Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

We Should Nuke Dangerous Asteroids, Expert Says
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsC/net
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The meteor that slammed into Russia in February injured about 1,000 people and freaked out many more. Recent months have highlighted the danger of larger space objects that could bring doomsday if they collide with our planet.

We’ve seen potential proposals that involve vaporizing asteroids and capturing them.

Bong Wie, director of the Asteroid Deflection Research Center at Iowa State University, says we should nuke them.

At the recent International Space Development Conference in California, Wie described a plan to send a high-speed spacecraft to intercept a massive asteroid approaching Earth and destroy it with a nuclear warhead.

The cost to save the planet? A mere $1 billion.

If it sounds improbable, NASA has funded preliminary research into the plan to the tune of $600,000 under the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program.

The Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle (HAIV) would be based on existing technology; in 2005, NASA hit Comet Tempel 1 with the hypervelocity Deep Impact probe. “Hypervelocity” usually refers to objects traveling at least 6,700 mph.

Editors note....This causes us to think on Revelation 19:19.

U.S. Demands Immediate Hizballah Withdrawal from Syria
May 30th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday night it was "unacceptable" and "dangerous" for  Hizballah to send fighters into Syria."We demand that Hizballah withdraw its fighters from Syria immediately," she said at a regular daily news briefing.

Separately, The White House announced Wednesday that President Barack Obama has not ruled out the idea of a no-fly zone over Syria. "Every option available to the president remains on the table when it comes to our policy towards Syria. That of course includes the possibility of a no-fly zone," White House spokesman Jay Carney told a news briefing.

Thousands Flee As Volatile South American Volcano Threatens to Erupt
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsThe Independant
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Chile and Argentina have  evacuated a region near the Copahue volcano in the Andes on the border between the two countries, after fears intensified that it would erupt.

Both South American nations issued red alerts on Monday and put evacuation measures in place, with thousands leaving their homes.

Copahue is covered with glaciers and has around a dozen craters, one of which, “el Agrio” (the bitter one), has been spewing gas for months. The gases have diminished in the last few days but the seismic activity has increased – thousands of minor tremors have been registered in the last 48 hours – leading to the decision to evacuate.

“The situation is extremely complicated,” said Gonzalo Arroyo, regional director of ONEMI, the Chilean Home Office’s Emergency Office. “We’re talking about an up to 95 per cent chance of an eruption.”

Both countries have been quick to signal that the evacuation is a preventative measure. Chile’s President Sebastián Piñera called for calm when he announced on Monday that some 2,000 people located in a 15-mile radius of the volcano would have to leave.

The Japanese Financial System is Beginning to Spin Wildly Out of Control
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsThe economic collapse
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The financial system of the third largest economy on the planet is starting to come apart at the seams, and the ripple effects are going to be felt all over the globe.  Nobody knew exactly when the Japanese financial system was going to begin to implode, but pretty much everyone knew that a day of reckoning for Japan was coming eventually.

After all, the Japanese economy has been in a slump for over a decade, Japan has a debt to GDP ratio of well over 200 percent and they are spending about 50 percent of all tax revenue on debt service.  In a desperate attempt to revitalize the economy and reduce the debt burden, the Bank of Japan decided a few months ago to start pumping massive amounts of money into the economy.  At first, it seemed to be working.  Economic activity perked up and the Japanese stock market went on a tremendous run.

Unfortunately, there is also a very significant downside to pumping your economy full of money.  Investors start demanding higher returns on their money and interest rates go up.  But the Japanese government cannot afford higher interest rates.  Without super low interest rates, Japanese government finances would totally collapse.

Revelation 13:1
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary

Revelation 12 tells about Satan’s war with God and his war with Israel.  Revelation 13 tells us about the method Satan uses in the final war of this age.

Revelation 13 is not a part of the chronology (story line) of the book but an interlude giving detailed information about Satan’s tactics. It is here that we are introduced to the “unholy trinity”. This trinity is an evil imitation of the Holy Trinity.

