Laos has recorded 218 cases of Covid-19 across the country today, with two new deaths.
Dyson Re-engineers Expert Service and Support with Opening of its First Owner Centre in Hong Kong
Reinforcing its commitment to Hong Kong, Dyson is investing in delivering an enhanced owner experience with a new dedicated Owner Centre for convenient product servicing, technical support, expert advice, and exclusive trade-in offers and personalisation services
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 21 February 2022 – Dyson today announced the opening of its first Owner Centre, a firm demonstration of the company’s commitment to bring an enhanced experience to its owners, and consumers, in Hong Kong. The Dyson Owner Centre will be staffed by a growing team of professional product experts and service engineers, each well-trained to provide technical advice, and convenient onsite repair services. The Centre will also showcase how Dyson’s pioneering technologies are engineered to solve problems that others ignore. To celebrate the opening of the Dyson Owner Centre from March, Dyson also kicks off the Dyson Owners Month with exclusive owner benefits to upgrade their current machines for Dyson’s latest technologies.
SEAMLESS OWNER EXPERIENCE
Prioritising the owner experience, the new Dyson Owner Centre is bringing dedicated resources to Hong Kong owners at an easy-to-reach centralised location with convenient service hours. The 4,500 square-feet Centre features a walk-in service bar and a repair facility where Dyson engineers and spare parts are on site to speed up repairs and avoid shipping machines elsewhere for servicing.
Dyson has also expanded its local customer service team in Hong Kong. The Dyson Owner Centre will be staffed by a team of trained product experts to provide technical support, servicing and maintenance tips. Owners will be able to access these expert engineers on site at the Dyson Owner Centre or via the Dyson Virtual Engineer Support service to be launched in mid-March.
The Dyson Owner Centre is located at 5/F Grand Plaza Office, Tower 2, 625-639 Nathan Road, Mongkok, just a five minute walk from the Mongkok MTR station. It will be open 10:30am to 7pm Monday to Friday, and 10:30am to 4pm on Saturdays. Bookings are recommended and courier pick-up services are available.
BUY DIRECT FROM THE PEOPLE WHO MADE IT
Customers can shop at dyson.hk, Dyson Demo Store at ELEMENTS and the new Dyson Owner Centre to experience the many benefits of buying Dyson technology direct from the people who made it. Dyson offers preferential personalisation services and exclusive colourways and products to Hong Kong customers, alongside a stress-free owner experience that includes a 14-day satisfaction guarantee and access to professional help and advice from the Dyson Expert team. Buying direct from Dyson also ensures that customers can choose from the widest selection of Dyson technology at the best price.
EXCLUSIVE OFFERS IN DYSON OWNERS MONTH
To celebrate the grand opening of the Dyson Owner Centre, Dyson is launching a series of owner exclusive offers from today until 13 March 2022. Dyson is constanting reinventing how our owners experience Dyson machines. Some of our owners have been using the older models for some time and it is an opportune moment to elevate their user experience.
Dyson also believes that its long-term commitment to quality owner service is essential. To give owners peace of mind and extended guarantee, you can now purchase any Dyson products to enjoy an additional 6-month warranty period and exclusive offers on accessories during Dyson Owners Month.
Trade-in for technology upgrade |
20% off for selected models:
15% off Dyson V15 Detect™Total Clean vacuum cleaner |
Exclusive benefits for new owners* *for new purchases and online registrations within Dyson Owners Month |
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For more details about the Dyson Owners Month, please visit https://www.dyson.hk/en-HK.
*The above offer details are subject to the official terms and conditions.
About Dyson
Dyson is a global research and technology company with engineering, research, development, manufacturing and testing operations in Singapore, the UK, Malaysia and the Philippines. Having started in a coach house in the UK, Dyson has consistently grown since it was established in 1993. Today, it has two technology campuses in the UK spanning over 800 acres in Malmesbury and Hullavington and a global headquarters in Singapore. Dyson remains family-owned and employs over 14,000 people globally including 6,000 engineers and scientists. It sells products in 83 markets internationally.
