2008 July 19 02:39:30 UTC
Magnitude 5.3 - OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 July 19 02:47:28 UTC
Magnitude 6.6 quake hits eastern Japan
Tsunami warning lifted in northeast Japan
Magnitude 6.7 - SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
2008 July 19 09:27:04 UTC
Magnitude 6.3 - SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
2008 July 19 11:01:22 UTC
Magnitude 5.2 - SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
2008 July 19 11:15:29 UTC
Magnitude 5.3 - SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
2008 July 19 11:45:41 UTC
Strong quake hits Solomon Islands -- seismologists
Strong quake rocks Solomon Islands
Magnitude 6.4 - FIJI REGION
2008 July 19 22:39:53 UTC
Magnitude 2.3 - ALABAMA
2008 July 18 19:01:47 UTC
Magnitude 4.6 - TAJIKISTAN
2008 July 19 06:17:45 UTC
2008 July 19 18:28:01 UTC
Magnitude 4.4 - MICHOACAN, MEXICO
2008 July 20 00:02:31 UTC
Magnitude 4.8 - COSTA RICA
2008 July 20 02:34:13 UTC
***
India's southwest monsoon plays hide and seek
- The weighted average rainfall across the county is now 9% above the normal. The same was 15.3% above normal a month ago.
- Although the onset and advancement of the rainfall was quite strong, it has failed to peak up pace especially in the rain dependent areas.
- In the rain dependent areas the weighted average rainfall has now fallen to level of 3.0% above normal compared with 18.4%, a month ago.
- The rainfall in states like UP, Punjab and Hariyana continues to be strong. These states are well irrigated and hence, the excess rainfall should help the build up reservoir levels for future. A good reservoir level in states like UP, Punjab and Haryana would also mean a great Rabi crop like wheat.
- Rainfall continues to elude states like Maharashtra (Marathwada and Vidarbha), Chattisgarh Andhra Pradesh (coastal, Telangana, Rayalaseema), Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
- Number of district with deficient or scanty rainfall have gone up from 4 to 14 over last one month
- We have tried to analyse the risk to the crop based on the area under cultivation in monsoon season of 2006. Key crops which are at risk are: Coarse Cereals, Oilseeds and Cotton
- For the forthcoming week good rainfall activity is likely over northeastern states, West Bengal & Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Coastal Karnataka and Kerala. However, states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are likely to see subdued monsoon.
PUNE: They came, they poured a little and then disappeared before anyone could say ‘enough’. That’s been the story of the monsoons this year. And the Met department has little solace to offer on the revival of monsoon. Except in the Konkan region, the state has received 20-60% less-than-normal rainfall. According to the department, the situation is likely to deteriorate further, causing concern for the state’s agricultural outlook, as only 44% of the kharif sowing has taken place till now.
Karnataka is heading for power crisis
BANGALORE, July 19, 2008: With depletion of water levels in hydel reservoirs of Karnataka on account of weak monsoon, the State Government has decided to formalize the on going unscheduled power load shedding in the State.
The Government of India's decision on Friday to reduce 100 MW of power from its central gird to Karnataka has further aggravated the crisis. The Centre took this decision a day after Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa announced that the BJP Government would provide free power to farmers owning irrigation pumpsets with a capacity up to 10 HP.
Tropical Storm Cristobal
Cristobal, the third tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic season, has been named off the Carolina coast. As of 11 p.m. Saturday, EDT, Tropical Storm (TS) Cristobal had a center about 45 miles southeast of Cape Fear, N.C., and 170 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras, N.C. Cristobal was drifting towards the northeast at about 6 mph. Highest sustained winds were near 45 mph with higher gusts.
***
'Germany will get better Schalit deal'
In the aftermath of Wednesday's prisoner swap between Israel and Hizbullah, there are increasing calls in Hamas to replace the Egyptian mediators with German intermediaries in the talks on abducted IDF soldier St.-Sgt. Gilad Schalit.
Several Hamas officials have been quoted over the past 24 hours as expressing deep disappointment with the way the Egyptians have been handling the Schalit mediation effort.
