Jaishankar briefs US consuls as Doval deepens India-Vietnam security ties

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met India's Consuls General in the United States for detailed discussions on India-US relations, while National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held talks with Vietnam's Minister of Public Security, General Luong Tam Quang, on security cooperation, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

Other international developments included protests by garment workers in Bangladesh, a surge in withdrawals from cryptocurrency exchange Binance, cyberattacks targeting emergency alert apps in Ukraine and Russia, and the rescue of six Indian tourists stranded in Nepal.

In Washington, Jaishankar held an in-depth discussion with India's Consuls General in the US on bilateral relations.

In Hanoi, Doval met General Quang on Monday for high-level discussions on ongoing cooperation in the security sector. The two sides agreed to further strengthen their existing “multifaceted” ties, PTI reported.

Pakistan has suffered an estimated economic loss of USD 40 billion since trade with India was suspended in 2019 following the Pulwama terror attack and subsequent escalations, the head of a business advocacy group said in Lahore on Monday.

A consortium of American companies, backed by US President Donald Trump's administration, is also seeking investment of up to USD 4.4 billion for an integrated liquefied natural gas project in Pakistan, according to a media report cited by PTI.

In Nepal, six Indian tourists were safely rescued on Monday after heavy snowfall left them stranded in the Shey-Phoksundo National Park area, police said.

In Bangladesh, garment workers continued violent protests for a second consecutive day on Monday as they demanded higher wages. Authorities deployed additional paramilitary forces after vehicles were vandalised and major roads were blocked. A total of 670 factories were shut.

Chinese President Xi Jinping defended his rigorous 14-year anti-corruption campaign, under which more than eight million officials were punished. He said the campaign had a “positive impact” on China's economic development.

Binance recorded a sharp rise in outflows as customers withdrew USD 3.6 billion from the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange after the biggest theft in its history. The theft has been linked to North Korea, PTI reported.

Authorities in Ukraine and Russia said their emergency alert mobile applications had been targeted by cyberattacks. Users in Ukraine received false alerts warning of an imminent nuclear threat.

In the US state of Georgia, an Indian-American woman contested a local leadership election in an affluent area where the Ku Klux Klan once held sway and racism was widespread. She said she entered the race to stand up to her “bully” Republican opponent and leave behind a better world for children.

The developments reported by PTI ranged from India's diplomatic and security engagements to economic concerns, labour protests, cyberattacks, a tourist rescue and an Indian-American candidate's local election campaign in the US.