--- title: "While you were sleeping: 10 January 2017" description: "Trump appoints son-in-law as advisor, Pentagon tests its drone swarms, and 'Hollyweed' sign prankster arrested." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "South Africa" author: "John Stupart" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/johnstupart/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-01-10-while-you-were-sleeping-10-january-2017/" published: "2017-01-10T05:45:52" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 740 --- # While you were sleeping: 10 January 2017 > Trump appoints son-in-law as advisor, Pentagon tests its drone swarms, and 'Hollyweed' sign prankster arrested. By John Stupart · Published 10 January 2017, 07:45 SAST ## Content **Tuesday, 10th January** *“History is not made by great dreams, but by the petty wants of all respectable, moderately thievish and selfish people, that is, of everyone. All our ideas, loves, plans, heroic ideals, all these lofty things are worthless.”* **Karel ?apek** ![Op-Ed: Independence of Western Sahara is an inalienable right](https://i1.createsend1.com/ei/d/D6/3A7/49E/csimport/849x493q70Grootes-ANC-Womens-League1.051233.jpg) STORY OF THE DAY [Parallel lines: Decline and fall of the ANC Women’s League](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-h/) By STEPHEN GROOTES If one was running a competition to determine who had fired the starting gun for this year’s ANC leadership campaign, you would probably have to give the prize to the ANC Women’s League. On Saturday night they became the first organ of the ANC (as opposed to members of the Alliance) to formally call for a particular person to be the new leader of the party. A lot has been said about why they did it, and the smackdown that was swiftly administered by ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe. But the league’s proposal seems to be almost fatally flawed, not just because they jumped the gun, but because of the people it wants in the Top Six of the ANC. The Women’s League of today seems to lack any kind of coherent political programme, apart from existing to push for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma's ascendancy. It is tragic, considering how important the league used to be. WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING [Trump appoints son-in-law as advisor](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-k/) Not to be delayed by Meryl Streep at all, Donald Trump has named son-in-law Jared Kushner as his advisor. At 36, Kushner inherited his parents' real estate and publishing empire and is worth an estimated $1.8-billion. Nobody mentioned current anti-nepotism during the Monday announcement. [Mayer to quit Yahoo board after Verizon deal](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-u/) Yahoo chief executive Marissa Mayer has announced that she will depart from Yahoo's board as soon as the Verizon merger is completed. Mayer intends to remain on board with the core business, but will leave as soon as the long-anticipated merger is implemented. [Drone swarm successfully tested](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-o/) The Pentagon announced on Monday that it had successfully tested a swarm of microdrones. Launched from three F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, the swarm was able to self-learn, auto-generate its own formations and pathways, and self-heal. The intention for these drones beyond 'cool' science is to weaponise the swarms. The future is here, and it's terrifying. ['Hollyweed' prankster arrested](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-b/) The LAPD have arrested a suspect who they believe defaced the Hollywood sign to depict 'Hollyweed'. Zachary Cole Fernandez, 30, was inspired by another artist who had envisioned the 'o-to-e' paradigm. Fernandez's purpose was to prompt a conversation about the legalisation of marijuana. — IN NUMBERS 384,912 The number of years requested for the longest prison sentence in history. It was for a Spanish postman who had failed to deliver over 42,000 letters. He only spent just over 14 years in prison. FACT OF THE DAY Today in 1806 **Cape Town is surrendered** to the British by Dutch settlers. **Microwaving a sliced grape** could cause it to explode into a ball of superheated plasma. FEATURED ARTICLES ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Grootes-ANC-Womens-League.jpg) [Parallel lines: Decline and fall of the ANC Women’s League](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-p/) BY STEPHEN GROOTES ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Thamm-KingKong-MAIN-PHOTO.jpg) [King Kong lives again: Iconic 1950s musical revival set to be highlight on SA 2017 cultural calendar](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-z/) BY MARIANNE THAMM ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Greg-Webster-MAIN-PHOTO.jpg) [EFF activist’s Marikana murder charges ‘politically motivated’, say supporters](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-e/) BY GREG NICOLSON ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Vavi-Jan-8-statement.jpg) [Op-Ed: Nothing new in ANC January 8 statement](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-g/) BY ZWELINZIMA VAVI ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Simon-Africa-2017.jpg) [Africa in 2017: The stories we’re watching](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-yd/) BY SIMON ALLISON ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70suttner-anniversary.jpg) [Op-Ed: The ANC’s January 8th anniversary statement – then and now](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-yk/) BY RAYMOND SUTTNER ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Rebecca-herero.jpg) [Analysis: Can Germany be made to pay up for Namibian genocide?](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-jl/) BY REBECCA DAVIS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Mboweni-Rok-Ajulu.jpg) [Op-Ed: A Tribute to Professor Rok Ajulu (1950-2016)](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-jy/) BY TITO MBOWENI ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70ISS-today-egypt.jpg) [ISS Today: Short on money and friends, Egypt discovers its African roots](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-jt/) BY ISS TODAY ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Marelise-disability-abuse.jpg) [Justice Denied: Getting away with child abuse](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-jd/) BY MARELISE VAN DER MERWE ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Ant-Paper-Round-kolpakalypse.jpg) [The Paper Round: Kolpakalypse Now](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-jk/) BY ANTOINETTE MULLER OPINIONISTAS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70562c5ffb4076dfd1ddee1be88f4bf94a.jpg) [New Year’s Resolution: Don’t bother dieting](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-tl/) A column by IVO VEGTER — **Weather** BFN: min: 20° max: 28°, cloudy CPT: min: 16° max: 34°, sunny DBN: min: 22° max: 25°, AM rain EL: min: 21° max: 23°, rainy JHB: min: 15° max: 28°, cloudy KIM: min: 22° max: 30°, PM rain NLP: min: 15° max: 29°, cloudy PMB: min: 11° max: 29°, cloudy PKN: min: 16° max: 28°, cloudy PE: min: 19° max: 25°, cloudy PTA: min: 17° max: 29°, cloudy **Financial Data** Oil=$55.45 Gold=$1,184.15 Platinum=$980.55 R/$=13.64 R/€=14.41 R/£=16.59 $/€=1.05 JSE All Share=51,049.71 DJIA=19,911.47 FTSE 100=7,237.77 [Source](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hljuirt-l-tr/)