JAPAN HIT BY THIRD STRONG EARTHQUAKE

MAGNITUDE 6.5 EARTHQUAKE HITS OFF
COAST OF JAPAN, THIRD SINCE AUG. 9

TOKYO - Eastern Japan has been hit by a third strong earthquake in less than a week, prompting speculation that the recent underground activity may be the precursor to a massive - and overdue - tremor in the Tokai region. A magnitude-6.6 earthquake struck south of Tokyo at 7:49 a.m. local time today, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, the third temblor to rock the Japanese capital since Aug. 9. The earthquake hit 312 kilometers (186 miles) south of Tokyo at a depth of 57 kilometers, shaking buildings in the capital, the weather agency said on its Web site. There were no reports of injuries or damage.A magnitude-6.5 earthquake to the southwest of Tokyo two days ago left one person dead, 123 people injured and damaged 5,192 houses, according to Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency. An aftershock from was recorded at 10:53 a.m. today with a magnitude of 4.9, the JMA said.

Today’s quake may have generated a local tsunami, U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. There was no warning from the Japanese agency and no tsunami was recorded. Major movements in the crust of the Earth have occurred in the Tokai region, close to the major city of Nagoya, on average every 110 years. The last one with a magnitude of 8 was 155 years ago. Researchers now put the likelihood of a serious earthquake - one that could cause around 6,000 deaths, 20,000 serious injuries and damage to 1 million buildings - within the next 30 years as high as 87 per cent. Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, and experts believe Tokyo has a 90 per cent chance of being hit by a major quake over the next 50 years.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Material life is not very happy because we are always fearful of something. No one can say, "I am not afraid of anything." Everyone is afraid of something. There is not a bird, beast, human being or living entity alive that is not afraid of something. This is because we are absorbed in the bodily conception, thinking, "I am this body." Since everyone is thinking in this way, everyone fears bodily destruction. When there was an earthquake in Los Angeles, everyone ran out their houses screaming. Everyone was terrified, thinking, "Now death is coming!" This is material nature. There are many events in nature that cause fear. There are great cyclones and tornadoes. There is excessive heat and excessive rain. There is flood and famine and war. Yet people are thinking of being happy on this planet.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti - Chapter 17 - Verse 42"

FLU DRUGS 'UNHELPFUL' IN CHILDREN

RESEARCH HAS CAST DOUBT ON THE POLICY
OF GIVING ANTIVIRAL DRUGS TO CHILDREN FOR SWINE FLU

London - (BBC News) - Work in the British Medical Journal shows Tamiflu and Relenza rarely prevent complications in children with seasonal flu, yet carry side effects. Although they did not test this in the current swine flu pandemic, they say these drugs are unlikely to help children who catch the H1N1 virus. The Department of Health said a "safety-first approach" of offering antivirals to everyone remained a sensible and responsible way forward, but promised to keep the policy under review. Antivirals are the mainstay of treatment at the moment until a vaccine becomes available, which is expected in September.

The drugs are designed to ensure that symptoms are mild and reduce the chance of an infected person giving the illness to someone else. The UK has moved beyond the stage of containing swine flu into the "treatment phase", which means that Tamiflu is only being offered to people who have swine flu and not usually to their contacts. While the latest study shows that antivirals can shorten the duration of normal seasonal flu in children by up to a day and a half, it also shows that they have little or no effect on asthma flare-ups, ear infections or the likelihood of children needing antibiotics. But the drugs can cause unpleasant side effects, such as vomiting with Tamiflu.

There is also the risk that widespread use of the drugs will mean the virus will develop resistance to them. For most children aged between 1 and 12, the risks associated with taking the drugs may well outweigh any benefits, say the researchers. They say parents with sick children should make sure they get lots of rest and enough fluids and that they should contact their doctor if the child's condition gets worse. But it is important to remember we are still in the first wave of swine flu. The situation in the autumn may be much worse.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The living entity is eternal, but somehow or other, when in contact with the material energy, he is subjected to the repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. The physicians of the modern day should learn from Murāri Gupta. Although modern philanthropic physicians open gigantic hospitals, there are no hospitals to cure the material disease of the spirit soul. The Krishna consciousness movement has taken up the mission of curing this disease, but people are not very appreciative because they do not know what this disease is. A diseased person needs both proper medicine and a proper diet, and therefore the Krishna consciousness movement supplies materially stricken people with the medicine of the chanting of the holy name, or the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra, and the diet of prasādam.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrita - Ādi-līlā - Chapter 10 - Verse 51"

COSTA RICA'S PRESIDENT HAS SWINE FLU

COSTA RICAN PRESIDENT OSCAR ARIAS
HAS SWINE FLU, QUARANTINED AT HOME WITH FEVER

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Nobel Peace laureate and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias said Tuesday that he has swine flu, showing that not even a head of state is safe from the virus that has caused worldwide concern but relatively few deaths. The 69-year-old president and Nobel Peace Prize winner said in a statement that he was quarantined at home and is being treated with the anti-flu medicine oseltamivir. "The pandemic makes no distinctions," Arias said. "I am one more case in this country and I am being submitted to the recommendations that health authorities have established for the entire population."

