| Pakistan Day celebrations: Yachting contests in Sukkur |
Updated at: 1515 PST, Tuesday, March 23, 2010 KARACHI: The Pakistan Day is being celebrated today all over the country with traditional fervour and zeal.On this occasion, various ceremonies have been organised in all major and small cities of the country while contests of yachting were also held in Sukkur. The yachting contests were organized by the Pakistan Navy at the Lanes Down Bridge near Indus River in which the Navy sailors participated. Children from various schools presented tableau on the occasion. A cricket match between disabled teams of Mirpur Khas and Nawabshah was arranged in Nawabshah to mark the Pakistan Day celebrations and a large number of people watched the match. In Thatta, the central ceremony was held at the Police Ground in Makli where boys and girls of various schools sang national songs and presented tableaus. Pakistan Muslim League (N) organized a ceremony with prisoners at the Multan District Jail where senior leader of the party Makhdoom Javed Hashmi was the chief guest. |
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Pakistan Day celebrations: Yachting contests in Sukkur
Friday, March 12, 2010
Pope Benedict XVI once helped get housing for a clergyman suspected of child sex abuse
Pope Benedict XVI once helped get housing for a clergyman suspected of child sex abuse
VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI once helped get housing for a clergyman suspected of child sex abuse, it emerged Friday, as the pontiff met the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany over a growing pedophile priest scandal.
Just hours after Archbishop Robert Zollitsch renewed an apology to victims of predator priests in Germany, Pope Benedict's former diocese of Munich confirmed a report that, as an archbishop in 1980, the pontiff approved housing for the priest, who was to undergo therapy.
The priest — identified only as H. — had been accused of forcing an 11-year-old boy to perform oral sex, according to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
"It was decided in 1980 to give H. accommodation in a rectory so that he could receive therapy. The archbishop (Pope Benedict) took part in this decision," the German diocese of Munich and Freising said in a statement.
Six years later, the priest was given a suspended prison sentence for child sex offences. The archdiocese said he still works in Bavaria, with no known repeat violations.
The disclosure added to a widening scandal in Germany that had already come close to Pope Benedict's brother Georg Ratzinger, a former choirmaster.
The first revelations emerged in January when an elite Jesuit school in Berlin admitted systematic sexual abuse of pupils by two priests in the 1970s and 1980s.
Among other boarding schools implicated is one attached to the Domspatzen ("Cathedral Sparrows"), Regensburg cathedral's thousand-year-old choir which was run for 30 years by the pope's older brother.
Ratzinger, 86, said on Tuesday that the alleged sexual abuse in the 1950s and 1960s — before his time — was "never discussed".
A proliferation of abuse scandals across Europe has prompted deep soul-searching among church leaders, not least in Germany where 19 of the 27 dioceses have been implicated in allegations.
Zollitsch said after meeting with the pope on Friday: "I want to repeat here in Rome the apology that I made two weeks ago." He also announced the creation of a watchdog to counter abuses.
Pope Benedict meanwhile defended priestly celibacy, calling it "the sign of full devotion" and of an "entire commitment to the Lord".
His comments came a day after Archbishop of Vienna Christoph Schoenborn called for an unflinching examination of the possible roots of child sex abuse by priests, saying it should include the issue of celibacy.
Another of Austria's most senior clerics, the Archbishop of Salzburg Alois Kothgasser, also said the church must ask itself whether celibacy is still an appropriate way of life for priests.
"Times have changed and society has changed," Kothgasser told ORF public television.
German Education Minister Annette Schavan has said there should be "zero tolerance" of child sex abuse.
Most of the priests concerned are not expected to face criminal charges because the alleged crimes took place too long ago. But there have been growing calls for a change in the law and for the church to pay compensation.
Benedict has spoken out several times since the start of his papacy in 2005 to condemn paedophilia among clergymen, and he has met with abuse victims in Australia and the United States.
In February, he met with top church officials in Ireland where a similar scandal was compounded by evidence that the hierarchy covered up for predators. The pope then called child abuse a "heinous crime" and a "grave sin".
In 2001, when Pope Benedict was head of the Vatican's doctrinal watchdog, he ordered that paedophilia cases be reported to the Holy See, suspecting that many national hierarchies preferred to look the other way.
But earlier this week the pope's spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said the German, Austrian and Dutch churches had acted swiftly and "decisively" to address their respective scandals.
He also noted that sexual abuse went far beyond church walls.
According to AFP
VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI once helped get housing for a clergyman suspected of child sex abuse, it emerged Friday, as the pontiff met the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany over a growing pedophile priest scandal.
Just hours after Archbishop Robert Zollitsch renewed an apology to victims of predator priests in Germany, Pope Benedict's former diocese of Munich confirmed a report that, as an archbishop in 1980, the pontiff approved housing for the priest, who was to undergo therapy.