Dyson is investing £2.75bn in the business to conceive revolutionary products and technologies. Dyson has global teams of engineers, scientists and software developers focused on the development of solid-state battery cells, high-speed electric digital motors, sensing and vision systems, robotics, machine learning technologies and A.I. investment. Since inventing the first cyclonic bagless vacuum cleaner - DC01- in 1993, Dyson has created problem solving technologies for haircare, air purification, robotics, lighting and hand drying.
The Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology is a new model for engineering education combining the academic rigour of a traditional university with hands-on and real-world experience of working on real products and technologies inside a global technology company. Dyson undergraduates are paid a salary from Day One and pay no Tuition Fees.
The James Dyson Foundation was founded in 2002 and the charity works internationally to empower aspiring engineers, support engineering in education and invest in medical research. The
James Dyson Award is the Foundation’s annual international design competition and is open to current and recent design and engineering students. Since starting in 2005, the Award has supported nearly 250 inventions, providing funds to support their commercialisation. 65% of international winners have successfully commercialised their projects, against a backdrop where 90% of start-ups fail.
#Dyson
Jockey Club Engage Digital Exploration – Digital NGO: Advocating for Video-storytelling Adoption and Digital Transformation for NGOs in Hong Kong
The 2021 Year in Review:
“YouTube platform has been on the rise to become the no#1 social media platform according to Hootsuite, the social media management platform, in 2021, yet most NGOs are not confident in using videos for storytelling”
Perhaps no other type of industry is more applicable for video storytelling than nonprofit. The objectives are genuine and powerful, and the characters are passionate and inspiring. Yet, many NGOs are not leveraging this channel to communicate their impact and it’s simply hard to write a well-told story.
“Digital transformation has impacted the marketing and communications industry. NGOs agree that a data-driven content communication is essential but consider that implementing data-driven marketing is somehow beyond reach.”
NGOs showed they are eager to adapt a data-driven mindset in setting up digital campaigns to create more engaging communications of their mission and vision to the public, yet the digital skills know-how in nonprofits is largely limited and creates additional challenges in analyzing big data in marketing.
In 2021, under the Jockey Club Engage Digital Exploration (JC ENGAGE) organized by Asian Charity Services (ACS) and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, we were privileged to serve 125 NGO leaders, equipping their teams with basic skills in video storytelling and digital campaigns for more effective digital communication capabilities. Through the JC ENGAGE journey, the teams gained:
- Thoughtful insights and frameworks into creating effective communication strategies for the nonprofit sector
- Training and resources from communications professional
- Customized assistance and advisory services from pro bono skill-based volunteers
Highlights from JC ENGAGE participants:
“Deepening understanding around developing clear and measurable objectives and strategy based on factual/data-driven knowledge of the market and our donors and audience.”
“Our biggest takeaway is the startup model and strategies of crafting a story. We only created videos from our existing skills in the past, and now we have learned to narrow down the target audience to improve effectiveness. We also learned how people from other fields think in the workshops, which was invaluable. The workshop materials were practical and helped us execute our plan step by step.”
“We seldom have the chance to stand behind the camera and create a video from scratch ourselves. We did this thanks to JC ENGAGE. After the workshops, we found that we could publish the video already, and readily promote our message of aging-in-place to the public. It also means a lot to us that we invited service users to share their real-life experiences and bring focus to their perspectives to be shared with the public.”
Looking Forward 2022:
The pandemic has shaken the world in the past 24 months and embracing digital is a non-negotiable part of any organizational strategy. It’s no longer about striving to be online but how to thrive. Nonprofits need strategies to launch hybrid fundraising events, reaching donors virtually using powerful video content to make a strong emotional connection as well as exploring the data insights the online channels can bring to be more efficient and focused. Nonprofits need to have a digital strategy as part of their game plan to thrive in the new normal.
Our team will launch a large-scale online digital survey to build stronger partnerships and an understanding of Hong Kong NGOs’ digital marketing landscape. The research will help highlight the needs and guide the focus areas for the nonprofit sector. JC ENGAGE team is enthusiastic to be part of the drive to build digital capacity in the ecosystem. The journey goes beyond the training but community support to create capacity and to convene more resources.