Arias suffers from asthma and is at higher risk than most, but was in good enough health to continue working. "Aside from the discomfort of the fever and sore throat, I feel in good shape and in full capacity to carry out my work by telecommuting," Arias said in the statement. The president had flu symptoms since Sunday, but participated in public activities as late as Tuesday morning, when he appeared at a call center. Arias has been serving on-and-off as a mediator in the political crisis in Honduras after that country's president was ousted June 28 in a coup.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

This material world is full of distress, and both the pious and impious are subject to it. The cold of winter treats everyone alike. It does not care for the pious or impious, the rich or the poor. The difference between the pious and the impious, however, is that the pious man thinks of God when he is in his miserable condition.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"On the Way to Krishna - Chapter 4 - The Roads of the Foolish and the Wise"

Everyone takes birth in this material world because of the contaminated desires of his previous life, and thus he is subjected to the stringent laws of nature, such as birth and death, distress and happiness, profit and loss. One should not be disturbed by duality, but should always be fixed in My service and thus remain balanced in mind and satisfied in all circumstances, considering all things to be given by Me, and one should remain undeviated from engagement in devotional service. Thus one can live a very happy and peaceful life, even within this material condition.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"Krishna Book - Chapter 73 - Lord Krishna Returns to the City of Hastināpura"

AUNG SAN SUU KYI VERDICT IS MOCKERY

SUU KYI’S LIFE OF SOLITUDE:
18 MORE MONTHS OF HOUSE ARREST LOOM

RANGUN - Burma’s military regime presented yesterday’s sentence of 18 months house arrest on opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as a concession, compared to the court verdict of three years hard labour. It is in fact a monstrous injustice and a manipulative move to keep her party out of elections called for 2010. Surprising almost no one in the international community, the ruling Burmese military junta and its puppet court on Tuesday announced a guilty verdict in the trial of Burmese freedom fighter and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Convicted of violating her terms of house arrest by allowing an American, John Yettaw, to swim to her home and seek shelter, Suu Kyi was sentenced to three years hard labor. Immediately after this announcement, the court adjourned for several minutes. Following this recess, Home Affairs Minister General Maung Oo announced an order of commutation from ruling Senior General Than Shwe, to a sentence of 18 months under house arrest. The courtroom theatrics were a clear attempt by the junta to be seen as lenient and/or responsive to the international outcry that has surrounded Suu Kyi's trial, while keeping the democratic leader safely locked away during the regime's planned 2010 elections.

So far, the dramatics aren't working. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a diplomatic trip in Africa, decried the verdict, saying: "She should not have been tried, and she should not have been convicted. We continue to call for her release." British Prime Minister Gordon Brown added that he was "saddened and angry" at the "monstrous" sentencing. Even French President Nicolas Sarkozy got into the mix, announcing, "This political trial had just one aim: to prevent Madame Aung San Suu Kyi from leading her fight in favor of a free and democratic Burma." Sarkozy called for further sanctions against the regime -- specifically in the industries of timber and gems, but not, alas, in natural gas. (Total, the French energy behemoth, is a major investor in Burmese gas fields.)

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Hiranyakaśipu's spiritual master, Śukrācārya, had two sons named Shanda and Amarka, to whom Prahlāda Mahārāja was entrusted for education. Although the teachers tried to educate the boy Prahlāda in politics, economics and other material activities, he did not care for their instructions. Instead, he continued to be a pure devotee. Prahlāda Mahārāja never liked the idea of discriminating between one's friends and enemies. Because he was spiritually inclined, he was equal toward everyone.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 7 - Summary Chapter 5"

A pure devotee is always free from any kind of material desires. In the material world, one's material desires are all most demonic; one thinks of others as one's enemies, one thinks of revenge against one's enemies, one aspires to become the topmost leader or topmost person in this material world, and thus one competes with all others.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 1 - Chapter 10 - Verse 5"

ECUADOR'S PRESIDENT VOWS LEFTIST PUSH IN NEW TERM

RAFAEL CORREA STARTS A NEW TERM PROMISING
"21ST CENTURY SOCIALISM" FOR ECUADOR

QUITO (Reuters) - President Rafael Correa starts a second term yesterday. Correa, a popular former economy minister, was re-elected in April for a four-year term under a new constitution that expanded presidential powers. The first re-election of a president since democracy was restored 30 years ago is a sign of stability in a nation where three presidents were toppled in the last decade. But Correa will struggle with falling oil revenues, the mainstay of government's finances, and fallout from a foreign debt default that shut Ecuador out of international capital markets. He has benefited from constitutional reform that put the central bank under his control, empowered him to redistribute idle farmland and widened his authority over key sectors like mining and oil.

Correa's heavy social spending and frequent outbursts against business elites, who he blames for the OPEC country's sharp divide between rich and poor, have helped consolidate popular support, pollsters say. But the U.S.-educated economist could now face resistance in Ecuador's legislature where his party managed to cobble together an alliance. That majority may crumble, some analysts say, unless Correa tones down his confrontational style. Pollsters and analysts say joblessness and other hot-button issues could also erode support as the economy flags. An ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Correa has already rattled investors by hiking taxes, defaulting on debt and expelling foreign firms over tax or legal wrangles. Like Chavez, he uses the "21st century Socialism" slogan to describe his campaign to bring more equality to Ecuador. After winning re-election, Correa said he would steer Ecuador toward his new brand of socialism by "radicalizing" and "accelerating" changes introduced after he first took office in January 2007.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The living entity's desiring is like dreaming of a golden mountain. A person knows what a mountain is, and he knows also what gold is. Out of his desire only, he dreams of a golden mountain, and when the dream is over he sees something else in his presence. He finds in his awakened state that there is neither gold nor a mountain, and what to speak of a golden mountain. The different positions of the living entities in the material world under multifarious manifestations of bodies are due to the misconception of "mine" and "I." The karmī thinks of this world as "mine," and the jñānī thinks "I am" everything. The whole material conception of politics, sociology, philanthropy, altruism, etc., conceived by the conditioned souls is on the basis of this misconceived "I" and "mine," which are products of a strong desire to enjoy material life. Identification with the body and the place where the body is obtained under different conceptions of socialism, nationalism, family affection, and so on and so forth is all due to forgetfulness of the real nature of the living entity, and the whole misconception of the bewildered living entity can be removed by the association of Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Mahārāja Parīksit, as all this is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 2 - Chapter 9 - Verse 2"

