Monthly Archives: September 2020

Ethnic Rohingya rest after the boat carrying them landed in Lhokseumawe, Aceh province, on Sept 7. (AP pic)

LHOKSEUMAWE: When hundreds of Rohingya refugees paid traffickers to escape their squalid camp in Bangladesh, they were promised a new life in Malaysia after just one week at sea.

Instead, the group of mostly women and children suffered more than 200 days of terror on the high seas, until they landed this week on Indonesias northern coast, where they are now back in refugee tents.

Beaten by the traffickers, they battled hunger and thirst as storms lashed their wooden vessel, and watched in horror as the corpses of scores who died were tossed overboard, according to survivor accounts.

We were told that wed reach Malaysia in seven or eight days, but we floated in the water for months, one male survivor told AFP from a makeshift tent camp on Indonesias Sumatra island.

We suffered miserably. (The crew) tortured us all the time, beating and cutting us.

Kamrun Nahar, another survivor, said she lost count of how many bodies were thrown into the sea, adding mothers and their children died after succumbing to illness.

The new accounts and those of nearly 100 Rohingya who landed in Indonesia in June suggest some 800 migrants left Bangladesh on a large boat around March before being split onto smaller vessels.

Shuttle system

Many paid up to US$2,400 to get aboard, but smugglers held them hostage for months in order to extort more money from their friends and relatives, survivors and aid agencies said.

Traffickers were said to be demanding transfers of as much as RM5,000, the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) said in a report.

Despite their ordeal, the group looked relatively healthy, suggesting that traffickers had an interest in keeping them alive.

Experts say some smuggling boats are fitted with desalinisation machines to produce potable water during the hazardous crossings.

But the latest arrivals said they were fed little more than a handful of rice and a glass of water each day.

The smugglers employed a kind of shuttle system, with smaller fishing boats going back and forth with food and water, the IPAC report said.

In another twist, IPAC said many women on board were hoping to reach romantic partners in Malaysia.

Most are already married either virtually or otherwise to men in Malaysia who financed their travel, it said.

Horrific journeyMoving refugees from a mothership onto smaller craft for transfer to shore is a common tactic for traffickers.

But it is a perilous operation and an estimated 200 Rohingya have died at sea this year, said Ann Maymann, the Indonesia representative for UNHCR, the UNs refugee agency.

Its a horrific journey, its very unpredictable, Maymann told AFP.

Those who disembarked are probably those whose families have paid.

The latest survivor accounts including claims there could have been as many as 100 dead could not be independently verified by AFP but they match reports given to international organisations, including the UNHCR.

Two of this weeks arrivals a young woman and a man have died of unspecified illnesses, although everyone was declared coronavirus-free after testing by local authorities.

Long-term plan

This weeks arrival was one of the biggest such landings by the persecuted Myanmar minority in years.

Around one million Muslim Rohingya live in cramped refugee camps in Bangladesh next to their native Myanmar where human traffickers run lucrative operations promising to find them sanctuary abroad.

The Rohingya fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar to escape a military crackdown against them three years ago that UN investigators said amounted to genocide.

Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia are favoured destinations for Rohingya trying to escape Bangladesh.

Rights groups have called on Indonesias government to negotiate a long-term plan for Rohingya migrants with neighbouring countries.

We suffered a lot in Myanmar and couldnt find any peace, said Mahmud Syakir who fled the refugee camp in the hope of reuniting with his sister in Malaysia.

Im a poor guy, an orphan. Ive only got a sister in Malaysia but I cant go to her now.

Originally posted here:

Rohingya migrants tell of 200-day terror on the high seas - Free Malaysia Today

We asked, and boy, did our pod of readers ever deliver. From Qualicum Beach, B.C., to Halifax to south of the border in Boston, dozens of kids sent in superb drawings for our narwhal art contest. Many even took care to craft high tales of the deep seas: theres Lola the music fan, Maya the speedster, singer-dancer-Santa helper Nora and many more.

Below are all of the entries, starting with the three grand prize winners. Rest assured, every single artist will receive a Narwhal souvenir. Thanks for participating!

Beatrice Thomson, 11, from Gatineau, Que., submitted this drawing of Sandy and her little baby Narnia. Sandy made a sea cake for Narnias birthday and she is bringing it to the party on her tusk.

