About 40 per cent of “the biggest US manufacturing investments” announced in the first year of US President Joe Biden’s acts to strengthen its cleantech and semiconductor supply chain have been delayed or paused, a media report said.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Chips and Science Act, launched in 2022, offered more than $400 billion in tax credits, loans and grants to boost the US cleantech and semiconductor manufacturing development, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a Financial Times report.

In the first year of the program, more than $220 billion were announced. Yet, $84 billion has been delayed for two months to several years or paused indefinitely, a Financial Times investigation found.

“Slow government rollout of Chips Act funding for semiconductor projects and lack of clarity on IRA rules have left several projects at a standstill,” it said.

Due to uncertainty over tax credit rules for hydrogen, Nel Hydrogen, an electrolyser manufacturer, has paused its $400-million factory project in Michigan. Due to the lack of clarity over the IRA’s electric vehicle regulations, Anovion, a battery parts manufacturer in Georgia, delayed its $800-million factory by more than a year.

The delays raised doubts on Biden’s ability to keep his promise to deliver jobs, the report said. AGENCIES

The performance of manufacturing production in the Philippines sustained its growth in June 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Wednesday.

Based on the preliminary results of a monthly survey, the PSA said the year-on-year value of production index (VaPI) and the volume of production index (VoPI) increased by 2.2 per cent and 2.5 per cent in June, respectively.

The PSA said the VaPI rose at a slowed annual rate of 2.2 per cent in June 2024 from a yearly increase of 2.3 per cent in May, bringing the average VaPI growth rate from January to June this year to 0.5 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported .

In June 2023, the VaPI yearly growth rose 2.7 per cent.

The PSA attributed the slower annual increase in the VaPI in June to the decline in the manufacture of basic metals, which decreased to 17.5 per cent during the month from an annual decrease of 3.1 per cent in May.

The manufacture of basic metals contributed 28.5 per cent to the downtrend of VaPI for the manufacturing section in June.

Other primary contributors to the slower increase of VaPI were the annual decrease in the manufacture of transport equipment, and the slower annual increase in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products.

Meanwhile, the PSA said the VoPI registered an annual growth of 2.5 per cent in June 2024, slower than its annual increase of 3.2 per cent in May 2024. This brings the average growth rate of VoPI from January to June to 1.3 per cent.

In June 2023, VoPI recorded an annual increase of 2.1 per cent.

The PSA said the downtrend in the year-on-year growth rate of VoPI for manufacturing was primarily driven by the same top three industry divisions that contributed to the slower annual increase of VaPI for manufacturing in June.

These are the manufacture of basic metals, the manufacture of transport equipment, and the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products. AGENCIES

South Korea’s Forest Service helicopter crash landed on a hill in the southern county of Hadong on Wednesday and its lone pilot sustained a non-life threatening injury, officials said.

The AS 350 aircraft made by Airbus Helicopters, formerly known as Eurocopter Group, was carrying out pest control on chestnut trees when it went down on the hill in Hadong, some 290 kilometers southeast of Seoul, 9:39 in the morning, Yonhap news agency reported.

The pilot in his 40s was taken to a hospital with a bruise on the chest. No others were aboard.

Fire authorities suspect the crash happened after the helicopter was caught in an electric wire. Authorities were retrieving the remains of the chopper while the Korea Forest Service is looking into the exact cause of the crash.

Following the accident, the Korea Electric Power Corporation brought down the power lines in the region to prevent secondary accidents.

The Korea Forest Service introduced the helicopter in 2003. It is equipped with a tank, which allows it to carry water and medicines aboard.

Helicopters of the same model operated by civilian firms crashed in March and October last year. AGENCIES

President Droupadi Murmu received a warm send-off from Fijian Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad at Nadi airport as she concluded her state visit to Fiji on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, President Murmu paid her respects at the Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple in Nadi, which is one of the largest Hindu temples in the Pacific.

She was warmly welcomed by members of the Fijian Indian community at the temple.

This visit by the President was focused on further strengthening the cultural ties between the two nations.

On Tuesday, President Murmu was accorded a ceremonial welcome by Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister, Viliame Gavoka, the Indian High Commissioner to Fiji, P. S. Karthikeyan, and other government officials at the airport as she arrived in Suva on the first leg of her three-nation visit.

Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere conferred the ‘Companion of the Order of Fiji’, the highest civilian award in the country, upon the Indian President.

President Murmu expressed her gratitude for the conferment, saying it is a “reflection of the deep ties between the two nations.” She also thanked President Katonivere for inviting her on her first visit to Fiji.

Later, addressing the Fijian Parliament, she reiterated India’s commitment as a “powerful voice of the Global South” to climate justice, promising to push for climate finance and technology for developing countries.

