The Indian Government on Thursday morning launched the &#39;Sankat Mochan&#39; operation to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan. 
 
India sent two C-17 military transport aircraft to war torn South Sudan&#39;s capital city Juba to evacuate Indians stranded there, an exercise which is being led by Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. 
 
Singh had also supervised the evacuation of nearly 4,000 Indians from conflict-ridden Yemen last year. 
 
An official advisory said that only Indian nationals with valid Indian travel document will be allowed boarding with maximum five kilogram cabin baggage and no check-in pieces. It also said that women and children will be accommodated on priority. 
 
Apart from Singh, Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations), will also travel to Juba. 
 
India has been closely monitoring developments in South Sudan, which is witnessing heavy fighting between former rebels and government soldiers in several parts of the city. A task force has been set up for the purpose. 
 
According to the ministry, there are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of which 450 are in Juba and nearly 150 are outside the capital. 
 
(DNA)

India sent two C-17 military transport aircraft to war torn South Sudan's capital city Juba to evacuate Indians stranded there

The Indian Government on Thursday morning launched the 'Sankat Mochan' operation to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan. India sent two C-17 military transport aircraft to war torn South Sudan's capital city Juba to evacuate Indians stranded there, an exercise which is being led by Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. Singh had also supervised the evacuation of nearly 4,000 Indians from conflict-ridden Yemen last year. An official advisory said that only Indian nationals with valid Indian travel document will be allowed boarding with maximum five kilogram cabin baggage and no check-in pieces. It also said that women and children will be accommodated on priority. Apart from Singh, Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations), will also travel to Juba. India has been closely monitoring developments in South Sudan, which is witnessing heavy fighting between former rebels and government soldiers in several parts of the city. A task force has been set up for the purpose. According to the ministry, there are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of which 450 are in Juba and nearly 150 are outside the capital. (DNA)

India launches operation to rescue nationals from South Sudan

Mexican soldiers killed five suspected criminals in a gunfight in a northern state where 14 other people were murdered over the weekend, authorities said.&nbsp;The shootout took place on Sunday on a road in the town of Valle Hermoso, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the US border, in the state of Tamaulipas. 
 
The soldiers were on the road when they saw armed civilians and ordered them to stop, according to the Tamaulipas Coordination Group of federal and state security forces.&nbsp;The civilians &quot;ignored them and began to shoot at the soldiers, who repelled the attack in self-defense&quot;, the group said in a statement. 
 
The dead suspects are part of a criminal group that operates in the region, the statement said yesterday, without identifying the gang. 
The Gulf cartel and their rivals, Los Zetas, have fought brutal turf wars in Tamaulipas for years.&nbsp;On Saturday, 11 members of the same family were killed by gunmen in their home in Ciudad Victoria, the state capital. 
 
Three people from another family were murdered less than an hour later in another home.&nbsp;The government said the killings in Ciudad Victoria appeared to be related to a dispute between rival gangs. 
 
(AFP)

The shootout took place 40 miles south of the US border in Valle Hermoso, where 14 other people were murdered over the weekend

Mexican soldiers killed five suspected criminals in a gunfight in a northern state where 14 other people were murdered over the weekend, authorities said. The shootout took place on Sunday on a road in the town of Valle Hermoso, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the US border, in the state of Tamaulipas. The soldiers were on the road when they saw armed civilians and ordered them to stop, according to the Tamaulipas Coordination Group of federal and state security forces. The civilians "ignored them and began to shoot at the soldiers, who repelled the attack in self-defense", the group said in a statement. The dead suspects are part of a criminal group that operates in the region, the statement said yesterday, without identifying the gang. The Gulf cartel and their rivals, Los Zetas, have fought brutal turf wars in Tamaulipas for years. On Saturday, 11 members of the same family were killed by gunmen in their home in Ciudad Victoria, the state capital. Three people from another family were murdered less than an hour later in another home. The government said the killings in Ciudad Victoria appeared to be related to a dispute between rival gangs. (AFP)

