'Australian citizen detained in China amid increasing tensions between Canberra and Beijing'

An Australian citizen who works as a TV anchor for a Chinese state-controlled broadcaster has been detained as tensions between Canberra and Beijing escalate.

The Australian government was notified on 14 August that Cheng Lei, an anchor for the China Global Television Network based in Beijing, had been detained in Beijing.

In a statement released on Monday night, Australia’s foreign minister, Marise Payne, acknowledged the detention and said a consular visit had been conducted via video link.

“Australian officials had an initial consular visit with Ms Cheng at a detention facility via video link on 27 August and will continue to provide assistance and support to her and her family,” Payne said.

The foreign minister said “further comment will not be provided owing to the government’s privacy obligations”.

Cheng was born in China but later became an Australian citizen. In 2018, when she was an anchor for BizAsia on China Central Television, she appeared on ABC’s QandA program. She was previously China correspondent for CNBC for nine years.

She last tweeted on 12 August and her profile on CGTN’s website has been taken down.

Cheng has not been charged but is being held under “residential surveillance at a designated location”, according to an ABC report which states she can be held for up to six months without access to lawyers.

'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/31/australian-citizen-detained-in-china-amid-tensions-between-canberra-and-beijing'

'Completely New Type Of Narco Submarine Discovered In The Atlantic'

The Atlantic narco-submarine scene is intensifying. On August 27 Spanish police, once again, captured a completely new type drug smuggling vessel. It is only the third so-called ‘narco sub’ found in Spain, but like the previous two it is particularly unusual. Spanish smugglers do things their own way, creating very different vessels than their Latin American counterparts. This new type is known locally as a Ghost Glider (planeadora fantasma)

So-called narco submarines are purpose designed boats intended to hide low in the water to avoid detection. Very few can actually submerge, but the name fits. This one appears to be a hybrid of what we call a Low Profile Vessel (LPV) and a traditional go-fast vessel (GFV). It doesn’t appear to sit as low in the water as most others, but has other trappings of narco-subs, notably the custom deck and cockpit. These can be seen in this photo gallery by the Faro de Vigo (in Spanish).

Planeadora fantasma (Ghost Glider) is a term which is also used for high speed narco boats in Spain. Planeadora can mean speedboat. Some of the drug running ones in Spain are massive and can be powered by up to seven outboard motors. Although this one has at least two water jets it seems to emphasize endurance and sea keeping.

A distinctive feature is the tubular collar running along the side. This is normally associated with a RIB (rigid inflatable boat)

'https://www.forbes.com/sites/hisutton/2020/08/31/completely-new-type-of-narco-submarine-discovered-in-the-atlantic/#713cf18f633b'

'Yegor Zhukov: Leading Russian opposition blogger beaten up'

A prominent opposition blogger in Russia, Yegor Zhukov, has been beaten up in Moscow and taken to hospital for treatment.

Police have launched a criminal investigation into the assault.

His supporters posted a photo on Facebook of his bloodied and swollen face. The attack happened near his home on Sunday evening, they said.

In December Zhukov, 22, was given a three-year suspended jail term for "inciting extremism".

A police statement quoted by Interfax news agency said Zhukov had told investigators that "two unidentified men had attacked him on Rashchupkin Street and injured him".

Zhukov is now also a political commentator on Russian radio. He was arrested last August during protests against the exclusion of independent and opposition candidates from Moscow council elections.

Young symbol of Russian opposition avoids jail

Earlier on Sunday, Zhukov said on his YouTube channel that he had been rejected for a master's course on cinema at Moscow's prestigious Higher School of Economics, after initially being accepted for it. He linked that rejection to this political activity.

'https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53972592'

>>10482206

'CDC still hasn't updated it on their site'

Total Deaths 167,558

'https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/COVID19/index.htm'

'Military jets intercept British flight after device found in lavatory'

Aug. 31 (UPI) – British authorities arrested two men after a Ryanair flight was intercepted by military jets following reports of a suspicious device on board, officials said.

