Elite Gurkhas from Nepal deployed to secure Trump-Kim summit

To protect one of the highest-profile diplomatic events so far this century, Singapore has enlisted the help of its fearsome Nepalese fighters whose large curved knives, according to custom, must "taste blood" whenever they're drawn.

Wearing brown berets and equipped with body amour and assault rifles, the elite Gurkha police officers are a conspicuous part of the enveloping security force Singapore has deployed for tomorrow's summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The meeting, which could prove to be a crucial moment in the global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang, has sent the highly manicured city-state into security overdrive.

Trump and Kim have brought their own personal security personnel and heavily armoured limousines; Kim's bodyguards have been seen running in formation alongside his massive Mercedes.

Selected among young men from impoverished Nepal, Gurkhas have been part of Singapore's police force since 1949.

There are reportedly about 1,800 Gurkha officers in Singapore, and they are a regular presence at high-security events. Today, they were seen standing guard at the heavily fortified St Regis Singapore, where Kim arrived yesterday afternoon.

"This is a moment of pride to see the Gurkhas responsible for guarding such an important event," said Krishna Kumar Ale, who served for 37 years in the British army before retiring back home in Nepal.

"It shows that we Gurkhas have reached a point where we are trusted with the security of two of the most important people in the world."
More than 200,000 Gurkhas fought in the two world wars, where they won admiration for their combat skills and bravery, living up to their traditional motto "It's better to die than to be a coward."