6 earthquakes strike off Canada’s Pacific coast near Vancouver Island
Six earthquakes, two classified as strong quakes with magnitudes greater than 6.0, have occurred in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Vancouver Island in western Canada.
The strongest of the quakes, a 6.2-magnitude temblor, struck Tuesday night at 7:36 p.m. local time, according to Earthquakes Canada, the Canadian government’s official monitoring agency. The quake was centered approximately 75 miles west of the northwest tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia.
Minor shaking was felt in the Vancouver area approximately 350 miles away, CBC News reported.
Five other quakes ranging in magnitude from 4.8 to 6.0 struck in the same area of the Pacific off Vancouver Island on Monday.
No damage has been reported from the quakes.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Australia fires worsen as every state hits 104 F
Australia fires worsen as every state hits 40C
Scores of fires are burning out of control across Australia amid a heatwave that has seen temperatures exceed 40C (104F) in every state.
The most dangerous fires on Monday were in the state of Victoria.
About 30,000 residents and tourists were urged to flee East Gippsland - a popular holiday region - but evacuations were later deemed too risky as fires encroached on major roads.
A volunteer firefighter died battling a blaze in the state of New South Wales.
In total, 10 people have died in the nation's bushfire crisis since September.
Meteorologists say a climate system in the Indian Ocean, known as the dipole, is the main driver behind the extreme heat in Australia.
How bad are the blazes in Victoria?
Scorching temperatures, strong winds and thunderstorms created dangerous conditions in Victoria on Monday.
In East Gippsland, three fires burning near the towns of Bruthen, Buchan and Bonang rapidly expanded as temperatures soared to the mid-40Cs.
Officials said the wind-driven blazes were "racing" towards the coast, and had moved faster than predicted.
Residents in northern Melbourne were told to "act immediately to survive" as firefighters struggled to battle an out-of-control fire.
Officials said the fire in Bundoora, some 16km (10 miles) north of Melbourne city centre, was "threatening homes and lives".
"The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave," Victoria Emergency said.
The fire, which reportedly damaged homes in the area, was later downgraded from the emergency level.
Other emergency warnings remained in place for several fires in the state, with some urged to evacuate.
Scores of fires are burning out of control across Australia amid a heatwave that has seen temperatures exceed 40C (104F) in every state.
The most dangerous fires on Monday were in the state of Victoria.
About 30,000 residents and tourists were urged to flee East Gippsland - a popular holiday region - but evacuations were later deemed too risky as fires encroached on major roads.
A volunteer firefighter died battling a blaze in the state of New South Wales.
In total, 10 people have died in the nation's bushfire crisis since September.
Meteorologists say a climate system in the Indian Ocean, known as the dipole, is the main driver behind the extreme heat in Australia.
How bad are the blazes in Victoria?
Scorching temperatures, strong winds and thunderstorms created dangerous conditions in Victoria on Monday.
In East Gippsland, three fires burning near the towns of Bruthen, Buchan and Bonang rapidly expanded as temperatures soared to the mid-40Cs.
Officials said the wind-driven blazes were "racing" towards the coast, and had moved faster than predicted.
Residents in northern Melbourne were told to "act immediately to survive" as firefighters struggled to battle an out-of-control fire.
Officials said the fire in Bundoora, some 16km (10 miles) north of Melbourne city centre, was "threatening homes and lives".
"The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave," Victoria Emergency said.
The fire, which reportedly damaged homes in the area, was later downgraded from the emergency level.
Other emergency warnings remained in place for several fires in the state, with some urged to evacuate.
1 in every 9 Christians globally experiencing ‘high’ levels of persecution
World Watch List Trends
In 73 countries the figures equate to 1 in every 9 Christians globally experiencing ‘high’ levels of persecution.
...From a global perspective, the 2019 World Watch List shows that persecution comes from different avenues: from a believer’s family, friends, fellow-villagers and work colleagues, community councils, local government officials and from police and legal systems. When looking at gender, the research shows how Christian women and girls face more persecution pressure in family and social spheres, while men and boys are more likely to experience the brunt of pressure from the authorities or militias.
“This statistical evidence and research show that Christians persecution continues to rise. This reiterates the importance of Open Doors’ work in strengthening the persecuted Church globally,” said Jan Gouws, Executive Director of Open Doors Southern Africa. “The yearly World Watch List reveals the new trends in Christian persecution and helps our organisation to know where to focus our work.”
