Nearly 97,000 Indians were arrested for illegally crossing into the US between October 2022-September 2023, a five-fold rise in recent years per US Customs data. Most were from Punjab, Gujarat. 30,010 were caught at the Canada border, 41,770 at Mexico. Single adults make up the largest category. In fiscal year 2023, 84,000 Indian adults crossed into the US illegally. As many as 730 unaccompanied minors were among the arrested people. Senator Lankford said Indians take 4 flights, bus with cartels to border. (Representative Image)

The United States expresses deep concern over the vicious stabbing of 24-year-old Indian student Varun Raj Pucha at an Indiana gym. Varun, a Computer Science student, was attacked by assailant Jordan Andrade, sustaining critical injuries. The motive is under investigation, and Andrade has been arrested, facing charges of attempted murder. The US State Department conveys distress, wishing Varun a full recovery, while deferring inquiries to local law enforcement. Varun remains on life support with severe neurological impairment, raising concerns of potential permanent disability and vision loss. [ Representative Image ]

Mehak Sharma, a 19-year-old from Jogi Cheema village, was tragically found murdered at her Croydon residence in South London. Allegations from her family suggest that her 23-year-old husband, Sahil Sharma, had repeatedly threatened her and, ultimately, was responsible for her murder on a Sunday. Mehak had moved to London five months after their June wedding. Her mother, Madhu Bala, recounted that Mehak had shared her husband's mistreatment. Worry set in when Madhu didn't receive Mehak's usual morning call on Monday, only to learn that Sahil was in custody, facing murder charges from the London Metropolitan Police. Mehak worked as a caretaker in Croydon, and her family is seeking the assistance of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to repatriate her body to India. The police are also appealing to neighbors for information to aid their investigation.

In a significant development, the US Embassy in India has opened more than 2.5 lakh visa interview appointments, drastically reducing wait times for B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) visa applicants. The wait period for B1/B2 interviews in Delhi has plummeted from 542 days to just 37 days, marking a remarkable improvement. Other major cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai have also seen substantial decreases in wait times. The drop follows concerted efforts by the US Embassy, in collaboration with the Indian government, resulting in a boost for visa applicants. [ Representative Image ]

Nandini Das has won the 11th British Academy Book Prize for her work 'Courting India: England, Mughal India, and the Origins of Empire'. The prize worth £25,000 honors books furthering global cultural understanding. Das offers a new perspective on the British empire's origins by examining Sir Thomas Roe's ambassadorship to 17th century Mughal India. Das is a professor at Oxford whose research focuses on Renaissance travel writing. The judging panel praised her use of contemporary sources to vividly recount early Anglo-Indian encounters and emerging mutual understanding against a complex political backdrop.

The Canadian government announced plans to raise immigration levels to 500,000 per year by 2025, up from 485,000 in 2023-24. Indians will be the primary beneficiaries as they received the most permanent residency permits last year. In 2022, over 1,18,000 Indians took up Canadian permanent residency (PR), accounting for a quarter of all 4,37,120 newcomers to Canada.The move aims to boost Canada's population and economy amid labor shortages, but faces public opposition due to housing shortages. The government acknowledged infrastructure planning is needed to support population growth.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit India for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with their Indian counterparts this month. The visit is part of a more than week-long trip, starting with Israel and Jordan. In New Delhi, the US delegation will meet with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss bilateral and global concerns in the Indo-Pacific region. The visit aims to strengthen collaboration and reaffirm the commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath praised Israel's attacks on Gaza amid the Hamas conflict, saying the country is "Crushing Talibani Mentality". At a Rajasthan rally, Adityanath referred to the Israel-Hamas war and said only Lord Hanuman's mace can eradicate the Taliban. He claimed Israel is taking correct measures to finish off targets and crush the Talibani mindset in Gaza. On October 7, Hamas initiated an unprecedented multi-front attack on Israel resulting in over 1,400 Israeli deaths and 239 abducted. Israel responded with retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza that have reportedly killed over 8,500 people per Hamas-controlled health authorities. Adityanath's remarks endorse Israel's severe military response to Hamas as necessary for countering extremism.

India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance educational collaboration. The agreement encompasses student and faculty mobility, exchange of information, capacity development, and academic collaboration between institutions in both nations. The MoU also establishes a Joint Working Group to oversee its implementation. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed gratitude for UAE's support to Indian curriculum schools and explored plans for student exchange programs during his visit to Abu Dhabi schools, including 42 Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Indian School.

Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated three Indian-assisted projects on Wednesday. These include the Akhaura-Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link, Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line, and Unit 2 of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant in Bangladesh's Rampal, done via video conferencing. PM Modi lauded the strengthening India-Bangladesh ties, highlighting the remarkable progress over the past nine years with a threefold increase in internal trade. The inauguration of the Akhaura-Agartala rail link was a historic moment, connecting Bangladesh with India's North Eastern states. An international immigration center is slated for Nischintapur, India's last railway station along the Indo-Bangla border in Tripura.