STRING OF BOMBINGS KILL AT LEAST 42 IN IRAQ

BOMBS ALSO CONTINUE TO STRIKE NEIGHBORHOODS
IN BAGHDAD DESPITE SECURITY GAINS

BAGHDAD – A double truck bombing tore through a Shiite community near the northern city of Mosul, while blasts in Baghdad targeted primarily Shiites in a wave of violence that killed at least 42 people, Iraqi officials said. The deadliest blast on Monday was a double truck bombing in Khazna village, just east of Mosul, as the members of a Shiite minority ethnic group called the Shabak, who live there, were still sleeping. Two explosives-laden trucks went off nearly simultaneously and less than 500 yards apart, killing at least 25 people and wounding 138, said a security official in Mosul. Nobody claimed responsibility for the attack, but it bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida in Iraq and other Sunni insurgents who remain active in Mosul and surrounding areas.

The first bomb Monday was hidden in a pile of trash when it exploded about 5:50 a.m. near a group of construction workers drinking tea and looking for day jobs in the religiously mixed neighborhood of Amil, killing at least seven people and wounding 46, officials said. About 10 minutes later a car bomb targeted construction workers elsewhere in western Baghdad, killing at least 10 people and wounding 35, according to police. Three bombs also exploded in the mainly Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah shortly before 7 a.m., wounding a member of a government-backed paramilitary group, an army official said. Another bomb exploded 30 minutes later in Karradah in downtown Baghdad, wounding 4 people, a police official said. That was followed a few hours later by two more roadside bombs in Baghdad — one in southwestern Baghdad and the other in eastern Baghdad — that wounded six people, an Iraqi police official said.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

In the Gurv-astaka, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura has sung:

samsāra-dāvānala-līdha-loka-
trānāya kārunya-ghanāghanatvam

A life in this material world is exactly like a blazing forest fire. No one goes to set fire to the forest, yet the fire takes place. Similarly. everyone wants to be happy in the material world, but the miserable conditions of material life simply increase. Sometimes a person caught in the blazing fire of material existence condemns himself, but due to his bodily conception he cannot get out of the entanglement, and thus he suffers more and more.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 1 - Chapter 10 - Verse 5"

SUDANESE JOURNALIST FACES LASHINGS OVER CLOTHES

TROUSER-WEARING SUDANESE JOURNALIST
LUBNA AL-HUSSEIN READY FOR '40,000 LASHES'

(CNN) - A Sudanese journalist is fighting charges of wearing indecent clothes that could get her 40 lashings for getting caught wearing trousers. A Sudanese court Wednesday began hearing Lubna Al Hussein's case and decided to continue the hearing in the next days. Hussein, who writes for a newspaper and works for the media department of the United Nations mission in Sudan, told CNN she was released to her home in Khartoum. She and 18 other women were arrested by Sudan's general discipline police July 3 for wearing indecent clothing. Six of the women were released, and another 10 received 40 lashes, Hussein said. She and two others fought the charges and hired attorneys, she said. This Sudanese journalist arrested for wearing trousers said she is willing to endure “40,000 lashes” in order to change her country's unfair laws.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday said he was "deeply concerned" and would take every effort to protect his staff member. "The flogging is against the international human rights standards," he said. "I call on all parties to live up to their obligations under all relevant international instruments." The indecent clothing charge has only one punishment under Sudanese law, which is to receive 40 lashes in public, according to the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. "This case is the official retaliation against the reporter for her writings criticizing the Sudanese regime and extremists," the human rights organization said in a statement. Hussein said she will stand firm on her position that she did nothing wrong. At the time of her arrest, she was wearing pants, a blouse and a hijab, or head scarf, Hussein said. Police accused her of wearing trousers which were too tight, and alleged that her blouse was too transparent, she said.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

After hearing Ramananda Raya expound upon the proper execution of a regulated life, Lord Caitanya said that such regulations are simply external. Indirectly He asked Ramananda to expound on something superior to such an external exhibition. Formal execution of rituals and religion is useless unless it culminates in the perfection of devotional service. Lord Visnu is not satisfied simply by a ritualistic adherence to Vedic instructions; He is actually pleased when one attains the stage of devotional service. ... Ramananda Raya wanted to present these facts before the Lord, but apparently discharge of ritualistic duties wasn't sufficient, for Lord Caitanya said that it was external. Lord Caitanya was pointing out that if a man has a material conception of life, he cannot attain the highest perfection even if he follows all the ritualistic regulations.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Teachings of Lord Caitanya - Chapter 27"

N.Y.: HELICOPTER, SMALL PLANE CRASH; 9 DEAD

EUROPEAN TOURISTS AND A CHILD AMONG DEAD
AFTER LIGHT PLANE AND HELICOPTER PLUNGE INTO HUDSON

New York - Nine people were killed today after a sightseeing helicopter carrying Italian tourists collided in mid-air with a small plane near New York and crashed into the Hudson river. Eyewitnesses saw a wing come off the plane during the collision just after noon US time and watched as the helicopter "fell like a stone" into the river. Five Italian tourists and the pilot were aboard the helicopter; in the plane, along with the pilot, there were two passengers, one of whom was a child. Another pilot on the ground at the heliport saw the plane approaching and tried to radio an alert to the helicopter above. But the warning was either not heard, or failed to get through in time.

