World
Sri Lanka convenes new parliament
Colombo: Sri Lanka’s new parliament convened for the first time on Tuesday after the United National Party (UNP) won a parliamentary election last month, a media report said.
Senior UNP member Karu Jayasuiya was elected the speaker after his name was proposed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and seconded by Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) member Nimal Siripala de Silva, a news agency reported.
The newly-elected 225 members of parliament later took oath before the new speaker and convened parliamentary sessions.
The UNP, led by Wickremesinghe, defeated the main opposition United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) by winning 106 seats in the parliamentary elections held on August 17.
The UPFA, whose prime ministerial candidate was former president Mahinda Rajapakse, won 95 seats. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the main Tamil party, won 16 seats.
The SLFP, the biggest partner in the UPFA coalition, has decided to work with the UNP in the new parliament after both parties signed an MoU last month to form a united government. The SLFP and UPFA are led by President Maithripala Sirisena.
Despite the united government concept, a new cabinet is yet to be sworn in after conflicts arose over ministerial portfolios. Both the SLFP and UNP are demanding powerful ministerial posts.
It had been proposed that the UNP will maintain 30 portfolios and the SLFP 15.
However, a group of UPFA members, including Rajapakse, have opposed the united government policy and will sit in the opposition benches.
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.