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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010500

LG Display on Monday unveiled four new concepts using its transparent panel solutions to be premiered at its hybrid CES 2022 exhibitions in January.

The new concepts feature screens that look like normal transparent glass windows, allowing users to see objects on the other side. But the screens can display images or deliver information while remaining transparent at the same time. These concepts aim to achieve spatial innovation at home, the office and commercial facilities including department stores, the company said.

The “Show Window” concept comprises four 55-inch transparent screens with self-emitting nature, so that a layer of various visual content can be added with products like garments lined up behind the display panels. Another concept, “Shopping Managing Showcase,” features a single screen that fits inside a wooden frame before the goods on display. 

LG Display said in a statement these solutions maximize the advertising potential of window displays, allowing offline shoppers to look at products and information on the screen at the same time.

Another new solution suggested by LG Display is “OLED Shelf,” with two vertically attached screens that can display TV shows or paintings while running in “always on display” mode to deliver essential information. For an office solution, “Smart Window” constitutes a large panel for videoconferencing and presentations that at the same time provides openness in the workspace.

“With our industry-leading transparent OLED technology, we will continue to introduce innovative high-end solutions that allow our customers to enjoy unprecedented experiences,” said Lee Hyeon-woo, senior vice president and head of Life Display Business Group at LG Display.

LG Display is the only company to have commercialized large OLED screens that are semitransparent. Its 55-inch OLED displays with 40 percent transparency were first introduced in 2019, and have since been applied in shopping malls, museums and subways.

LG has forecast the transparent OLED display market to grow 116 percent on average each year in the next decade, with the market size estimated at 12 trillion won ($10.1 billion) by 2030, from 100 billion won in 2022, citing data from consulting firm the Boston Consulting Group.

By Son Ji-hyoung

Published : December 28, 2021

By : The Korea Herald

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010499

SINGAPORE – Around 52,000 employees in Singapore have not taken any Covid-19 vaccine, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Monday (Dec 27).

Around 6,700 are aged 60 and above, and are at a very high risk of severe illness or death from Covid-19 infection, it added.

It noted that only a small proportion of these workers are medically ineligible for vaccination, while 98 per cent of the workforce – excluding self-employed persons – have been inoculated.

As at Dec 19, 80 per cent of firms have attained full vaccine coverage for their workforce.

This is considerable progress, MOM said, as it marks a drop from the 75,000 employees who were not vaccinated as at Dec 5.

These updates come in the wake of the Ministry of Health’s announcement on Sunday that unvaccinated employees will not be allowed to return to the workplace from Jan 15 next year.

This rule stands even if they test negative for Covid-19 24 hours beforehand.

Those certified to be medically ineligible or have recovered from Covid-19 within 180 days can return.

Those who are partially inoculated can go to the workplace, but with a negative pre-event testing result up to Jan 31.

After Jan 31, they must be fully vaccinated.

From Jan 1, 50 per cent of employees who can work from home will be allowed to return to the office, MOH said on Dec 14.

Working from home has been the default since September, when Singapore began logging another rise in Covid-19 cases.

MOM said on Monday: “We have seen the emergence of the more transmissible Omicron variant, which with the Delta variant, significantly raises the chance of contracting Covid-19 compared to a year ago.

“Unvaccinated employees, especially those who are older, will put immense strain on our healthcare capacity in the coming months, if they contract Covid-19.”

There is a grace period from Jan 1 to Jan 14 when unvaccinated staff can go to the workplace if they have a negative pre-event testing result.

But they must pay for the cost of the test and show the result to their employers when reporting for work.

MOM said: “A fully vaccinated workforce will be able to operate more safely and at much lower risk to employees’ lives.

“We must also be prepared to take stronger steps to protect those who, due to medical reasons, cannot receive any vaccine.”

For employees who remain unvaccinated, MOM said employers may allow them to work from home if such arrangements can sufficiently meet their operational or business needs.

“However, as the vast majority of vaccinated employees eventually return to the workplace more frequently, the prolonged absence of the unvaccinated employees… may affect their individual performance as well as negatively impact team or organisational performance,” MOM said.