The collision took place just south of the stretch of river where a US Airways jet that had run into trouble after apparently hitting a flock of geese was ditched in January by its pilot, who was hailed as a hero for saving the lives of all 150 people on board. Two bodies were recovered but there was no hope of finding survivors, said New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, who described the incident as "not survivable". He said that police had found one piece of wreckage in the murky waters of the Hudson and that the search would probably continue for a few days. "This has changed from a rescue to a recovery mission. There's not going to be a happy ending," he added.

The plane, which was a single-engine Piper PA-32R-300, had taken off earlier from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and was flying south along the river when it appeared to lose control as it banked steeply and struck the helicopter close to the shore line of Hoboken, New Jersey. The helicopter, operated by Liberty Helicopter, the largest sightseeing and charter helicopter operator in the north-east US, had taken off moments earlier from West 30th Street in Manhattan. Hundreds of people on both sides of the mile-wide river watched as the two aircraft appeared to break apart, with the rotary blades detaching from the helicopter, opposite the west side of Manhattan.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Yoga means to inquire. What am I? If I am not this body, then what am I? I am pure soul. Now, if my bodily activities or sensual activities are incorrect, I will not be able to understand myself--what I am--and the Bhagavad-gita says that we are all grand fools. Why fools? Since we have this body, we are fools. If somebody invites you to come to his apartment but you know it is full of danger, do you think you would like to go there? "Oh no," you will say, "I am not going there. If it is full of danger, why shall I go?" Similarly, don't you think that the body is full of danger? Then, why are you going there, taking repeated birth? When you are flying in a plane, you are always fearful that there may be a crash. And what is this crashing? It is due to the body. The soul cannot be affected by crashes. But you are always afraid. The soul is ever-existing, and the body will not exist. And because you are existing and the soul has accepted the nonexisting body, therefore you suffer.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Krishna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga Sistem - Chapter 4"

PARAGUAY: LANDLESS ACTIVISTS TRY CRUCIFIXION

PARAGUAY LANDLESS TRY CRUCIFIXION
TO GET ATTENTION IN AN APPEAL FOR LAND

ASUNCION, Paraguay – It's a gruesome tradition in Paraguay that gets results, at least from leftist priest-turned president Fernando Lugo. A half-dozen protesters have hammered long nails through their hands and tied themselves to crosses or laid in coffins in an appeal for land. One woman even sewed her mouth shut so she can only drink liquids. They joined hundreds of Indians from the Mbya and Ava Guarani tribes who are holding their own demonstrations for land and food. Activist Ricardo Valenzuela said they would stay nailed to crosses until Lugo meets their needs.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

There is enough of everything by the will of the Lord, and we can make proper use of things to live comfortably without enmity between men, or animal and man or nature. The control of the Lord is everywhere, and if the Lord is pleased, every part of nature will be pleased. The river will flow profusely to fertilize the land; the oceans will supply sufficient quantities of minerals, pearls and jewels; the forest will supply sufficient wood, drugs and vegetables, and the seasonal changes will effectively help produce fruits and flowers in profuse quantity.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 1 - Chapter 10 - Verse 5"

TAIWAN BRACES FOR TYPHOON MORAKOT

TYPHOON MORAKOT IS DUE TO PASS OVER
TAIWAN'S HEAVILY POPULATED NORTH

TAIPEI — Taiwan has closed schools and offices and cancelled flights as the strongest typhoon of the year nears the island. Typhoon Morakot is expected to pass directly over the capital, Taipei, with winds of about 145km/h (90mph) and heavy rainfall, meteorologists said. Landslides and power outages have been reported in the north of the island. Millions of people living in the north of Taiwan are sheltering in their homes, awaiting the arrival of Morakot. Fourteen people were injured in Taiwan on Friday as mainland China evacuated 20,000 people and called tens of thousands of boats back to port ahead of Typhoon Morakot. None of those hurt in typhoon related accidents across the island were seriously wounded though, rescuers said. Local television reported that a woman was drowned in northern Keelung habour.

Taiwan's financial markets, offices and summer schools were shut and most outdoor festivities postponed, with Morakot expected to make landfall in the northeast late Friday, unleashing powerful winds and heavy rain. All domestic flights and many international flights have been cancelled, service on the island's high-speed railroad has been suspended and seaports have been closed due to the high winds. Gusts have reached up to 180km/h (112mph). Nearly 50cm (20 inches) of rain has already fallen in some mountainous areas. Some minor landslides have been reported in the north of the island and power has been cut to about 25,000 households. Taiwan's weather bureau has said the impact of the typhoon could be prolonged as it is moving slowly. Taiwan is typically hit by a dozen or so typhoons in the summer which help to replenish its water supply. The authorities said Morakot had already brought 167 million tons of water to reservoirs island-wide to help avert an imminent drought.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Modern scientists say that there are no demigods and that there is no God, that all events are being carried out by nature. It is true that nature is working, but nature, after all, is nothing but matter. Matter cannot work without being directed by a living being. We cannot say that matter works independently. In the ocean we always see that there are great waves moving. Water is dull matter, but the air is pushing these great waves and dashing them onto the earth. Scientists say that nature works in this way and that, but nature is not independent. We receive information from authoritative śāstras that nature is moving under the direction of the demigods. So we cannot say that these processes are automatically taking place. Scientists admit that nature is working in a wonderful way, but, after all, nature is not under their control. The scientists may accept or defy Krishna, but they cannot defy the activities of nature. Everyone is subordinate to nature. Nature, however, is working under the direction of God; therefore everyone is subordinate to God.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti - Chapter 17 - Verse 42"