In the Holy Trinity the First Person is “God the Father”.  Satan’s imitation is the great red dragon (12:9) who is Satan. The Second Person of the Holy Trinity is the “Lord Jesus Christ”. Satan’s imitation of Christ is the first beast of Revelation 13:1-10, Antichrist. The Third person of the Holy Trinity is the “Holy Spirit”.  Satan’s imitation of  the Holy Spirit is the second beast of Revelation 13, known as the false prophet, Revelation 13: 11-18.

In this unholy counterfeit trinity we see Satan’s last and greatest attempt to deceive the peoples of the earth, 2 Thess. 2:9-10. "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." A great multitude will be deceived.

The Holy Spirit is now preventing or restraining this evil system from coming into place before God’s time, 2 Thess. 2:6-7, "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way." At present the Holy Spirit carries on His restraining ministry through the lives of believers, Matthew 5:13.  “Ye are the salt of the earth”.  What does salt do?  It prevents corruption.   Matthew 5:14 “Ye are the light of the world”, what does light do?  It dispels the darkness of evil. That is the present day ministry of the Holy Spirit, see John 16:8, "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." This present day ministry of the Holy prevents evil from coming to full bloom.

However when at the rapture the believers are taken out of the world the restraining  ministry  of the Holy Spirit will be terminated. Satan, Antichrist and the False Prophet will then be allowed to come forth and they will be totally unrestrained!  Of course the Holy Spirit will be still in the world, He will be drawing men and women  to Christ. He will be convicting those men and women of sin and their need of salvation, and multitudes will be saved.  But for the Christ rejectors their will be no conviction of sin, in fact the opposite will be true!  2 Thess. 2: 11-12, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:”

In our study of Revelation from chapter 6 on, we have seen the activities of Antichrist. Now he is described to us as the first beast of Revelation 13. John writes, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy”. The first 10 verses of this chapter give us a description of Antichrist and the kingdom he rules over.

Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between the man and his kingdom. This is true in the Old Testament as well. The kingdom of Antichrist takes on his personality.

Chapter divisions are not a part of divine inspiration. Verse one flows out of the previous chapter, verse 17.  “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ”.  Why was Satan so angry? In verse 12 Satan is cast out of heaven and he knows, “He hath but a short time”. In the light of that he begins (verse 1) to carry forth his strategy to consolidate his control over the world, and to utterly destroy Israel.

Satan now proceeds to select two men through whom he works to gain total control of the political and religious realms of the entire earth. Satan has always sought to establish his kingdom as an imitation of God’s kingdom. Although he has been given the ruler ship over this present evil world system, yet he knows that God has always been intervening and exercising ultimate control over his (Satan’s) kingdom. Satan desperately wants break God’s sovereign rule! For 6000 years he has worked to that end. But now he knows her has but a short time. God now loosens his grip on Satan and cuts him a little slack.

“I stood on the sand of the sea”, in scripture the sea represents something very specific, In Revelation 17:15.  The gentile nations of the world are represented by the restless masses of people, "And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Also in Isaiah 57:20, "But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt." During the tribulation period the sea of peoples and nations are in great turmoil. Luke 21:25-26, "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."   

John continues in our text verse, “A beast rise up out of the sea”, during that time of tremendous turmoil, Satan will put forward a man, Antichrist. A man Satan will indwell and control. This man will be a false messiah who will appear to have all the solutions to the world’s problems.

In other words, superman comes on the scene with great plans and programs for world peace and security. See Revelation 6:2 ... 1 Thess. 5:2-3 ...Dan. 11:21...Dan. 8:25. 

This is the setting for the beginning of the tribulation period. Today our world is slipping into great turmoil, confusion and distress. We also see the seeds being sown for a totalitarian world. We are rapidly approaching the wind-up of man's day.

Report: Hizbullah Gives Hamas 'Eviction Papers' from Lebanon
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsINN - David Lev
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The head of Hamas in Lebanon, Ali Barakha, was informed by Hizbullah that his people were no longer welcome in the country, and that Hamas members should evacuate the country immediately, Israel Radio reported Thursday. The message raised the possibility that the two Islamist groups could end up fighting each other in Lebanon, as each vies for influence with opposing parties in Syria, analysts said.

