No Longer Poor: Can Laos be Clean, Green and Great?

By Anoulak Kittikhoun, originally published on Fulcrum Analysis on Southeast Asia Laos will graduate from the UN’s Least Developed Country (LDC) category this year. Doing so not only achieves a national aspiration from the 2000s but also marks the end of a decades-long categorisation that has framed the country as “poor”. Laos will surpass three ASEAN […]

Inside Turkmenistan, the shadowy hermit state that’s slowly opening to tourists

Surreal and secretive, few people have been to the most otherworldly of the Central Asian states (Picture: Laurie Noble/Getty Images)

‘No more bad news, you can sleep well at night, and the palace of your mind will be bright,’ Damon Albarn croons on the new Gorillaz track, The Happy Dictator.

The satirical song, which critiques authoritarian control and the suppression of negative news to…

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The prices of one tola of gold rose by Rs1,523 in Pakistan

Gold prices recorded a modest increase across Pakistan on Thursday, reflecting an upward trend in international bullion markets and continued investor interest in the precious metal. Read More: Gold and silver prices decline in Pakistan after recent rise According to figures released by the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Association, the price of one tola of […]

Flesh-eating parasite that can infest humans and animals found in the US

Larvae of the screwworm fly, collected from infected cows. The parasite has been found in the US for the first time since the 1960s (Picture: Reuters)

The US has detected a parasite that can eat cattle and wild animals alive for the first time in six decades.

New World screwworm has been found in a calf in Texas after travelling through Central America and Mexico.

Parasitic flies lay eggs in…

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500 days of Trump — and things look worse than ever for the President

Donald Trump is about to mark day 500 of his second presidency with some rather grim polling numbers (Picture: Getty Images)

Donald Trump will mark his 500th day back in the White House with a record that no POTUS wants.

According to The Economist’s tracker of YouGov polling, the president’s net approval rating has slumped to -25pts, making him the most unpopular US president recorded by the…

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Bank of Laos Responds to EU Sanctions Against Lao Bank

The Bank of Laos (BOL) has publicly addressed European Union (EU) sanctions imposed on the Joint Development Bank (JDB), which threatened the bank’s international operations. The EU announced on 14 May that it would restrict JDB as part of its latest sanctions package targeting Russia. The measures bar EU-based banks from conducting financial transactions with […]

Flesh-eating parasite that infests humans and pets found just a few miles from US border

An adult New World screwworm which could cause devastation to US cattle if it spreads across the border from Mexico (Picture: AP)

Fears have been raised over the spread of a parasitic worm that could have a devastating impact on the food chain.

The New World screwworm has been found in Mexico just 30 miles from the US border. It’s a devastating parasite that can kill fully-grown cows in less…

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Three boys who raped girls as young as 14 spared jail and made to pay just £26

The case of three teenage boys spared jail over the rape of two girls in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, sparked widespread fury earlier this month (Picture: Shutterstock/Doidam 10)

Campaigners fear the sexual abuse of underage girls by teenage boys is becoming a ‘socially accepted norm’ after more examples emerged of youth offenders being spared jail.

The case of three teenage boys who walked…

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