From Jan 15, workers who have to be on site but are unvaccinated can be redeployed to suitable roles that can be done from home, it added.

They can also be placed on no-pay leave based on mutually agreed terms.

As a last resort, their employment can be terminated with notice according to their contract.

Such termination is not considered as wrongful dismissal since it is due to the employees’ inability to be at the workplace to do their contracted duties.

“By not coming to the workplace, unvaccinated employees are protected from being exposed to the threat of the virus,” MOM added.

For those who are medically ineligible for vaccines, it said employers should consider measures to protect them, even though they are allowed to work on-site.

These include allowing them to work from home if they can or redeploying them to suitable roles that can be done remotely.

MOM said: “The tripartite partners urge the remaining 20 per cent of employers to make a concerted push to get their unvaccinated employees to be vaccinated as soon as possible.”

It added that firms should support this by granting paid time-off to staff for their vaccination and additional paid sick leave if the worker experiences a related adverse reaction.

“The tripartite partners would also like to urge the remaining 2 per cent of unvaccinated employees to go for vaccination as soon as possible to protect their well-being and avoid any impact to their jobs and livelihoods.”

Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) president Douglas Foo said that in some industries like manufacturing, workers are required physically on the shop floor, but SMF’s sense is that most workers are vaccinated. 

“If it is because of medical reasons (that workers are not vaccinated), firms will then have to consider how best to re-train these employees to allow them to work remotely,” he added. 

“On the other hand, if it is not for medical reasons, then employers should speak to the employee, understand the reason and then support and encourage them to go for vaccination as soon as possible.”

By Sue-Ann Tan

Published : December 28, 2021

By : The Straits Times

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010498

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has called on the nation to do everything necessary to protect the most vulnerable against COVID-19 and reduce the number of deaths related to the virus.

The PM signed Official Dispatch 1815/CD-TTg dated December 26, 2021 on the management and protection of people at high risk of contracting COVID-19; reducing severe cases and deaths due to COVID-19.

The PM asked ministries and localities to follow a number of requests to ensure effective management and monitoring of public health, early detection of COVID-19 cases and reduce the number of severe cases and COVID-19 related deaths. 

Cases nationwide have increased, along with the number of severely ill patients and deaths in particularly in high-risk groups like people over 50 years of age, pregnant women, those with underlying health conditions and the unvaccinated.

The Prime Minister has called on localities to implement strict management of these high-risk groups by collecting data and analysing their need for support.

He also urged medical teams to go door-to-door to identify those who have not been vaccinated and arrange inoculations, especially for those people with mobility difficulties.

Localities should also organise care and treatment for people with COVID-19 in high-risk groups and carry out isolation and monitoring at home or at a treatment facility according to their conditions.

Regarding the Ministry of Health, the PM asked for quick and adequate distribution of vaccines to localities.

The ministry must also drastically and urgently guide and create favourable conditions for units, localities and enterprises to import, transfer technology, and manufacture drugs to treat COVID-19 sufferers.

It should also reduce and simplify administrative procedures, ensuring the principle of speed, science and efficiency; and at the same time take measures to strictly control quality, price and combat all manifestations and acts of abuse for corruption, group interests.

The ministry is asked to promptly update and guide treatment regimens in accordance with the disease developments and the actual conditions.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall closely coordinate with the Ministry of Health and city and provincial people’s committees to come up with drastic, reasonable, scientific, effective and specific solutions so that no shortage of medical oxygen supply in hospitals and medical facilities occurs.

The MoIT is also responsible for directing associations, manufacturing and distribution enterprises to increase production and supply of medical oxygen for timely and effective COVID-19 disease prevention and control. — VNS

Published : December 28, 2021

By : Vietnam News

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010497

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) — A total of 114,183 Cambodian candidates are taking a national high school graduation exam on Monday after the situation of COVID-19 pandemic had been brought under control.

The annual exam is a prerequisite for Grade 12 students to pursue their studies at university levels.

Over the course of two days, the candidates will sit for the test in the subjects of earth and environment, geography, history, biology, foreign language, Khmer literature, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and morality-civics, according to an Education Ministry’s statement.