TONGA: NUMBER OF MISSING RISES IN FERRY SINKING

FERRY SINKS OFF TONGA;
DOZENS MISSING, FEARED DEAD

NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga — Giving women and children the comfort of cabins while men stayed on deck may have doomed them to be trapped inside an overnight ferry that capsized in heavy seas off Tonga, officials said Thursday. Dozens are missing and feared dead. "No women or children made it," said a passenger after he was brought ashore with the other male survivors who managed to cram aboard the ferry's seven or eight lifeboats. The missing passengers, mainly Tongan women and children who were sleeping in cabins below deck, likely would have gone down with the ship, he said, so chances they would be found alive "are not great." A lot of boats traveled between islands of the archipelago every day and "the ratio of accidents to trips is quite small," Sevele said. Tongan boats immediately rushed to the area on a search and rescue mission, and New Zealand — which has responsibility for maritime emergencies in Tongan waters — sent a military plane to join in, overflying a trail of debris some 10 miles (15 kilometers) long for most of Thursday. Most survivors were picked up from lifeboats within a few hours of the search starting, although no more survivors had been located by sunset Thursday.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

In Bhagavad-gītā (2.13) the first instruction given by the Lord is:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe
kaumāram yauvanam jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

"As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change."
We are not the body; we are spiritual beings trapped in the body. Our real interest lies in understanding this simple fact. Then we can make further spiritual progress. Otherwise, if we remain in the bodily conception of life, our miserable material existence will continue forever.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 6 - Chapter 15 - Verse 3"

ROADSIDE BOMBS KILL 22 IN AFGHANISTAN

A ROADSIDE BOMB IN SOUTHERN
AFGHANISTAN KILLS 21 CIVILIANS

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - (Reuters) - A roadside bomb struck a tractor carrying people to a wedding in southern Afghanistan, killing 21 civilians in one of the deadliest strikes in weeks, Afghan officials said on Thursday. The attack, which took place on Wednesday but was not reported until Thursday morning, was part of a mounting wave of violence two weeks before Afghans go to the polls for a presidential election. Afghan authorities said the explosion happened in Garmsir, a district of the province where U.S. Marines launched the biggest operation of the war last month against Taliban militants."It's the work of the enemy of the nation, it's the work of the enemy of peace and the work of the Taliban," a police officer said.

Police said by telephone that the dead included women and children, heading to a wedding in a trailor pulled by a tractor. The large group of people were riding a tractor in the Garmser district of Helmand province Wednesday morning when they were hit by a roadside bomb.

Violence and deaths are climbing sharply as Western forces push into Taliban territory ahead of Aug. 20 presidential elections, but rising civilian casualties are seen as deeply damaging to the international effort to defeat the insurgents. Some 4,000 Marines moved into the Garmser area last month to secure roads and population centers ahead of the presidential vote. The insurgents have pledged to disrupt the election and dramatically increased their use of roadside bombs against foreign and Afghan forces across southern Afghanistan, the traditional territory of the largely ethnic Pashtun Taliban.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Whenever there is a war, there is certainly a massacre of many innocent living beings, such as boys, brāhmaṇas and women, whose killing is considered to be the greatest of sins. They are all innocent creatures, and in all circumstances killing of them is forbidden in the scriptures.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 1 - Chapter 8 - Verse 49"

The defenseless creatures, according to Brahma-samhitā, are the cows, brāhmanas, women, children and old men. Just as children are taken care of by the parents, women as a class should be taken care of by the father, husband or grown-up son. Those who are helpless must be taken care of by their respective guardians, otherwise the guardians will be subjected to the punishment of Yamarāja, who is appointed by the Lord to supervise the activities of sinful living creatures. The assistants, or messengers, of Yamarāja are likened here to vultures, and those who do not execute their respective duties in protecting their wards are compared to serpents. Vultures deal very seriously with serpents, and similarly the messengers will deal very seriously with neglectful guardians.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 3 - Chapter 16 - Verse 10"

INDIA: LIGHTNING KILLS 11, INJURES 15

LIGHTNING STRIKES KILL 11,
INJURE 15 IN WESTERN INDIA

CALCUTTA, India (AP) - Officials say at least 11 people have been killed and 15 others seriously injured after being struck by lightning in eastern India. The deaths occurred in two separate incidents Tuesday in Burdwan district in West Bengal state. The area is 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of the state capital, Calcutta.