Ethan Ezekiel, 12, from Ajax, Ont., sent in this drawing. Heres some background on his submission: Ethan has always been incredibly passionate about marine animals. One of his absolute favourites are the unicorns of the sea! When I told him about this contest, he got all excited and asked me, Did you know they have tusks that are about 10 feet long?! He told me how scientists still dont know much about these elusive creatures, and that he hoped to learn more about them soon.

Rebecca Harty, 5, from Bawlf, Alta., sent in this drawing of Narrel. She is going down to the bottom depths of the ocean with Ariel the mermaid. They are going to find a gem of wisdom to keep the castle safe from falling.

We couldnt announce these winners without acknowledging the person that inspired us to launch this contest: Teddy Fribourg, 4, from Brooklyn, New York. Thanks, Teddy!

The Teddy masterpiece.

We also want to shout out these unique submissions:

Lena Desjardins, 10, of Ottawa sent in this submission. Lena also happens to be the daughter of our trusty developer, Chris, who designed The Narwhals logo. Talent runs in the family!

Ocea Goers, 9, from Victoria, drew this lively drawing of a narwhal sleepover. Oceas party of narwhals may be a reflection about how much these sea creatures are mentioned around the house shes the daughter of Narwhal Senior Editor Raina Delisle!

John de Groots daughter, Ella Rose, pained this narwhal drawing when she was 10. John liked it so much he got it tattooed on his arm!

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This submission comes from Zorza Plachta, 8, near Haines, Alaska. Zorza, whose favourite book is The Animal Encyclopedia, says: This is a picture of a pod of narwhals swimming around. Narwhals start out mostly blueish grey, and then when they get older they get more black parts, and really old narwhals are almost entirely white. They live up in the Arctic. The picture of these narwhals is of medium young narwhals. The narwhal horn spirals, like a unicorn horn.

Wesley Audette-Longo, 4, from Ottawa, decided to take a closer look at a solo sea traveller after learning that narwhals sometimes get closed in by shifting ice.

Teegan Walshe, 13, from Qualicum Beach, B.C., sent in this piece of singer-dancer-Santa helper Nora The Narwhal.

Sophie Quinn, 5, of Burnaby, B.C., sent in this piece with a note: Gnarley the narwhal lives in the Arctic Ocean and she has so many friends. Gnarley loves all of them and so does her friend, Lizzie the mermaid.

Sofia Dietrich Woods, 9, from Ottawa, wrote this lovely tale to accompany her piece: Once there was a narwhal named Lola, she loved listening to music and playing with her friends. Once when she and her friends were playing, they saw a polar bear swimming in the water. They were so scared, Lola and her friends swam to Lolas house. The polar bear just wanted to be friends with the narwhals because they were famous even if they did not know it. The polar bear was sad. He went home after catching a seal for dinner. The next day when Lola and her friends were playing, the polar bear came to catch some fish for lunch when he saw the narwhals playing. He started to cry because he didnt have any friends of his own and he was jealous of the narwhals. Lola was playing tag with her friends when she heard crying. It was the polar bear that they had swam away from the previous day. She went up to the surface even though her friends warned her not to. She was a bit scared but she did it anyway. The polar bear told her how he didnt have any friends. Lola felt sorry for him and she invited him to play, but when she went under water her friends had left. So, she played with Bruno the polar bear by herself. When a couple hours passed, Bruno had to go home. Lola had told Bruno that she would play with him tomorrow. The next day Lolas friends came to play. They werent as scared of Bruno as they were the last time. They were still scared though when Lola went to the surface and they followed close behind her. They played with Bruno for hours. When Bruno had to go home, they said, see you tomorrow. When Bruno got home, everyone was talking about him and everyone wanted to be his friend.

Scarlett Selby, 4, from Toronto, sent in this colourful drawing. Scarlett loves every iteration of unicorns and unicorns of the sea! Since the month of June and Pride, Scarlett has been very taken with all the rainbow flags around Toronto. They have inspired the creation of her Rainbow Narwhal.

This sparkling gem comes courtesy of Ramona Geikie, 9, from Halifax.

