Nearly 6,500 adolescent girls die in childbirth in South Asia every year, said UN agencies on Friday, calling for prioritisation of the health of girls and adolescents in South Asia.

Experts from the agencies discussed this at a two-day regional dialogue on adolescent pregnancy jointly organised by the SAARC, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (UNICEF ROSA), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Kathmandu, Nepal.

At the event, officials and civil society representatives from India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka reaffirmed their commitment to prioritise health for over 2.2 million adolescent girls that give birth yearly in South Asia; and to provide better opportunities to learn, set up their businesses, and earn a living.

The experts noted that most of these girls were child brides who have limited power over their reproductive health or lives.

The South Asia region “has a long way to go. I call upon everyone to resolutely address the root causes including child marriage, access to adolescent health education, and removing social stigma in managing the teenage population of SAARC region,” said Ambassador Golam Sarwar, the Secretary General of SAARC.

South Asia accounts for 290 million child brides — nearly half of the world’s burden. These girls are forced to drop out of school and face stigma, rejection, violence, unemployment as well as lifelong social challenges.

About 49 per cent of young girls in South Asia are not in education, employment, or training – the highest in the world, the experts noted.

With poorer health coverage adolescent mothers are also at increased risk of early deaths, and the babies born also face a significantly higher risk of death.

“It is high time that we reverse this trend,” said Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia.

She stressed adolescents’ “unique physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and sexual development” needs to be given “special attention in national and international policies”.

She also called for “cross-sectoral collaboration and equitable access to a variety of services”, and an increase in “investments” to tackle adolescent pregnancy and promote their healthy socio-economic development.

“This supports the well-being of the youth of today – who are the human capital of tomorrow,” the Regional Director said. AGENCIES

 Nine infants have died since the beginning of an outbreak of whooping cough in November last year, according to figures released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

In the first five months of 2024, 7,599 children and adults have been infected by the disease, which affects the lungs and breathing tubes and spreads easily, showed the figures released on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Young babies are at highest risk of severe complications and death from whooping cough,” the UKHSA said in its alert.

Over half of those infected are people aged 15 or older and suffer a mild illness, the agency said, adding that high numbers continue to be reported in babies under three months of age who are at greatest risk from the infection.

Medics have urged pregnant women and babies to get whooping cough vaccinations. The UKHSA said the latest uptake data for vaccinations offered to pregnant women to protect newborn infants against whooping cough has fallen below 60 per cent.

Timely vaccination in pregnancy and childhood is important to protect vulnerable young infants from serious disease, according to the UKHSA.

“Vaccination is the best defence against whooping cough, and it is vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time,” said Mary Ramsay, director of Immunisation at the UKHSA.

Andrew Preston, a professor from the Milner Center for Evolution and the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Bath, said: “We’ve now reached levels that we haven’t seen in the UK for well over ten years. This is a genuine outbreak of pertussis (whooping cough).”

“The levels of infant vaccination against pertussis have dropped over the last ten years and thousands of infants haven’t received the vaccinations that we know provide protection,” he said.

Preston said there has also been a striking reduction in maternal vaccination coverage in some parts of the country, down as low as 25 per cent to 30 per cent in some urban parts of Britain.

“I think that’s contributing to some of the more serious cases in those very young infants,” he added.

Preston said he was not sure how long the current outbreak will last. “It’s on an upward trajectory, and to be honest, I don’t think we know when that will plateau, but I think it is probably going to be at an enhanced incidence for most of this year.” AGENCIES

 Authorities in the Australian state of Victoria said on Friday that there is no indication of the massive factory fire in Melbourne being suspicious.

Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) confirmed in a statement that 20 firefighters and five appliances are still working on the scene after a significant chemical explosion caused a huge fire in Derrimut on Wednesday.

“The incident remains under control but there are still hotspots in inaccessible areas due to structural integrity and site contamination concerns. Over the next 24 hours, FRV crews will continue to suppress hotspots and take the heat out of locations that are still burning,” said the authority.

FRV investigators are working with WorkSafe and Victoria Police to investigate the incident, while there is currently no indication the fire was suspicious, according to the fire authority, reported Xinhua news agency.

FRV Deputy Commissioner Josh Fischer said that authorities would remain at the scene for days, if not weeks.

“This is a complex and dangerous environment, there are a lot of hazards associated with this incident so we’re taking extreme caution and care as we manage those risks for our firefighters from the time of the incident and into the future,” Fischer said.

