PAKISTAN: Christians Fear More Massacres After Churches and Tombs are Desecrated by Muslims

“In recent days, Christians have had to endure even more abuse. Landowners in Kot Addu have grabbed Christian-owned stores and fields as well as a Christian cemetery. With the backing of local lawmakers and administrators, they threatened local Christians, desecrated Bibles and crosses in a local church and destroyed 150 tombs.

Local Christian leaders tried to file a case against the attackers at the Jaggi Moor Police station but got nowhere. Station House Officer Zubair Khalid drafted a First Information Report, but failed to include crucial details, thus allowing the culprits to walk free.

Speaking to AsiaNews, Boota Masih, one of the victims of local potentates, said that the local police refused to hear his complaint. Instead, they accused ‘Christians of illegally occupying the land on which they built their church and cemetery.'” Read more.

Indonesia: Island Jihad

Join VOM workers as they travel through Indonesia and interview our brothers and sisters who have endured extreme persecution at the hands of radical Muslims. This video contains dramatic footage of what many of our brothers and sisters are currently facing in Indonesia.

Two New Jersey Men Plead Guilty to Trying to Join Al Qaeda Group

“Two New Jersey men have pleaded guilty to charges that they tried to join an Al Qaeda-affiliated group overseas.

Mohamed Mahmood Alessa and Carlos Eduardo Almonte entered into a packaged plea deal in a Newark federal courtroom Thursday.

They admitted to conspiring to kill, maim and kidnap persons outside the United States by trying to join al-Shabab, a designated terrorist organization.”  Read more.

Ethiopian Muslims Burn Down Five Churches, More Attacks Feared

“International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that in the past two days, thousands of Muslims have razed five churches and the homes of two evangelists in Asendabo, Ethiopia. Christian leaders are asking for protection after the Muslim attackers continued burning churches even after the federal police were sent to the town.

The Muslims started the attacks yesterday after falsely accusing the Christians of desecrating the Qur’an. More than ten thousand Muslims shouted “Allah Akbar” (Allah is great) as they burned down five evangelical churches. The government sent the federal police force to protect the Christians after the Muslims burned down the first three churches. The Muslims overwhelmed the police force and burned down two more churches today.Speaking with ICC, Christian leaders expressed their fear that Muslims will start killing the Christians unless the government sends more security forces to contain the Muslim attackers.”  Read More.

California Sea Otters Mysteriously Disappearing

“California sea otters capture people’s hearts. Kids line up and squeal in excitement when spotting them.

Recently, the otters have begun losing ground in their struggle to survive, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone. Many are mysteriously falling victim to a ruthless killer: The great white shark.

‘This year was an alarming number of white shark attacks that we identified,’ says Dr. Michael Murray, a Monterey Bay Aquarium veterinarian. ‘I think the jury’s still out on, ‘a’ what it means and ‘b’ why it happens.’

It’s puzzling because the sharks don’t eat the otters, but one bite is enough to kill the furry creatures. It’s one reason for a worrying decline in the number of California sea otters.

The latest count of this threatened species shows their population dropped to just 2,711, a decline of 3.6 percent. The number of sea otter pups, which represent the future of the species, is down 11 percent.

Dr. Melissa Miller, of the Calif. Dept. of Fish and Game, points to a female that died right around the time that she was going to give birth.

When otters die they often end up in Miller’s lab, which is a kind of crime scene investigation unit for otter deaths. Sharks are not the only problem.

‘We know something’s happening where otters that are prime-aged animals are dying of heart failure,’ Miller said.” Read more.

Dolphin, Manatee Deaths Baffle Scientists

“Near-record numbers of manatees have died in Florida waters in early 2011, the second straight year of above-average deaths, alarming officials who are also puzzled by a surge in dolphin fatalities along the Gulf Coast.

Of the 163 manatee deaths recorded from Jan. to Feb. 25, 91 of them have been blamed on cold water temperatures off the southern state, where normally temperate weather draws the protected sea creatures during winter months, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Manatees live near the coastline, and when weather turns cold they often shelter near springs or in warmer discharge canals at power plants to avoid the condition known as ‘cold stress,’ which can weaken and eventually kill the aquatic mammals.”  Read more.

Mystery Disease Killing Bird in Sipahijala, India

“Agartala, March 3: Close on the heels of an avian flu outbreak in the state, an unidentified disease has claimed the lives of 10 birds of varied species and three animals in the Sipahijala sanctuary in the past three days.

Authorities of the santuary, 30km south of this town, have initiated precautionary measures and closed the zoo and bird sanctuary to public. They have also banned poultry feed for the birds and animals.

But despite primary tests of blood and other samples collected from the dead animals and birds, no evidence of avian flu or any other known disease has been found by experts of the animal disease diagnosis centre here.”  Read more.

Moonageddon: On March 19, Our Nearest Neighbour Will Be at its Closest Since 1993

“IT’S not a bad moon rising, but it is a big one.

The question of whether trouble’s on the way, however, is entirely up to what or who you believe.

In a fortnight Earth will experience the biggest moon it has seen in nearly two decades.

As well as providing some unique photo opportunities, some astronomers – well, one – are already predicting it may bring more worrying disruptions to the Earth’s climate patterns.

Earthquakes are not out of the question. More about that later.”  Read more.