Mexican soldiers kill 5 suspected criminals in gunfight

The US and South Korea announced today that they have agreed to install a high-tec weapons defence system called the&nbsp;Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) to the Korean peninsula.&nbsp;The US and South Korea began talks on deploying this system in February, after North Korea launched a long-range rocket following a fourth nuclear test in January. North Korea has carried out several missile launches, also.&nbsp; 
 
China&#39;s Foreign Ministry said on Friday the THAAD system would destabilise the security balance in the region without achieving anything to end North Korea&#39;s nuclear program. The deployment of a US missile defence system in South Korea would &quot;seriously damage&quot; regional security in northeast Asia, China said Friday, adding it strongly opposed the move. 
 
&quot;China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop the deployment process of the THAAD anti-missile system, not take any steps to complicate the regional situation and do nothing to harm China&#39;s strategic security interests,&quot; it said in a statement on its website. 
 
The deployment of the THAAD&nbsp;system announced by the US and South Korea would &quot;seriously damage the strategic security interests of countries in the region including China&quot;,and that&nbsp;the system would not aid the &quot;denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula,&quot;&nbsp;Beijings foreign ministry said in a statement posted online. 
 
China is North Koreas largest trading partner and has been its key diplomatic protector for decades. But relations have soured over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear tests and long-range missile launches, with Beijing supporting UN sanctions.&nbsp;Still, analysts say it is concerned over any build up of US power on its doorstep, and values Pyongyang as a strategic bulwark. 
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of &quot;friendly relations&quot; to a visiting North Korean official last month, even after the envoy reportedly told Chinese officials Pyongyang would continue with its internationally condemned nuclear programme. 
 
Russia also warned Friday that the US deployment of an advanced missile defence system in South Korea would have &quot;irreparable consequences&quot;, echoing warnings by China of a threat to regional security. 
 
&quot;This missile defence system tends to undermine stability in the region...We hope that our partners will avoid any actions that could have irreparable consequences,&quot; the Russian foreign ministry said after the US and South Korea announced they would deploy the system to thwart potential attacks from North Korea. 
 
China is positioning itself as the dominant county in the region, claiming that the bulk of the South China Sea falls under its control.&nbsp; 
 
(WION, with inputs from AFP)

Government representatives from Russia and China each strongly denounce the move

The US and South Korea announced today that they have agreed to install a high-tec weapons defence system called the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) to the Korean peninsula. The US and South Korea began talks on deploying this system in February, after North Korea launched a long-range rocket following a fourth nuclear test in January. North Korea has carried out several missile launches, also. China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday the THAAD system would destabilise the security balance in the region without achieving anything to end North Korea's nuclear program. The deployment of a US missile defence system in South Korea would "seriously damage" regional security in northeast Asia, China said Friday, adding it strongly opposed the move. "China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop the deployment process of the THAAD anti-missile system, not take any steps to complicate the regional situation and do nothing to harm China's strategic security interests," it said in a statement on its website. The deployment of the THAAD system announced by the US and South Korea would "seriously damage the strategic security interests of countries in the region including China",and that the system would not aid the "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," Beijings foreign ministry said in a statement posted online. China is North Koreas largest trading partner and has been its key diplomatic protector for decades. But relations have soured over Pyongyang's nuclear tests and long-range missile launches, with Beijing supporting UN sanctions. Still, analysts say it is concerned over any build up of US power on its doorstep, and values Pyongyang as a strategic bulwark. Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of "friendly relations" to a visiting North Korean official last month, even after the envoy reportedly told Chinese officials Pyongyang would continue with its internationally condemned nuclear programme. Russia also warned Friday that the US deployment of an advanced missile defence system in South Korea would have "irreparable consequences", echoing warnings by China of a threat to regional security. "This missile defence system tends to undermine stability in the region...We hope that our partners will avoid any actions that could have irreparable consequences," the Russian foreign ministry said after the US and South Korea announced they would deploy the system to thwart potential attacks from North Korea. China is positioning itself as the dominant county in the region, claiming that the bulk of the South China Sea falls under its control. (WION, with inputs from AFP)

US and South Korea to launch high-tech anti-missile system

Protesters burnt vehicles and set tires on fire to barricade roads in South Africa&#39;s capital on Tuesday, June 21, after the ANC named a mayoral candidate not nominated by the ruling party&#39;s regional branches. 
 
