Latest News: EAM hails Indo-Pak ceasefire; Antigua PM on Choksi; Cyclone Yaas impact

EAM Jaishankar Hails Indo-Pak Ceasefire, Sends A Stern Warning On Cross-border Terrorism

As the India-Pakistan ceasefire continues, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Wednesday, highlighted that cross-border terrorism had been the issue since partition in 1947. In a conversation with former US National Security Advisor General HR McMaster, Jaishankar said that the two neighbours will have to find a way to co-exist while calling the ceasefire a 'good step'. Jaishankar is on a 5-day trip to the US to hold talks on vaccine import, QUAD, defence ties, trade relations etc.

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Antigua PM Speaks To Republic On Mehul Choksi; Calls His Fleeing A 'monumental Error'

As the fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi remains holed up in Dominica, Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda Gaston Browne spoke to Republic Media Network late Wednesday night, assuring that Dominica must be able to deport him directly to India, as he was a 'persona non-grata'. Browne said that as Choksi enjoyed constitutional rights associated to his Antiguan citizenship, his government could not act on him. The PNB scam accused who has been 'absconding' since Sunday was held by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Dominica, three days later.

Antigua PM talks to Republic

When asked about how Choksi left Antigua and reached Dominica, Browne said, "We don't have details as to how he reached Dominica. This matter is the subject of an investigation". Browne has now refused to grant him entry in Antigua and asked the Dominican government to directly deport him to India.
 
Urging the Dominican govt to send Choksi directly to India, Browne added, "He does not have constitutional rights in Dominica. I am of the firm view that he can be directly repatriated to India. I have informed the Indian High Commission officials in Bermuda. I have not been in touch with any minister in India."

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COVID-19 Origin: China Slams 'smear Campaign And Blame Shifting' As Joe Biden Orders Probe

Pressure continues to mount on China as countries seek more clarity on the origin of COVID-19 that has gripped the world. United States President Joe Biden on Thursday ordered US intelligence agencies to further probe the origins of Coronavirus. Biden has also directed the US agencies to submit a report in 90 days. Soon after this development, the Chinese embassy in the United States has issued a response stating that China supports a comprehensive study and a thorough investigation. 

"Lately, some people have played the old trick of political hype on the origin tracing of COVID-19 in the world. Smear campaign and blame shifting are making a comeback, and the conspiracy theory of "lab leak" is resurfacing." China's statement added

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US Billionaire Mark Cuban Invests In Mumbai's $13 Bn 'sidechain' Polygon Cryptocurrency

In a recent development in the cryptocurrency community, a US-based entrepreneur and tech billionaire Mark Cuban invested an unrevealed amount in the Indian Cryptocurrency platform, Polygon which is a blockchain startup. Mumbai-based blockchain project Polygon (previously known as Matic) is a protocol and a framework for assembling Ethereum-compatible blockchain networks. The startup maps accessible resolutions on Ethereum aiding a multi-chain Ethereum ecosystem.

Cuban's website said, "Polygon is the first well-structured, easy-to-use platform for Ethereum scaling and infrastructure development. Its core component is Polygon SDK, a modular, flexible framework that supports building and connecting Secured Chains like Plasma, Optimistic Rollups, zkRollups, Validium etc and Standalone Chains like Polygon POS, designed for flexibility and independence. Polygon’s scaling solutions have seen widespread adoption with 250+ Dapps, ~76M txns and ~790K unique users."

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Cyclone Yaas Impact: Odisha CM Announces 7-day Relief For Family Of 128 Stranded Villages

Amid heavy damages caused by 'Cyclone Yaas' in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on Wednesday announced seven-day relief for all families of 128 stranded villages of cyclone-affected districts. The CM has also informed that Major roads and 80% electricity supply will be restored within the next 24 hours. Reportedly, the state witnessed the highest recorded rainfall and the sea waves were as high as 2-4 M due to Cyclone Yaas.

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