BANGKOK -- Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies met here on Friday to discuss ways to promote sustainable development and facilitate trade and investment.

Addressing the 29th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that the leaders would exchange views on supporting economic growth and sustainable development, leading the region towards a better future.

Making its Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy model high on the agenda, Thailand hopes it would further promote sustainable development and environmental protection goals, said Prayut, chairman of the meeting. (Thailand-APEC-Leader's Meeting)

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VIENTIANE -- Lao, Thai and Myanmar officials have met to discuss joint efforts to crack down on transnational crime, especially drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle border area, a media report said Friday.

According to the report issued on the website of the Office of the Supreme People's Prosecutor of Laos, the second meeting of the Golden Triangle Prosecutors Network on "Cooperation to Counter Narcotics Trafficking in the Region" was held in northern Laos' Luang Prabang province. (Laos-Thailand-Myanmar-Drugs)

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COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka's Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Ministry has decided to conduct a new countrywide census on the elephant population in 2023, the parliament's media unit said in a press release on Friday.

The decision was made at the first meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation held at the parliament complex.

The need for a fresh elephant census has arisen as about 12 years have elapsed since the last census, the press release said. (Sri Lanka-Elephant Census)

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SYDNEY -- Australian researchers have developed a nasally delivered subunit vaccine that has the potential to enhance protection against COVID-19 infection and minimize viral spread.

The research team from the University of Sydney and the Centenary Institute reported the pre-clinical testing of their newly-developed nasal vaccine in a study published in the Nature Communications journal.

According to the study, the subunit vaccine, which combines SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and an adjuvant Pam2Cys, could induce substantial neutralizing antibodies against the virus in mice, with increased T-cell responses in the lungs and airways. (Australia-Vaccine-COVID-19)

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MACAO -- An exhibition displaying works by artists from China and Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs) opened on Friday in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).

The exhibits range from paintings and sculptures to photographic works by nine artists from several countries. (Macao-Art Exhibition)