Syrian rebels have been receiving assistance from the Sunni-oriented Hamas terror group, while the Shi'ite-affiliated Hizbullah terror group has been helping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the ongoing civil war in Syria.

Hizbullah is aiding Assad as a proxy of Iran, the main backer of the Syrian despot, while Syrian rebels, seeking to unseat Assad, have turned to Sunni Muslim groups in the Middle East for help. Saudi Arabia is Sunni and fears Iran's increased domination.  Assad himself is a member of the Alawite cult, considered heretical by both Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims.

Recent reports said that hundreds of Hizbullah terrorists have died in fierce fighting on the Syria-Lebanon border, as units of the Syrian army and terrorists battled Syrian rebels for control of the area. Many of the deaths occurred in the Syria-Lebanon border town of Al-Qusayr, a city of over 40,000, which over the past two years has been turned into a war-torn danger zone. It is not known how many Hamas terrorists fought in those battles, but it is thought to be a substantial number by analysts, as both rebels and the Syria army placed a great deal of importance on the battle.

Reports of the Hamas “eviction” by Hizbullah appeared in the Arab press on Thursday, based on information supplied by Syrian rebels, Israel Radio reported, adding that there had been no independent confirmation of the story.

In a separate interview Thursday, Barakha denied the story, saying that Hamas and Hizbullah worked together for the benefit of Lebanon.

Palestinians Reject Kerry’s New Focus on Boosting Their Economy
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsThe Times of Israel
Categories: Today's Headlines;Peace Process

No Saviour in Sight As World Credit Cycle Rolls Over
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsThe Telegraph
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Mark of the Beast Phase One….Homeland Security to Require All Employees to Carry Biometric Smartcard
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsNextgov
Categories: Today's Headlines;Prophecy

The Homeland Security Department is buying $100 million worth of services to issue staff at all agencies smartcards with iris and facial recognition capabilities.

Late Friday, DHS opened the bidding process for a decade-long project to upgrade personnel identification cards that are used to access federal buildings and networks. Following the September 2001 terrorist attacks, Homeland Security Presidential Directive–12, or HSPD-12, mandated biometric IDs for employees governmentwide. But many workers, including 82 percent of DHS computer users, flash the credentials at guards, rather than digital readers, largely because the cards’ electronic components haven’t been activated, according to internal audits.

Now, contractors will replace about 161,924 cards in 2013 and 116,172 cards in 2014, according to contracting documents.

“The present Identity Management System was designed in 2008 and has remained basically unchanged since its inception. New more capable methods are now available that must be evaluated and implemented to move the [ID management] process into compliance,” project plans state.

The work includes “the full range of program management support, engineering services, labor, materials, and equipment” to operate the entire credentialing process, from enrolling employees to synching with card readers on facilities and computers, the contracting papers state. The deal is capped at $99.5 million.

The use of iris recognition is expanding governmentwide. In July 2012, the Obama administration announced plans to embed iris images in all employee ID cards. Meanwhile, DHS and the Justice Department are collecting iris snapshots to identify legitimate travelers as well as track criminal offenders.

Let the Headlines Speak
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Wooly mammoth blood recovered from frozen carcass, Russian scientists say
The frozen body of a 10,000 to 15,000 year old mammoth found on a remote island in the Arctic Ocean has yielded a stunning find: blood so well preserved that it flowed freely from the ancient mammal, according to Russian scientists.  

Amelia Earhart's plane found? Sonar images may have pinpointed wreckage    A grainy sonar image captured off an uninhabited tropical island in the southwestern Pacific republic of Kiribati might represent the remains of the Electra, the two-engine aircraft legendary aviator Amelia Earhart was piloting when she vanished on July 2, 1937 in a record attempt to fly around the world at the equator.  

