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Australia takes in Cuban refugees contingent after US deal

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Sydney, Aug 23 (IANS) The Australian government on Wednesday confirmed that a group of Cuban refugees entered the country under the immigration agreement signed with the US during the Barack Obama administration.

Officials said 17 Cuban immigrants arrived in May 2016 at a lighthouse in the Florida Sea and spent more than a year at the US Guantanamo Naval Base after a US court ruled that they could not be taken into the country. These immigrants have now been resettled in Australia’s Brisbane city, Efe news reported.

“The refugees were evaluated by Australian government officials and meet the criteria of Refugee and Humanitarian Visas,” a spokesperson for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said.

The official did not specify whether this was the first group to arrive under the agreement reached during the Obama administration, in which the US pledged to take in some 1,250 refugees that Australia detained in Nauru and on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea.

In return, Australia committed to take in some 30 people considered “vulnerable” from several Central American countries, including El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, according to the Australian government officials.

The agreement strained relations between Washington and Canberra following a telephone conversation in February between US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, during which the US leader said the pact was “stupid”, but later pledged to respect it.

Alexander Vergara Lopez, one of the Cuban refugees taken in by Australia, said that he found himself at ease in the city of Brisbane, where he is still in contact with the rest of the group.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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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.

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