13 Million abortions in China and age of pregnant women falls

Beijing Over 13 million abortions are conducted in the country every year. If we take into accountmedically induced abortions and procedures carried out in backstreet premises, theannual number is even higher.

Among female adolescents who have premarital sex, more than 20 percent have unwantedpregnancies, of which up to 91 percent end in abortion. The repeat abortion situation isparticularly serious.

Zhao Lei (pseudonym), 26, quit her job two years ago in Beijing and returned home to getmarried. She and her husband have been trying to have a baby. Her doctor has told ZhaoLei that a tubal blockage has rendered her infertile. The cause of the blockage, the doctorsays, was an abortion.

While working in Beijing, Zhao Lei had a boyfriend. She recalls her fear and anxiety whenshe first learned of her unwanted pregnancy. Given the couple's limited economic means,they finally decided to give up this baby. Zhao Lei took the subway to a hospital far fromwhere she lives and works, deliberately in order not to encounter any acquaintances.

Zhao Lei is now going from one doctor to another in search of a treatment for herinfertility. Recalling the abortion, Zhao Lei says: “I will never forget the pain I wentthrough when I had the abortion. I will never forget it as long as I live."

Data published by China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission indicatesthat it is predominantly younger people who are choosing to have abortions. Almost half ofthe reported procedures were conducted on women below the age of 25, the majority ofwhom were university students.

Misled by some private hospital’s leaflets promising "painless abortion", more and moreyoung Chinese no longer take the matter seriously, as if abortion were "safe, affordable,and with no impact on work".

Deceptive adverting is certainly one factor influencing the high rate of terminations; lackof awareness about sexual safety seems to be another important contributor.

A recent survey showed that more than 68 percent of Chinese women were confused aboutthe difference between oral contraceptives and the morning-after pill. Just 1.2 percent ofChinese women take oral contraceptives, compared with 30 percent to 50 percent ofwomen in some developed countries.

Unwanted pregnancy is not the only issue that has arisen from China’s lack of sexeducation - 86 percent of youngsters doesn't know about HIV/AIDS prevention accordingto a recent survey. Parents and schools have to rethink their attitude towards teachingyoung people about safe sex. 

HK continues to be world's freest economy

Hong Kong - Hong Kong continued to be the world's freest economy, despite a slight drop in total score from last year due to the decline of perceived level of corruption, the Hong Kong government said on Wednesday.

The 2015 Index of Economic Freedom Report released by the Washington based Heritage Foundation on January 27 (Washington, DC, time), revealed that Hong Kong has been ranked the world's freest economy for 21 consecutive years with an overall score of 89.6 (on a scale from 0 to 100). 

Singapore ranked second with 89.4, followed by New Zealand, 82. 1, Australia, 81.5 and Switzerland, 80.5.

Among the 10 Economic Freedom Components measured in the report, Hong Kong continued to come in first in business freedom, trade freedom and financial freedom; second in investment freedom.

Hong Kong's overall score edged down 0.5 points from last year was mainly due to a drop in the ranking in "freedom from corruption" in the index, which, a government spokesman said, was ascribed to high-profile cases that impacted perceptions about corruption in the special administrative region.

In respond to the report, local graft-buster Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said, extensive media coverage on some of the cases, including the prosecutions and convictions of a former senior government official, may have affected respondents' impression. 

Rafael Hui, Hong Kong's former Chief Secretary, and Thomas Kwok, co-chairman of Sun Hung Kai Properties, a local major developer, were found guilty in a corruption case in December. 

Yet, the ICAC said, these isolated cases should not be seen as an indicator of deterioration in the probity situation in Hong Kong. According to the 2014 ICAC Annual Survey conducted by an independent research company, only 1.5 percent of respondents had come across corruption in the past 12 months, showing a very low level of corruption.

"We are keenly aware of competition from other economies within and outside the region. We always try to keep up with the latest global economic developments, and strive to enhance our competitiveness," the spokesman said.

High Court stays transfer of ED officer who grilled Majithia

Chandigarh, January 21

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the implementation of transfer orders of the Enforcement Directorate officer, who had questioned Punjab minister Bikram Majithia in the drugs case. A Division Bench of the High Court also called for the record pertaining to the officer’s transfer.

The Bench of Justice Satish Kumar Mittal and Justice Deepak Sibal fixed February 2 as the next date of hearing. The plea against the transfer has been filed by advocate Navkiran Singh in the drugs case pending adjudication before the High Court. Navkiran Singh, on behalf of the Lawyers for Human Rights International, contended that the transfer at this juncture would hamper investigations into the Rs 6000-crore money-laundering international drug racket. The probe, he said, was at the final stage.