From Hot Air: Instead of a gas-tax holiday, Congress considers gas-tax hike
Despite calls from the presidential campaign trail for a Memorial Day-to-Labor Day tax freeze, lawmakers quickly concluded — with a prod from the construction industry — that having $9 billion less to spend on highways could create a pre-election specter of thousands of lost jobs.
Now, lawmakers quietly are talking about raising fuel taxes by a dime from the current 18.4 cents a gallon on gasoline and 24.3 cents on diesel fuel.
Oh, yes, my wallet thinks that's a great idea.
Oxford professor warns of increasing opposition to Christianity
"History has come full circle and Christianity is seen once more simply as one among a plethora of competing alternatives, all of which are regarded by an increasing number of influential intellectuals as dangerous," stated Oxford professor Dr John Lennox at this year's Keswick Convention.
"We are called upon to defend the Gospel. It is on trial, faith is under fire, and it is not only its contents, it is the messengers, and we will increasingly find we have not only to defend the Gospel to the world but we have to defend it to believers as well."
Amen. And to those who call themselves believers, yet spout new-age-babble and PC gobbledygook:
US bishop hits out at African church leaders
An influential US bishop has attacked African leaders for treating him and his church as a "punchbag".
The Right Rev John Chane, the Bishop of Washington, said neither he nor the Episcopal church deserved the treatment, accusing the leaders of "demonic and dangerous" behaviour.
"I think it's really very dangerous when someone stands up and says: 'I have the way and I have the truth and I know how to interpret holy scripture and you are following what is the right way,'" he said "It's really very, very dangerous and I think it's demonic."
Watch out, "reverend", you're straying into blasphemous territory with that.
Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.
Meanwhile, in other corners of the world:
World's Former Only Hindu Country Opens to Christianity
The world’s former only official Hindu country is now open to the preaching of the Gospel, a Christian missionary working in the country shared this past weekend with joy.
Formerly, Christians were reportedly arrested and imprisoned for preaching the Gospel in Nepal. Speaker Narayan Sharma, Gospel for Asia’s Nepal country leader, said at the GFA “Renewing Your Passion” Conference in Dallas, Texas, on Friday. He recounted when he himself was arrested and put into a dungeon-like prison cell because he shared his faith.
...
But in April, Nepal held its first election for a new legislative assembly, and in May lawmakers legally abolished the monarchy and declared the country a republic. The king was previously considered to be a god. Newly elected officials also promised to allow religious freedom in the government.
Now, Gospel programs are aired over the same government-owned radio stations that used to carry reports of Christians being arrested, Sharma said.
Uzbekistan: Man May Get 15-Year Sentence for Reading "Christian literature"
UZBEKISTAN -- A Protestant from the Karakalpakstan area of north-west Uzbekistan faces criminal trial later in July on charges of teaching religion without official approval, and establishing or participating in a state dubbed “religious extremist” organization.
...
One of the two charges Aimurat Khayburahmanov faces – establishing or participating in a “religious extremist” organization – carries a penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment. Jakbaev denied reports from local Protestants reaching Forum 18 that Khayburahmanov has been beaten in prison since his June 14 arrest. He claimed his health is “fine.”
According to Forum 18, Karakalpakstan Region operates a very harsh religious policy, with all non state-controlled Muslim and non-Russian Orthodox activity being a criminal offence. Asked what behavior in Khayburahmanov’s activity characterizes him as an “extremist,” Jakbaev told Forum 18 that he gathered people in his home and read “prohibited” Christian literature, as determined by the Karakalpakstan Religious Affairs Committee. “The Bible is not prohibited in Uzbekistan, but there are Christian books that are,” Jakbaev told Forum 18.
Asked by Forum18 which “prohibited” books Khayburahmanov had been reading, Jakbaev refused to say. All he would say was that the Religious Affairs Committee expert analysis had found them to be banned. He insisted that imprisonment is not too harsh a punishment for reading “prohibited” Christian books.
God is at work across the globe today. So is the adversary. Be vigilant; pray without ceasing; study the Word.
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