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Laos’ Surging Inflation a Cause for Concern

Laos Inflation Rate

Residents in Laos have begun to voice concerns about the impact of rapidly rising inflation on the cost of living.

Disease Rampant at Lao Wildlife Markets, Study Finds

Wildlife for sale at a local market in Laos
Wildlife for sale at a local market in Laos (Photo: WCS)

A new scientific study funded by the European Union and published in the journal Emerging Infectious Disease has tested animals sold for food from several trade sites and roadside stalls around Laos.

Laos Closes Preschools and Primary Schools Nationwide Amid Omicron Outbreak

Closure of preschools and kindergartens

The Lao Ministry of Education and Sports has issued a notice closing face-to-face classes at primary schools across the country.

OPPO engineered the extraordinary 5G signal solution in Find X5 Pro with better, faster and stronger experience

SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach – 23 March 2022 – By 2025, 5G networks are expected to serve one-third of the world’s population. As part of its never-ending strive for perfection, OPPO develops 5G smartphone solutions that provide an unparalleled experience, offering users with stable, uncompromised 5G connections for maximum enjoyment.

Laying the foundations

The quality of a smartphone’s signal is determined by its antenna, and its positioning within the phone itself. In 2020, OPPO released a groundbreaking 360-degree Antenna Design in Reno 3: where the antenna is arranged along the outer frame of Reno 3’s frame, allowing a better signal regardless of whether it was held horizontally or vertically.

The 360-degree Antenna Design in OPPO Reno 3
The 360-degree Antenna Design in OPPO Reno 3

This was particularly important for gamers, as many AAA smartphone titles are played horizontally to maximize the use of the screen. In regular phones without such a novel solution, gamers may suffer from poor signal, slower speeds and lag, giving them a noticeable competitive disadvantage.

Adapting to life

But sometimes, users may still experience dropped connections, low signal, and lag while they are on their phones in challenging environments like parking lots or trains. In those challenging environments, the Power Amplifier (PA) plays a critical role in amplifying a smartphone’s signal enough to provide users with a strong and stable connection.

Most phones only have one PA for a corresponding frequency band, and it’s up to this single PA to choose the most suitable of four antennas in a phone to receive the signal. The flaw in this design is that there is a large burden placed on the PA itself, in addition to a delay. That’s because it takes time for the PA to decide which of a phone’s four antennas is best when gamers change grip from horizontal to vertical.

One single Power Amplifier causes delay
One single Power Amplifier causes delay

In order to combat this issue, OPPO’s engineers worked on a solution that expertly blends software and hardware to improve the layout of the antennas, as well as including not one, but two PA components. After a year of engineering, the Dual PA Four-way Connection System was first launched in OPPO Find X5 Pro, positioning it well ahead of any competition.

Dual PA Four-way Connection System ensures perfect 5G signal
Dual PA Four-way Connection System ensures perfect 5G signal

This innovative system is driven by a crucial component which is developed by OPPO Research Institute – Fast Matching Algorithm. It enables the phone to select the PA that’s most suitable for sending and receiving signals at any given time automatically. Not only does this massively increase the efficiency of the PA system itself, but their location also corresponds closely to their respective antenna bands, improving both the quality of the signal, as well as power consumption.

Dual PA Four-way Connection System applied on 4G bands
Dual PA Four-way Connection System applied on 4G bands

Moreover, OPPO also applied Dual PA Four-way Connection System on 4G bands. Signal that’s both powerful and fast, with silky smooth video, streaming and gaming experiences without any lag or stutter to be seen. According to laboratory data, Find X5 Pro sees far fewer freezes with lower latency, even in extremely weak signal scenarios — specifically 30% less latency and 50% less freezes compared to the previous generation Find X3 Pro.

Striving for perfection

OPPO has always placed importance on quality communication, and this was cemented further by establishing a communication standards team in 2015. More recently, OPPO has spent the past few years actively promoting the development and adoption of 5G around the world, in addition to submitting 5G communication standard patents in more than 30 countries and regions around the world. In fact, in 2021, OPPO became one of the top ten companies in the world for holding one of the highest numbers of 5G-specific patents.