The incident unfolded at around 11:20 a.m. local time on Wednesday. Emergency services rushed to a factory on Swann Drive in Derrimut, which contained a range of chemicals including kerosene, fuel, methylated spirits, and ethanol.

Following a large explosion, flames burst out at the site, with toxic smoke billowing towards the east across Derrimut.

As of Friday, Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria updated that preventing further environmental damage to waterways continues to be a major focus with more contaminated firewater being pumped away from the area and taken for disposal.

“EPA advice to avoid contact with the waters there remains in place. At this stage,” the environmental regulator said, also assuring the public that the smoke no longer poses any risk.

Local media revealed that the industrial facility was operated by the chemical blending manufacturer ACB Group, where a worker died in a chemical explosion last year. AGENCIES

 Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong has been on a visit to India to review the company’s local operations and meet with business partners, according to a report.

Lee arrived in Mumbai on Thursday, reports Yonhap News Agency, citing sources.

Samsung Electronics operates a smartphone factory in Noida, northern India, and a home appliance facility in Sriperumbudur, southern India, along with several R&D and design centres.

It also has a strong presence in the network business in India, supplying fifth-generation mobile communications (5G) equipment for more than a decade.

Meanwhile, Samsung has unveiled the all-new Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 foldables, along with wearable devices, with new features at its ‘Unpacked’ event.

The Galaxy Z Fold6, Z Flip6 and wearable devices (Galaxy Ring, Buds3 series, Watch7 and Watch Ultra) will be available for pre-order starting July 10, with general availability from July 24.

The Galaxy Z Flip6 (12GB+256GB) will cost Rs 109,999 and the 12GB+512GB version will come for Rs 121,999.

Galaxy Z Fold6 in the 12GB+256GB variant will cost Rs 164,999 while the 12GB+512GB version will come for Rs 176,999. The 12GB+1TB (silver shadow colour) will cost Rs 200,999, informed the company. AGENCIES

Singaporean police are investigating 528 suspects for over 2,200 scam and unlicensed moneylending cases following an enforcement operation from July 1 to July 10, according to the latest statement from the police.

Up to 425 were probed for scam and money laundering offences. The police said victims lost over 10 million Singapore dollars (7.4 million US dollars) in the cases, reported Xinhua news agency.

Another 103 suspects were under investigation for loan scams and loansharking activities.

A total of 41 persons were under arrest. Investigations against all the suspects are ongoing, the police added. AGENCIES

South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) signed an agreement on a mutual recognition process for military airworthiness certification, NATO’s first such deal with an Asian country.

Korea’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration and NATO’s Aviation Committee inked the agreement, a key measure of a plane’s suitability for safe flight, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, Yonhap news agency reported.

Under the deal signed on Thursday, NATO will recognise the Seoul government’s airworthiness certification for South Korean-made planes.

While South Korea has signed agreements with the United States, Spain, France and Poland, the new deal with NATO is expected to shorten the time required for mutual recognition with other NATO members.

President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed hope that the mutual recognition process would help increase defence industry cooperation between South Korea and NATO members.

“I welcome the signing of the airworthiness certification as it would enhance interoperability” between South Korea and NATO, Yoon said in his meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

In 2022, Korea Aerospace Industries signed a deal to export 48 FA-50 light combat aircraft to Poland and has completed delivery of 12 jets. AGENCIES

 Three people went missing after a residence in western Japanese prefecture of Ehime was buried in a landslide early Friday, local media reported.

In Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, a slope measuring around 50 meters wide and 100 meters high collapsed from a mountain at around 4 a.m. local time, with mud reported to have entered nearby houses and an apartment building,said a Japanese news agency citing police and firefighters, Xinhua news agency reported.

The report said that local authorities are searching for three people after the landslide.

The city has issued a level-five evacuation alert, the highest, in the disaster-hit Shimizu district, which requires people to immediately act to protect their lives by moving to a sturdy building, the upper floor of a house, or another safe location.

As of 8 a.m. local time on Friday, Matsuyama City had recorded 213 mm of rainfall since Wednesday, equivalent to the monthly average rainfall for July.

The landslide occurred as the country’s weather agency warned of heavy rain mainly in western Japan, urging people to be on high alert for landslides and flooding in low-lying areas.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said with a rainy-season front lingering over the Pacific side of western to eastern Japan through Saturday, the atmospheric conditions are likely to be very unstable. AGENCIES

US forces have destroyed five Houthi uncrewed surface vessels in the Red Sea, according to US Central Command.

