Carter: US will sharpen ‘military edge’ in Asia

Carter: US will sharpen ‘military edge’ in Asia

SAN DIEGO

Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Thursday the U.S. will “sharpen our military edge” in Asia and the Pacific in order to remain a dominant power in a region feeling the effects of China’s rising military might.

Carter made the pledge in a speech aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in port in San Diego.

The Pentagon chief described what he called the next phase of a U.S. pivot to Asia – a rebalancing of American security commitments after years of heavy focus on the Middle East.

Audio appears to back up assertion in police shooting

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

A Charlotte, N.C., police officer calls for backup, saying he has spotted a man with a gun and a marijuana joint in his SUV. In follow-up radio traffic, the officer says a suspect has been wounded and is lying on the ground.

The two snippets of audio the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department released Thursday along with a brief 911 call appeared to back up authorities’ assertion that officers believed Keith Lamont Scott had a gun. A black officer fatally shot Scott last week, sparking violent street protests and prompting the governor to call up National Guard troops, who were stationed on downtown streets.

The three audio clips, totaling less than two minutes, were released amid growing public demands for more details about Scott’s death. Police on Saturday shared about three minutes of video capturing the Sept. 20 shooting.

Lady Gaga to perform at halftime during Super Bowl

NEW YORK

It’s official: Lady Gaga will headline the Super Bowl halftime show.

The NFL and Pepsi announced Thursday that the pop star will take the stage Feb. 5 at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Gaga sang the national anthem at the Super Bowl this year in Santa Clara, Calif. Beyonce, Bruno Mars and Coldplay headlined the halftime show.

Gaga’s hits include “Poker Face,” “Bad Romance,” “Born This Way” and “Applause.”

Explosion in storage bunker at Camp Minden

The National Guard says a bunker full of “clean-burning igniter” exploded at Camp Minden, where a company went bankrupt and abandoned about 160 tons of the substance and 7,800 tons of potentially explosive artillery propellant.

Authorities say nobody was hurt in Thursday morning’s blast. It occurred more than 61/2 miles from the site where a contractor is burning the M-6 propellant and will burn the remaining 100 tons of igniter.

Before they were able to get close to the site, Louisiana State Police had said a bunker of M-6 exploded.

India carries out ‘surgical strikes’ against militants

NEW DELHI

India said Thursday it carried out “surgical strikes” against militants across the highly militarized frontier that divides the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, in an exchange that escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

Pakistan dismissed the reports that India’s military had targeted “terrorist launch pads” inside the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir. Islamabad said instead that two of its soldiers were killed in “unprovoked” firing by India across the border.

Associated Press