“We will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Fiji and other ocean states for climate justice,” she added.

During her visit, she also announced new projects, including a Super Specialty Cardiology Hospital in Suva, to meet the needs of the Fijian people and the wider Pacific region.

President Murmu has now left for Auckland for a three-day state visit to New Zealand at the invitation of Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro.

She will hold bilateral meetings with the Governor General and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. AGENCIES

A group of Russian warships has called at the Indian port of Kochi on the southwestern coast, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

“The Varyag missile cruiser and the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate of the Russian Pacific Fleet have called at the port of Kochi, India, in the Arabian Sea,” it said on Tuesday.

The ships will resupply their stocks at the port in India, go sightseeing around the city, and participate in friendly drills with Indian sailors.

“This visit underscores the strong maritime cooperation between Russia and India,” it emphasised.

Cochin is a large port city in Kerala on the coast of the Arabian Sea.

The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement that the visit to the port of Kochi is made within the tasks of the Pacific Fleet’s ships during a long-distance mission.

A few days earlier, the detachment of ships left the port of Salalah, Oman.

The long-distance mission of the Pacific Fleet’s detachment began on January 22, 2024.

During this time, the Pacific sailors conducted dozens of training sessions in combat training and organised the ships’ daily activities at sea.

The crews also made business calls at the ports of countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Qatar, and Eritrea. AGENCIES

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the spiritual leaders and founder of the Isha Foundation, said on Wednesday that atrocities are being perpetrated against Hindus in violence-torn Bangladesh and called for swift action for ensuring their safety.

Sharing a news report of a Bangladesh newspaper ‘Daily Star’, Sadhguru said, “What was part of this Nation unfortunately became neighborhood, but it is our responsibility to protect these people -who actually belong to this Civilisation- from these shocking atrocities.”

In a post on social media platform X, Sadhguru posted, “The atrocities being perpetrated against Hindus is not just an internal matter of #Bangladesh. Bharat cannot be Maha-Bharat if we do not stand up and act at the earliest to ensure the safety of minorities in our neighbourhood. What was part of this Nation unfortunately became neighborhood, but it is our responsibility to protect these people -who actually belong to this Civilisation- from these shocking atrocities.

On Tuesday, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev had condemned the targeted attacks on temples and business establishments of Hindus in Bangladesh, and urged the Centre to to protect the Hindu minority in the neighbouring country.

Bangladesh ISKCON Gen Secretary Charu Chandra Das Brahamchari had sought India’s help, saying Hindus are very afraid of targeted attacks. He also highlighted the recurring pattern of minorities being targeted whenever the government is toppled.

Bangladesh has recorded deaths of over 400 people since mid July amid anti-government protests that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

After Hasina resigned as the Prime Minister and fled the country on Monday, President Mohammed Shahabuddin chaired a meeting which unanimously decided to release BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia immediately, after which she has been freed.

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been appointed as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, President’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin made the announcement, Dhaka Tribune reported.

The student-led non-cooperation movement had put immense pressure on the Hasina government.

The students had been protesting against a 30 per cent reservation in government jobs for relatives of freedom fighters who wrested independence for Bangladesh from Pakistan in a bloody civil war in 1971 in which, according to Dhaka officials, three million people were killed in the genocide by Pakistani troops and their supporters.

After the Supreme Court slashed the reservations to 5 per cent, student leaders put the protests on hold, but the demonstrations flared up again because the students said the government ignored their call to release all their leaders, making the resignation of Hasina their primary demand. AGENCIES

The South Korean customs agency said on Wednesday it will intensify its crackdown on drug smuggling attempts from Mexico by setting up a special task force and strengthening security checks on incoming travelers.

The move came as direct flights linking the two nations resumed this week after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 and other issues, which is feared will increase cross-border attempts to smuggle drugs, according to the Korea Customs Service (KCS), Yonhap news agency reported.

The special task force will be in charge of measures to prevent drug trafficking, such as information analysis and enhanced monitoring of suspected travelers.

The KCS will employ millimeter wave machines and other advanced devices to conduct security checks on all incoming travelers from Mexico.

South Korea has tightened its border control in line with growing smuggling attempts after the pandemic and rising demand for narcotics here.

During the first half of this year, the number of drug trafficking attempts into South Korea rose 11 percent on-year to come to 362 cases, data showed. AGENCIES

Three people were confirmed dead and three others were injured in a serial traffic accident in Vietnam’s Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, local media reported Wednesday.

The accident was reported 8:40 at night on Tuesday on the western bypass section of the Ho Chi Minh expressway passing through Cu Mgar district, Xinhua news agency reported.

Two trucks collided with each other and then consecutively crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer parking on the side road.

