NKOREA THREATENS RETALIATION OVER US, UN SANCTIONS

NORTH KOREA MAKES NUCLEAR THREAT
OVER MILITARY DRILLS

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea denounced upcoming joint South Korean and U.S. military drills and said it would "wipe out" the countries with nuclear weapons if they threatened the communist state, its KCNA news agency said on Sunday. South Korean and U.S. forces on Monday start joint computer simulation and communication drills that come in the wake of rare conciliatory moves by Pyongyang, which this month released two U.S. journalists and a South Korean worker it had held captive. North Korea regularly denounces joint drills as a preparation for invasion and nuclear war. "Should the U.S. imperialists and the Lee Myung-bak group threaten the DPRK (North Korea) with nukes, it will retaliate against them with nukes," KCNA quoted a military official as saying. Lee Myung-bak is South Korea's president. "The U.S. imperialists and the Lee Myung-bak group should clearly understand that it is the iron will and resolute stand of the Korean People's Army to go into action anytime to mercilessly wipe out the aggressors," the official said.

The United States stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to support the country's 670,000 soldiers. The North's military has about 1.2 million troops but analysts said its ill-equipped army would be no match to superior U.S. and South Korean forces. The two Koreas are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict (Korean war) ended with a cease fire and not a peace treaty. South and North Korea have hundreds of thousands of combat-ready troops and heavy artillery along the 155-mile (250-kilometer) border. Impoverished North Korea has been angered by Lee's policy of ending unconditional handouts - once equal to about 5 percent of the North's estimated $17 billion a year economy - and instead linking aid to progress Pyongyang makes in ending the security threat it poses to the region. The North's broken economy has been hit by U.N. sanctions imposed after a long-range rocket launch in April, widely seen as a disguised missile test, and a nuclear test in May.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

As stated above, the living beings are not factual enjoyers of things which are manifested as God's creation. The Lord is the genuine proprietor and enjoyer of everything manifested in His creation. Unfortunately, influenced by the deluding energy, the living being becomes a false enjoyer under the dictation of the modes of nature. Puffed up by such a false sense of becoming God, the deluded living being increases his material strength by so many activities and thus becomes the burden of the earth, so much so that the earth becomes completely uninhabitable by the sane. ... The unwanted administrators, puffed up by false power and military strength, thus become engaged in fighting amongst themselves over ideological conflicts and so exhaust themselves of all powers. The history of the world reflects this factual will of the Lord, and it will continue to be enacted until the living beings are attached to the service of the Lord.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Srimad Bhagavatam - Purport in Canto 1 - Chapter 11 - Verse 34"

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR H1N1 VACCINE TRIAL

BIG VACCINE MAKERS, EMORY AND INOVIO,
TAKE LEAD IN SWINE FLU FIGHT

Indianapolis USA - Researchers have an H1N1 vaccine to test and those picked to get the first shots are volunteers carefully selected by a company conducting the nationwide test. They're asking for volunteers for the six-month study. The rush is on to produce a swine flu vaccine by fall. The U.S. government's goal would be to vaccinate everybody, but first, the vaccine must be tested and proven safe for adults and children. Thousands of people are already willing to be the first in line. Volunteers will be paid, too. More than 200 adults and 200 seniors will get the vaccine at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Adults getting the vaccine say the risk of fever and flu like symptoms are worth the knowledge that could help save lives. The U.S. government aims to have as many as 160 million doses of swine flu vaccine available by sometime in October.

As the fall-winter flu season approaches, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries are racing to make sure vaccines are available before swine flu can wreak havoc on the global population. The first line of defense against the pandemic – H1N1 influenza – will be a group of vaccines from established flu-shot makers, which are using their proven technology to make H1N1-specific vaccines. The major vaccine makers start with trials to determine the optimal doses and evaluate safety. Emory researchers administered a trial H1N1 flu shot to many volunteers as one of the eight Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units supported by the National Institutes of Health, Emory is delivering the vaccine to two age groups of approximately 100 volunteers each – healthy adults aged 19 to 64 and seniors 65 or older. On the other hand, San Diego company Inovio is trying to develop a “universal” vaccine that would work against swine flu, bird flu or new types of influenza that emerge. The company said that "the problem is that the virus is mutating rapidly, so the virus that's in the vial may not be the virus that's attacking you in October or November.”

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The devotees of the Lord, who are in Krishna consciousness, offer food to Krishna and then eat — a process which nourishes the body spiritually. By such action not only are past sinful reactions in the body vanquished, but the body becomes immunized to all contamination of material nature. When there is an epidemic disease, an antiseptic vaccine protects a person from the attack of such an epidemic. Similarly, food offered to Lord Vishnu and then taken by us makes us sufficiently resistant to material affection, and one who is accustomed to this practice is called a devotee of the Lord. Therefore, a person in Krishna consciousness, who eats only food offered to Krishna, can counteract all reactions of past material infections, which are impediments to the progress of self-realization. On the other hand, one who does not do so continues to increase the volume of sinful action, and this prepares the next body to resemble hogs and dogs, to suffer the resultant reactions of all sins. The material world is full of contaminations, and one who is immunized by accepting prasadam of the Lord (food offered to Vishnu) is saved from the attack, whereas one who does not do so becomes subjected to contamination.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Chapter 3 - Verse 14"