The top ten countries where Christians currently face the most persecution are:
#1 North Korea (94/100)
#2 Afghanistan (94/100)
#3 Somalia (91/100)
#4 Libya (87/100)
#5 Pakistan (87/100)
#6 Sudan (87/100)
#7 Eritrea (86/100)
#8 Yemen (86/100)
#9 Iran (85/100)
#10 India (83/100)
Source: Open Doors/World Watch Research
In 73 countries the figures equate to 1 in every 9 Christians globally experiencing ‘high’ levels of persecution.
...From a global perspective, the 2019 World Watch List shows that persecution comes from different avenues: from a believer’s family, friends, fellow-villagers and work colleagues, community councils, local government officials and from police and legal systems. When looking at gender, the research shows how Christian women and girls face more persecution pressure in family and social spheres, while men and boys are more likely to experience the brunt of pressure from the authorities or militias.
“This statistical evidence and research show that Christians persecution continues to rise. This reiterates the importance of Open Doors’ work in strengthening the persecuted Church globally,” said Jan Gouws, Executive Director of Open Doors Southern Africa. “The yearly World Watch List reveals the new trends in Christian persecution and helps our organisation to know where to focus our work.”
The top ten countries where Christians currently face the most persecution are:
#1 North Korea (94/100)
#2 Afghanistan (94/100)
#3 Somalia (91/100)
#4 Libya (87/100)
#5 Pakistan (87/100)
#6 Sudan (87/100)
#7 Eritrea (86/100)
#8 Yemen (86/100)
#9 Iran (85/100)
#10 India (83/100)
Source: Open Doors/World Watch Research
Nigeria: Sultan says no case of Christian persecution
Religious Persecution: We Stand by Our Position, CAN Tells Sultan
By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has maintained its stand that Christians in the country have been at the receiving end of several attacks, killings and persecution carried out by Muslim fundamentalists.
The association which reacted to the statement credited to Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, that it cried wolf, said it was painful that the sultan would say that there was no case of Christian persecution in the country.
In a statement signed by the National Director, Legal and Public Affairs, Evangelist Kwamkur Samuel, CAN said evidences abound of the cases of attacks on Christians which led to loss of properties and lives of innocent persons.
It recounted incidents where several hundreds of innocent lives were cut short by Fulani herdsmen in Southern Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa and Taraba states.
CAN said: “it is an insult and insensitivity for anyone to be claiming that the unprecedented persecution which victims are well known did not occur. It is also an act of disrespect to the dead. If those who were responsible for the genocide in the Middle Belt of the country were Fulani atheists ‘whose main interest is to protect their cattle,’ what stopped him from condemning the unprecedented genocide? By the way, if Fulani atheists took it upon themselves to be killing Christians the way they did in Benue, Southern Kaduna, Plateau, will it still not be called Christian persecution? Do the Fulani atheists have the right to be killing people the way they did and are still doing in some parts of the states?”
By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has maintained its stand that Christians in the country have been at the receiving end of several attacks, killings and persecution carried out by Muslim fundamentalists.
The association which reacted to the statement credited to Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, that it cried wolf, said it was painful that the sultan would say that there was no case of Christian persecution in the country.
In a statement signed by the National Director, Legal and Public Affairs, Evangelist Kwamkur Samuel, CAN said evidences abound of the cases of attacks on Christians which led to loss of properties and lives of innocent persons.
It recounted incidents where several hundreds of innocent lives were cut short by Fulani herdsmen in Southern Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa and Taraba states.
CAN said: “it is an insult and insensitivity for anyone to be claiming that the unprecedented persecution which victims are well known did not occur. It is also an act of disrespect to the dead. If those who were responsible for the genocide in the Middle Belt of the country were Fulani atheists ‘whose main interest is to protect their cattle,’ what stopped him from condemning the unprecedented genocide? By the way, if Fulani atheists took it upon themselves to be killing Christians the way they did in Benue, Southern Kaduna, Plateau, will it still not be called Christian persecution? Do the Fulani atheists have the right to be killing people the way they did and are still doing in some parts of the states?”
United Nations Applaud the Pope
Remarks of the Secretary-General Following Meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis
"...Your clear moral voice shines through – whether you are speaking out on the plight of the most vulnerable, including refugees and migrants … confronting poverty and inequalities … appealing for disarmament… building bridges between communities … and, of course, highlighting the climate emergency through your historic encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’, and so many other vital efforts.
These messages coincide with the core values of the United Nations Charter – namely to reaffirm the dignity and worth of the human person."
"...Your Holiness, I am very grateful for your exceptional global engagement and strong support for our work in the United Nations, including your memorable visit to the UN headquarters in 2015, as the world reached agreement on the Sustainable Development Goals, our blueprint for a fair globalization."