He said ED official Niranjan Singh’s transfer was neither in public interest, nor in the interest of justice. The case was being supervised by the High Court for more than a year and status reports were being filed by state and central agencies.The transfer of an investigating officer, playing an important role in the investigation, was not beyond suspicion.

“In situations where the investigating officers of two important cases, the coal scam and 2G scam, were transferred and the Supreme Court found the same not to be in the interest of justice, it stayed the transfer orders and ordered that the particular investigating officers would remain as investigating officer till the completion of the trial.

“In the present case, since the Enforcement Directorate has interrogated more than 50 important witnesses and the investigation is at fag-end, changing the investigating officer would be sending the investigation directionless…,” he claimed. The father of alleged kingpin in the drugs case Jagdish Singh Bhola has also moved the High Court demanding a probe into the transfer.

What the petitioner said

• Lawyers for Human Rights International said ED officer Niranjan Singh’s transfer was neither in public interest, nor in the interest of justice
• They said the case was being supervised by the High Court for more than a year and status reports were being filed by state and central agencies

Chinese daily scoff at reports of India's GDP overtaking China

Beijing: Peeved over IMF's forecast that India's growth rate would surpass that of China by 2016, a state-run daily on Wednesday said that having overshadowed by the Communist giant for long, India is seeking evidence to show that "it is not inferior to China".

"It's different in India. Long overshadowed by China, it is keen to become the best in some aspects. It is in dire need of evidence to show that it is not inferior to China," state-run Global Times said in its editorial, a day after IMF forecast that Chinese economy would continue to slowdown even next year and would fall behind India's growth rate.

Besides posting its lowest growth of 7.4 per cent last year in two decades, during which China became the world's second largest economy, it also missed the official target of 7.5 per cent for the first time in recent years, fuelling concerns about a prolonged slowdown.

The IMF report said China's growth rate would further decline to 6.8 this year and 6.3 next year, falling behind India's projected 6.5 per cent growth rate for 2016. Chinese economy however will continue to be big in size as its gross domestic product reached $10.4 trillion this year compared to India's $1.877 trillion in 2013.

"Even if the Indian economy does outstrip China's one day, the impact on the Chinese public will be far less than on its own people, since India has been waiting for the outcome for so long. Some Western media attach more significance to India's overtaking China than Chinese people do," it said.

"When China's GDP growth was above 10 per cent, many voices expounded that such a high rate would be harmful. However, just as China is committed to economic restructuring and a turn to the "new normal," there appears to be more scary predictions for the future. We have to be unswerving in our commitment not to return to the GDP-oriented path," it said.

"GDP figures are so favoured by the media as they are easy to grasp. But China has passed the era of GDP-fixation. Despite continued pursuit of wealth, we highly value safety, environmental protection, equal opportunity and explicit rules. With money, there should also be dignity," it said.

"China's GDP growth is unlikely to always rank top of the global list and we won't modify our set direction in social and economic development," it said. The "new normal" in the Chinese economy doesn't mean stagnation nor recession, but a strategic adjustment toward quality and sustainable development, it said.

"China's growth of seven per cent maintained in the period of economic and social restructuring is no less significant than 10 per cent in the past times of extensive development. While the Chinese government is capable of achieving higher growth, its choice of lowering the rate deserves more praise.

"China has never been applauded by the West in its development since the end of the Cold War. We have grown used to this. We need to stay firm to achieve our target of deepening reform," it said.

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Punjabi singer Malkit Singh’s daughter jailed in UK for sex with student

The daughter of noted Award-winning UK-based Punjabi singer Malkit Singh MBE of "Gur Nalon Ishq Mita" fame has been sentenced to two years' imprisonment for having sexual relations with her pupil, a minor with learning problems.

Amardip Kaur Bhopari, 28, who began teaching at a school for children with learning difficulties in 2012, had confessed to the charges and was arrested in December 2013. She was sentenced on Friday. Her father has remained incommunicado ever since news of the case spread.

According to reports, Amardip's relationship with the 16-year-old boy, who suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia, started just before Valentine's Day in 2013. The British media reported that her sexual encounters took place in the school art room, her car and even at an industrial estate near the school. She used to shower gifts on him and invite him home.
When the boy started dating a girl his own age and told Amardip that he wanted to end their relationship, she tried to dissuade him.

Amardip's advocate told the court that she had deep remorse. Judge James Burbidge ordered that she be put on the sexual offenders' register for 10 years.
Malkit Singh was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2008.

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