Congo depot blast: Toll rises to 200

Brazzaville, March 5: The toll in Sunday's arms depot blast here in the capital of the Republic of Congo has risen to 200, the country's presidential office said.

Citing hospital sources, an official from the presidency told Xinhua that around 200 people have been killed.

Many buildings in the city were destroyed, which forced thousands of people to flee, causing panic.

According to BBC, Defence Minister Charles Zacharie Bowao said the explosions were caused by a fire in an arms depot in the Regiment Blinde base in the riverside area of Mpila.

Bowao appeared on national TV and asked people to stay calm.

"The explosions that you have heard don't mean there is a war or a coup d'etat. Nor does it mean there was a mutiny. It is an incident caused by a fire at the munitions depot," he was quoted as saying.

Streets in the capital were littered with twisted sheets of metal and debris. An official said many people were trapped in the wreckage of a collapsed church.

Five Chinese workers died in the blast, which occurred around 8 a.m. Sunday, China's foreign ministry said early Monday.

According to the ministry's Department of Consular Affairs, the blast affected a housing project under construction by the Beijing Construction Engineering Group.

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Earthquake jolts Delhi, parts of neighbouring states

NEW DELHI: An earthquake of medium intensity jolted Delhi and its satellite towns on Monday afternoon, pulling panic-stricken people out of their homes and offices.

The tremors, measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale with Haryana's Bahadurgarh as epicentre, were felt across Delhi and its adjoining satellite towns of Ghaziabad and Noida in Uttar Pradesh at a 1:11pm, the MeT office said.

However, according to the US Geological Survey, the strength of the earthquake was measured 5.2 on the Richter scale.

The quake took place 9km below the surface. The tremors were felt for less than ten seconds.

"The intensity was 4.9 and the epicentre was Bahadurgarh, Delhi-Haryana Border," a senior MeT official said.

There were no immediate reports of any casualty. The fire brigade and police said they have not received any immediate calls of casualty or damage.

According to the Seismic Zone Mapping done by the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Delhi is among 30 cities in the country falling in zone IV, which is defined as a severe intensity seismic zone.

This is the third tremor in Delhi, which is among the 30 cities which fall in the high risk seismic zone, since September last year.

Tremors were felt in the capital on September 18 last year following an earthquake with an intensity of 6.8 on the Richter scale having its epicentre near Sikkim-Nepal border.

On September eight last year, an earthquake of 4.2 on Richter scale with Haryana's Sonepat as epicentre, had rocked the capital.

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Pakistani singer Shiraz Uppal quits "un-Islamic" music

Lahore: Pakistani singer Shiraz Uppal has announced he is quitting music as he believes it is "un-Islamic".

"I have quit music and have decided to follow the true teaching of my religion," he said at a news conference.

He said he just wanted to be a "good Muslim and a good human" by following the Quran and Hadith.

Uppal is a singer and songwriter who released four albums, including one in India. His songs "Tera Te Mera", "Mann Ja Ve" and "Roya Re" earned him immense popularity in both India and Pakistan.

Explaining his reasons for giving up music, Uppal said: "For the past five to six months, a battle was going on between my heart and mind and finally I have decided to say goodbye to music." 
He said he had completed his masters in business administration and would set up his own business in future.

Uppal is not the first Pakistani musician to quit music on religious grounds. Junaid Jamshad of "Dil Dil Pakistan" fame and Ali Haider too gave up music after turning to religion.

Like these other singers, Uppal reportedly decided to turn to religion after coming into contact with the Tablighi Jamaat.

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Dav Whatmore Appointed As New Pakistan Team Coach

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced that Dav Whatmore will be the national team’s new coach.

Prior to Whatmore’s appointment Mohsin Hasan Khan was serving the coach for the national team.
Whatmore will assume charge during the upcoming Asia Cup in Bangladesh.
According to the PCB, Whatmore has signed a contract to serve as the coach for two years.
Julian Fountain has also been appointed the fielding coach for the side.

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Hollywood Director Sean Stone Converted To Islam, US Media Criticizes

Sean Stone, son of controversial director Oliver Stone, converted to Islam in Iran last week and says he’s already experiencing a Hollywood backlash.

The ceremony was held in Isfahan, where he is researching a documentary. He now goes by the name of Sean Christopher Ali Stone.

He told Page Six: “I’ve already experienced the reverse of anti-Semitism, having people within the film industry express a reluctance to work with me now that I have said a simple prayer, ‘There is no God but God, and Mohammed is his messenger.’ I am sure I have [bleeped] off some powerful people.” Speaking over dinner at Barrio 47, Sean told us, “Having read the Koran and having been around the Islamic culture, especially in Iran, I do believe that Mohammed is a prophet of the same god worshipped by other religions.

“I am of a Jewish bloodline, a baptized Christian who accepts Christ’s teachings, the Jewish Old Testament and the Holy Koran. I believe there is one God, whether called Allah or Jehovah or whatever you wish to name him. He creates all peoples and religions. I consider myself a Jewish Christian Muslim.

“What I am trying to do is open up a dialogue about religion. There is such Islamophobia in the West. Islam is not a religion of violence any more than Judaism or Christianity is.”

He said his dad welcomed the move.

“My dad said, ‘Allah be with you.’ My father understands that I am trying to bridge certain gaps and bring about peace.”

But he has been shocked by the reaction from others. Sean, about to release his horror movie “Graystone,” said, “I didn’t realize I would be so vilified. It is almost like I am a criminal for having accepted Islam. I didn’t realize Islamophobia was that deep. People have speculated that I have done this because I am from a spoiled family or that I am lost and trying to find myself. That is ridiculous.

“I don’t care if I get criticized. If I can open up a debate about religion and create some understanding, then it is worth it.”

Via NyPost

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Sri Lanka beat Australia by 9 runs

Melbourne: Sri Lanka beat Australia by 9 runs to qualify for the CB Series finals against the same opposition, knocking India out, on Friday.

Chasing a target of 239, Australia lost Matthew Wade (9) and David Warner (6) early. India's hopes may have been kept alive by Shane Watson who smashed 65 with five boundaries. Once his partner in Michael Hussey left, the hopes of a win for the hosts and a qualification for India began to fade.

David Hussey anchored himself to deny Sri Lanka but failed to find a partner to manage the other end. Daniel Chirstian (3), James Pattinson (12) and Clint McKay (6) left without any intention of mounting a fight.

Earlier in the day, Daniel Christian became the first Australian to take an ODI hat-trick since Brett Lee nearly a decade ago as Sri Lanka struggled to 238 at the MCG.

Sangakkara and Chandimal put on 123 for the third wicket and Lahiru Thirimanne made a useful 51 but too many of the batsmen fell for single figures and Sri Lanka were dismissed from the last ball of the 50th over.

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