---
title: "While you were sleeping: Wednesday 17 February 2016"
description: "USA considered cyber attacks on Iran, Twitter attention is not the same as votes, and Williams out of the Qatar Open."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "John Stupart"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/johnstupart/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-while-you-were-sleeping-wednesday-17-february-2016/"
published: "2016-02-17T05:54:50"
updated: "2016-02-17T05:57:52"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 720
---

# While you were sleeping: Wednesday 17 February 2016

> USA considered cyber attacks on Iran, Twitter attention is not the same as votes, and Williams out of the Qatar Open.

By John Stupart · Published 17 February 2016, 07:54 SAST · Updated 17 February 2016, 07:57 SAST

## Content

| \| \\| Bosnia is a rich man's war. I understand your frustration, but you have a situation here that is better than 10 other places in the world. … I can give you a list."  **–** Not-so-wise words from the faulty former UN secretary-general,**Boutros Boutros-Ghali** \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \| |
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| \| \\| # Story of the Day \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| ![Image](//gallery.mailchimp.com/6170d6a6d93cac57e83ba137f/images/aa716cbe-ccff-4cfc-a935-b023997bec54.jpg) \\| \\| --- \\| \\| [SONA Debate: Planet Zuma, dirty laundry and hard truths thrash the ANC](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-sona-debate-planet-zuma-dirty-laundry-and-hard-truths-thrash-the-anc/) It was always going to be a bad day at the office for the ANC. The first day of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate had opposition leaders Mmusi Maimane and Julius Malema take on President Jacob Zuma directly for the first time since the finance minister debacle and Nkandla backtracking in the Constitutional Court. It was their opportunity to inflict pain on Zuma and his party, and inflict pain they did. Maimane opted for an intergalactic attack while Malema carpet-bombed Zuma’s leadership with personal attacks and startling revelations. The ANC was left haemorrhaging and had little energy to fight back. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY. \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| # While you were sleeping \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **US planned cyber attack on Iran** If diplomatic efforts leading to the current agreement with Iran had failed, the New York Times reported that a US-launched cyber attack was the next step. Aimed at disabling Iranian air defences, the project was codenamed a very James Bondish 'Nitro Zeus'. [Read More](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-u.s.-planned-major-cyber-attack-on-iran-if-diplomacy-failed-nyt) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **Senegal's President to complete seven-year mandate** Senegal's President Macky Sall has announced that he will serve seven years of his presidential term, falling back on his earlier promise to step down after his intention of changing the mandate to five. Unrest is not expected, but ruffled tail feathers are definitely on the cards. [Read More](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-senegals-president-says-will-stick-to-seven-year-mandate) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **Twitter attention does not equal votes** A study by the Social Science Computer Review has determined that simply getting a lot of Twitter attention does not equate to votes being cast for the candidate. Although based on a German poll in 2013, this could be helpful in the context of the US presidential election. [Read More](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-twitter-not-reliable-predictor-of-election-outcomes-study) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **Williams out of Qatar Open** Serena Williams will join Maria Sharapova on the sick list for the Qatar Open. Williams has been hit with a bout of flu and has announced that she will focus on recovering from her illness. Qatar Open organisers, meanwhile, are likely tearing their hair out at the withdrawal of two big name players. [Read More](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-serena-withdraws-from-qatar-open-with-flu) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| # In Numbers \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **6,376** \\| \\| --- \\|\\| The current value, in Rands, of a single Bitcoin. \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| # Facts of the Day \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **Today in 1854 the United Kingdom recognised the independence of the Orange Free State.**  **Fact of the day: ATM PIN codes traditionally have four digits**due to the inventor's wife claiming she could not remember any more numbers than that. \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| # Weather & Financial Data \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| BFN: min: 20° max: 33°, rainy CPT: min: 17° max: 29°, sunny DBN: min: 23° max: 24°, rainyEL: min: 20° max: 24°, rainy JHB: min: 18° max: 34°, rainy KIM: min: 20° max: 34°, rainy NLP: min: 15° max: 35°, rainy PMB: min: 17° max: 23°, rainy PKN: min: 18° max: 34°, cloudy PE: min: 18° max: 25°, cloudy PTA: min: 20° max: 34°, cloudy \\| \\| --- \\|\\| Oil=$32.70 Gold=$1,215.40 Platinum=$936.07 R/$=15.76 R/€=17.56 R/£=22.55 $/€=1.11 JSE All Share=49,387.10 DJIA=16,044.85 FTSE 100=5,839.56 : [Source](http://emma.thewww.dailymaverick.co.za/servlet/link/3890/618590/129788333/3233800) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| # Now on Daily Maverick \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **FEATURED** [**SONA Debate: Planet Zuma, dirty laundry and hard truths thrash the ANC**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-sona-debate-planet-zuma-dirty-laundry-and-hard-truths-thrash-the-anc/) By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.[**Trainspotter: Enter the Void – a day in the life of Lily Mine**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-trainspotter-enter-the-void-a-day-in-the-life-of-lily-mine/) By RICHARD POPLAK.[**Trust and consequence: If you are a voter, they know where you live**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-16-trust-and-consequence-if-you-are-a-voter-they-know-where-you-live/) By MARIANNE MERTEN.[**GroundUp Report: Rhodes Must Fall protesters burn UCT art**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-groundup-rhodes-must-fall-protesters-burn-uct-art/) By Ashleigh Furlong for GROUNDUP.[**Cartoon: The ZUPTA fusion**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-16-cartoon-the-zupta-fusion/) By JERM[**Parliament Diary: Let the elections games begin**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-parliament-diary-let-the-elections-games-begin/) By MARIANNE MERTEN.[**#RhodesMustFall: UCT's Day of Mayhem**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-16-rhodesmustfall-ucts-day-of-mayhem/) By MARELISE VAN DER MERWE.[**2015: The year according to Twitter**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-2015-the-year-according-to-twitter/) KYLE FINDLAY[**WITS SRC: Calling all corporates, donations desperately needed**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-wits-src-calling-all-corporates-donations-desperately-needed/) By GREG NICOLSON.[**Analysis: Ugandans decide – or do they?**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-16-analysis-ugandans-decide-or-do-they/) By SIMON ALLISON.[**Scalia's death and the 2016 race: Battle for the future of the US**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-17-scalias-death-and-the-2016-race-battle-for-the-future-of-the-us/) By J. BROOKS SPECTOR.[**Blatter and Platini: Protesting innocence, fighting for dignity**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-16-blatter-and-platini-protesting-innocence-fighting-for-dignity/) By ANTOINETTE MULLER.**OPINIONS**[**Op-Ed: Leadership, integrity and a breach of trust**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-16-op-ed-leadership-integrity-and-a-breach-of-trust/) By RAYMOND SUTTNER.  [**Sameer Dossani: Reimagining the Rainbow**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2016-02-17-reimagining-the-rainbow/)  [**Ayabonga Cawe: Forging a way forward for Zama-Zamas**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2016-02-16-forging-a-way-forward-for-zama-zamas/)  [**Ismail Lagardien: Jacob Zuma meets global capitalism – and the outcome cannot be good**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2016-02-16-jacob-zuma-meets-global-capitalism-and-the-outcome-cannot-be-good/) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \| |