World
Trump praises Puerto Rico for keeping down deaths from Maria
San Juan, Oct 4 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said here on Tuesday that authorities in Puerto Rico should be praised for keeping down the loss of life from Hurricane Maria, which is blamed for 16 deaths on the island.
“Sixteen versus in the thousands,” Trump said, comparing the Maria death toll with the “thousands” who perished in 2005 as a result of “a real catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina.”
Katrina killed 1,833 people, mostly in catastrophic flooding that followed the failure of the levees in New Orleans, Efe reported.
“You can be very proud of your people and all of our people working together,” the president said on his first visit to Puerto Rico since Maria struck on Sept. 20 as a Category 4 hurricane that knocked out power, water and telecommunications service.
Some 12,000 civilian federal workers and a much smaller number of US military personnel are in Puerto Rico to deliver aid and assist with relief efforts, though many have criticized Washington for taking too long to ramp up the response to the devastation.
One of those critics has been San Juan’s mayor, Carmen Yulin Cruz, whose complaints prompted Trump to attack her on Twitter for “poor leadership.”
Even so, the president and the mayor shook hands during Tuesday’s visit, when Trump again raised the issue of what Puerto Rico’s recovery will cost and how to pay for it.
“I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown our budget a little out of whack,” he said. “Because we’ve spent a lot of money on Puerto Rico But that’s fine. We have saved a lot of lives – every death is a horror.”
Trump, who was accompanied by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief Brock Long, met with Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello and other officials.
The president also planned to take a helicopter flight over the island to survey the damage from Maria and to confer with the three-star general he appointed earlier this week to oversee the relief effort.
Fewer 10 per cent of Puerto Rican households have electricity nearly two weeks after the hurricane struck.
The storm has added greatly to the woes of Puerto Rico’s 3.5 million residents, who have endured a decade-long recession made worse by austerity policies imposed to deal with the island’s $72 billion in debt.
–IANS
ahm/
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.