Six people were in the cabins of the two trucks at the time of the accident.

Three injured victims are being treated at a local hospital.

Two of them underwent surgeries and are in a stable health condition.

The case is being further investigated.

In the first seven months of this year, 14,242 traffic accidents occurred in Vietnam, killing 6,203 people and injuring 10,976 others, according to the General Statistics Office. AGENCIES

US Vice-President (V-P) Kamala Harris on Wednesday posted a video of the moment that she called Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to inform him that he was her choice as her running mate.

“Listen, I want you to do this with me. Let’s do this together,” Harris said.

“Would you be my running mate and let’s get this thing on the road?”

“I would be honoured, Madam Vice-President. The joy that you are bringing back to the country, the enthusiasm that’s out there, it will be a privilege to take this across the country,” Walz said.

The video mirrors one that current US President Joe Biden posted in 2020 when he asked Harris to be his V-P pick.

“When I called @Tim_Walz this morning to ask him to join our campaign, I shared my deep level of respect for him and the work we’ve done together. We’re going to unify this country and we’re going to win. Let’s go get this done…,” Kamala Harris wrote on social media platform X.

The Harris campaign announced that it had raised $10 million since the announcement of Walz as the running mate.

Walz, meanwhile, posted an introductory video.

“Growing up, I learned to be generous toward my neighbours, compromise without compromising my values, and to work for the common good. @KamalaHarris and I both believe in that common good – in that fundamental promise of America. We’re ready to fight for it. And like she says: when we fight, we win,” Walz wrote on X.

Harris and Walz will appear together on Wednesday evening at a rally in Philadelphia, the kickoff of a tour through swing states. AGENCIES

Democratic Party’s vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz had co-sponsored when he was in Congress, a resolution praising the US government’s decision to deny Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visa when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

But after PM Modi’s election as Prime Minister of India, Walz had a change of heart.

After attending PM Modi’s 2016 address to the joint session of Congress, Walz tweeted, “Joint session with Indian PM @narendramodi. World’s largest & oldest democracies together. Opportunity to strengthen work on common goals.”

Prime Minister Modi tweeted back, “Absolutely Representative Walz. Strong India-USA ties benefit the world immensely.”

The resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives in November 2013, but before the end of its term in 2014, PM Modi was elected Prime Minister and the administration of US President Barack Obama was scrambling to make peace with him.

It was not taken up by the House and quietly died in the Judicial and Foreign Affairs Committees and the Immigration Subcommittee it had been referred to.

Prime Minister Modi became a feted guest of Obama who had invited him for a visit to Washington in September 2014, making the visa issue moot.

Before being elected the Governor of Minnesota in 2019, Walz served six terms in the House, starting in 2007.

Pennsylvania Republican Joseph Pitts introduced the resolution and Walz was among the 51 co-sponsors.

The resolution, HR 417 of the 113th session of Congress, went under the long innocuous-sounding title of “Praising India’s rich religious diversity and commitment to tolerance and equality, and reaffirming the need to protect the rights and freedoms of religious minorities”.

The resolution said it “commends the US government for exercising its authority in 2005 under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to deny a US visa to PM Narendra Modi on the grounds of religious freedom violations”.

Quoting reporting by the magazine Tehelka, the resolution said that in the 2002 Gujarat riots, “many of the people who participated in the violence said it was possible only because of the connivance of the state police and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi”.

It said that in Godhra, “58 Hindus were burnt alive in a train coach fire, and communal violence erupted in several Gujarati cities”.

It did not say who was responsible for the fire.

The resolution said that “contrary to the tolerant and pluralistic traditions of the Hindu faith, strands of the Hindu nationalist movement have advanced a divisive and violent agenda that has harmed the social fabric of India”.

Walz’s co-sponsored resolution said it sought to recognise “the suffering of all Indian citizens who have been victims of religious violence, including the victims of all faiths from the 1992 Babri Mosque riots, the 2002 Gujarat riots, the 2008 Odisha riots, and violence that is ongoing today”.

It was meant to be a symbolic reprimand of what it called “the Hindu nationalist movement” and did not include any sanctions or call for any action by the US government.

Narendra Modi was denied a diplomatic visa when Republican George W Bush was the President and Condoleeza Rice the Secretary of State.

His tourist/business was revoked and the US State Department refused an External Affairs Ministry request to review the decision, according to David Mulford, who was the US Ambassador in New Delhi.

In a statement at that time, Mulford denied that the action was directed at the BJP or Gujarati community.

“The United States is deeply appreciative of the role that the BJP, and the (Prime Minister Atal Behari) Vajpayee government in particular, played in opening the way for the positive transformation in US-India relations,” he said and added that the US had “great respect” for the many successful Gujaratis in the US. AGENCIES