Nonprofits often lack investment in marketing and technology, creating constraints in digital transformation. Skilled volunteering is a powerful way to bridge the technical gap between nonprofits and the digital world. Whether you are a digital media service provider or an individual marketing specialist, your support is extremely helpful. To get started, click the link: https:/engage.asiancharityservices.org/jc-engage/jc-engage-get-involved/.
About Asian Charity Services
Asian Charity Services (ACS) offers customized philanthropic services to enable foundations and corporates to engage and impact NGOs in a meaningful and innovative way. ACS provides training and support for capacity-building and helps bridge the gap between funders and non-profits. To learn more, visit https://www.asiancharityservices.org / or follow @asiancharityservices on Fb, IG, and LinkedIn.
About Jockey Club Engage Digital Exploration Program (JC ENGAGE)
JC ENGAGE is a digital exploration program for staff from non-profit organizations. We aim to equip NGOs with the knowledge of storytelling and digital campaigns taught by subject matter experts and coached by our skilled-based professionals. Through this journey, non-profit communication with stakeholders can be better, stronger, and deeper. To learn more, visit https://engage.asiancharityservices.org/
#JCENGAGE #JockeyClubEngageDigitalExploration
Nova MSC Collaborates with AMO and RHAZES to Bring its AI Deep Learning Technology, SELENA+ to Mainstream Adoption
- Nova MSC signs MoU with AMO and RHAZES that will enable the deployment of its EyRIS’ AI-Deep Learning Technology, SELENA+ to more than 1,000 AMO members via RHAZES Telehealth service
- SELENA+ is capable of detecting up to 3 retinal diseases, principally diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma suspect and age-related macular degeneration
- EyRIS SELENA+ will also become a gamechanger in first stage diagnostic with the addition of a new algorithm to detect chronic kidney disease (CKD)
- EyRIS has inked a Research Collaboration Agreement with a specialty centre under the National Healthcare Group (NHG) to develop a new proprietary AI that detects melanoma using a mobile phone camera
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 21 February 2022 – Nova MSC Berhad (“Nova MSC” or “the Company”), which is the exclusive distributor of EyRIS Pte Ltd’s (“EyRIS”) products, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) with the Association of Malaysian Optometrists (“AMO”) and Rhazes Consultancy Services Sdn Bhd (“RHAZES”), a tele-pharmacy platform provider, to bring its AI Deep Learning Technology, SELENA+ to mainstream adoption in Malaysia.
Under the collaboration, EyRIS’ AI deep learning technology, SELENA+, will be deployed to AMO’s more than 1,000 members across Malaysia via RHAZES Telehealth. RHAZES Telehealth is Malaysia’s first knowledge-based telehealth service provider through its brand Rhazes TeleOpto.
EyRIS is 42% owned by novaHEALTH Pte Ltd, which in turn is wholly-owned by Nova MSC.
Nova MSC’s General Manager, Mr Nazerollnizam Kasim, said, “We are optimistic that the collaboration with both AMO and RHAZES will drive forward the adoption of SELENA+ in Malaysia. During the pandemic, we have seen a rise in telehealth and how it has gradually moved towards mainstream adoption.”
According to En. Ahmad Fadhullah Fuzai, President of AMO, “The deployment of SELENA+ to AMO’s member practices across the country will help to improve the range and quality of our services. This synergistic partnership with Nova will see the launch of SELENA+, and it will be deployed initially in 55 practices across Malaysia through Rhazes’ TeleOpto Platform, eventually expanding to the other member practices within a year.”
SELENA+ is capable of detecting up to 3 retinal diseases, principally diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma suspect and age-related macular degeneration. Early screening and detection of these diseases can significantly reduce vision loss, and in the case of diabetic retinopathy, studies have shown that diabetes-related vision loss can be reduced by up to 47 percent. EyRIS’ SELENA+ has been approved for use by the Malaysian Medical Device Authority since 22nd June 2020.
