunner turn up multiple firearms While trader Jameloding Tago and his legal counsel assert their guns are licensed the wife of Jalaludin Lao was unable to show permits for their guns

The Laos Connection: Mr X and the cartels hooking Southeast Asia on pills
The downfall of millionaire Mr X long shielded by cash and contacts in Laos has highlighted the role of the secretive communist country in showering pills across Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia's leaders steer away from democracy – activists
Human rights is in a precipitous downward spiral in every ASEAN country except perhaps Myanmar and that’s only because military rule in that country was so horrible for so long says Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch

QUIZ: How well do you know the ASEAN member countries?
Test your knowledge on the 10 countries making up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Vietnam drug smugglers sentenced to death over heroin haul
While 9 drug traffickers are sentenced to death for smuggling 500 kilograms of heroin another 9 are jailed for life as a result of the drug bust

Thai cops seize millions of meth pills
Following a dramatic car chase Thai police finds 3 4 million meth tablets and 20 kilograms of ice – a purer form of methamphetamine – in the truck of one arrested Thai national

Thailand blames PM death threats on exiled anti-monarchists
The allegation comes as Thailand seeks to extradite the group for slandering the royal family – an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison per count

Tips and musings from Pinay touring ASEAN for the first time
Jona Branzuela Bering visits 5 ASEAN countries in her first trip abroad She shares interesting stories and valuable lessons

Duterte's choice as Brunei envoy declines post
The appointment of lawyer James Lao who said he wants to spend more time with his ailing wife was earlier deferred by the Commission on Appointments

Dunia maya membuka pintu bagi anak muda sebagai pembela hak asasi manusia
Meski saat Munir dibunuh 12 tahun lalu anak anak muda sekarang mempelajari tentang kasusnya dan ikut berpartisipasi aktif

D&L targets up to 19% net income growth in 2017
The stronger dollar will help boost the company’s export revenues which now account for about 18 of total revenues
