US Vice President J.D. Vance expressed hope that his Hindu wife, Usha Vance, will one day convert to Christianity after being influenced by the Catholic Church. At an event in Mississippi, an Indian woman asked him if Usha would ever come to Christ. Vance replied that she now attends church with him most Sundays. He hopes that one day his wife will also attend church for the same reasons he does. Vance said that he believes in Christianity and is confident that his wife will too. Vance also said that his wife’s belief in another religion does not pose a problem for him. J.D. Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019. He previously considered himself an atheist. Vance and his wife were married in 2014. Vance has three children (two sons and one daughter), who were raised in a Christian way and also attend a Christian school. Also read these news related to international affairs… India said- Bangladesh should hand over fugitive Zakir Naik to it; Naik will reach Dhaka to participate in a charity program. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has appealed to Bangladesh to hand over Zakir Naik to it. Naik lives in Malaysia. He will be in Dhaka on November 28-29 to participate in a charity program. This move by the Mohammad Yunus government is in stark contrast to the policies of the previous Sheikh Hasina government, which banned Zakir Naik’s Peace TV after the July 2016 Dhaka Holey Artisan Bakery terrorist attack. Within hours of that attack, Naik fled India. In fact, one of the attackers told Bangladeshi investigators that he was influenced by the sermons given on Naik’s YouTube channel. Naik is accused of hate speech, money laundering, and other crimes in India. India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) is investigating these allegations. The NIA had filed a case against Naik for promoting enmity between religious groups. 60-year-old Naik has taken permanent residency in Malaysia. Indian-origin man sentenced to 25 years in prison in Canada for 3-year-old murder case A Canadian court has sentenced 25-year-old Indian-origin man, Balraj Basra, to 25 years in prison for a three-year-old murder and car burning case. Vishal Walia, 38, was shot and died on the spot at the University of British Columbia Golf Club on October 17, 2022. Immediately after the murder, the three assailants fled in a car. They later set the car on fire on nearby West 20th Avenue. Police apprehended the three accused fleeing in another car within minutes. Balraj is the third convict in this case. The first convict, Iqbal Kang, received 17 years in prison and five years for arson. The second convict, Deandre Baptiste, was sentenced to life in prison but could be eligible for parole after 17 years. Both had previously confessed to their crimes. Police stated that separate police teams worked together to protect the public. This killing was premeditated, and therefore considered first-degree murder. China Warns the US, Says, “Be Careful with Your Words on Taiwan” During the ASEAN Defense Summit in Malaysia, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun issued a stern warning to the US on the Taiwan issue. He said the US should be cautious in its words and actions and oppose Taiwan’s independence. Dong stressed that China is committed to peaceful development but will stand firmly to defend its national security interests. These statements came during his meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Both leaders were in Malaysia for the ASEAN Defense Summit. Dong said that China and the US should enhance policy-level dialogue between their defense departments and strengthen contacts between the two countries’ military officials. Hegseth met with the defense ministers of China and India on Friday. The US is trying to strengthen regional security ties. Hegseth wrote on Instagram that he told Dong Jun that the US will firmly defend its interests and maintain a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. He expressed concern about China’s activities in the South China Sea and around Taiwan. The US is increasing its presence in Southeast Asia to counter China’s growing influence. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hegseth will also meet with the defense ministers of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Trump ends auto-extension of work permits, new restrictions come into effect today, affecting 400,000 Indians. US President Donald Trump has imposed a new restriction on immigrants. Migrant workers will no longer have automatic work permit extensions. From October 31st, an EAD (Employment Authorization Document) will be required for work permit extensions. This order is likely to impact 400,000 Indians. EADs are issued by the worker’s company. If a worker has come for 3-4 years, there used to be an automatic extension every year. Now, extensions will be granted on company EAD. Immigrants coming to the US on H-1B, Green Card, L-1B (Company Transfer), O (Talent Visa), or P (Event-Based Visa) will not be affected by the new EAD rules. They will continue to receive extensions. Biden had provided a 540-day grace period for those with work permits until 2024, even if EADs were not issued. Migrant workers could have found a new job during this period, but now the Trump administration has ended this grace period. New 10-Year Defense Agreement Between India and the US, Historic Deal in Kuala Lumpur India and the US have signed a new 10-year defense framework agreement. This means that for the next 10 years, both countries will work together to further strengthen their militaries, defense industry, and technical cooperation. The agreement was signed on October 31st in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where both countries were participating in the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-Plus). Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed the agreement. According to reports, this agreement will have four major benefits. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X, “I have signed a 10-year US-India defense agreement with Rajnath Singh. This will further strengthen our partnership. A new era of coordination, information sharing, and technical cooperation is beginning between our two countries.” British King Charles ousts brother from the palace: Prince’s title also stripped, accused of raping a minor. Britain’s King Charles has stripped his younger brother Andrew of his title and expelled him from his Windsor home. Buckingham Palace announced this on Thursday, stating that they want to distance the royal family from Andrew due to his ties to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Andrew has long been associated with Jeffrey Epstein, an American criminal accused of sexually abusing minors. Victim Virginia Giuffre alleged that Prince Andrew sexually abused her in 2001 when she was 17. Read the full story here… Read the October 30th World Updates here…
