Pakistani court acquits Christian man accused of blasphemy
Lahore, July 7: In a rare judgement, a Pakistani court has acquitted a Christian man accused of blasphemy for lack of evidence, a court official said on Tuesday. “A sessions court on Monday acquitted Danis Albert after the prosecution failed to establish any direct connection between the accused and the alleged act (tearing the pages of a religious book),” the official said. Police had arrested Albert in April, 2024 under Sections 295-A (hate speech) and 295-B (desecration of the holy book) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of Mobeen Ilyas, who claimed that he had witnessed a person standing next to an auto-rickshaw tearing the pages of a religious book in Shadman Chowk, Lahore. Albert maintained his complete innocence and denied being present at the crime scene, saying he was implicated by the complainant on a personal grudge against him. Judge Abdul Ghaffar observed that the prosecution’s case has been severely compromised by unreliable witness testimony, missing evidence and unverified digital proof. (PTI)
US heatwave kills dozens during 250th anniv weekend
NEW YORK, July 7: The heatwave that gripped much of the United States over the weekend of the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations killed more than two dozen people across the East Coast, Southeast and Southwest. In New Jersey, at least 29 people are estimated to have died as a result of the heat wave, according to the state’s Department of Health. The deaths were reported across 10 counties, and officials say most of the victims were found in homes without air conditioning. The heat wave has affected large parts of the country, with more than 20 states recording temperatures of at least 37.8 degrees Celsius, according to the FOX Forecast Center. At least 148 daily high-temperature records were set between June 30 and July 5. (IANS)
White House ballroom to have military-grade security: Trump
Washington, July 7: President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled details of an ambitious new White House ballroom that he said would become one of the most secure and architecturally significant government buildings in the US, arguing that the Executive Mansion has lacked a proper venue for hosting world leaders for more than a century. Speaking at a Rose Garden luncheon, Trump said the structure would be “bulletproof, drone proof, missile proof in many cases,” with reinforced steel walls, heavy-duty glass and a dedicated military component, including what he described as a rooftop “drone port.” (IANS)
