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Trump cancels surprise visit to North Korea border
Seoul, Nov 8 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Wednesday cancelled a visit to the tense Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas because bad weather ostensibly made it impossible for him to travel by helicopter to the border from Seoul.
The president’s helicopter convoy took off from the central Yongsan military base in Seoul, near the hotel where he is staying, but it had to return to the base a few minutes later due to poor weather conditions, the White House said, Efe reported.
Washington had said publicly that it was ruling out a trip to the DMZ during Trump’s two-day visit to South Korea, an Asia tour on which the president is addressing the military threat posed by North Korea.
However, amid ironclad security, Trump decided to make a surprise visit to the border along with South Korean President Moon Jae-in as a symbol of the strong alliance between Washington and Seoul, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.
“I think he’s pretty frustrated,” said Sanders, referring to Trump, who will travel to Beijing later on Wednesday.
“The fact they were planning to go still shows the strength of the alliance,” she said.
Thick fog blanketed the area and, although Trump’s helicopter flew to within five minutes of the landing zone, authorities ultimately decided to cancel the trip.
Moon’s helicopter was diverted to another location also.
On Tuesday, Trump scaled back his combative rhetoric toward Pyongyang, saying that Kim Jong-un’s government should negotiate rather than threaten the US and its allies with its nuclear program.
The president also did not rule out direct talks between the US and North Korea, saying at a joint news conference with Moon that “I really believe that it makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and to make a deal that’s good for the people of North Korea and the people of the world.”
“I do see certain movement, yes, but let’s see what happens,” Trump said.
North Korea has fired more than a dozen missiles on “test flights” this year, including over Japan, and it has been pursuing a nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program for some years.
In response, Trump has threatened to respond to any hostile act by Pyongyang with “fire and fury” and there are presently three US aircraft carriers in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula.
–IANS
ahm/
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
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.