The violence spread overnight from the townships and started after a member of the African National Congress (ANC) was shot dead on Sunday, June 19, as factions clashed at a meeting in Pretoria to decide on the candidates for mayor of Tshwane municipality, where Pretoria is located. 
 
The ANC then named senior party member and former cabinet minister, Thoko Didiza, as its candidate for Tshwane, saying that it made the decision after wrangling between members at the party&#39;s headquarters over who should lead the municipality. 
 
According to local media, residents want the incumbent mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa to be allowed to run on the ANC ticket but Ramokgopa has publicly backed Didiza&#39;s selection and called for calm. 
 
The ANC said its members were not to blame for the violence. 
 
Local elections in August pose a major test for the ANC as it gears up for a 2019 presidential vote in the face of a slowing economy and a strong challenge from the opposition 
 
(Reuters)

The violence spread overnight, starting after a member of the African National Congress was shot dead on Sunday

Protesters burnt vehicles and set tires on fire to barricade roads in South Africa's capital on Tuesday, June 21, after the ANC named a mayoral candidate not nominated by the ruling party's regional branches. The violence spread overnight from the townships and started after a member of the African National Congress (ANC) was shot dead on Sunday, June 19, as factions clashed at a meeting in Pretoria to decide on the candidates for mayor of Tshwane municipality, where Pretoria is located. The ANC then named senior party member and former cabinet minister, Thoko Didiza, as its candidate for Tshwane, saying that it made the decision after wrangling between members at the party's headquarters over who should lead the municipality. According to local media, residents want the incumbent mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa to be allowed to run on the ANC ticket but Ramokgopa has publicly backed Didiza's selection and called for calm. The ANC said its members were not to blame for the violence. Local elections in August pose a major test for the ANC as it gears up for a 2019 presidential vote in the face of a slowing economy and a strong challenge from the opposition (Reuters)

Protesters in Pretoria burn cars, tires after unnominated man becomes mayoral candidate

CHANGE PICTURE! IF THIS STORY IS VERIFIED, GET APPROPRIATE PIC,&nbsp;THEN PUBLISH 
 
According to reports in the Sri Lankan press, the&nbsp;Sri Lankan government has received the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to enter into a treaty with Ukraine to extradite criminals hiding in the Eastern European country.

President Maithripala Sirisena in his capacity as the Minister of Defense has presented the proposal to the cabinet for approval.

The ColomboPage News Desk reports that&nbsp;the Sri Lankan Co-Cabinet spokesman, Minister Gayantha Karunathilake, said the agreement &quot;will provide the opportunity to request the authorities in Ukraine to receive criminals who have engaged in illegal activities in this country and sought protection in Ukraine&quot;.

The treaty comes as&nbsp;the Sri Lankan government is attempting to arrest a fugitive envoy currently believed to be in Ukraine.

The government has sought arrest and deportation of Sri Lanka&#39;s former Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, who is a nephew of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, over several allegations including that the envoy supplied weapons to a terrorist group in Ukraine and is connected to the death of an embassy employee.

Comes as South Asian country's former Russian ambassador is wanted for abetting a Ukrainian terror group

CHANGE PICTURE! IF THIS STORY IS VERIFIED, GET APPROPRIATE PIC, THEN PUBLISH According to reports in the Sri Lankan press, the Sri Lankan government has received the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to enter into a treaty with Ukraine to extradite criminals hiding in the Eastern European country. President Maithripala Sirisena in his capacity as the Minister of Defense has presented the proposal to the cabinet for approval. The ColomboPage News Desk reports that the Sri Lankan Co-Cabinet spokesman, Minister Gayantha Karunathilake, said the agreement "will provide the opportunity to request the authorities in Ukraine to receive criminals who have engaged in illegal activities in this country and sought protection in Ukraine". The treaty comes as the Sri Lankan government is attempting to arrest a fugitive envoy currently believed to be in Ukraine. The government has sought arrest and deportation of Sri Lanka's former Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, who is a nephew of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, over several allegations including that the envoy supplied weapons to a terrorist group in Ukraine and is connected to the death of an embassy employee.