Local government official Rajesh Singh says nine people, including four children, were killed as they ate lunch inside a room during a thunderstorm, and two others died as they worked in their fields the same afternoon. He says the injured are being treated for burns at a local hospital.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The way of devotional service is neither sentimental nor mundane. It is the path of reality by which the living entity can attain the transcendental happiness of being freed from the three kinds of material miseries — miseries arising from the body and mind, from other living entities and from natural disturbances. Everyone who is conditioned by material existence — whether he be a man or beast or demigod or bird — must suffer from ādhyātmika (bodily or mental) pains, ādhibhautika pains (those offered by living creatures), and ādhidaivika pains (those due to supernatural disturbances). His happiness is nothing but a hard struggle to get free from the miseries of conditional life. But there is only one way he can be rescued, and that is by accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 3 - Chapter 5 - Verse 40"

AUSTRALIA CHARGES FOUR MORE OVER ALLEGED TERROR PLOT

SUSPECT IN ALLEGED AUSTRALIAN
TERROR PLOT DENIES CHARGE

MELBOURNE (AFP) — Australia—One of five men charged in an alleged plot to shoot up an Australian military base angrily denied he was a terrorist in court Wednesday and accused the country's troops of killing innocent people overseas. Australia on Wednesday charged four more men with planning a suicide assault on a Sydney army barracks, prompting an angry outburst from one of them, as details emerged of the alleged plot. These men appeared in court charged with preparing the Sydney attack or helping someone engage in hostile acts overseas. Police say the plan was to storm Sydney's Holsworthy base, home to thousands of troops including a major anti-extremist unit, with firearms in what would have been Australia's worst militant attack. Police said the men were linked to the Somali Islamist organization al-Shabaab and were trying to find a senior cleric who would approve the operation so they could become martyrs.

Terrorist violence is extremely rare in Australia - the unsolved 1978 bombing near the Hilton Hotel that killed two is the best-known incident - and no attacks have been carried out in the country since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S. raised security threat levels worldwide. But dozens of Australians have died in terrorist attacks overseas, mostly in Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings. The purported Somali-linked plot is the second major coordinated attack plan exposed in Australia in recent years. Seven men were imprisoned in the past year for a nascent plot to target thousands of spectators in an attack on a big sporting event in Australia.

Australia became a staunch U.S. ally in the war on terrorism after Sept. 11 and has deployed forces to fight insurgents in Afghanistan. Al-Shabaab has been fighting to overthrow Somalia's Western-backed transitional government. It has claimed responsibility for several high-profile bombings and shootings in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, targeting Ethiopian troops and Somali government officials. Washington has designated al-Shabaab as a terrorist group and says it has provided safe havens to al-Qaida "elements" wanted for the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 236 people. The two groups have long been suspected of working together, but they have not announced a formal alliance.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Under the influence of material nature, the conditioned soul becomes absorbed in material consciousness. In this consciousness, whatever is done under the influence of the material energy is accepted by the conditioned soul as self-actuated. Actually, the soul in his pure state of existence should be in Krishna consciousness. When a person is not acting in Krishna consciousness, he is understood to be acting in material consciousness.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 3 - Chapter 26 - Verse 6"

Thus mental absorption in social, political, pseudoreligious, national and communal consciousness is cause for bondage. During one's lifetime one has to change his activities in order to attain release from bondage. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (3.9), yajñārthāt karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah. If we do not change our consciousness in this life, whatever we do in the name of social, political, religious or communal and national welfare will be the cause of our bondage. This means we have to continue in material, conditional life. As explained in Bhagavad-gītā (15.7), manah-sasthānīndriyāni prakrti-sthāni karsati. When the mind and senses are engaged in material activities, one has to continue his material existence and struggle to attain happiness.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 4 - Chapter 28 - Verse 20"

17 COLOMBIAN REBELS KILLED IN AIR STRIKE

COLOMBIA MILITARY KILL
17 REBELS IN AIR STRIKE

Bogota - (EFE) At least 17 rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were killed when the security forces bombed one of their hideouts in the country’s central Meta province, officials said. There were 200 FARC guerrillas at the camp when the attack took place, a defence ministry spokesman said Monday, without elaborating on the fate of the other rebels. Media reports said the security forces have launched a major operation against the rebels, mainly to capture FARC’s 27th Front commander Efren Arboleda. The operation was hampered due to the bad weather, reports said.

In a separate development, the army and the air force have launched an operation against the rebels in southern Caqueta province. The main target is the chief of FARC’s 49th Front, Wilson Pena Maje. Gen. Javier Florez, commander of the Joint Task Force Omega, said his soldiers have killed at least 40 militants in clashes in eastern Colombia in recent weeks. FARC, the country’s largest leftist group, has fought with successive Colombian governments since mid-1960s. The group is thought to have around 9,000 fighters.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Moreover, one should always think oneself dependent on Krishna. This is Krishna consciousness. One should always think, "Without Krishna my life is useless, and I am in danger." Therefore, while offering her prayers to Krishna, Kuntī says, "Krishna, You are thinking that now we are safe, but I don't think we are safe. We are always in danger. If You think we are safe, who will give us protection? We have no protection other than Your lotus feet. We are encircled by so many enemies because the sons of those who have died in the fight are now preparing to fight with us." Now, although Krishna had come to Kuntīdevī to take the dust of the feet of His superior, His aunt, Kuntīdevī addresses Him as Prabhu, the Lord, not as her beloved nephew. She knows, "Although Krishna is playing the part of my nephew, my brother's son, He is still the supreme master."