AUSTRALIAN COURT GRANTS QUADRIPLEGIC RIGHT TO STARVE TO DEATH

QUADRIPLEGIC MAN WINS LEGAL RIGHT TO STARVE
HIMSELF TO DEATH WHILE WATCHING TV

PERTH, Australia - A man who became a quadriplegic after a road accident has been given the legal right to starve to death while watching TV. A court in Perth, Western Australia, granted the suicidal wish of 49 year old Mr Christian Rossiter, who said he wanted to die by not eating or drinking. Once an active sportsman who enjoyed rock climbing, former stockbroker Mr Rossiter told the Supreme Court of West Australia that his condition meant he could not even blow his nose or 'wipe the tears from my eyes.' Chief Justice Wayne Martin said that anyone who stopped giving him nutrition and hydration through a tube to his stomach would not be criminally responsible. The ruling sets a legal precedent in Australia, where assisting someone to take their own life is a crime punishable by life in prison in some States. The judge added that nutrition and hydration 'should not be administered against his wishes.

At an earlier hearing, when he pleaded to be allowed to end his suffering, he described his life as a 'living hell'. 'I'm Christian Rossiter and I'd like to die,' he told reporters later. 'I am a prisoner in my own body. I can't move. 'I have no fear of death, just pain.. I only fear pain.' He explained that he developed spastic quadriplegia as a result of two separate accidents when he fell 100ft from a building and was then hit by a car whilst riding his bicycle. 'I believe quadriplegics should be allowed to exercise their freedom of choice but my choice is to die,' he said.

Asking the court to be given permission to have all nutrition stopped at the nursing home where he is being cared for, he said his last wish would be for painkillers to make him drowsy and to be watching TV 'to make the time pass' before he died. 'I want to say that the painkillers make me drowsy and I would like to be made drowsy in my final moments so the time would pass more quickly,' he told the court, speaking through a tracheotomy tube. 'And I would like to watch Foxtel on the television to pass the time.'

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The mind is the mechanism that directs these transmigrations, propelling the soul to newer and newer bodies. The Gita explains, "Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, .. that state he will attain without fail [in his next life]." Everything we have thought and done during our life makes an impression on the mind, and the sum total of all these impressions influences our final thoughts at death. According to the quality of these thoughts, material nature awards us a suitable body.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"Coming Back - Chapter 1: Reincarnation, Socrates to Salinger"

Among the most intelligent of men was Maharaja Pariksit, the great king of the entire world, who was accidentally cursed by a brahmana to meet death from the bite of a serpent within seven days. ... When the king was informed of the unfortunate curse, he at once left his palatial home and went to the bank of the Ganges, which was near his capital, to prepare for his impending death. ... The great king, as a worthy descendant of the Pandavas, who were all great devotees, placed the following relevant inquiries before the great sage Sukadeva. "My dear sir, you are the greatest of the great transcendentalists, and therefore I submissively beg to ask you about my duties at this moment. I am just on the verge of my death. Therefore, what should I do at this critical hour?" ... An intelligent man knows that death is born along with his own birth. He knows that he is dying at every second and that the final touch will be given as soon as his term of life is finished. He therefore prepares himself for the next life or for liberation from the disease of repeated birth and death.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Science of Self Realization - Chapter I - Learning the Science of the Self"

FRANCE, GERMANY FEND OFF RECESSION

MODEST GROWTH IS LATEST SIGN
OF GLOBAL COMEBACK

Brussel - Fresh signs of a nascent economic recovery came from hard-hit Europe on Thursday, with Germany and France unexpectedly becoming the first major industrialized nations to officially pull out of the global recession. Though their recoveries were modest by virtually any standard and may yet stall in the months ahead, the surprising bounce back to growth in Europe's largest economies comes on the heels of steadily rising economic optimism across the globe. In Germany, economic activity jumped 0.3 percent from April to June compared with the previous three months. Though detailed economic data have yet to be released, the rebound in the second quarter there, analysts said, came partly from consumer spending related to government-sponsored programs, such as a cash for clunkers plan, that are set to expire soon. In addition, the German government so far has cushioned job losses through state-sponsored corporate incentives that are also due to run out, leading many analysts to predict a further surge in the unemployment rate there in months ahead.

Economists also do not discount a fresh wave of bank rescues in Europe, where financial officials are still under pressure to do more to force the cleanup of balance sheets at ailing institutions. Recent signs of recovery will also be tested if, as many observers predict, unemployment rates across Europe continue to edge higher. Though Germany and France may have exited their yearlong recessions, Europe as a whole is still struggling. Economic activity across the 16 member nations that use the euro fell by 0.1 percent in the second quarter, the European statistical office reported Thursday. The drop was less than predicted by most economists, but it signals that the deep recession that started in Europe in the first half of 2008 continues.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Wealth derives from mother Laksmī, or the goddess of fortune. As the Vedic literatures explain, the goddess of fortune is meant to serve Lord Nārāyana, the source of all the naras, or living beings. The naras are also meant to serve Nārāyana, the Supreme Lord, under the guidance of the goddess of fortune. The living being cannot enjoy the goddess of fortune without serving Nārāyana, or Krishna, and therefore whoever desires to enjoy her wrongly will be punished by the laws of nature, and the money itself will become the cause of destruction instead of being the cause of peace and prosperity.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Journey of Self-Discovery - Chapter VI - Material Problems, Spiritual Solutions"

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"