Sri Lanka enters treaty with Ukraine to extradite criminals hiding in the Eastern European country

Last&nbsp;year &ndash; 2015 &ndash; was the worst year ever to be a journalist in South Asia.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Reporters are routinely threatened, attacked, jailed, and murdered every year in the region according to a new Reporters Without Borders report.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Working with the constant fear of being killed or hurt is no easy task. The feeling that something bad could happen at any time&nbsp;affects every aspect of your life. And you suddenly start feeling unsafe everywhere&nbsp;and all the time.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to the World Press Freedom Index 2016,&nbsp;there has been a &ldquo;deep and disturbing&rdquo; decline in media freedom around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The news from South Asia is particularly bad. &ldquo;The media freedom situation worsened significantly or stagnated&rdquo; in the region the report says.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Maldives came in at 112 out of 180 countries on the index. It turns out the country is not just an earthly paradise of palms and coral. Radical Islam has been gaining in strength in the archipelago; freedom of the press has been one of its victims.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Communication Authority of the Maldives&nbsp;which controls all communication in the country,&nbsp;including the media,&nbsp;launched the first attack on the press in 2011 by shutting down journalist Ismail&nbsp;Khilath&nbsp;Rasheed&#39;s blog accusing him of producing anti-Islamic material.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rasheed fought back&nbsp;by&nbsp;organising&nbsp;a small rally in the capital&nbsp;Mal?&nbsp;in support of the freedom of expression. He was attacked by a group of men armed with stones.&nbsp;They ended up fracturing his skull. A year later, while he was walking near his home, a man tried to slit his throat. Fortunately, the attacker missed a vital artery and Rasheed survived,&nbsp;but his attacker remains unidentified and at large.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The situation has not improved since. This April, the Maldivian police attacked a rally&#39;s participants demanding greater press freedom. Sixteen journalists were arrested.&nbsp;Four other reporters covering demonstrations against the imprisonment of former&nbsp;president&nbsp;Mohamed&nbsp;Nasheed&nbsp;were imprisoned.&nbsp;&nbsp;

There was good news,&nbsp;at least on paper,&nbsp;from Sri Lanka. The country moved 24 positions up the rankings as compared to 2014. Newly-elected President&nbsp;Maithripala&nbsp;Sirisena&#39;s government seems to be better for journalists. It lifted restrictions on foreign journalists visiting the country &ndash; they are now free to move about and no longer have to get their visas cleared by the&nbsp;defence&nbsp;ministry. And all exiled journalists have been invited to return to the country.&nbsp;

During the 10 years that Mahinda Rajapaksa was president, reporters allegedly received constant threats,&nbsp;and as many as 34 lost their lives. The murder of&nbsp;Lasantha&nbsp;Manilal&nbsp;Wickrematunge, founder of the newspaper The&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;Leader, remains unsolved. In 2009, while he was driving to office, armed motorcyclists flanked his car and shot him. The Sirisena government has now decided to reopen the case and, interestingly, his brother has been appointed Sri Lanka&#39;s consul general in Sidney.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pakistan remains the most dangerous place to work. Journalists in the country are faced with threats from all fronts &ndash; extremist groups,&nbsp;hardline&nbsp;Islamist&nbsp;organisations&nbsp;and government institutions. The resulting atmosphere of fear often leads to high levels of self-censorship.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bangladesh,&nbsp;too,&nbsp;has become increasingly deadly for journalists. Several bloggers critical of Islamist extremists have recently been hacked to death; fundamentalist groups claimed responsibility for a number of the killings.&nbsp;&nbsp;

