63 pc Pakistan’s youth never went to school: Data

IANS | January 8, 2026 7:21 PM

New Delhi, Jan 8 (IANS) A staggering 63 per cent of Pakistan’s youth population and 23 per cent of adolescents have never received any formal education -- highlighting a deep and persistent crisis that continues to push millions of young people to the margins of society, according to the country's Census 2023 data, media reports said.

France: Farmers storm Paris with tractors to protest against EU-Mercosur FTA

IANS | January 8, 2026 6:50 PM

Paris, Jan 8 (IANS) Farmers in France on Thursday stormed into central Paris with around 100 tractors to protest the European Union's intention to sign the Mercosur Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with South American nations. The protesters bypassed police blockades to reach prominent sites like the Eiffel Tower.

'Pakistan facing food crisis, urban areas or middle classes not exempt'

IANS | January 8, 2026 6:44 PM

New Delhi, Jan 8 (IANS) Pakistan’s Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES 2024-25), released on January 2 this year, indicates a significant increase in household food insecurity, with roughly one in four persons experiencing moderate-to-severe food insecurity in 2024-25, compared to about one in six in 2018-19, according to an article in the Pakistani media.

Pakistan: Citizens paid price every time judicial independence has been compromised

IANS | January 8, 2026 5:34 PM

Islamabad, Jan 8 (IANS) Human rights group Amnesty International's call for a review of the 27th amendment is a reminder that constitutional legitimacy flows from restraint and not concentration of power, an editorial in Pakistan's leading daily The Express Tribune has mentioned. The rule of law, it states, becomes conditional if judicial freedom is reduced and a conditional rule of law is no rule at all.

Pakistan: Christians demand protection after another attack on church

IANS | January 8, 2026 4:25 PM

Islamabad, Jan 8 (IANS) A church in Raiwind area of Pakistan's Punjab province came under attack recently as a person forcibly entered the Christian place of worship and carried out an act of destruction that has sparked fear among Christian community in the country. Religious leaders and community representatives have demanded stronger protection for places of worship and accountability for those who carry out these hate-driven acts, a report has stated.