Instead of lurking in shopping malls and parks, predators who befriend and sell children for sex now hang out on social networks like Facebook and gaming sites, said experts fighting to stay one step ahead of rapidly-evolving criminal gangs. Colombian traffickers used to pose as rich, older men promising a better life; now they pretend to be poor, troubled teenagers just like the children they target, said Sebastian Arevalo, head of anti-trafficking group Pasos Libres Foundation. “Trust is now gained through empathy and emotions,” Bogota-based Arevalo, who has talked to hundreds of students about the dangers they face online, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “Recruiters are of similar age (to their victims). They say, ‘I too have problems at school and with my parents’, ‘I’ve also broken up with my partner’.” From the United States to the Philippines, a soaring number of young people are being trafficked online, fuelled by the … [Read more...] about Grooming is gateway to child sex trafficking as ‘seducing’ moves online
Online doctoral programs in higher education
Belgian Ambassador visits Kon Tum to review Belgian-funded projects
Community Belgian Ambassador visits Kon Tum to review Belgian-funded projects The Saigon Times Daily Monday, Dec 16, 2019,13:29 (GMT+7) Belgian Ambassador visits Kon Tum to review Belgian-funded projectsThe Saigon Times Daily Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Paul Jansen visits a kindergarten in Kon Plong District, Kon Tum Province - PHOTO: COURTESY OF EMBASSY OF BELGIUM HCMC - Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Paul Jansen paid an official visit to the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum last week in order to get informed of the progress of Belgian-funded projects there. Over the past four decades, the Belgian Development Cooperation has supported Vietnam in a number of areas, from infrastructure to poverty reduction, social development, education, public health, water and sanitation. Kon Tum is the first locality in the Central Highlands selected by the Belgian Development Cooperation for support via different channels, … [Read more...] about Belgian Ambassador visits Kon Tum to review Belgian-funded projects
School Recycling kicks off in Hanoi
Community School Recycling kicks off in Hanoi By Van Ly Monday, Dec 16, 2019,14:59 (GMT+7) School Recycling kicks off in Hanoi By Van Ly Attendants exchange used cartons for small pots of tree at the kick-off ceremony of the School Recycling program - PHOTO: VAN LY HANOI - Food processing and packaging solution provider Tetra Pak on December 14 kicked off a carton recycling program that will be implemented in 800 primary schools and kindergartens in 16 districts of Hanoi. The event raised the total number of participating schools in 2019 to 1,400 in both Hanoi and HCMC. The program would be expanded to Danang and Binh Duong next year. School Recycling is the first-ever large-scale program to categorize, collect, and recycle used cartons in Hanoi under partnership with the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Department of Education and Training, and Tetra Pak’s partners including Dong … [Read more...] about School Recycling kicks off in Hanoi
Sexual abuse of underage school kids a legal, cultural failure
When 14-year-old H.T.H brought home a cell phone from school, her family was puzzled. She said her IT teacher had given it to her so she could report class attendance to him. The family was unconvinced. They had been noticing some unusual behavior by H.T.H of late. They kept pushing the boarding school girl for the truth. Finally, the girl admitted that her teacher had been having sex with her. He gave her the phone so he could contact her and tell her where to meet privately at school. The girl was 12-weeks pregnant when the truth came out. The teacher, Nguyen Viet Anh was arrested in April after the family lodged a complaint. He has reportedly confessed to having sex with her on multiple occasions at their school since late 2017, when the girl was in 7th grade. Unfortunately, H.T.H is just one among hundreds, if not thousands of children suffering sexual abuse at the hands of teachers and other figures of authority. The country was shaken when at least 10 boys of a … [Read more...] about Sexual abuse of underage school kids a legal, cultural failure
Hanoi residents advised to limit outdoor activities amid severe air pollution
Nation Hanoi residents advised to limit outdoor activities amid severe air pollution The Saigon Times Daily Monday, Dec 16, 2019,14:51 (GMT+7) Hanoi residents advised to limit outdoor activities amid severe air pollutionThe Saigon Times Daily Many high buildings are shrouded in dense smog due to air pollution in Hanoi. Residents were advised to restrict their outdoor activities when the air quality gets worse – PHOTO: VNA HCMC – As air pollution in the capital city of Hanoi has reached alarming levels over the past week, the Ministry of Health has issued scores of recommendations for residents to alleviate the effects of poor air quality on their health, reported VnEconomy. The recommendations were jointly issued by the ministry’s Health Environment Management Agency, the National Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health and the World Health Organization in Vietnam. Specifically, local … [Read more...] about Hanoi residents advised to limit outdoor activities amid severe air pollution