Obama to boost US military’s cyber role
Reuters, Washington
The Obama administration is preparing to elevate the stature of the Pentagon’s Cyber Command, signalling more emphasis on developing cyber weapons to deter attacks, punish intruders into US networks and tackle adversaries such as ISIS, current and former officials told Reuters.
Under the plan being considered at the White House, the officials said, US Cyber Command would become what the military calls a “unified command” equal to combat branches of the military such as the Central and Pacific Commands.
South Africa’s ANC loses capital
BBC online
South Africa’s governing African National Congress has been defeated by the opposition Democratic Alliance in local polls in the capital Pretoria.
With counting almost over, the DA has 43% of the vote compared with the ANC’s 41% in Tshwane, the municipality that includes Pretoria.
The DA will need to form a coalition in order to secure control there.
The two major parties are also locked in a tight race to control the country’s largest city, Johannesburg.
The ANC has also lost Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan area in the Eastern Cape to the DA.
16 homes destroyed by Montana wildfire
AP, HAMILTON, Mont.
Authorities have found two more homes that were destroyed by a wildfire in western Montana, bringing the total to 16.
Ravalli County Undersheriff Steve Holton said Friday the homes were confirmed destroyed after crews were able to clear access to them. An additional 49 outbuildings and non-residential structures were damaged by the Roaring Lion Fire, which started southwest of Hamilton on Sunday.
The fire, which has burned more than 12 square miles, is 15 percent contained.
Kazakhstan to send Gulen-linked terrors
AFP, Ankara, Turkey
Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev vowed today to send anyone working or studying at schools linked to US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen back to Turkey should they be found to have “terror links”.
Erdogan blames the reclusive cleric for orchestrating the July 15 failed attempt to unseat him, and has asked Astana to “take a step” after handing over a list of Gulen-linked schools.
Hindu doctor shot dead in Karachi
AP, Islamabad
In yet another attack on miniorities in Pakistan, a 56-year old doctor belonging to the Hindu community was shot dead in Karachi, it was reported on Friday.
“Pireetam Das was sitting in his clinic located in Hasrat Mohani Colony at midnight on Thursday when someone attacked him,” Akhtar Farooq, SSP Investigation said.
