BERLIN: The German Protestant Church on Thursday acknowledged it did not do enough to protect children after an independent study revealed thousands of cases of sexual abuse within the organisation. The study estimated that the number of minors who fell victim to church ministers and staff may be as high as 9,355. Researchers made the calculation after reviewing the files …

WASHINGTON: The US State Department asserted on Thursday that the future leadership of Pakis­tan rests in the hands of its people, emphasising a commitment to the democratic process. During a press briefing, Vedant Patel, the department’s principal deputy spokesperson, underscored the significance of a free media in advancing democracy.     “We also have not been ambiguous about how we …

TOKYO: Japan’s “Moon Sniper” craft made a pin-point lunar landing despite last-minute engine problems, the space agency said on Thursday as it released the first images from the mission. A photo taken by a mini-rover showed the boxy yellow lander sitting intact at a slight angle on the rocky grey surface, lunar slopes rising in the distance. The unmanned Smart …

UNITED NATIONS: Follo­wing religious clashes sparked by the opening this week of a controversial Hindu temple in India, Pakistan has urged the United Nations to take action for the protection of Islamic sites in the country. Pakistan’s UN envoy Munir Akram shared the plea during an OIC ambassadorial meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday, condemning the recent consecration of the …

WASHINGTON: The United States has condemned the Israeli assault on a UN facility in Khan Yunis, emphasising the protection of civilians and the need to respect the sanctity of UN facilities. “You’ve heard me say it before, you’ve heard [Secretary of State Antony Blinken] say it before […] civilians must be protected, and the protected nature of UN facilities must …

The southern US state of Alabama on Thursday put to death a convicted murderer using nitrogen gas, the first time the controversial method criticised by human rights advocates has been used in the country. Kenneth Eugene Smith was pronounced dead at 8:25pm (0225 GMT Friday), according to the state attorney general. “Justice has been served. Tonight, Kenneth Smith was put …

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has hundreds of thousands of child labourers, reveals the province’s first Child Labour Survey 2022-23. The working children totalling 922, 314 make up 11.1 per cent of the province’s child population with 745,165 beingchild labourers, according to the survey findings that were unveiled in a special ceremony here. The event was attended by representatives of government departments, …

RAWALPINDI: In the last week, the newly established Business Facilitation Centre (BFC) received as many as 41 applications from firms to establish new businesses in the Rawalpindi district, and 20 firms were issued Non-Objection Certificates (NOCs), while the rest are still in process. Though the BFC is operational, the formal inauguration of the centre is still pending because the administration …

ISLAMABAD: Despite the fact that general elections have already been made controversial, 87pc of working people were found keen to cast their vote on Feb 8 and wanted general elections to be held on the scheduled date, according to a Pattan-Coalition 38’s survey conducted in 41 districts across the country during Jan 4-22 finds. In total, 1,149 individuals and 820 …

LAHORE/DG KHAN: Pneumonia continues to take a heavy toll on children as 12 kids reportedly died during the last 24 hours across Punjab, taking the total number of deaths to 220 since Jan 1. According to official data, 1,077 new pneumonia cases have been reported during the last 24 hours in Punjab and a majority of the children are under …