The symptoms of a really Krishna conscious person are that he knows that Krishna is the supreme master, he always thinks himself in danger without Krishna, and by taking shelter of Krishna's lotus feet he always feels safe. Krishna says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktah pranaśyati: "You may declare to the world that My devotee is never vanquished." (Bg. 9.31) If one becomes a pure devotee of Krishna, there is no question of danger. Of course, Krishna gives protection to everyone, for without His protection no one can live even for a single moment.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"Teachings of Queen Kuntī - Chapter 20: Full Surrender"

CHINA: OUTBREAK OF PNEUMONIC PLAGUE

ENTIRE TOWN IN QUARANTINE AFTER
THREE DIE FROM PNEUMONIC PLAGUE IN CHINA

PEKIN - An outbreak of pneumonic plague has killed three people in China and forced the lockdown of a remote town of 10,000 to halt the further spread of one of the world’s deadliest and most contagious diseases. Those infected were undergoing treatment in isolation in a local Tibetan hospital while all 10,000 residents of Ziketan were placed in quarantine to try to halt the spread of one of the deadliest diseases in history. Pneumonic plague is spread through the air and can be passed from person to person through coughing, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is caused by the same bacteria that occurs in bubonic plague — the Black Death that killed an estimated 25 million people in Europe during the Middle Ages. The WHO said that it was not unduly concerned by the outbreak.

China has eradicated the plague from most parts of the country, but still reports occasional cases in remote western Tibetan areas where the disease is carried by rats and the marmots that live across the huge Himalayan plateau. Outbreaks can be caused when Tibetans eat an infected marmot or come into contact with fleas carried by rats. The local government has already launched a campaign to kill rats, marmots and other possible carriers in the area where the latest outbreak was reported. One medical expert said that it was important for Tibetans to take great care when burying their meat in the ground for cooler storage to prevent rodents from finding the stash and infecting it. One woman resident said that county officials distributed flyers and made television and radio announcements on how to prevent infection. The woman said that police checkpoints had been set up in a 17-mile (28km) radius around Ziketan and residents were not allowed to leave.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

By practice, one should avoid eating in such a way that other living entities will be disturbed and suffer. Since I suffer when pinched or killed by others, I should not attempt to pinch or kill any other living entity. People do not know that because of killing innocent animals they themselves will have to suffer severe reactions from material nature. Any country where people indulge in unnecessary killing of animals will have to suffer from wars and pestilence imposed by material nature. Comparing one's own suffering to the suffering of others, therefore, one should be kind to all living entities. One cannot avoid the sufferings inflicted by providence, and therefore when suffering comes one should fully absorb oneself in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 7 - Chapter 15 - Verse 24"

'SHINING PATH' KILLS FIVE IN SOUTHERN PERU

PERUVIAN REBELS SUSPECTED IN ATTACK
POLICE OFFICERS AND KILLS 5

LIMA, Peru (AP) - Peruvian authorities say attackers believed to be Shining Path rebels killed three police officers and two women in an assault on a remote police post in a coca-growing region. The two women killed were relatives of one of the slain officers. The attack occurred in San Jose de Secce in Ayacucho province in Peru's south-central mountains. The ministry said the assault, taking place in the early hours of Sunday in San Jose de Secce in the Ayacucho region, was probably staged by Shining Path, a Peruvian rebel group involved in drug trafficking.Ayacucho is the birthplace of the Shining Path, which all but disappeared in the 1990s.

Remnants amounting to several hundred fighters have in recent months killed dozens of police and soldiers. These remnants of the group attacked an army base in the Ayacucho region in April this year, killing 13 soldiers.They are chiefly funded by the cocaine trade. The Ayacucho region is covered by plantations of coca leaf, a primary ingredient of cocaine. Peru is currently the world's second-largest producer of coca leaf, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The Shining Path launched its insurgency in the 1980s, but it almost disappeared after the arrest of its leader in the 1990s. The armed group is now believed to operate primarily in Ayacucho while trafficking cocaine among Andean highlands.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī said, viśvam, pūrna-sukhāyate: when one becomes Krishna conscious by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, for him the entire world appears happy, and he has nothing for which to hanker. On the brahma-bhūta stage, or the platform of spiritual realization, there is no lamentation and no material hankering (na śocati na kāńksati). As long as one lives in the material world, actions and reactions will continue, but when one is unaffected by such material actions and reactions, he is to be considered free from the danger of being victimized by material desires. The symptoms of those who are satiated with lusty desires are described in this verse. As explained by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, when one is not envious even of his enemy, does not expect honor from anyone, but instead desires all well-being even for his enemy, he is understood to be a paramahamsa, one who has fully subdued the lusty desires for sense gratification.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 9 - Chapter 9 - Verse 15"

ISRAEL: GUNMAN KILLS TWO AT GAY CENTER

ISRAELI POLICE HUNT FOR
TEL AVIV GAY CLUB GUNMAN

Jerusalem - Two people have been killed and at least 13 wounded in a rare attack on a gay community center in Israel. Gays demonstrated on the streets of Tel Aviv after a gunman went on a shooting rampage at a gay club for teens. "We won't be afraid," they chanted. According to witnesses, the unidentified gunman, wearing a mask, stormed into the club and began shooting in all directions. Then he fled. Hundreds of Israeli police have launched a manhunt for the assailant. Authorities are describing the attack as a hate crime. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed shock, and called for tolerance. He said the shooting is a violation of Israel's democratic values.