"...Your Holiness, I want to express my deep appreciation for your extraordinary service in promoting interfaith relations – including your landmark declaration with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar on “human fraternity for world peace and living together”.
"...Your clear moral voice shines through – whether you are speaking out on the plight of the most vulnerable, including refugees and migrants … confronting poverty and inequalities … appealing for disarmament… building bridges between communities … and, of course, highlighting the climate emergency through your historic encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’, and so many other vital efforts.
These messages coincide with the core values of the United Nations Charter – namely to reaffirm the dignity and worth of the human person."
"...Your Holiness, I am very grateful for your exceptional global engagement and strong support for our work in the United Nations, including your memorable visit to the UN headquarters in 2015, as the world reached agreement on the Sustainable Development Goals, our blueprint for a fair globalization."
"...Your Holiness, I want to express my deep appreciation for your extraordinary service in promoting interfaith relations – including your landmark declaration with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar on “human fraternity for world peace and living together”.
Texas church shooting: Gunman kills 2
Texas church shooting: Gunman kills 2, 'heroic' parishioners take down shooter
A gunman opened fire in a Texas church on Sunday, killing two people and injuring others before two "heroic" parishioners shot and killed him at the scene, police said.
The shooting unfolded around 10 a.m. at the West Freeway Church of Christ, in the city of White Settlement, just outside Fort Worth, police said.
"It's all very tragic," Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Mike Drivdahl told reporters.
White Settlement Police Chief J.P. Bevering told reporters Sunday afternoon that the gunman entered the church and sat down with the parishioners. He then got up, pulled out a shotgun, and shot two parishioners who died at a nearby hospital.
Two armed parishioners who were volunteer security guards returned fire and killed the gunman.
"The suspect was stopped thanks to the quick and heroic actions of those safety members inside the church," Bevering said.
A gunman opened fire in a Texas church on Sunday, killing two people and injuring others before two "heroic" parishioners shot and killed him at the scene, police said.
The shooting unfolded around 10 a.m. at the West Freeway Church of Christ, in the city of White Settlement, just outside Fort Worth, police said.
"It's all very tragic," Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Mike Drivdahl told reporters.
White Settlement Police Chief J.P. Bevering told reporters Sunday afternoon that the gunman entered the church and sat down with the parishioners. He then got up, pulled out a shotgun, and shot two parishioners who died at a nearby hospital.
Two armed parishioners who were volunteer security guards returned fire and killed the gunman.
"The suspect was stopped thanks to the quick and heroic actions of those safety members inside the church," Bevering said.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
New York: Jewish Hanukkah Attack Injures Five
Haaretz
NEW YORK – An attacker stabbed five people Saturday evening at the home of an ultra-Orthodox rabbi during a Hanukkah celebration in Monsey, New York.
The suspect fled the scene, but New York City Police Department arrested him after locating his vehicle in the 32nd precinct, confirmed Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel.
NEW YORK – An attacker stabbed five people Saturday evening at the home of an ultra-Orthodox rabbi during a Hanukkah celebration in Monsey, New York.
The suspect fled the scene, but New York City Police Department arrested him after locating his vehicle in the 32nd precinct, confirmed Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel.
Monday, December 23, 2019
TWO MAJOR MAGNITUDE 6.0 EARTHQUAKES AT TOP OF CASCADIA SUBDUCTION ZONE
The Hal Turner Show
NOW TWO (2) -- MAJOR MAGNITUDE 6.0 EARTHQUAKES AT TOP OF CASCADIA SUBDUCTION ZONE OFF VANCOUVER ISLAND
NATION NEWS DESK 23 DECEMBER 2019
UPDATED . . . NOW TWO (2) MAJOR Magnitude 6.0 earthquakes has have struck the northern area of the most-dangerous-earthquake zone on earth: The Cascadia Subduction Zone off the west coast of California, Oregon, Washington state, and Canada.
The FIRST quake took place at a very shallow depth of only about 10km. The SECOND took place at about the same depth, 7 miles.
This is the single most-dangerous earthquake fault region on earth. A large earthquake of this type -- in an area like this -- could be a harbinger of an even larger quake . . . "The Big One" for the west coast of north America.
Contrary to popular belief, earthquakes do not relieve pressure. Conversely, one earthquake tends to cause others.
The fact that the FIRST magnitude 6.0 quake struck without smaller quakes preceding it, is a major warning signal of perhaps worse to come . . . within days. Slightly more than ONE HOUR after the first quake, a SECOND struck as well.