World
Former S. Korean minister arrested in Samsung case
Seoul: South Korea’s former Welfare Minister was arrested on Wednesday for his suspected pressure on the national pension fund to approve last year’s merger of two affiliates of Samsung Group. A South Korean independent counsel team probing the scandal involving President Park Geun-hye arrested Moon Hyung-pyo, who was summoned on Tuesday as a reference witness, Xinhua news agency reported. He has been under an emergency arrest since early Wednesday, the special prosecutor team said.
He was detained as his testimony was inconsistent with evidences and other testimonies the team had secured, raising possibility for his intentional destruction of another evidence he owns. It was the first detention of a person suspected of being involved in the scandal since the team officially kicked off its investigation a week earlier.
The detention indicated the independent probe was being centered on bribery allegations between Samsung, Park and her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil. Moon is suspected of having pressured the National Pension Service into voting for the merger in July last year between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries despite strong opposition from foreign investors on an unfair merger ratio.
The NPS, which is estimated to have suffered hundreds of millions of US dollars in loss from its investment into the Samsung affiliate, was the largest Samsung C&T shareholder at the time. The deal was extremely crucial to Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong to inherit the management control of Samsung Group, South Korea’s largest family-run conglomerate, from his father, Chairman Lee Kun-hee who has been hospitalised for over two and a half years.
Samsung is suspected of having provided financial assistance to Chung Yoo-ra, daughter of Choi Soon-sil, for her equestrian training. If it proves that Park ordered Moon to support the Samsung merger, the impeached President will face bribery charges that can lead to the maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Samsung’s Vice Chairman Lee has been prohibited from leaving South Korea for his possible involvement in the bribery.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.