Nina Mazereeuw, 12, from Boston, sent in this lovely drawing and a dark tale from the high seas.

Nikita Montplaisir, 11, from Montreal, likes narwhals because they are often pictured to represent the letter N, which is the initial of her name. This drawing, and the waffle, were inspired by the books of Ben Clanton. Nikita loves waffles too!

Nell Delay, 7, from Calgary, sent this story in to accompany her drawing: Once upon a time, there was a narwhal named Coral. She wanted more than anything to breathe above the surface, but everybody knows that narwhals cant breathe above the surface. Maybe I can just have a peek, said Coral. So, she went up to the surface. She took a big breath in and peered above the surface. She saw cars and houses and people. She couldnt hold her breath for long so she ducked back under. She couldnt wait to tell all her friends at school what she had seen. The next day she went to school. She told all her friends at school about the surface. They wanted to see the surface so they went up to the surface and saw all the things. They ducked back under. Then they saw an adult. I was watching you narwhals, narwhals can breathe above the surface!'

This drawing comes from Mya Gushue, 7, from Halifax.

Matilda Varteniuk, 7, sent in this drawing and tale of Maria and her friends.

Lia Mosher, 8, from Halifax, sent in this sparkling piece.

Kingston Sullivan, 6, sent in these narwhals named Toadette and Toad. They are 15 years old and are married with no baby narwhals. They live in a frosted glacier and their favourite food is super mushrooms They are special because of their tusks and Toad has two tusks.

Kenna Zenner, 9, sent in this piece of a little narwhal family.

Kalia Klassen, 4, from Abbotsford, B.C., sent in this drawing featuring herself and her little sister, Nina, riding on top of a narwhal named Kalila. Kalila the Narwhal has a colourful tusk and long orange and red hair.

Kaitlyn Harry, 4, from Bawlf, Alta., sent in this drawing of Spotty. He is going to eat lunch the seaweed around him.

Jimmy Ladubec, 4, from Waterloo, Ont., sketched this piece of Narcal. Narcal has had hundreds of narwhal babies and one looked like a shark, but then it turned out just to be a crumb. Narcal is special because he is magical and even though he is a boy he can have babies. His spots make him magical.

Isabelle Curran of Rhinebeck, New York, sent in this drawing of Mr. Willy.

Emily Audette-Longo, 7, from Ottawa, explored escape possibilities for narwhals that get caught in shifting sea ice.

Eleanor Dobson, 3, from Calgary, sketched this abstract piece. Eleanor loves narwhals mostly reading her narwhal books, so she thought it should be wearing glasses.

Daisy Varteniuk, 9, from Kitchener, Ont, drew this piece of Maya, a super fast and curious narwhal.

Alexandra Pastor, 12, sent this deep-sea sketch from Alexandria, Virginia.

Alexander de Groot, 10, sent in this piece of some very classy and cool narwhals.

Read the original post:

Announcing our narwhal art contest winners - The Narwhal

At the heart of Chinas actions lies a historical strategy that India needs to address with great tact

Realists within India have always argued that the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) only deals in the currency of power and brushes aside liberal and moralistic underpinnings to negotiations in every realm. Whether the recent talks between Indias External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, and Chinas Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, will yield any major dividends, or whether it will be another elaborate smokescreen laid by China, is anybodys guess.

A recent editorial in the pro-government Global Times in Beijing has put out a clarion call for the people of China to be prepared for war with neighbours, without specifically mentioning India. Presciently, this was put out after the Jaishankar-Wang Yi talks and included a reference to the moral conduct of war.

LAC standoff | China rebuts Rajnath Singh, says India violated agreements

Not often have the Indians realised that at the heart of the PRCs strategy to manage its periphery was another fault line in history. Often referred to as Maos Five Finger Strategy, the strategy has continuously sought to reassert control over Arunachal Pradesh, or what the PRC calls Southern Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal and Ladakh, as part of an effort to secure Chinas periphery. This has turned into a Chinese obsession that has destabilised South Asia. It can now be argued that despite being surprised and having had to reckon with a successful PLA operation to change the status quo in several pockets across the LAC in Ladakh, Indias refusal to buckle under pressure has given the PLA and Xi Jinping much to think of.

