1. Congo arms depot blast

At least 206 people were killed on Sunday when an arms dump exploded in Brazzaville, ripping apart a nearby neighborhood in the Congo Republic’s capital, medical and local authorities said.

Around 200 more were injured by the blast, which rocked the riverside capital at 8 a.m. local time, flattening houses near the scene and sending a plume of smoke high above the city.

2. Ohio school shooter confesses

A 17-year-old student suspected of a shooting rampage* at an Ohio high school in the United States that killed three teenagers and wounded two others has confessed to opening fire on students he chose at random, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

The student, identified by authorities as T. J. Lane, has confessed to police to taking a knife and a .22-caliber* pistol into the high school cafeteria and firing 10 rounds at randomly selected students, prosecutors said. One died immediately at the site.

3. Indians mark Holi festival

Indian villagers celebrated the Lathmar Holi festival by spraying colored water at the Nandji Temple in Nandgaon, some 120 kms from New Delhi, on Saturday.

The women of Nandgaon, the hometown of Hindu God Krishna, attacked the men from Barsana, the legendary hometown of Radha, consort* of Hindu God Krishna, with wooden sticks in response to their efforts to put color on them, reciprocating acts performed on Saturday in Barsana between the women of that village with the men of Nandgaon as they observed the festival.

4. N. Korea stops nuke tests

North Korea last week announced it will halt nuclear tests, long-range missile launches and enrichment* activities at its Yongbyon nuclear complex* in exchange for food aid from the United States.

In return for the moratorium* on nuclear activities at this key site, the United States has agreed to a package of 240,000 metric tons of nutritional assistance to North Korea, which includes corn-soy blend, beans, vegetable oils and ready-to-eat therapeutic* food.

5. Turkey bombing injures 10

A remote-controlled bomb injured 10 police officers as their vehicle passed close to the Istanbul headquarters of Turkey’s ruling AK Party, Turkish police said. Istanbul police chief Huseyin Capkin said the device was placed on a motorcycle and set off by remote control.

6. EU pulls ambassadors from Belarus*

Tensions between Belarus and the West soared on Tuesday as the European Union announced it was recalling all its ambassadors to the former Soviet republic in response to Belarus asking the EU and Polish ambassadors to leave.

The tit-for-tat* moves followed the latest EU sanctions on Belarus. The withdrawals of the diplomats will further isolate Belarus from Europe, with which it has been feuding* over human rights issues, and push Belarus even closer to Russia, with which it has an awkward alliance.

7. Putin claims Russian vote victory

Vladimir Putin scored a decisive victory in Russia’s presidential election on Sunday to return to the Kremlin and extend his hold on power for six more years.

His eyes brimming with tears, he defiantly proclaimed to a sea of supporters that they had triumphed over opponents’ intent on “destroying Russia’s statehood and usurping power.”

(SD-Agencies)