Aside from that, there will also be an addition of a new algorithm to detect chronic kidney disease (“CKD”) through the same fundus image used by EyRIS’ SELENA+ to detect the 3 retinal diseases mentioned earlier.
Nova MSC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lai Teik Kin added, “The addition of this new algorithm will help us to be a gamechanger in the first stage diagnostic, a drive towards being able to implement rapid screening tools to aid early detection for systemic diseases. Our CKD algorithm boasts an 85 percent accuracy rate, and uses of the non-invasive fundus imaging allows results to be generated within 10-15 seconds with ease, speed and accuracy,” Mr Lai said.
He also pointed out that the recent gold award won by EyRIS at the Techblazer Awards 2021 in the Most Promising Innovation category is a sign of the Group’s push to bring world-class technology into the world. The Techblazer Awards is Singapore’s highest accolade for technological innovation.
The push to deploy SELENA+ into mainstream adoption in healthcare services has seen the availability of its technology in 26 countries.
In order to continue to expand the capabilities in disease detection through its cutting-edge AI deep learning technology, EyRIS has inked a Research Collaboration Agreement with a specialty centre under the National Healthcare Group (NHG) to develop a new proprietary AI that detects melanoma using a mobile phone camera. This was facilitated by NHG’s Centre for Medical Technologies and Innovations (CMTi).
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and early detection is able to increase the 5-year survival rate to 99 percent. With 1 in every 3 cancer diagnoses being skin cancer and the high melanoma incidence rate of 3.4 per 100,000 worldwide, the ability to detect skin cancer early through non-invasive, mobile imaging will contribute to the fight against skin cancer mortality.
We are Nova MSC Berhad
Established in 2002, Nova MSC Bhd is a Bursa Malaysia ACE Market-listed company, which is involved in four main business pillars namely, healthcare, Digital Government, building automation and virtual construction. We are a leading provider of ready-to-deploy, industry-focused application software and services for both the public and healthcare sectors, with an international track-record. Our products are developed based on our technical knowledge and in-depth understanding of industry demands and the clients’ requirements, thereby bringing improved productivity to our customers.
For more info, visit: http://www.nova-hub.com/
#NovaMSC
About SELENA+
Early screening is highly effective in helping to prevent blindness from a range of eye diseases. SELENA+ is an intelligent deep learning system that can detect eye diseases: this system was jointly invented by researchers at NUS School of Computing (NUS-SoC) and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) to perform automated image analysis of retinal images. The analysis results will be used to provide early detection of eye diseases, including diabetic retinopathy (DR), glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
SonicWall Threat Intelligence Confirms Alarming Surge in Ransomware, Malicious Cyberattacks as Threats Double in 2021
- Over 623 million ransomware attacks globally, an astounding 105% increase
- Ransomware volume increased 232% since 2019
- U.S., U.K. ransomware climbed staggering 98% and 227%, respectively
- Asia saw a 121.682% increase in ransomware attack YoY
- India saw an increase of 981% of ransomware attacks in 2021, while Japan saw a 63.55% increase of Malware attacks compared to 2021
- Log4j vulnerability exploits eclipsed 142 million in six weeks
- 65% increase in ‘never-before-seen’ malware variants identified
- Encrypted threats increased 167% year-over-year
- Record 97.1 million cryptojacking attacks found
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 21 February 2022 – SonicWall, the publisher of the world’s most quoted ransomware threat intelligence, today released the 2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report. The bi-annual report details a sustained meteoric rise in ransomware with 623.3 million attacks globally. Nearly all monitored threats, cyberattacks and malicious digital assaults rose in 2021 including: ransomware, encrypted threats, IoT malware and cryptojacking.
“Cyberattacks become more attractive and potentially more disastrous as dependence on information technology increases,” said SonicWall President and CEO Bill Conner. “Securing information in a boundless world is a near impossible and thankless job, especially as the boundaries of organizations are ever-expanding to limitless endpoints and networks.”
Ransomware’s Savage Reign Continues as Attacks Increase 105%
SonicWall Capture Labs threat researchers diligently tracked the dramatic rise in ransomware, recording an astounding 318.6 million more ransomware attacks than 2020, a 105% increase. Ransomware volume has risen 232% since 2019.