India is also surprisingly bad for reporters. Despite a lively media scene, the world&#39;s largest democracy does not seem to be a good place for a free press. India ranked 133rd on the World Press Freedom Index.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It is also among the top 15 countries in which a reporter is most likely to face abuse&nbsp;and even Afghanistan fares better. The report states: &ldquo;The governments of India&hellip; took little action in response to violence against media personnel and were sometimes directly involved in violations of their freedom.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The report&#39;s findings are not just bad news for journalists, they&nbsp;are bad news for everybody.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Journalists&nbsp;can end up self-censoring if they&nbsp;find&nbsp;themselves threatened. That is perhaps the most dangerous threat to journalism.&nbsp; A journalist must question, verify versions, and find discrepancies. And if he does his job honestly and professionally&nbsp;it should be made public. Sometimes&nbsp;this means exposing influential people. A reporter who fears for his or her life might decide to look away, to pretend something just did&nbsp;not happen. That is exactly what ruins a good investigation. Fortunately, some journalists have been brave enough to continue reporting despite having&nbsp;been&nbsp;badly&nbsp;threatened,&nbsp;but this cannot&nbsp;and should not&nbsp;be the norm.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Media is useful to society so long as it is independent and safe -- rights that any democratic government should protect.&nbsp;Media&nbsp;needs to be free to do its job without fear&nbsp;and&nbsp;to be effective.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Journalists in India more likely to face abuse than those in Afghanistan: Reporters Without Borders

Last year – 2015 – was the worst year ever to be a journalist in South Asia. Reporters are routinely threatened, attacked, jailed, and murdered every year in the region according to a new Reporters Without Borders report. Working with the constant fear of being killed or hurt is no easy task. The feeling that something bad could happen at any time affects every aspect of your life. And you suddenly start feeling unsafe everywhere and all the time. According to the World Press Freedom Index 2016, there has been a “deep and disturbing” decline in media freedom around the world. The news from South Asia is particularly bad. “The media freedom situation worsened significantly or stagnated” in the region the report says. The Maldives came in at 112 out of 180 countries on the index. It turns out the country is not just an earthly paradise of palms and coral. Radical Islam has been gaining in strength in the archipelago; freedom of the press has been one of its victims. The Communication Authority of the Maldives which controls all communication in the country, including the media, launched the first attack on the press in 2011 by shutting down journalist Ismail Khilath Rasheed's blog accusing him of producing anti-Islamic material. Rasheed fought back by organising a small rally in the capital Mal? in support of the freedom of expression. He was attacked by a group of men armed with stones. They ended up fracturing his skull. A year later, while he was walking near his home, a man tried to slit his throat. Fortunately, the attacker missed a vital artery and Rasheed survived, but his attacker remains unidentified and at large. The situation has not improved since. This April, the Maldivian police attacked a rally's participants demanding greater press freedom. Sixteen journalists were arrested. Four other reporters covering demonstrations against the imprisonment of former president Mohamed Nasheed were imprisoned. There was good news, at least on paper, from Sri Lanka. The country moved 24 positions up the rankings as compared to 2014. Newly-elected President Maithripala Sirisena's government seems to be better for journalists. It lifted restrictions on foreign journalists visiting the country – they are now free to move about and no longer have to get their visas cleared by the defence ministry. And all exiled journalists have been invited to return to the country. During the 10 years that Mahinda Rajapaksa was president, reporters allegedly received constant threats, and as many as 34 lost their lives. The murder of Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge, founder of the newspaper The Sunday Leader, remains unsolved. In 2009, while he was driving to office, armed motorcyclists flanked his car and shot him. The Sirisena government has now decided to reopen the case and, interestingly, his brother has been appointed Sri Lanka's consul general in Sidney. Pakistan remains the most dangerous place to work. Journalists in the country are faced with threats from all fronts – extremist groups, hardline Islamist organisations and government institutions. The resulting atmosphere of fear often leads to high levels of self-censorship. Bangladesh, too, has become increasingly deadly for journalists. Several bloggers critical of Islamist extremists have recently been hacked to death; fundamentalist groups claimed responsibility for a number of the killings. India is also surprisingly bad for reporters. Despite a lively media scene, the world's largest democracy does not seem to be a good place for a free press. India ranked 133rd on the World Press Freedom Index. It is also among the top 15 countries in which a reporter is most likely to face abuse and even Afghanistan fares better. The report states: “The governments of India… took little action in response to violence against media personnel and were sometimes directly involved in violations of their freedom.” The report's findings are not just bad news for journalists, they are bad news for everybody. Journalists can end up self-censoring if they find themselves threatened. That is perhaps the most dangerous threat to journalism. A journalist must question, verify versions, and find discrepancies. And if he does his job honestly and professionally it should be made public. Sometimes this means exposing influential people. A reporter who fears for his or her life might decide to look away, to pretend something just did not happen. That is exactly what ruins a good investigation. Fortunately, some journalists have been brave enough to continue reporting despite having been badly threatened, but this cannot and should not be the norm. Media is useful to society so long as it is independent and safe -- rights that any democratic government should protect. Media needs to be free to do its job without fear and to be effective.

