🔥 Qiang's Russia-Belarus Trip Aims to Bolster Alliances Amid Global Tensions

Good Morning. 

Former Republican Representative Mike Gallagher, known for his work on China-related issues and TikTok legislation, has joined Palantir Technologies as its new head of defense.

In this role, Gallagher will report directly to CEO Alex Karp and lead Palantir's defense business, focusing on selling data analysis technology to the U.S. government and allied countries, as the company continues to expand its government contracts.

— 🐈‍⬛ Acoustic Kitty

THE BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT

Chinese Premier Li Qiang's visit to Russia and Belarus aims to reaffirm ties and deepen coordination, particularly with Moscow, amid signs of strain in trade relations and complications from international sanctions.

The trip also serves to demonstrate China's ability to counter NATO influence and strengthen strategic partnerships, despite challenges such as the ongoing Ukraine conflict and Russia's improved relations with North Korea.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY & DIPLOMACY

Counterterrorism

• Afghanistan's Taliban government has published new vice and virtue laws that ban women's voices and bare faces in public, regulate personal conduct, and empower a ministry to enforce these rules, raising concerns about further restrictions on women's rights and freedoms.

• Israeli authorities have arrested 4 people, including a minor, on suspicion of carrying out "terrorist incidents" against Palestinians in the West Bank village of Jit, amid mounting international pressure to address rising settler violence.

• A 61-year-old man has been arrested in Dublin in connection with a 1982 IRA bombing that killed 3 Northern Ireland policemen, marking a rare prosecution related to "the Troubles" over 40 years after the incident.

Military & Defense

• Ukraine claims to have destroyed Russian pontoon bridges in the Kursk region using U.S.-made HIMARS rockets as part of its ongoing incursion into Russian territory, while Russia reports halting Ukraine's advance and making gains in eastern Ukraine.

• During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Warsaw, Poland seeks stronger defense industry ties with India, while Modi reiterates India's willingness to help resolve global conflicts through peaceful means.

• Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is set to visit the sensitive Kinmen islands near China's coast, marking the 66th anniversary of a key military clash and reaffirming Taiwan's stance against Chinese intimidation.

• Vietnamese President To Lam's visit to China highlights Vietnam's efforts to balance its economic relationships between China and the U.S., as both countries vie for influence in Vietnam's growing role in global supply chains.

• Russia has begun installing concrete shelters in the Kursk region to protect civilians amid an ongoing Ukrainian incursion that began on August 6, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people.

Cybersecurity

• Halliburton, a major U.S. oilfield services company, was hit by a cyberattack that impacted business operations at its north Houston campus and some global connectivity networks.

• Russian trolls are intensifying efforts on social media ahead of the U.S. presidential election, attempting to interact with high-profile accounts to spread divisive content and pro-Russian narratives.

• Equiniti, a shareholder-tracking company, has agreed to pay $850K to the SEC in a settlement over data breaches in 2022 and 2023 that resulted in the loss of $6.6M in client funds.

Counterintelligence & Espionage

• German prosecutors have opened an investigation into suspected espionage activity involving repeated drone flights over critical infrastructure in northern Germany, including violations of a no-fly zone over a nuclear power plant.

• Ecovacs has reversed its initial stance and committed to fixing security vulnerabilities in its robot vacuums and lawn mowers that could potentially allow hackers to spy on users.

Transnational Organized Crime

• U.S. authorities have indicted a Guatemalan national for his alleged role in coordinating a human smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of 53 migrants in a tractor-trailer in Texas in 2022, marking the latest development in an ongoing investigation that has led to multiple arrests across Central America.

• A year after anti-Christian violence in Jaranwala, Pakistan, Amnesty International reports that over 90% of suspects remain at large, with trials yet to begin and many victims still awaiting compensation.

• Armed men killed at least 13 farmers in Nigeria's north-central region, possibly in retaliation for providing information to intelligence agencies about the movements of gunmen in an area plagued by herder-farmer conflicts and kidnappings.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The New York Police Department plans to deploy autonomous drones in Central Park to combat a significant increase in robberies and assaults, which have risen by 154% and 57% respectively compared to last year.

This measure comes in response to a crime spree primarily involving juveniles, some as young as 11 years old, who have been targeting visitors in the park.

In other news…

Boston Dynamics has released a video showcasing its new electric Atlas robot performing push-ups, demonstrating the power and robustness of its actuators.

The International Atomic Energy Agency inspected damage to a cooling tower at the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant in Ukraine but was unable to determine the cause of the damage.

The U.S. Army is developing a new electronic warfare architecture separate from signals intelligence to improve speed and reduce classification barriers, aiming for a common, scalable system across different echelons.

Cache Energy has developed a thermal energy storage system using lime-derived pellets that can store renewable energy and potentially replace fossil fuels for heat generation in various applications.

Alphabet X's latest spinout, Tidal, is using AI, sensors, and robotics to monitor and improve salmon aquaculture, aiming to make the industry more sustainable.

Trace Machina, a startup emerging from stealth, has developed a simulation testing platform called NativeLink to help validate software updates for autonomous systems like self-driving cars and warehouse robots before real-world deployment.

DEALS & FUNDING

Google has agreed to provide nearly $250M over 5 years to fund news organizations and AI training programs in California, effectively halting proposed legislation that would have forced tech companies to share advertising revenue with news outlets.

The deal, which also involves OpenAI and some state funding, could serve as a model for other states seeking similar arrangements with tech giants.

However, the agreement has faced criticism from journalism unions, who argue it doesn't adequately address the wealth disparity between tech companies and newsrooms, and fails to resolve concerns about the use of publishers' content in AI training.

In other news…

Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures has secured $839M for its third climate fund, BEV III, making it the largest climate fund closed so far in 2024, with a focus on funding startups that can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Sierra Nevada Corporation has been awarded a $93.5M U.S. Army contract to serve as the lead system integrator for HADES, the Army's future long-range spy plane program.

Sankaet Pathak, founder of the failed fintech Synapse, has raised $11 million for his new robotics startup Foundation, which aims to create advanced humanoid robots to address labor shortages.