Ricin letters sent to New York mayor Michael Bloomberg
Two threatening letters sent to New York mayor Michael Bloomberg contained traces of the deadly poison ricin, police said on Wednesday.  

No mercy to be shown to child molesters in China
Child molesters in China will be shown no mercy, the country's highest court said, as a primary school teacher faced a death sentence for raping small girls. The Supreme People's Court announced it will require local courts to do all they can to protect the rights of minors and severely punish those who sexually abuse children, China Daily reported Thursday.  

15 Reps Demand Answers on Benghazi
Fifteen House Republicans are demanding answers about whether the State Department officials blamed for the fatal Benghazi attack in an independent audit still have their jobs. In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, the lawmakers asked what steps the department is taking “to resolve the issue of their employment status.”  

MAGNIFICENT COMET TAIL
This week, Earth passed through the orbital plane of Comet Pan-Starrs. This allowed observers to see the comet's fan-shaped tail edge on.  

NYC Launches Sex App for Teens on its Website, Includes Directions to Birth Control and Abortion Clinics
The New York City Health Department’s NYC teen website now includes an app that teens can download to their smart phones to get information on “sexual health,” including where they can get birth control and abortions. The app, under the heading “Important Links and Info,” has three main links – Where to Go; sexual health services, What to Get; condoms and birth control; and What to Expect; at the clinic.  

Is the Dollar Dying? Why US Currency Is in Danger
The U.S dollar is shrinking as a percentage of the world's currency supply, raising concerns that the greenback is about to see its long run as the world's premier denomination come to an end. When compared to its peers, the dollar has drifted to a 15-year low, according to the International Monetary Fund, indicating that more countries are willing to use other currencies to do business.

War on drugs 'driving hepatitis C pandemic'
The global war on drugs is fuelling a hepatitis C pandemic causing millions of needless infections, the Global Commission on Drug Policy has warned. Repressive drug law enforcement is driving high rates of infection among injecting drug users, it said. Resources need to be redirected into treatment and prevention.  

Weak American battery
Failure to jumpstart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks another sign of diminished US status in region.  

Assad: We received 1st shipment of Russian S-300 missiles
Syrian President Bashar Assad told Al-Manar that his country has already received the first shipment of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles from Russia. During the interview with Hezbollah's television network, which will be aired in full Thursday evening, the embattled Syrian leader said the next shipment is due to arrive "soon."  

Food bank reliance in the UK triples, says Oxfam
More than half a million UK people may rely on food banks, says a study by Church Action Poverty and Oxfam. It blames benefit cuts, unemployment and the increased cost of living for the growth in hunger and poverty. Oxfam said: "Cuts to social safety-nets have gone too far, leading to destitution, hardship and hunger."  

Hurricane Barbara lashes Mexico's southern coast
Hurricane Barbara has been lashing parts of Mexico's Pacific coast after making landfall in the town of Santo Domingo Zanatapec, in Oaxaca state. Two people have been killed in the state, the authorities say - an American surfer and a young Mexican swept away by flood waters. Fourteen fishermen were also reported missing at sea.  

France says Brussels 'cannot dictate' economic policy
France's President and Prime Minister have said Brussels has no right to tell them which economic reforms to make. Speaking to AFP on a visit to Rodez, in southern France, on Wednesday (29 May), President Francois Hollande said: "The European Commission cannot dictate to us what we have to do. It can simply say that France has to balance its public accounts, which is true."

Sources: Top militant killed in Pakistan drone strike
The Pakistan Taliban's No. 2 leader was killed in a drone strike Wednesday in the country's tribal region, a local tribal official and an intelligence official confirmed to CNN.  

Afghan attacks soldier Robert Bales to plead guilty
A US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians in two rampages last year will plead guilty to avoid the death penalty, his lawyers say. Staff Sgt Robert Bales will make the plea in a hearing on 5 June.  

Iraq violence: Bomb blasts leave at least 11 dead
Several bomb blasts in Iraq have killed at least 11 people and wounded dozens more in the latest eruption of violence. The blasts, including at least one car bomb, targeted the capital, Baghdad, and the northern city of Mosul.  