2015 worst year for press freedom in South Asia

Boys are slightly more likely to be sexually abused than girls in South&nbsp;Africa, where a third of all children have experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime, according to the first-ever national study of child maltreatment.

Nearly 37 percent of boys and 34 percent of girls have been sexually abused by the age of 17, either physically or in non-physical ways - such as being forced to watch sexual acts, look at genitalia or explicit material.

Girls were more likely to have been sexually abused physically and boys more likely to have experienced non-contact sexual abuse, researchers said in the study published on Tuesday.

&quot;Even though the forms the abuse takes may differ it can nonetheless be equally harmful to the victim and should be treated just as seriously,&quot; Ian Welle-Skitt, spokesman for UBS Optimus Foundation which commissioned the research.

&quot;This study puts South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;in line with the rest of the world, and challenges the myth that South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;is a more violent society than others,&quot; Welle-Skitt&nbsp;told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

A similar study carried out in Switzerland by UBS Optimus Foundation found that abuse between peers and cyber-abuse was higher there than in South&nbsp;Africa.

There were more than 350,000 cases of sexual abuse among children in South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;last year, according to researchers from the University of Cape Town, and the Cape Town-based Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, who carried out the study.

Only 31 percent of girls and no boys reported sexual abuse to the police. Young males were especially reluctant to report any form of abuse, the researchers found.

&quot;The sexual abuse and maltreatment of children is preventable, but until now, a lack of data has hindered the development of systems needed to protect and support children,&quot; researchers&nbsp;said.

The study found that when parents knew who their children spent time with and where, they were less likely to become victims of sexual abuse.&nbsp;A&nbsp;supportive relationship between parents and their daughters also significantly lowered the risk for girls.

The researchers&nbsp;recommended that teachers be trained in school safety and that children have classes on sex, gender and violence.&nbsp;They also found substance abuse played an important role.

&quot;Since parental substance misuse is associated with sexual abuse of children, one key preventive strategy is to make substance abuse treatment programmes far more widely available and accessible than they are at present,&quot; the researchers said.

A third of all children in the country have experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime

