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Guterres to convene counter-terrorism summit, calls for united action (Lead)
By Arul Louis
United Nations, Jan 17 (IANS) Calling for united global action against terrorism, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced that he is convening a summit of heads of counter-terrorism agencies.
“In June, I will convene a Summit of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies to advance multilateral cooperation in this vital struggle,” Guterres told the General Assembly on Tuesday while outlining his priorities for the year.
“Terrorism needs globally coordinated responses to defeat it,” he said. “in preventing and combating terrorism we should be both tough and smart.”
For this, “we must avoid approaches that feed the grievances and narratives that may generate the very violence we seek to eliminate,” he added.
He said that promoting peace in countries like Afghanistan would advance the fight against the terrorism that go beyond their borders.
Guterres sounded the alarm on peackeeping, a matter of great importance to India, which currently has more than 6,600 personnel deployed in UN operations.”Peacekeeping is facing unprecedented challenges,” he said.
“Many times ill-equipped, our peacekeepers are now deliberately targeted,” he said. “This situation is not sustainable. It is time to sound an alarm.”
He said that he was determined to see that peacekpeeing improves to protect both the peacekeepers and the people they serve and for this a detailed plan of action is being prepared by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
Overall, Guterres painted a bleak picture of the world, saying that conflicts have deepened and “anxieties about nuclear weapons are the highest since the Cold War.”
In the past year, “the world has gone in reverse” as new dangers have emerged and progress has slidm back, he said.
Climate change was was worsening, while xenophobia and racism were on the rise, he warned.
“To me, these are all indications that we need greater unity and courage – unity and courage to meet today’s most urgent needs, to ease the fears of the people we serve and set the world on track towards a better future,” he said.
(Arul Louis can be reached at [email protected])
–IANS
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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.