Speaking to reporters while visiting an exam center at the Preah Sisowath High School in capital Phnom Penh, Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron said there are 204 exam centers with 4,616 rooms across the southeast Asian nation.

“All educators and exam-takers are required to strictly follow health and safety measures, including wearing face masks, washing hands, having temperature checked, and maintaining physical distancing, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

The minister said two students, who tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to the country from Kazakhstan, where they participated in the 2021 Asian Senior Karate Championships, were also allowed to take their exam at a COVID-19 treatment center in the capital.

Last year, due to the pandemic, the government allowed all Grade 12 students to pass their exit exam automatically without sitting for it.

Naron said the exam was held this year after the kingdom had achieved high COVID-19 vaccination rates as well as a significant drop in new COVID-19 cases in recent months.

Cambodia has so far administered at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines to 14.24 million people, or 89 percent of its 16-million population, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

Of them, 13.62 million, or 85.1 percent, are fully vaccinated with two required shots, and 3.39 million, or 21.2 percent, have taken a booster shot, the MoH added.

Most of the vaccines used in the country’s inoculation campaign are China’s Sinovac and Sinopharm.

Published : December 28, 2021

By : Xinhua

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010475

Respected Bangladeshi journalist Mahfuz Anam, who is the editor and publisher of Bangladeshs largest selling English daily – The Daily Star – has been elected Asia News Networks (ANN) next Chairman.

The 72-year-old journalist takes over from outgoing Chairman Warren Fernandez, on January 1, 2022, for a two-year term. This will be Mr Anam’s second stint as Chairman of the alliance. Mr Anam was first appointed ANN Chairman in 2007.

Mr Anam was nominated by Mr Fernandez, the editor-in-chief of The Straits Times and the English/Malay/Tamil Media Group of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Media, and unanimously elected by the ANN Board. The regional alliance is a grouping of 23 leading Asian news titles, which
was founded in 1999.

Mr Anam started his journalism career in 1972 and brings with him several decades of experience as a media and communication specialist to lead the regional alliance. After working in the United Nations for 14 years, he co-founded The Daily Star newspaper in 1991, as Bangladesh was transitioning to a democracy. His editorial direction and commentaries on the country’s socio-political issues saw the paper fast rising to be the most-read English daily in the country. A pro-democracy advocate, Mr Anam, found himself being sued in court for his criticism of the country’s two largest parties. But he dismisses the charges as attacks on press freedom.

ANN aims to establish a global footprint as Asia’s most authoritative media voice and work to bring Asia closer through editorial collaboration. It was set up to promote Asian journalism and share the story of an Asian century from an Asian perspective.

Said Mr Anam: “ANN aims to tell the world how Asia is forging ahead in this complex and ever-changing world and share knowledge and experience to build a better future.”

Said Mr Fernandez: “It has taken us some time, but now that we have established the ANN on a proper legal and financial footing, it is time to pass on the chairmanship, in the interest of good governance. In Mahfuz, we have a wise and respected media veteran, a founding member of the ANN Board. There are few who have both his breadth of experience, and sense of strong commitment to regional collaboration, to take on the challenge of leading ANN, and bringing it forward, at this critical time.”

ANN’s website can be viewed here.

Members of the alliance are:
• Bangladesh’s The Daily Star
• Bhutan’s Kuensel
• Brunei’s Borneo Bulletin
• Cambodia’s The Phnom Penh Post and Ramsei Kampuchea
• China Daily in China and Hong Kong
• Taiwan’s The China Post
• India’s The Statesman
• Indonesia’s The Jakarta Post
• Japan’s The Japan News
• Laos’ Vientiane Times
• Malaysia’s The Star and Sin Chew Daily
• Mongolia’s Gogo Mongolia
• Myanmar’s Eleven Media Group
• Nepal’s The Kathmandu Post
• Pakistan’s Dawn
• The Philippines’ Philippine Daily Inquirer
• Singapore’s The Straits Times
• South Korea’s The Korea Herald
• Sri Lanka’s The Island
• Thailand’s The Nation
• Vietnam’s Vietnam News

Published : December 27, 2021

By : THE NATION