Boys are slightly more likely to be sexually abused than girls in South Africa, where a third of all children have experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime, according to the first-ever national study of child maltreatment. Nearly 37 percent of boys and 34 percent of girls have been sexually abused by the age of 17, either physically or in non-physical ways - such as being forced to watch sexual acts, look at genitalia or explicit material. Girls were more likely to have been sexually abused physically and boys more likely to have experienced non-contact sexual abuse, researchers said in the study published on Tuesday. "Even though the forms the abuse takes may differ it can nonetheless be equally harmful to the victim and should be treated just as seriously," Ian Welle-Skitt, spokesman for UBS Optimus Foundation which commissioned the research. "This study puts South Africa in line with the rest of the world, and challenges the myth that South Africa is a more violent society than others," Welle-Skitt told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. A similar study carried out in Switzerland by UBS Optimus Foundation found that abuse between peers and cyber-abuse was higher there than in South Africa. There were more than 350,000 cases of sexual abuse among children in South Africa last year, according to researchers from the University of Cape Town, and the Cape Town-based Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, who carried out the study. Only 31 percent of girls and no boys reported sexual abuse to the police. Young males were especially reluctant to report any form of abuse, the researchers found. "The sexual abuse and maltreatment of children is preventable, but until now, a lack of data has hindered the development of systems needed to protect and support children," researchers said. The study found that when parents knew who their children spent time with and where, they were less likely to become victims of sexual abuse. A supportive relationship between parents and their daughters also significantly lowered the risk for girls. The researchers recommended that teachers be trained in school safety and that children have classes on sex, gender and violence. They also found substance abuse played an important role. "Since parental substance misuse is associated with sexual abuse of children, one key preventive strategy is to make substance abuse treatment programmes far more widely available and accessible than they are at present," the researchers said.

In South Africa, boys more likely to be sexually abused than girls: researchers

Gory pictures on cigarette packets depicting the dangers of smoking have helped people kick the butt. But despite all the images of the diseased lungs and heart, the number of girls taking to the habit of smoking is on the rise. One of the prime responsibilities and a large opportunity in public health in the 21st century is to prevent the increase in smoking among women. 
 
 
In what could sound alarming, according to the WHO reports, tobacco smoking currently kills five million people a year worldwide and, according to estimates, will probably kill eight million people a year between now and 2030 and one billion over the course of the 21st century. 
 
The World No Tobacco Day was a theme initiated in 2010 with an intention to draw a relation between gender and tobacco, with an emphasis on marketing cigarettes to women. This theme was chosen &quot;to draw particular attention to the harmful effects of tobacco marketing towards women and girls&quot;. And this continues to be observed year-on-year. 
 
In the garb of being modern, fashionable, independent and self confident, women/girls consider smoking as an expression of independence. While it is imperative that women`s empowerment continues, attention must be paid to its potential link to increased smoking among women and to the ways in which the tobacco industry is capitalising on societal changes to target them. 
 
The most common time when women initiate smoking is in their teens, and the number of adolescents who initiate smoking increases every year from grades nine through 12. Moreover, there is growing evidence that the reasons girls initiate smoking is different from the reasons why boys begin. Many of the factors that contribute to smoking initiation have been elucidated; the strongest appear to be peer smoking and parent smoking. 
 
Parent connectedness also plays a vital role. Adolescents desire greater connectedness to parents, school, and community. Unfortunately, today`s busy adults frequently relinquish responsibility and supervision of teens allowing them greater opportunities to participate in unhealthy behaviours. When the adolescent is unable to meet her need for affirmation within the family, in this case, the daughter with the mother, the affiliation with the peer group may be greater. 
 
Half a century ago, the risk of death from lung cancer among men who smoked was five times higher than that of women smokers. But by the first decade of this century that risk has equalised: for both men and women who smoked, the risk of death from lung cancer is 25 times greater than for non-smokers. 
 
A study has indicated that women who continue to smoke die on an average more than 10 years sooner than those who never smoked. While lung cancer is the most infamous hazard linked to smoking, the habit also raises the risk of death from heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and other cancers, including breast cancer. 
 
Interestingly, what several are unaware are the changes in manufacture of cigarettes that has led to increased dangers. The use of perforated filters, tobacco blends that are less irritating, and paper that is more porous has made it easier to inhale smoke and has encouraged deeper inhalation to achieve satisfying blood levels of nicotine. The result of deeper inhalation is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 
 
Women who smoke are also more likely to have fertility problems. A single butt can result in more than 7,000 chemicals spreading through the entire body and the organs. This could lead to ovulation problems, damage to reproductive organs, damage to eggs, premature menopause and increased risk of miscarriage.&nbsp; 
 
It`s never too late to reap the benefits of quitting. The younger you are when you stop smoking, the greater your chances of living a long and healthy life. And we can do a lot better to reduce the prevalence of smoking with the tools currently in hand if government agencies, medical insurers and the public work in tandem. 
 