Despite its world-leading innovation with Reno 5G and Find X3 Pro (the first commercial 5G-supporting and 5G-standalone handsets in Europe), along with, of course, Find X5 Pro, OPPO remains committed to more research and innovation to push industry boundaries to provide the best possible experience for its users. From working with chip suppliers to refine and optimize chips’ capability, to exploring new antenna solutions, partnerships and new possibilities beyond 5G, OPPO’s quest for excellence is always on-going.

#OPPO

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Laos Confirms 2,625 New Cases of Covid-19

Savannakhet Covid-19 Update

Laos has recorded 2,625 cases of Covid-19 across the country today.

ESG Achievement Awards 2021/2022 is Now Open for Application with the Support of HSIL and HKQAA to Bolster Momentum of ESG Development Across Local and Global Corporations

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 23 March 2022 – The ESG Achievement Awards 2021/2022 (Awards) opens its applications for enterprises of all sizes and non-profits to showcase their leadership in sustainable development for their company, employees, the environment, and society at large. Showing their continued support for this year’s Awards are Major Sponsor, Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited (HSIL) and ESG Data Provider cum Supporting Organisation, Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA). The online application period is open until 7 May 2022.

The Awards’ saw successful inaugural event last year, with 35 winning companies across multiple sectors from asset managers, developers, consumer goods, and charities. Thus, this year the organiser, the Institute of ESG & Benchmark (IESGB), opens the award with the theme “Pursuit of the ESG E.R.A – Evolution, Resilience, Action” to leverage this momentum wherein Hong Kong companies have made notable strides in their progression towards a more sustainable future.

Established in 2020, the IESGB is a Hong Kong-based non-profit organisation aiming to promote ESG practices in Hong Kong and beyond, to facilitate ESG education, and to nurture balance across commercial & non-commercial organisations.

“It is our hope that the ESG Achievement Awards serve as a platform for innovative ESG solutions for companies and societies at large to take inspiration from when developing their own ESG action plans” says IESGB Co-founder, Mr. Paul Pong. “Moreover, we hope to highlight excellence among high-achieving companies who are blazing a trail for others to follow in the realm of ESG development and create a community with meaningful connections between ESG oriented companies, including enterprises, SMEs, startups, non-profits and individuals.”

Head Juror of the Awards, Mr. Vincent Pang, adds, “With a prevalent demand in matters concerning ESG across industries in Hong Kong and Asia, we expect a surge in the numbers of applicants this year, as ESG practices slowly integrate themselves into the foundation of business practices and decisions. I look forward to observing the innovation with which companies across industries effectively apply ESG practices in their daily operations.”

Award Categories

Category Sub-Categories
1. ESG Benchmark Awards

    1a) The ESG Leader

    · Outstanding Performance in Environmental Responsibility

    · Outstanding Performance in Social Responsibility

    · Outstanding Performance in ESG Governance

      2. Special ESG Awards – Outstanding ESG Performer of the Year

      2a) Listed Company

      2b) Large Enterprise

      2c) SME *

      2d) NGO /NPO *

      (*Required to join finalists’ presentation to jury panel)

      3. ESG Product and Service Awards

        3a) Outstanding ESG Fund

        3b) Outstanding ESG ETF

        3c) Outstanding ESG MPF

        4. Criteria set by Fund Managers-Outstanding ESG Company

          4a) Listed Company
          5. Honorary Award (By invitation only)

            4a) Company /Organisation

            4b) Individual

            Jury Panel

            Full Name Post
            Head Juror
            Mr Vincent Pang Managing Director, AVISTA Group
            Jury Panel Members
            Dr Au King Lun Executive Director, Financial Services Development Council
            Prof Karen Q Cheung Executive President & Secretary-General, UNESCO Hong Kong Association

            Director of Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development

            Mr Younghai Du General Manager, Green Living & Innovation Division, Hong Kong Productivity Council
            Mr Roy Fung Chief Executive Officer, Hexon Green Capital Limited
            Ms Ashley P W Khoo Director, CFA Society Hong Kong
            Mr Thomas Lee Founder and Chairman, TLP CPA Limited
            Prof Charles W W Ng Dean of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Fok Ying Tung Graduate School
            Mr Mike Wong Chief Executive Officer, The Chamber of Hong Kong Listed Companies
            Ms Jessie Yu Chief Executive, Hong Kong Single Parents Association
            Mrs Rebecca Choy Yung Founder & Chair, Golden Age Foundation

            For more information on the ESG Achievement Awards 2021/2022, please visit www.iesgbawards.org

            About IESGB

            The Institute of ESG & Benchmark (IESGB) is a non-profit organisation. Its endeavors is to elevate stakeholders’ awareness and knowledge towards Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in all industry sectors. By organising Environment, Social and Governance relevant trainings and events, IESGB hopes to lead and strengthen the ESG standards and development across Hong Kong.

