Laos is spiraling toward a debt crisis as China looms large

A pedestrians at a bus station in Vientiane, Laos, on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Valeria Mongelli | Bloomberg | Getty Images An alarming debt crisis has unfolded in Laos in recent years, raising worries about the tiny nation’s obligation to its biggest creditor — China. China became the largest foreign investor in Laos in late … Read more

Cocoa farmers face mounting challenges as El Nino rages on

A woman spreads cocoa beans during the sun-drying process in the backyard of her house in Asikasu, Ghana on December 19, 2020. Cristina Aldehuela | Afp | Getty Images El Nino is here to stay — and that’s bad news for cocoa crops which are highly sensitive to weather changes.  Frequent extreme weather events caused … Read more