(Dr. Rajat Arora is an Interventional Cardiologist and Medical Director at Yashoda Hospitals in Delhi. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at drrajat@yashodahospital.org) 
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Gory pictures on cigarette packets depicting the dangers of smoking have helped people kick the butt. But despite all the images of the diseased lungs and heart, the number of girls taking to the habit of smoking is on the rise. One of the prime responsibilities and a large opportunity in public health in the 21st century is to prevent the increase in smoking among women.

Gory pictures on cigarette packets depicting the dangers of smoking have helped people kick the butt. But despite all the images of the diseased lungs and heart, the number of girls taking to the habit of smoking is on the rise. One of the prime responsibilities and a large opportunity in public health in the 21st century is to prevent the increase in smoking among women. In what could sound alarming, according to the WHO reports, tobacco smoking currently kills five million people a year worldwide and, according to estimates, will probably kill eight million people a year between now and 2030 and one billion over the course of the 21st century. The World No Tobacco Day was a theme initiated in 2010 with an intention to draw a relation between gender and tobacco, with an emphasis on marketing cigarettes to women. This theme was chosen "to draw particular attention to the harmful effects of tobacco marketing towards women and girls". And this continues to be observed year-on-year. In the garb of being modern, fashionable, independent and self confident, women/girls consider smoking as an expression of independence. While it is imperative that women`s empowerment continues, attention must be paid to its potential link to increased smoking among women and to the ways in which the tobacco industry is capitalising on societal changes to target them. The most common time when women initiate smoking is in their teens, and the number of adolescents who initiate smoking increases every year from grades nine through 12. Moreover, there is growing evidence that the reasons girls initiate smoking is different from the reasons why boys begin. Many of the factors that contribute to smoking initiation have been elucidated; the strongest appear to be peer smoking and parent smoking. Parent connectedness also plays a vital role. Adolescents desire greater connectedness to parents, school, and community. Unfortunately, today`s busy adults frequently relinquish responsibility and supervision of teens allowing them greater opportunities to participate in unhealthy behaviours. When the adolescent is unable to meet her need for affirmation within the family, in this case, the daughter with the mother, the affiliation with the peer group may be greater. Half a century ago, the risk of death from lung cancer among men who smoked was five times higher than that of women smokers. But by the first decade of this century that risk has equalised: for both men and women who smoked, the risk of death from lung cancer is 25 times greater than for non-smokers. A study has indicated that women who continue to smoke die on an average more than 10 years sooner than those who never smoked. While lung cancer is the most infamous hazard linked to smoking, the habit also raises the risk of death from heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and other cancers, including breast cancer. Interestingly, what several are unaware are the changes in manufacture of cigarettes that has led to increased dangers. The use of perforated filters, tobacco blends that are less irritating, and paper that is more porous has made it easier to inhale smoke and has encouraged deeper inhalation to achieve satisfying blood levels of nicotine. The result of deeper inhalation is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Women who smoke are also more likely to have fertility problems. A single butt can result in more than 7,000 chemicals spreading through the entire body and the organs. This could lead to ovulation problems, damage to reproductive organs, damage to eggs, premature menopause and increased risk of miscarriage. It`s never too late to reap the benefits of quitting. The younger you are when you stop smoking, the greater your chances of living a long and healthy life. And we can do a lot better to reduce the prevalence of smoking with the tools currently in hand if government agencies, medical insurers and the public work in tandem. (Dr. Rajat Arora is an Interventional Cardiologist and Medical Director at Yashoda Hospitals in Delhi. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at drrajat@yashodahospital.org)

Every cigarette rots you, inside out

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