            #IESGB

            The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

            Cushman & Wakefield Ranked No.1 Commercial Real Estate Investment Brokerage in Mainland China for Fourth Consecutive Year

            As Reported by RCA Top Global Investment Brokers 2021

            HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 23 March 2022 – Real Capital Analytics (RCA), a firm specializing in the analysis of global commercial real estate capital markets, ranked Cushman & Wakefield in first place for commercial real estate investment brokerage transactions in mainland China for the fourth consecutive year, in their Top Global Investment Brokers 2021. The RCA analysis confirms that Cushman & Wakefield represented 29% of commercial sell-side transactions, priced at US$1.89 billion, comprising office, retail and industrial transactions in mainland China in 2021, securing the top spot among all brokerage firms.

            In mainland China, the Cushman & Wakefield team dominated the retail sector with 51% market share to take the No.1 spot. In addition, Cushman & Wakefield represented 43% of seller transactions by total investment volume in Taiwan China in 2021, also securing first place among all brokerage firms for the second consecutive year.

            KK Chiu, International Director, Chief Executive, Greater China at Cushman & Wakefield, said:Our team have again delivered a terrific job to keep us in the top spot in the region for the fourth consecutive year. We look forward to continuing to support the market’s momentum as we strive to set the bar even higher for service excellence and innovation for our clients and the industry as a whole.”

            Francis Li, International Director, Vice President, Greater China, Head of Capital Markets, Greater China at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “The RCA brokerage ranking is one of the most respected reports in the commercial real estate industry. I truly appreciate our Capital Markets team’s tremendous efforts, which have ensured that we stay on top for the fourth time, fully demonstrating our leading position. Looking forward, I expect us to never stand still, to continue to play the role of ‘en-bloc trading leader’, and to win further outstanding achievements!”

            Alvin Yip, President of Capital Markets, Greater China, Head of Capital Markets, China at Cushman & Wakefield, stated, “In 2021, the Capital Markets team facilitated transactions (sell-side and buy-side) in Greater China valued at more than RMB40 billion. The team performed exceptionally well, especially in the logistics, cold storage, and data center sectors. The commercial transaction value achieved by the team in 2021 also far surpassed that of 2020, ensuring that Cushman & Wakefield was successfully ranked as China’s No. 1 commercial investment broker. ”

            The impact of the pandemic was more mitigated in 2021, with market transactions basically returning to the pre-pandemic level. Considering the influence of the ‘Three Red Lines’ policy, and debt reduction measures by developers, there will be more investment or cooperation opportunities in 2022, not limited to commercial and retail, and we see logistics, biomedical industrial parks and data centers attracting widespread attention going forward.”

            Real Capital Analytics, Inc. (RCA), an independent research and analysis firm focusing on commercial real estate in the capital markets, provides the industry’s most in-depth, comprehensive and timely information on trading activities and capital flow. RCA’s Top Global Investment Brokers records the commercial real estate sales valued at USD 10 million or more worldwide and ranks the top 25 brokers based on their volume of brokered transactions.

            Please click here to download photo.

            About Cushman & Wakefield

            Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global real estate services firm that delivers exceptional value for real estate occupiers and owners. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest real estate services firms with approximately 50,000 employees in over 400 offices and 60 countries. Across Greater China, 22 offices are servicing the local market. The company won four of the top awards in the Euromoney Survey 2017, 2018 and 2020 in the categories of Overall, Agency Letting/Sales, Valuation and Research in China. In 2021, the firm had revenue of $9.4 billion across core services of property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets, valuation and other services. To learn more, visit or follow us on LinkedIn ().