The priest — identified only as H. — had been accused of forcing an 11-year-old boy to perform oral sex, according to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
"It was decided in 1980 to give H. accommodation in a rectory so that he could receive therapy. The archbishop (Pope Benedict) took part in this decision," the German diocese of Munich and Freising said in a statement.
Six years later, the priest was given a suspended prison sentence for child sex offences. The archdiocese said he still works in Bavaria, with no known repeat violations.
The disclosure added to a widening scandal in Germany that had already come close to Pope Benedict's brother Georg Ratzinger, a former choirmaster.
The first revelations emerged in January when an elite Jesuit school in Berlin admitted systematic sexual abuse of pupils by two priests in the 1970s and 1980s.
Among other boarding schools implicated is one attached to the Domspatzen ("Cathedral Sparrows"), Regensburg cathedral's thousand-year-old choir which was run for 30 years by the pope's older brother.
Ratzinger, 86, said on Tuesday that the alleged sexual abuse in the 1950s and 1960s — before his time — was "never discussed".
A proliferation of abuse scandals across Europe has prompted deep soul-searching among church leaders, not least in Germany where 19 of the 27 dioceses have been implicated in allegations.
Zollitsch said after meeting with the pope on Friday: "I want to repeat here in Rome the apology that I made two weeks ago." He also announced the creation of a watchdog to counter abuses.
Pope Benedict meanwhile defended priestly celibacy, calling it "the sign of full devotion" and of an "entire commitment to the Lord".
His comments came a day after Archbishop of Vienna Christoph Schoenborn called for an unflinching examination of the possible roots of child sex abuse by priests, saying it should include the issue of celibacy.
Another of Austria's most senior clerics, the Archbishop of Salzburg Alois Kothgasser, also said the church must ask itself whether celibacy is still an appropriate way of life for priests.
"Times have changed and society has changed," Kothgasser told ORF public television.
German Education Minister Annette Schavan has said there should be "zero tolerance" of child sex abuse.
Most of the priests concerned are not expected to face criminal charges because the alleged crimes took place too long ago. But there have been growing calls for a change in the law and for the church to pay compensation.
Benedict has spoken out several times since the start of his papacy in 2005 to condemn paedophilia among clergymen, and he has met with abuse victims in Australia and the United States.
In February, he met with top church officials in Ireland where a similar scandal was compounded by evidence that the hierarchy covered up for predators. The pope then called child abuse a "heinous crime" and a "grave sin".
In 2001, when Pope Benedict was head of the Vatican's doctrinal watchdog, he ordered that paedophilia cases be reported to the Holy See, suspecting that many national hierarchies preferred to look the other way.
But earlier this week the pope's spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said the German, Austrian and Dutch churches had acted swiftly and "decisively" to address their respective scandals.
He also noted that sexual abuse went far beyond church walls.
According to AFP
Thursday, March 11, 2010
PHF dismisses selection committee, management
LAHORE: Pakistan Hockey Federation on Thursday dismissed the complete team management and selection committee following Pakistan’s poor performance in field hockey World Cup being played in New Delhi, ARY NEWS reported.
Four-time champion Pakistan slumped to its lowest ever finish at the men's field hockey World Cup on Thursday, finishing last after losing 3-2 to Canada in the playoff for the final two positions in the 12-nation tournament.
PHF President Qasim Zia has terminated the selection committee and the team management following the defeat, said an announcement by PHF spokesman.
Zia while talking to newsmen on telephone said further decisions would be taken following the submission of report into the event progress by the team management.
He clarified that secretary PHF Tahir Bajwa was not among those dismissed Thursday and will continue serving at his post as he is an elected official. However, he added, Bajwa will not serve any more in his previous capacity of team manager.
Earlier in the day, PHF Chief Selector Hassan Sardar and member selection committee Muhammad Shafique had tendered their resignations to PHF authorities following the country’s last defeat in the tournament here Thursday, the channel had reported.
Pakistan finish at bottom in World Cup Hockey
The match, play-off for 11-12 positions was decided in the extra time after both teams leveled the match 2-2.
This is Pakistan’s worst performance in the history of the World Cup hockey.
Pakistan took the lead in the fourth minute when Rehan Butt made breakthrough on the pass by Shakeel Abbasi.
However, Canada equalled the score in the 12th minute through Connor Grimes and both teams were playing 1-1 when the first half ended.
Akhtar Ali gave Pakistan lead in the 46th minute but Canada levelled again the game when Mark Pearson made a goal just two minutes before the match.
Scott Tupper scored the decisive goal in the 83rd minute during the extra time to take Canada too the 11th position in the tournament.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Yousuf, Younus not given life bans, says PCB
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