California 12-year-old accused of killing sister denies charge in court
A 12-year-old boy accused of fatally stabbing his younger sister in a crime that traumatized their California town denied a second-degree murder charge through his attorney in juvenile court on Wednesday, and the boy's lawyer said he planned a vigorous defense.  

U.S.: We Support Israel’s Ability to Defend Itself
The United States reiterated on Wednesday that Israel has the right to defend itself, even if Russia goes ahead with the sale of advanced missiles to Syria. “We support Israel’s ability to defend themselves, certainly, but we remain hopeful and remain committed to working towards a political transition,” State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday, when asked about comments made a day earlier by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon.  

Israel to Build in Jerusalem, U.S. Angry
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsINN - Elad Benari
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

An official in the White House reacted angrily on Wednesday, after Channel 10 News reported that Israel had approved tenders for the construction of 300 new homes in Jerusalem and plans to build more housing units beyond the “Green Line”.

The report explained that the tenders in question, for construction in Jerusalem’s Ramot neighborhood, were published last November, right after the Palestinian Authority’s unilateral move at the United Nations which got it upgraded to the status of a non-member observer state, and before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry began his latest push for the renewal of peace talks.

Channel 10 cited a Housing Ministry document it had obtained and which discusses the publications of tenders for another 797 new housing units in the Gilo neighborhood.

"Given the Ministry’s decision to immediately market 797 housing units on the site, there is an urgent need to complete the details of the design, as the marketing will be published in the coming weeks," says the document.

A White House official told Channel 10 in response, "We do not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement construction, which undermines efforts to achieve peace and are contrary to the obligations that Israel undertook upon itself.”

"It is the President’s opinion that Israel should recognize that the settlement policy is not conducive to achieving peace and hampers the Palestinians chances of establishing a state on sustainable borders," added the official. "In our opinion, the two sides must take confidence-building measures, which will make it possible to resume negotiations." Meanwhile, Yossi Deitch, a member of the Jerusalem City Council, welcomed the decision to build in Jerusalem.

"We are delighted that there is marketing in Ramot, and we turn to the Prime Minister of Israel and tell him, ‘You have thousands of more housing units in Jerusalem’. Jerusalem will not be divided to east and west. All of Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel forever," Deitch told Channel 10.

In recent weeks, Kerry has been pushing the sides to resume peace talks, and reports last week indicated that he has proposed that Israel freeze construction east of the 1949 armistice line so the talks can resume.

It was not clear if Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded favorably to Kerry’s suggestion of a new construction freeze. Israel formerly froze construction for several months in an attempt to bring the PA back to the negotiating table. The PA agreed to talks shortly before the freeze ended, but refused to continue meeting when the construction ban was not renewed.

Netanyahu has reportedly put a stop to new construction in Judea and Samaria (Shomron), but has not issued a public ban on construction, and has not stopped construction for Israelis in Jerusalem.

It is also not clear if PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has accepted Kerry’s proposal. Since the last construction freeze Abbas has announced other demands that he considers preconditions to talks with Israel.

Israel Threatens to Bomb Russian Arms Shipment to Syria
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsIsrael Today - Ryan Jones
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Israeli officials this week said they would "know what to do" if Russia goes through with the planned sale of an advanced anti-aircraft system to Syria. Given Israel's recent pinpoint air strikes in Syria, the remarks were taken as a thinly veiled threat to destroy the Russian arms the moment they touch Syrian soil.

"Delivery [of the S-300] has not taken place – I can attest to this – and I hope it does not. But if, by some misfortune, they arrive in Syria, we will know what to do," Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon told reporters.

Israel had tried to convince Russia to cancel the arms sale, arguing that the S-300 would enable embattled Syrian dictator Bashar Assad to more easily transfer chemical weapons to his Hezbollah allies. Two earlier Israeli air strikes purportedly prevented similar transfers.