The men, a 34-year old from Kuwait and 48-year old from Italy, were arrested at London Stansted Airport on suspicion of terrorism late Sunday.

Ryanair said the flight's captain reported the suspicious object, found in the plane's lavatory, to British authorities during the flight from Austria. The flight landed and taxied to a remote area of the airport, where passengers left the plane.

Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets had intercepted the aircraft and escorted it to the airport, military officials said.

Investigators with Britain's Eastern Region Special Operations Unit said the men were later released after the device was found to be harmless.

"We understandably take any reports of suspicious objects or behavior on flights very seriously and thankfully on this occasion there was no cause for concern," Detective Superintendent Andy Waldie said in a statement.

London Stansted Airport is located about 40 miles northeast of downtown London.

'https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2020/08/31/Military-jets-intercept-British-flight-after-device-found-in-lavatory/9341598874054/'

Army troops heading to California to join fight against wildfires

Army troops from the 2nd Infantry Division on Monday are flying to northern California to help battle raging wildfires in the Mendocino National Forest, officials said.

About 200 soldiers from the 14th Engineer Battalion have been selected to assist the U.S. Forest Service with their fire response efforts. Along with being fitted with their protective gear - including fire-retardant clothing, boots, gloves and hard hats - the soldiers began training on the use of fire shelters at their home station, Joint Base Lewis-McChord in near Tacoma, Wash., Army officials said.

The soldiers will continue their training and be certified before they are sent to join the fight against the August Complex Fire that began as 37 lightning-ignited fires in the Mendocino National Forest on Aug. 17.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/aug/31/army-troops-heading-california-join-fight-against-/

U.S. Air Force Awards Booz Allen $950M IDIQ Contract

MCLEAN, Va.(Business Wire)On July 1st, the U.S. Air Force awarded Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH) one of several positions on an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at $950 million to support development of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) which will enable rapid decision making and all-domain command and control. Part of the Department of Defense’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) concept, ABMS aims to enable all services to operate together as part of a joint team—connecting sensors, decision makers, and weapons through a secure data network to engage across multiple domains more effectively.

Booz Allen has been selected by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s (AFLCMC) Chief Architect Integration Office (CAIO) and will compete for task orders to support digital transformation across all aspects of the Air Force’s command and control enterprise. By leveraging open systems design, modern software, and AI and machine learning applications, the team will develop a connected ecosystem of digital capabilities and technologies across multiple platforms and domains. This interoperable framework will support rapid data collection and analysis, communication, faster decisions, and enhanced performance—from the Continental United States (CONUS) to the tactical edge.

“As warfare becomes increasingly digital, information is the new weapon. Through our work supporting every U.S. military service over the past decades, we have seen firsthand the challenges of disconnected systems, R&D, policies, and procedures,” said Senior Vice President and Booz Allen’s C5ISR lead Khalid Syed. “The Department of Defense is embarking on an ambitious and necessary endeavor to digitally transform its operations, enabling greater mission readiness and seamless communication from sensor to warfighter. Booz Allen has the expertise needed to integrate diverse legacy systems and breakthrough technologies to strengthen the Air Force’s performance today while it architects solutions for tomorrow.”

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/4790533

Twitter removes tweet shared by Trump with false coronavirus statistics

Washington — Twitter on Sunday removed a tweet shared by President Trump that contained false information about coronavirus statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with the company saying it violated its rules.

The tweet was originally posted by Twitter user "Mel Q," a supporter of the unfounded QAnon conspiracy theory, and retweeted by Mr. Trump on Sunday. The post claimed the CDC "quietly updated the Covid number" to show a small fraction of all deaths — 6% — from the coronavirus were "actually" a result of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The vast majority of deaths, the post claimed, were because of "other serious illnesses."

The tweet was taken down, and a message from Twitter says it's "no longer available because it violated the Twitter Rules."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-twitter-removes-tweet-false-coronavirus-statistics/