World
Trump’s ‘s**thole’ remark draws outrage in Africa
Addis Ababa, Jan 13 (IANS) Vulgar comments attributed to US President Donald Trump have caused outrage across Africa. Trump reportedly used the word “s**thole” to describe Haiti and El Salvador, as also African countries, while discussing immigration issues with US lawmakers on Thursday.
Speaking to Xinhua, Abebe Ayente, senior researcher at Ethiopian Foreign Relations Strategic Studies (EFRSS), a local think tank, said the comments will further reduce the influence of US on the global stage.
Trump issued a statement on Friday denying the vulgar words attributed to him, though he admitted to having used strong language in the Thursday discussion.
Trump’s alleged remarks have caused outrage across the world with officials in African, European, Latin American countries and UN expressing condemnation and summoning US diplomats in protest.
Ayene said the undiplomatic word used by the US President that shocked the diplomatic community across the globe will likely have a long-lasting impact.
The African Union (AU) issued a statement on Friday evening calling Trump’s reported remarks outrageous and hurtful.
“While expressing shock, dismay and outrage, the African Union strongly believes there’s a huge misunderstanding of the African continent and its people by the current administration. There is a serious need for dialogue between the US administration and the African countries,” said the AU statement.
It further called for the US President to issue an apology for the hurtful remarks not only to Africans but people of African descent across the globe.
“The African Union condemns the comments in the strongest terms and demands a retraction of the comment as well as an apology to not only Africans but to all people of African descent around the globe,” it said.
Nevertheless, aware the US is still a powerful military and economic power, the AU statement called for continued strategic partnership with the US. But it emphasised that such a partnership should be based on mutual respect and accepted international principles of respect of basic human dignity.
AU Spokeswoman Ebba Kalondo pointed out the US role in the Atlantic slave trade as an example of how African countries, Trump described in contemptuous terms, were exploited in a shameful manner.
She added the purported statement was particularly unfortunate coming from a leader of country that describes itself as a global example of a successful migrant nation.
Botswana’s government on Friday condemned Trump’s reported disparaging remarks about developing countries, calling on the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union and all other progressive nations across the world to strongly condemn the remarks.
In South Africa, a senior official of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) said Trump was “extremely offensive” when he used the term “s**thole countries” to describe developing countries.
Developing countries do have difficulties, but they are not “s**thole countries”, said ANC Deputy General Secretary Jessie Duarte, calling Trump’s remarks “unfortunate”.
“Ours is not a s**thole country, neither is Haiti or any other country in distress,” said Duarte.
The US itself has its own problems such as unemployment among millions of people, inequality and non-access to healthcare for many poor people, Duarte said.
–IANS
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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.