High-profile ransomware attacks impacted businesses, state and federal governments, schools, hospitals and even individuals. Attacks hit supply chains, causing widespread system downtime, economic loss and reputational damage. Following global trends, all industries faced large increases of ransomware volume, including government (+1,885%), healthcare (755%), education (152%) and retail (21%).
Ransomware has developed into a massive and systemic threat that is forecasted to get worse. Across the globe, U.S. and U.K. climbed a staggering 98% and 227% respectively. In Asia, ransomware attacks also leapt in 2021 with a 121.682% increase YoY, with India and Japan also saw alarming rises of 981% and 63.55% respectively, in IoT malware volume.
Debasish Mukherjee, Vice President, Regional Sales-APAC at SonicWall adds, “With threats of almost every type on the rise, is it imperative that we have strategies and resilience systems in place to respond almost instantaneously. Especially in Asia Pacific where many have been the target of these malicious attacks in a new paradigm for cybercrime, all the more our findings in the 2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report will help us to find the right security measures to protect our greatest assets and be a step ahead to prevent unwanted and damaging attacks.”
As Cyberattack Vectors Expand, Malicious Assaults Climb
The frequency and variety of cyberattacks continue to expand every year, with an increasing cost to organizations worldwide. SMBs and enterprises are progressively threatened by an assortment of cyberattacks, and without knowing what they are, or how cybercriminals operate, protecting business-critical data from cyberattacks becomes unmanageable.
“Attacks on networks rose to a fever pitch in 2021,” said SonicWall Vice President of Platform Architecture Dmitriy Ayrapetov. “Ransomware, cryptojacking, vulnerably exploitation, phishing and other attacks continue to plague organizations around the world and overwhelm security teams. It’s important to understand the breakdown of these attacks and why they continue to be successful, as well as the drivers and trends behind them.”
Insight on additional cyber threats include:
- Apache Log4j vulnerabilities were quickly exploited, with threat actors logging 142.2 million exploit attempts between Dec. 11 and Jan. 31 — an average of 2.7 million each day. Within three days of the public disclosure, exploit attempts had already passed the 1 million mark.
- Malware volume was slightly down again in 2021, marking both a third-straight year of decrease as well as a seven-year low. However, an uptick in attacks during the second half of 2021 almost completely erased the 22% drop in malware that SonicWall had recorded at the mid-year point, bringing the total decrease for 2021 to just 4% — suggesting malware numbers may rebound in 2022.
- Encrypted threats increased 167% year-over-year. In August, the number of encrypted attacks broke the 1 million mark for the first time, then continued to rise, reaching nearly 2.5 million by year’s end.
- Cryptojacking continued to surge last year, rising 19% globally to 97.1 million, which is the most attacks that SonicWall Capture Labs threat researchers have ever recorded in a single year.
- IoT malware volume rose 6% in 2021, totaling 60.1 million hits by year’s end. While this isn’t good news, it’s at least better than it has been: In 2019 and 2020, IoT malware volume rose 218% and 66%, respectively. With no corresponding slowdown in the proliferation of connected devices, this suggests that attack volumes may be leveling off.
Smarter Than Ever, RTDMI Discovered 65% More ‘Never-before-seen’ Malware Variants
SonicWall’s patented Real-Time Deep Memory InspectionTM (RTDMI) technology identified a total of 442,151 never-before-seen malware variants in 2021, a 65% year-over-year increase and an average of 1,211 per day. In Q4, RTDMI found more never-before-seen malware variants than in any quarter since its introduction in 2018.
SonicWall Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) with RTDMI recently earned its fourth consecutive ‘perfect score’ in the ICSA Labs ATD testing for Q4 2021. ICSA Labs is an independent third party that tested SonicWall’s solutions using never-before-seen malware samples, and over the course of the entire year (2021) SonicWall technology did not miss a single malware sample nor produced one false positive.
To learn more about SonicWall and get the complete 2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report, please visit sonicwall.com/ThreatReport.