Tel Aviv prides itself as a liberal and pluralistic city, which is open to everyone, and it has a thriving gay community. Thousands participate in the annual Gay Pride parade with colorful balloons and dancing in the streets. But gay activist Yaniv Weisman says times have suddenly changed. "The gay community in Israel, in Tel Aviv, got a message, a very strong message, a red light, that Israel, Tel Aviv (is) no longer a safe place to no one," Weisman said. While ultra-Orthodox parties condemned the shooting attack, critics say religious incitement against the gay community can lead to violence. Gay life in Israel has tentatively emerged from underground over the last two decades. The Jewish religious establishment frowns on open displays of homosexuality, and gay groups have fought to gain acceptance. In Tel Aviv, gays have found a more tolerant atmosphere than in Jerusalem and other Israeli cities. That, Israeli officials said, made Saturday's shooting all the more upsetting.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The living entities individually are being conducted by a particular mode of nature, but at the same time there is every chance of their being influenced by the other two. Generally, all conditioned souls in the material encagement are influenced by the mode of passion because every one of them is trying to lord it over the material nature to fulfill his individual desire. But in spite of the individual mode of passion, there is always the chance of being influenced by the other modes of nature by association. If one is in good association he can develop the mode of goodness, and if in bad association he may develop the mode of darkness or ignorance. Nothing is stereotyped. One can change his habit by good or bad association, and one has to become intelligent enough to discriminate between good and bad. The best association is the service of the devotees of the Lord, and by that association one can become the highest qualified man by the grace of the Lord's pure devotees.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 2 - Chapter 10 - Verse 41"

ISRAELIS AND IMMIGRANTS DEMONSTRATE IN TEL AVIV

HUMAN CHAIN AGAINST ISRAEL
MOVE TO DEPORT ILLEGAL MIGRANTS

TEL AVIV (AFP) – Thousands of Israeli and migrant workers, including children, formed a human chain on Saturday in Tel Aviv in protest at Israel's decision to deport families of illegal aliens. AFP correspondents said that the protesters gathered on Lewinsky street in a working-class district of Tel Aviv near the city's main bus terminal, which houses many migrants, most of them from Africa.Israel had set an August 1 deadline to expel illegal migrants and their children, even those who grew up in Jewish state, triggering an outcry among human rights groups.

The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back-tracked on the decision this week and on Friday officials said that the premier's office had decided to extend the deadline by three months. But human rights groups say this is not enough and have been demanding that illegal migrants who have children be given residency status in Israel. "We are happy about that the decision to expel the children of immigrants has been suspended but this threat must be removed once and for all through a vote," a delegate of the Kav la Oved pro-migrant group told public radio.

In July the interior ministry stepped up a crackdown against illegal migrants, sending agents on the streets to track them down. In 2006 Israel adopted a one-off decision allowing 600 families of illegal immigrants to apply for residency status in the Jewish state. According to the interior ministry, some 300,000 illegal aliens -- including 100,000 migrants, tourists who overstayed their visit and Palestinians -- live in Israel which is home to seven million inhabitants. But human rights groups say that these figures are inflated.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Mundane politics and diplomacy and philosophy - this is not the process. The process is Krsna consciousness. Everyone has to understand this point, that we are not proprietors. The actual proprietor is Krsna. That's a fact. Take America, for example. Say two hundred years ago, the European immigrants were not the proprietors. Somebody else was the proprietor, and before that somebody else was the proprietor, or it was vacant land. But the actual proprietor is Krsna. Artificially we are claiming, "It is my property." This is called maya, illusion.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Journey of Self-Discovery - Chapter II - Superconsciousness"

Although the demigods, who are officials appointed by the Lord for management, are attached to materialistic enjoyment, they never claim to be proprietors of the universe, for they know that the actual proprietor of everything is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the qualification of the demigods. But the demons, instead of accepting the exclusive proprietorship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, claim the property of the universe for themselves through demarcations of nationalism. "This part is mine, and that part is yours," they say. "This part I can give in charity, and this part I can keep for my enjoyment." ... These are all demoniac conceptions.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 8 - Chapter 22 - Verse 20"

GRATEFUL NATION MOURNS FOR CORY AQUINO

CHINA MOURNS DEATH OF
FORMER PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT

BEIJING. (Xinhua) - China mourned on Saturday the death of the former Philippine president Corazon Aquino. "Mrs. Aquino is an outstanding leader of the Philippines, and she is also a good friend of the Chinese people," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a press release. "Chinese government and the Chinese people feel deeply regretted over her death," she said. Chinese President Hu Jintao has sent a message of sympathy to Philippine President Gloria Arroyo over the death of Mrs. Aquino, according to the press release. Aquino died early Saturday morning at age 76 after battling colon cancer for over a year.

Corazon Aquino's son, Senator Benigno Aquino III, confirmed that the former Philippine leader died of cardio respiratory arrest at 3:18 a.m. local time Saturday (1918 GMT Friday) at the Makati Medical Center in the country's capital Manila. In 1986, Mrs. Aquino led the military-backed mass revolt, known as " People Power" revolution, and unseated the then president Ferdinand Marcos, putting an end to his 26-year iron-fist rule. She became the country's first female president in 1987.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Every living entity is a hero in two ways. When he is a victim of the illusory energy, he works as a great hero in the material world, as a great leader, politician, businessman, industrialist, etc., and his heroic activities contribute to the material advancement of civilization. One can also become a hero by being master of the senses, a gosvami. Material activities are false heroic activities, whereas restraining the senses from material engagement is great heroism. ... Every living entity has the freedom to be attracted by material nature or to stand as a hero and resist that attraction. It is simply a question of the living entity's being attracted or not being attracted. There is no question of his being forced to come into contact with material energy. One who can keep himself steady and resist the attraction of material nature is certainly a hero and deserves to be called a gosvami. Unless one is master of the senses, he cannot become a gosvami. The living entity can take one of two positions in this world. He may become a servant of his senses, or he may become master of them. By becoming a servant of the senses, one becomes a great material hero, and by becoming master of the senses, he becomes a gosvami, or spiritual hero.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 4 - Chapter 25 - Verse 25"