            The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

            Award-winning Riverina Water taps Infor for landmark digital transformation program

            Sam Samra Award 2022 winner leverages Infor CloudSuite Public Sector to help water utility deliver enhanced customer excellence

            SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Media OutReach – 23 March 2022 – Infor, the industry cloud company, today announced that Riverina Water has rolled out Infor CloudSuite Public Sector to power the organisation’s landmark digital transformation project following a competitive tender process. Riverina Water will deploy Infor’s cloud solution across multiple disciplines that will ensure the water utility meets the demands of a digitally-connected world where customers expect 24/7 easy functionality with real-time transaction capabilities at their fingertips.

            Riverina Water & Infor Go-Live Team on Launch Day

            The winner of the prestigious Sam Samra Award is spearheading the creation of a new customer-centric enterprise software platform to meet customer expectations and improve integration with asset management and financial systems. Riverina Water will tap into Infor CloudSuite Public Sector, which includes Infor Financials & Supply Management, Infor CIS Billing for Customer and Billing management, and Infor Birst for integrated planning, budgeting, forecasting and financial consolidation, business intelligence and analytics.

            Learn more about Infor Public Sector and Infor Financials & Supply Management:
            https://www.infor.com/en-au/products/cloudsuite-public-sector
            https://www.infor.com/en-au/solutions/erp/financials

            With Infor CloudSuite Public Sector solution, Riverina Water will be able to overcome current challenges with legacy systems to better control costs, future-proof IT investments and enhance service delivery to more than 76,000 customers across four local government areas in southern NSW.

            “Riverina Water has built a strong foundation as one of the best local water utilities in NSW, with a commitment to providing safe and reliable drinking water to our growing region,” said Andrew Crakanthorp, CEO at Riverina Water. “To be recognised with the Sam Samra Award is the highest honour and highlights the important steps we have taken in recent years to achieve our goals, backed by the development and implementation of strategy and long-term planning.”

            “We are happy to work with Infor as our strategic partner to achieve Riverina Water’s transformation goals. After a very robust tender process and a large pool of participants, Infor ultimately won our trust for their deep industry knowledge, experience in deploying major digital transformation programs in entrenched legacy environments, and agile ability in responding to our needs,” said Andrew Crakanthorp, CEO at Riverina Water. “Infor’s purpose-built CloudSuite solution will improve Riverina Water’s ability to deliver better outcomes for internal and external stakeholders, and help drive Riverina Water to further becoming a customer-centric leading utility service provider.”

            Infor has global expertise in successfully guiding utilities, building out a strong customer base within water companies and public sector entities in their digital transformation journey. They include notable customers within the ANZ region such as the largest water authority in New Zealand, Watercare, as well as six of the eighteen water corporations across Victoria, Australia. Large US-based water authority Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District is also a customer.

            “We are immensely proud and thrilled to be collaborating with NSW’s best local government water utility as a trusted partner in the delivery of its critical, whole-of-business digital transformation program,” said Jarrod Kinchington, vice president & managing director at Infor Australia/New Zealand. “With Infor, Riverina Water will find solutions finely-tuned in the cloud that are robust, flexible, intuitive and easy to use – all key ingredients to address rapidly-evolving customer expectations in a highly-digitised world.”

            For more information:

            Phyllis Tan
            Infor Asia Pacific
            phyllis.tan@infor.com
            +65 9799 9133

            About Riverina Water

            Riverina Water supplies safe and reliable water to more than 76,000 people across over 15,000 square kilometres of NSW’s Riverina region. Water supply covers the local government areas of Wagga Wagga, Lockhart and parts of Greater Hume and Federation Councils. To learn more, please visit .

            #RiverinaWater

            About Infor

            Infor is a global leader in business cloud software specialised by industry. Providing mission-critical enterprise applications to 65,000 customers in more than 175 countries, Infor software is designed to deliver more value and less risk, with more sustainable operational advantages. We empower our 17,000 employees to leverage their deep industry expertise and use data-driven insights to create, learn and adapt quickly to solve emerging business and industry challenges. Infor is committed to providing our customers with modern tools to transform their business and accelerate their own path to innovation. To learn more, please visit .

            #Infor

            The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.