The forces also destroyed two Houthi uncrewed aerial systems over the Red Sea and one system in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, late Thursday, reported Xinhua news agency citing the US Central Command’s statement.

“It was determined these systems presented an imminent threat to US, coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters more safe and secure,” the US Central command said.

Early on Thursday, the Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen, said the US-British coalition launched five airstrikes targeting the area of Rad Issa, northwest of the Houthi-held Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.

Since last November and in a display of solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the Houthi group began to launch anti-ship ballistic missiles and drones targeting what they said are Israeli-linked ships transiting the Red Sea.

In response, the US-British naval coalition stationed in the waters has since January conducted air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets to deter the group, leading to the expansion of Houthi attacks to include US and British commercial vessels and naval ships.

Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi said in a televised speech on Thursday that his group had targeted “a total of 166 ships linked to Israel, the US, and Britain” since November. AGENCIES

A joint nuclear deterrence guidelines document signed by South Korea and the United States will significantly expand the assignment of US strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula to a “constant” level, South Korea’s defence ministry said Friday, as the allies seek to bolster their cooperation in responding to North Korean threats.

On Thursday, Cho Chang-rae, Seoul’s Deputy Defence Minister for Policy, and Vipin Narang, Acting US Assistant Secretary of Defence for Space Policy, inked the ‘Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula’.

The signing of the document came a year after the allies launched the Nuclear Consultative Group in joint efforts to ensure the credibility of America’s “extended deterrence” commitment to South Korea in an integrated way that includes South Korea’s conventional support for US nuclear operations in a contingency.

Extended deterrence refers to a US pledge to mobilize the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear arms, to defend its ally, reports Yonhap news agency.

Under the joint guidelines, the allies will seek to expand the frequency and level of US strategic assets deployed to the Korean Peninsula, as the document commits to the assignment of Korean Peninsula missions of such weapons during both wartime and peacetime, according to the ministry.

The document also paves the way for the allies to sharpen their practical capabilities against nuclear threats through the joint sharing of intelligence, planning, training and implementation of operations, with South Korea expected to play a bigger role compared with the past, it added.

“The US had notified of and discussed imminent deployment of strategic assets. But South Korea and the US will now discuss the need for such deployment around-the-clock,” a ministry official said.

The ministry emphasised that the signing of the document elevates the South Korea-US alliance that had been based on conventional weapons to a “firm nuclear-based alliance.”

“The conventional-nuclear integration between South Korea and the US marks the first and sole case of a non-nuclear nation directly discussing nuclear operations with the US,” the ministry said according to Yonhap news agency.

On Thursday, President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Joe Biden warned that any North Korean nuclear attack against South Korea will be met with a “swift, overwhelming and decisive” response, as they highlighted “tremendous” progress in their joint deterrence efforts.

The leaders issued the warning as they met on the margins of a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Washington amid growing concerns over North Korea’s unceasing pursuit of advanced nuclear and missile programmes and its deepening military alignment with Russia. AGENCIES

About 64 per cent of the Indian organisations observed enhanced innovative work like developing new features, with adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), versus 61 per cent globally, a new report said on Wednesday.

According to the IT firm Capgemini, innovative work and upskilling are the top areas where organisations are channellising productivity gains.

“GenAI has emerged as a powerful technology to assist software engineers, rapidly gaining adoption. Its impact on coding efficiency and quality is measurable and proven, yet it holds promise for other software activities,” said Pierre-Yves Glever, Head of Global Cloud & Custom Applications at Capgemini.

The report surveyed 1,098 senior executives (director and above) and 1,092 software professionals (architects, developers, testers, and project managers, among others).

Moreover, the report showed that 49 per cent of Indian organisations are focusing on software professionals’ efforts on complex, high-value tasks as compared to 46 per cent globally.

About 47 per cent of organisations in India and globally are upskilling software professionals on business skills and understanding.

Further, the report mentioned that 35 per cent of Indian and global organisations are assessing and evaluating potential GenAI use cases.

About 20 per cent of Indian organisations are running pilots with Gen AI as compared to 27 per cent globally.

Around 54 per cent stated that they have the culture and leadership for the implementation of GenAI, while 44 per cent said they have the computation infrastructure and the processes and workflows for the implementation of GenAI. AGENCIES