About SonicWall
SonicWall delivers Boundless Cybersecurity for the hyper-distributed era in a work reality where everyone is remote, mobile and unsecure. SonicWall safeguards organizations mobilizing for their new business normal with seamless protection that stops the most evasive cyberattacks across boundless exposure points and increasingly remote, mobile and cloud-enabled workforces. By knowing the unknown, providing real-time visibility and enabling breakthrough economics, SonicWall closes the cybersecurity business gap for enterprises, governments and SMBs worldwide. For more information, visit www.sonicwall.com or follow us on
Twitter,
LinkedIn,
Facebook and
Instagram.
#SonicWall
Vang Vieng Experiences Unseasonal Flooding
Residents and visitors in the tourist town of Vang Vieng were taken by surprise as torrential rains across Laos caused unexpected floods.
Sun Life Asia Invites You to Start a Lifetime Wellness Journey at the 2022 Open Day
Over 8,200 participants joined the first Asia OneSunLife Open Day in 2021. More wellness advices, insurance industry insights and career opportunities will be presented this year.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 21 February 2022 – Sun Life today announced that enrollment has started for the Asia OneSunLife Open Day 2022, which will be held virtually on March 19. The theme this year is “Wellness is a lifestyle. Live Brighter!” The Asia OneSunLife Open Day aims to encourage people to achieve wellness in all aspects of life and help participants live healthier and brighter lives. At the same time, the Open Day will provide industry insight and advice for people interested in exploring career opportunities in the insurance industry. At the event, Sun Life will share its inspirations and values, and how it supports and equips advisors as they build their careers.
To inspire and encourage participants to embrace wellness holistically, the event will feature award-winning speaker Yujin Wong, who will share his experience of burn-out while working in law and investment banking to becoming an international speaker and agent of positive change, illustrating the importance of physical, mental and financial health and well-being and how one can build a career helping other to do the same.
“Physical, mental and financial wellness is more important than ever since the outbreak of pandemic. We are very excited to have well-known motivational speaker Yujin Wong joining the Open Day this year. I am confident his story will inspire many who desire to strive for excellence in their careers and personal lives,” said Carene Chai, Chief Distribution Officer, Sun Life Asia. “After the success of the Open Day in 2021, we plan to expand the scope to provide more in-depth industry insight and explain our training support to help those considering a career as a financial advisor.”
The global pandemic has shown how important it is to protect people’s health and wealth. Insurance has played an important role in protecting people’s well-being in the past two years. Sun Life advisors have helped increase people’s awareness of the importance of gaining better financial protection, helped them make decisions to look after the health of themselves and their families and create long-term, holistic plans to give them peace of mind for the future. Sun Life always encourages people to explore career opportunities with the company so that they can help themselves and others enjoy brighter lives.
At the Open Day event, Sun Life executives will discuss the latest industry developments and career opportunities at the company. Sun Life is offering an exciting career path for people, especially the younger generation, who are looking for rewarding and fulfilling careers with more freedom and independence.
In addition, Sun Life has established a holistic and comprehensive talent development program, the Brighter Academy, to help train and grow advisors. The Academy provides advisors with a wide range of training, diverse toolkits and professional support, equipping them with knowledge and skills so that they can better serve clients and society.
Asia OneSunLife Open Day 2022 is open to the public. Anyone interested can visit below links for registration.
Sun Life Philippines: https://www.sunlife.com.ph/en/about-us/become-an-advisor/asia-onesunlife-open-day-2022/
Sun Life Indonesia: https://www.sunlife.co.id/id/about-us/careers/brighter-academy/asia-onesunlife-open-day-2022/
Sun Life Hong Kong: https://www.sunlife.com.hk/zh-hant/about-us/become-an-advisor-video/asia-onesunlife-open-day-2022/
Sun Life Grepa Financial: https://www.sunlifegrepa.com/home/about-us/careers/asia-one-sun-life-open-day-2022/
About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of March 31, 2021, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1,304 billion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars.
#SunLife
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Laos-China Railway to Launch Conventional Train Service
The Laos-China Railway Company is to operate a conventional train service from next month in order to accommodate a growing number of passengers.