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Xayaburi Dam Project May Have Already Begun

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The site chosen for mega project in Laos is on the course of the River Mekong and only about 100km from a fault line.

 

CHIANGRAI TIMES – The controversial Xayaburi hydro-electric dam project in northern Laos may have already begun, despite countries, including Cambodia, requesting further studies to assess possible negative effects on Lower Mekong communities.

According to a statement released on its website late on Tuesday, Thai development firm Ch.Karnchang said it was due to begin building the dam on March 15 after finalising a construction contract with the Xayaburi Power Company.

In the document, first sent to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Ch.Karnchang says its subsidiary Karnchang (Lao) will build the 1,260-megawatt dam on the Lower Mekong River over the course of eight years.

Mekong River Commission

Shares in the company rose as much as 2.5 per cent after it announced the 74 billion baht (US $2.4 billion) contract, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

Surasak Glahan, communications officer with the Mekong River Commission secretariat in Vientiane, Laos, said member nations Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam had agreed in principle in December that further studies into the impact of the dam were needed before it could be built.

“However, such a consensus does not mention that the project should be delayed,” he said. “We will, however, seek clarification from Lao PDR on the reported scheduled construction of the project.”

Laos and Thailand were yet to agree to requests to Japan to fund the called-for studies, the Post reported in February.

Ame Trandem, Southeast Asia program director at International Rivers, said construction should halt until the study was finished.

“As soon as you start construction on the Mekong, you are affecting the biodiversity of the river and species. Any construction is going to undermine the quality of future studies,” she said.

Xayaburi Dam Location

Ms Trandem predicted the issue of funding would be raised at the Japan-Mekong summit this weekend.

“The study would not just look at the impacts of the Xayaburi dam but of all mainstream Mekong dams,” she said, adding that Ch. Karnchang owned a majority of shares in Xayaburi Power Company, meaning it had essentially announced signing a contract “with itself”.

Te Navuth, secretary-general of the Cambodia National Mekong Committee, said he would be “disappointed” if construction had begun.

“I believe there isn’t any groundwork going on,” he said. “However, we tried to get official information from the Lao government, but we couldn’t get any.

“The four countries have agreed in principle to carry out additional studies and have asked the government of Japan and other partners to assist,” he said.

“Until Laos and neighbouring countries are happy with the result, nothing will happen,” Te Navuth said, echoing similar comments he made after the meeting in December.

Cambodia’s WWF country director Seng Teak, however, said land clearing and road development was already occurring in and around the Xayaburi site.

“WWF would be concerned if the steps agreed to by the MRC and ministers in December are not followed,” he said.

Seng Teak said a recent review of the dam development had identified “uncertainties and weaknesses” with the proposed fish passes.

“Any dam built on the lower Mekong River mainstream risks blocking the migration route and survival of critical fish species, such as the Mekong giant catfish,” he said.

“The recent review of the project also confirmed the Xayaburi project will block part of the sediment flow and that important gaps in knowledge concerning the sediment aspects remain.”

This sediment, he said, was essential for maintaining balance in the Mekong ecosystem – which many Cambodians rely on for their livelihood.

“WWF urges governments to defer a decision on any dam projects on the Mekong mainstream for at least 10 years until proper risk assessment is conducted.”

Council of Ministers’ Press and Quick Reaction Unit
spokesman Ek Tha said that the government has urged stakeholders to ensure projects on the Mekong River did not have negative environmental impacts.

“As you know, countries in the Lower Mekong have 60 million people living in the region,” he said. “I urge policymakers to consult with the stakeholders and environment groups to make sure the project will not have negative impacts or look at alternative investments.

“I want them to think of 500 to 1,000 years from now. Put your children and grandchildren ahead of us.”

The Laos government could not be reached for comment.

Ch.Karnchang did not respond to emails from the Post yesterday.

To contact the reporter on this story: Shane Worrell at [email protected]
With assistance from Kristin Lynch

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PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

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Pepsi

(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.

This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.

Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.

Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.

The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.

Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.

Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.

The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.

Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.

Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.

Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.

Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.

Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”

Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.

The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.

Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.

The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.

Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”

Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.

The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.

Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.

The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:

SOURCE: CNBC

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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Infosys

(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.

This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.

For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.

This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.

Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”

This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.

This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.

Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.

Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.

Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.

This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.

It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.

Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”

This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.

We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.

Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.

SOURCE: THBL

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

States Sue TikTok, Claiming Its Platform Is Addictive And Harms The Mental Health Of Children

Qantas Airways Apologizes After R-Rated Film Reportedly Airs On Every Screen During Flight

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

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water

The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.

water

American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.

water

The corporation stated that it has alerted legal enforcement and is cooperating with them. It also stated that consumers will not be charged late fees while its systems are unavailable.

According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

SOURCE | AP

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