The spontaneous and violent response of the Indian Army during the Galwan clash of June 15, and the well-planned and executed operation to tactically occupy important heights on both the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso have demonstrated a wide spectrum of capabilities and intent on India's part. While these have not resulted in any gains on the ground, the PLA remains entrenched in grey areas and has been forced to pause and mull over its future actions on the ground, giving India time to build up for the winter and prepare for the long haul.

Some analysts believe that an escalation of some kind seems inevitable, and that it is imperative that the series of meetings at various levels do not infuse a sense of hope that rapprochement is around the corner, unless it is accompanied by a visible change on the ground. Others who have served in the area and observed the trajectory of the PLA build-up argue that there is no way that the deployments, dense as they may be, are enough to support even a localised skirmish. Adding to the difficulties of the PLA in any further operations is the widely accepted military proposition that uphill attacks to dislodge entrenched defenders from the kind of heights now occupied by the Indian Army would require overwhelming force ratios of upwards of 9:1. If one looks back at the heavy losses suffered by the Indian Army during their initial assaults in the Kargil conflict, one may wonder whether the PLA has the appetite to deal with such losses.

Also read | Indian Army fully geared to fight full-fledged war in eastern Ladakh even in winters, says retired Brigadier

A hot LAC will favour the PLA with its greater reserves and will test India to its limits. It is the worst option that India must prepare for, even more than a localised and limited conflict. The latter is a situation that the PLA wants to avoid as it has already achieved several operational outcomes by adopting elaborate coercive methods short of conflict. Hence, the only body language that must go out from the Indian armed forces at present is that it is more than prepared for a limited conflict.

Of greater significance will be a realisation within the PLA leadership that Indias emerging combined arms firepower has the potential to inflict significant attrition on the PLAs combat potential in and around the tactical battle area and in medium depth on the Tibetan plateau. This may be coupled with a realisation that in its obsession with learning from the lessons of the 1991 Gulf War, the PLA may have missed out on thinking more about high altitude warfare, something that the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force have gained much experience in over the decades.

Also read | China controls 1,000 sq. km of area in Ladakh

There is also a realisation that the Indian Navys assertive maritime posturing, its willingness to join collaborative groupings to contain an aggressive PLA Navy, and increasing articulation on the need to ensure freedom of navigation reflects a growing willingness on Indias part to go out and meet an adversary on the high seas rather than stay in the backwaters.

The biggest stumbling block to rapprochement between the two countries lies within the PLA, which has seriously intellectualised its role as the sword-arm of Chinese national power. It has assiduously developed plans to take down adversaries and rolled out its playbook with a multi-front strategy that will run its course. History looms large again, as the PLA was Maos principal instrument against Chiang Kai Shek in the late 1940s as he sought to forge a new identity for the Chinese people. This time around, after shaping the global environment with economic muscle, Xi Jinping is now using the PLA as a vanguard in his bid to narrow the gap further with Chinas principal global competitor, the U.S. India would do well not to become collateral damage in this great power competition.

Also read |Chinese troops carried rods, spears and clubs in aggressive approach towards Indian post, say govt. sources

While diplomatic initiatives and further coercive explorations in the economic domain must continue, pragmatism and realism suggest that in the short-term, it is Indias military resolve that offers the most potential for precipitating any kind of conflict mitigation. Several practitioners feel that the current face-off will only be resolved if the PLA is offered a face-saving proposition, and that would need some deft politico-military-diplomatic manoeuvring from India.

What of a fresh boundary agreement with China following this face-off? Two trajectories seem possible. The first will involve a path of least resistance that brings into play a new paradigm and fresh protocol for managing a stressed but not a hot LAC much like old wine in a new bottle. The second would entail a stroke of enlightened statesmanship that sees both President Xi Jinping and PM Modi cut through much of the clutter to reach a swap deal, the kinds of which are said to have been proposed by Zhou-Enlai in 1959 and Deng Xiaoping in the early 1990s. For Xi, it would mean having to get around an increasingly assertive PLA, while PM Modi would need to get around fractured and jingoistic constituencies across the political spectrum that still hold on to impossible historical probabilities.

