Seoul, Aug 20 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has said he respects US President Donald Trump’s efforts to create the conditions for dialogue with North Korea by going as far as scaling back South Korea-US military exercises. Lee made the remark in a post on his X account late Wednesday, hours after the allies announced their decision to cut short the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise at Trump’s orders.Trump wrote in a social media post Sunday that he had instructed the Pentagon to “subst…

Washington, Aug 20 (IANS) Renewable energy backed by battery storage can provide India with reliable, round-the-clock electricity at a price below that of new coal-fired plants, according to a new University of California, Berkeley study. The study examined a landmark 1,000-megawatt auction conducted by the Solar Energy Corporation of India, or SECI, which produced a tariff of Rs 5.25 per kilowatt-hour, fixed in nominal terms for 25 years.Researchers said the auction demonstrated that renewable …

Washington, Aug 20 (IANS) The Trump administration has invoked emergency federal authority to reduce the risk of power outages across the US Mid-Atlantic region, which supplies electricity to about 65 million people in 13 states and Washington, D.C. Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued the emergency order on Wednesday (local time) under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, allowing a generating unit in Maryland to continue operating beyond its current limit to meet anticipated electricity de…

Washington, Aug 20 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has said his administration is open to accumulating more Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as it presses Congress to enact new rules designed to secure America’s position as the global centre of digital finance. Asked whether the administration planned to acquire substantial quantities of Bitcoin or other digital assets, Trump said the possibility was under consideration.”Well, it’s been talked about,” he said at a White House gathering of fin…

United Nations, Aug 19 (IANS) In an implied criticism of Pakistan’s role in dealing with terrorism, India has called for transparency in the Security Council listing and delisting groups as terrorist organisations, adding that it should not be driven by narrow political interests. “Presence in the Security Council must not be instrumentalised to legitimise terrorists by attempting to de-list them or to list other entities as terrorist organisations based solely on political considerations, witho…

Washington, Aug 20 (IANS) Indian-American Congressman Suhas Subramanyam and five other US lawmakers have demanded an FBI investigation and a Justice Department civil rights review into an encounter in which an immigration agent allegedly pointed a loaded gun at a US citizen in Northern Virginia. The lawmakers sought an investigation into the Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel who surrounded Carolina Molina’s car in Falls Church on August 10. They have asked the Justice Department an…

Washington, Aug 20 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has renewed his demand for lower interest rates, calling borrowing costs “ridiculous” and rejecting concerns that volatility in the bond market poses a threat to the American economy. Trump argued that interest rates should fall when the United States reports strong economic numbers. Instead, he said, policymakers raise rates because they fear that faster growth will fuel inflation.“Every time we do great, we announce great numbers, the i…

Geneva, Aug 20 (IANS) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned of the urgent need to address a deepening global humanitarian crisis, as escalating conflicts, record displacement, climate shocks and severe funding shortages leave millions of vulnerable people in need of life-saving assistance. On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, Pierre Krahenbuhl, director-general of the ICRC, said that “The first concern of the ICRC is related to the great proliferation of armed conf…

United Nations, Aug 20 (IANS) Cheap armed drones are transforming modern warfare and creating a “dystopian reality” in which civilians and humanitarian workers can be deliberately targeted from a distance, the United Nations’ relief chief has warned. Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said rapidly advancing technology was extending the reach of wars while weakening accountability for those responsible for attacks.Speaking fro…

United Nations, Aug 20 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address world leaders at the high-level meeting of the General Assembly in September, according to a preliminary schedule. His address is set for the afternoon session on September 25 that runs from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. in New York, corresponding to 12:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. the next day in India.The timing of his address is likely to be adjusted when the schedule is finalised to an hour that is convenient for audiences in India.P…