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8 die in New York terror attack near 9/11 site, man arrested (Fifth Lead)

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New York, Nov 1 (IANS) In the second terror attack within a month in the US, a man driving a truck ploughed through cyclists and pedestrians on a street near the site of the 9/11 attack killing eight persons. The attacker was shot and arrested by the police.

The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Uzbek Sayfullo Saipov. He then smashed the truck into a school bus on Tuesday, jumped out and ran up and down the highway waving a pellet gun and paintball gun and shouting Allahu Akbar” — before an officer shot him in the abdomen.

He remained in critical condition. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared the rampage a “terrorist attack”. Eleven people were injured in the attack.

The mile-long rampage left a trail of smashed bicycles and blood in a mostly residential area with several educational institutions, about 400 metres from the World Trade Centre that was attacked on September 11, 2001 by terrorists on a hijacked plane killing about 2,750 people.

Police reported finding notes left by the man owing allegiance to the Islamic State (IS). Investigators said they had not uncovered evidence of any direct or enabling ties between the man and IS. They were treating the episode as a case of an “inspired” attacker.

Five men killed in the horror were from Argentina and another man was from Belgium. The other two victims had not been identified.

Officials could not say if Saipov was part of a network or a “lone wolf”.

Saipov came to the US from Uzbekistan in 2010 and had a green card that allowed permanent legal residence. He had apparently lived in Paterson, New Jersey, and Tampa, Florida, the New York Times reported.

He rented the killer truck from a home depot in Passaic, New Jersey, before driving it into Manhattan, officials said.

Saipov worked as a driver with Uber. He passed a background check and did not have any rider complaints, according to Uber.

Tuesday’s terror strike occurred just hours before the annual Halloween parade was to take place nearby.

And in a display of defiance against terror, New Yorkers later marched in the scheduled Halloween parade with De Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo leading the procession of costumed princesses, ghosts, zombies, superheroes and other characters from myth and entertainment.

This was the first major foreign-inspired terrorist attack in the US after President Donald Trump took over with a vow to stamp out terrorism.

Trump tweeted: “We must not allow IS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!”

He ordered extreme vetting of foreign nationals following the attack.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the incident. He tweeted: “Strongly condemn the terror attack in New York City. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased and prayers with those injured.”

A South Asian student made a video of the last moments of Saipov’s rampage and his capture was broadcast by several TV stations.

The attack happened around the time the nearby schools were ending the day. Of those injured, two were students and another was a school employee who were on the bus hit by the van.

October began with the killing of 58 people at a concert in Las Vegas by a lone gunman in a hotel room. Authorities were unable to find a motive for that attack by Stephen Paddock who killed himself.

Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said in an open letter published on Wednesday that his country will use all “means necessary” to help the investigation into the attack.

–IANS
al-soni/mr

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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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