There is also the risk that should Assad fall, the S-300 itself will fall into the hands of Hezbollah or one of the radical Islamic groups making up the Syrian rebel army. Israeli officials noted that, in the hands of terrorists, the S-300 could be used to quite easily bring down civilian airliners.

But at a meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin rebuffed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's concerns, insisting that Assad is a stabilizing factor in the region and that his regime must be given every chance to remain in power.

Meanwhile, Assad on Thursday claimed on Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV that he had already received the first shipment of S-300 missiles and radar systems. The Syrian dictator went on to warn Israel that any further air strikes would result in an immediate Syrian retaliation.

Following Israel's last air strike against a suspect chemical weapons storehouse at Damascus airport, Arab media reported that Syria had aimed the bulk of its considerable long-range missile arsenal at the Jewish state.

Elementary School’s ‘Gender Bender Day’ Prompts Complaints from Parents Who Fear It will Promote Hom
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsMailonline
Categories: Today's Headlines;Moral Decline

Parents have complained that a Wisconsin elementary school is promoting homosexuality through its ‘Gender Bender’ theme day.

As part of the Milwaukee school’s ‘Spirit Week’ pupils from kindergarten to eighth grade were encouraged to dress like the opposite sex.

But parents described the voluntary event as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘creepy’, fearing it would encourage homosexuality among children.

Sam Ward, who has a child at the school, told Fox News 6:‘I think it’s just teaching them the wrong lesson about gender. If you’re a boy, stay a boy. You shouldn’t have something like that at school.’

Other parents chose to keep their children at home rather then send to Tippecanoe School for the Arts and Humanities on the theme day last Friday.

One mother, who asked not to be named, said she had no problem with teenagers having a fun day dressing like the opposite sex, but her seven-year-old son had been confused by the event.

The voluntary theme day, which features at other schools too, came in the same week as Boy Scouts of America overturned a ban on gay members.

Deidri Hernandez, who was so incensed about ‘Gender Bender Day’ she complained to principal Jeffrey Krupar, said: ‘Having students dress as “transvestites” will distract from the learning process.’

Deadly New Virus, Mers, ‘a Threat to the Entire World’ As Long Incubation Period Stokes Transmission
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsNational Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

A detailed look at two cases of a deadly new respiratory virus called MERS suggests people who have the disease should be isolated for at least 12 days to avoid spreading it, doctors reported Wednesday.

The new germ, a respiratory infection, was first seen in the Middle East and so far has sickened more than 40 people worldwide, killing about half of them.

In a speech on Monday in Geneva, the World Health Organization’s Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, said her greatest health concern is MERS. She called the ongoing outbreaks “alarm bells” and said the virus “is a threat to the entire world.”

In the report published online in the journal Lancet, French scientists said the first patient visited Dubai. He is thought to have caught MERS there before passing it onto the second patient, who had no travel history and with whom he shared a room for three days.

Health officials have previously noted MERS can be spread among people if they are in close contact and clusters of the illness have been spotted in countries including Britain, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. Experts aren’t sure how humans are catching the virus but think it may originate in animals like bats or camels.

China to Conduct Digital Warfare Drills Ahead of Obama - Xi Meet
May 30th, 2013
Daily NewsEconomic Times
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Ahead of President Xi Jinping’s maiden meeting with his US counterpart Barack Obama, China today said it will conduct the first ever exercise to test new types of combat forces, including units using digital technology to practice cyber war.

The announcement came amid media reports that Chinese hackers have breached the designs of critical US weapons systems.

It will be the first time that People’s Liberation Army (PLA) exercise focused on combat forces including digitalised units, special operations forces, army aviation and electronic counter forces, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The drill will be carried out in late June at the Zhurihe training base in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the country’s largest military training field.

Forces from the 38th and 68th combined corps of the Beijing Military Area Command as well eight military academies will participate, according to the department.

The announcement of digital war game came, even as China today outlined the agenda for the first Xi-Obama talks to be held in California on June 8, which include Cyber security in the backdrop of spate of allegations of hacker attacks from China, especially by PLA, targeting America’s weapons systems.