4 DEAD IN LEICESTER EXPLOSION
LONDON: Four people were killed in an explosion and fire at a threestorey building in the central English city of Leicester, police said on Monday. The Leicestershire Police said in a statement that “there are four confirmed fatalities and four people remain in hospital, one with serious injuries.” Officers said there was no indication the explosion was related to terrorism but the cause had yet to be determined. Firefighters worked through the night to control the blaze, which tore through the building in a residential area west of Leicester’s city center. Police Superintendent Shane O’Neill warned that the toll may yet rise further. He said they believe that there may be people who have not yet been accounted fro and that rescue efforts continue.
CHURCH AT JESUS’S TRADITIONAL BURIAL SITE CLOSED FOR SECOND DAY
JERUSALEM: Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was buried, remained closed on Monday in protest at Israeli tax measures and a proposed property law. Christian leaders took the rare step of closing the church, seen as the holiest site in Christianity, on Sunday at noon in a bid to pressure Israeli authorities into abandoning the measures. They said the church, a major pilgrimage site, would be closed until further notice. Church officials said it was not clear when it would reopen. Christian leaders have been angered over attempts by Israeli authorities in Jerusalem to enforce tax collection on church property they consider commercial, saying exemptions only apply to places of worship or religious teaching. Separately, Christian leaders say legislation being considered by Israel’s government would allow church property to be expropriated.
MAJOR 7.5- MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE STRIKES PAPUA NEW GUINEA
SYDNEY: A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea on Monday, with unconfirmed reports of blackouts and damage to buildings, officials said. The quake’s epicenter was around 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of Porgera in Enga province, according to the US Geological Survey, and hit at a depth of 35 kilometers. The quake hit PNG’s mountainous interior and US scientists said there was no tsunami threat. Social media posts reported blackouts and damage to buildings at Porgera. The quake’s epicenter is in rugged terrain about 612 kilometers northwest of Port Moresby.