A Pakistani court has handed down death sentences to four youths for committing blasphemy on social media, the country’s top investigating agency said. Additional district sessions judge (Rawalpindi) Ahsan Mahmood Malik sentenced the four to death for posting blasphemous material on Facebook. Each of them has also been handed a 28-year jail term for committing blasphemy against the Quran as well, the FIA said. However, a fifth suspect, Usman Liaqat, was handed seven years of imprisonment. “Muhammad Amin, Wazir Gul, Faizan Razaak, and Muhammad Rizwan, who are in their 20s, were handed death sentences by the additional district sessions judge for posting blasphemous material against the Prophet on Facebook,” the FIA said.
HK receives heaviest rainfall in at least 140 years
Torrential rain deluged Hong Kong last week leading to widespread flooding across the densely packed city, submerging streets, shopping malls and metro stations, as authorities shut schools and asked workers to stay at home. The Chinese special administrative region saw the highest hourly rainfall since records began 140 years ago. Cascades of water tumbled down the city’s mountainous terrain as authorities issued landslide risk warnings. Streets turned into torrents, videos circulating on social media showed, while one clip showed metro workers wading waist-deep in a station as they tried to stem the water flow gushing down from road level.
Ugandan church breaks Guinness record for clapping
A church in Uganda has achieved a notable feat by setting a new Guinness World Record for the longest applause. The members of Phaneroo Ministries church in Uganda's capital, Kampala, gathered for an event called "Clap For Jesus" to celebrate the church's ninth anniversary. The congregation clapped for a total of 3 hours 16 minutes, maintaining an average sound level of 88.5 dB. For the attempt to be valid, they had to remain above 80 dB for the entire duration. During this event, 926 participants clapped continuously for three hours and 16 minutes. Grace Lubega, the leader of the church, explained that the purpose of "Clap For Jesus" was to bring people together in a spirit of thanksgiving and celebration.
Japanese minister, biz team travel to Kyiv
Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit in Kyiv, promising Tokyo’s backing and agreeing to start negotiations on security cooperation between the two countries. Hayashi, who had been on a tour of the Middle East and Poland earlier this week, made an unannounced visit to Ukraine and visited Bucha, one of the hardest-hit towns near Kyiv. He is accompanied by Japanese business representatives on his visit. Hayashi told Zelensky that Japan was ready to start negotiations on security cooperation based on an agreement between the G7 and Ukraine made during the July NATO summit.
Over 2,000 feared dead in Libya flood
Mediterranean storm Daniel caused devastating floods in Libya that swept away entire neighbourhoods and wrecked homes in multiple coastal towns. As many as 2,000 people were feared dead, one of the country's leaders said. The destruction appeared greatest in Derna, a city formerly held by Islamic extremists. Libya remains divided between two rival administrations, one in the east and one in the west, each backed by militias and foreign governments. The confirmed death toll from the weekend flooding stood at 61. But the tally did not include Derna, which had become inaccessible, and many of the thousands missing were believed carried away by waters.
Chinese battery maker to invest $2bn in Illinois
A Chinese battery maker picked Illinois for a $2 billion gigafactory that’s set to start production next year. Gotion High-tech Co’s facility will create 2,600 jobs and is the “most significant new manufacturing investment in Illinois in decades,” Governor J B Pritzker said in a statement. The plant, focusing on lithium-ion battery cell, battery pack production and energy storage systems, received state incentives valued at $536 million. Illinois has been trying to position itself as a hub for new technologies from quantum computing to life sciences and electric vehicle manufacturing. The state has recently created a task force, known as Innovate Illinois, aimed at luring federal dollars, including from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Drone strike kills 40 in Sudan capital
A drone attack on an open market south of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, killed at least 40 people, activists and medical workers said, as the military and a powerful paramilitary group battle for control of the country. At least three dozen others were injured in the attack in Khartoum’s May neighborhood, where paramilitary forces battling the military were heavily deployed, according to an activist group known as the Resistance Committees and two health care workers at the Bashair University Hospital, where the casualties were treated. The activist group, which helps organise humanitarian assistance, posted footage on social media showing bodies wrapped in white sheets in an open yard at the hospital.
Hunter Biden to be indicted on gun charge
The acrimonious collapse of a plea agreement in July spurred David Weiss, the special counsel looking into Hunter Biden, to announce his intention to indict US President Joe Biden's son on a firearms charge before the end of the month. Weiss outlined preparations to pursue charges relating to Hunter's purchase of a gun in 2018, when prosecutors claim he lied on a federal form by indicating that he was not using narcotics at the time, in a three-page update filed in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware. Hunter had previously agreed to participate in a two year diversion programme for non-violent gun offenders as part of the plea deal, which unravelled dramatically at the last minute this summer. Hunter’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, signalled that he would challenge any effort to proceed with a trial.
Schools in France send home 67 Muslim girls
Schools in France have sent “dozens” of Muslim girls home for wearing a traditional robe banned in educational settings last week. According to the French minister of education, about 300 students showed up to class wearing abayas, a long, baggy over-garment that extends from the shoulders to the feet. Official figures reflect that 298 girls, mostly aged 15 and over, wore the garment to school in spite of the ban, most of whom agreed to change their clothes after being reprimanded by teachers. However, 67 girls were sent home for defying the regulations. They are currently the subject of further conversations between their families and schools; if they fail to comply, they risk exclusion.