Arjun Subramaniam is a retired Air Vice Marshal from the IAF, a historian and the author of the forthcoming Full Spectrum: Indias Wars 1972-2020

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To the brink and back in Ladakh - The Hindu

The first Pirates of the Caribbean movie was an instant action-adventure classic upon release, so where did the disappointing sequels go wrong?

The first Pirates of the Caribbean movie was an instant action-adventure classic upon release, so what went wrong with the film's many disappointing sequels? Directed by The Ring's Gore Verbinski and based on a theme park ride,Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl did not look like much when it arrived in cinemas way back in 2003. But the film was a surprise success and managed the rare feat of winning over both critics and audiences with its quick wit, swashbuckling action sequences, and game cast.

The movie had a secret weapon in the form of a career-defining central turn from Johnny Depp as the feckless antihero Captain Jack Sparrow, aroleDisney studio originally hated.But there wasn't a weak link in the large cast, the romantic subplot was more moving than perfunctory, the scary scenes packed a real punch, and the plot was agreeably twisty and unpredictable for a summer blockbuster. So what went wrong with the film's string of increasingly weak sequels?

Related: Pirates of the Caribbean: What 'The Mark' Was That Jack Left On Beckett

The series has seen a significant decline in its critical approval, with the solid 79% Rotten Tomatoes score of the first movie dropping to 53% for the first sequel, and only continuing to get lower ever since. That has eventually made its way to the box office too: although two of the Pirates of the Caribbean sequelsgrossed over$1 billion worldwide, the most recent installment, 2017's Dead Men Tell No Tales, was the franchise's lowest performer since the first.There's a general sense of fatigue with the series, but there are numerous more specific problems with the sequels.

Part of what madethe first film such a delightful surprise upon its release was the surprisingly high stakes of its story and the genuinely threatening villains. From the opening scene onwards The Curse of the Black Pearl is filled with legitimately scary scenes, andaudiences unfamiliar with Jack Sparrow spent most of their first viewing certain he wouldn't survive until the credits. Some still argue that killing off Jack Sparrowis the only way to reestablish meaningful stakes in the series, as from his first appearance in Dead Man's Chestit was clear that Jack was an indestructible cartoon character whocould be tossed down a ravine without the incident leaving a scratch on him. This change resulted in a sequel where the stakeswerenon-existent, lightening the movie's tone way too much. Even the first film's dark and foreboding night-time cave settingswere replaced by sun-bleached desert islands straight out of a Tex Avery cartoon.

The vast majority of the movie's actionwasa string of convoluted double-crossing which, because the characters no longer seem close to death, neverfelt impactful or dramatic.Where the firstPirates of the Caribbean moviehad one un-killable mascot, Jack the Monkey, the sequelmakes the entire cast indestructible and limits any emotional connection for the audience as there's now nothing for viewers to fear. Sure,Jack may end up (temporarily) killed off at the close of this sequel's glacially paced 151 minutes, but the death never feels real despite the plodding build-up to his involuntary sacrifice. The sequel's lighter toneis exacerbated bythe film's main villains as, unlike the zombie pirates of the first installment, Davy Jones' part-barnacle henchmen are more gross than threatening. The film does have a more threatening, bigger picture villain, but that's another problem...

Despite bringing back Barbossa and Jack,the franchise's third installment Pirates of the Caribbean:At World's End makes it clear from the opening scene onwards that it won't be repeating the mistakes of Dead Man's Chestby lightening the tone too much. Nope, this film opens with a mass pirate hanging, one of whose victims is a child. So it goes without saying that the third film overcorrected, making the tone of the series way too gloomy for a summer blockbuster. This is all due to the big picture villains of the series, The East India Trading Company. They're responsible for the aforementioned uber-bleak hanging sequence, and a huge chunk of the film's runtime is devoted to explaining their cozy relationship with governments of the time. Although plenty of maritime myths show up in Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the series utilized a set of heartless bureaucrats hell-bent on regulating the high seas astheir overarching villain.

Related: Pirates of the Caribbean: All 4 Captains of the Black Pearl Explained

The real-life institution's impending destruction of the pirate world marks the arrival of modernity in this old world setting and, though the series always hinted that it wouldcome to a close with the end of the piracy era (later tacked-on sequels notwithstanding), multiple lengthy scenes of characters discussing the particulars of maritime law do notan excitingPirates sequel make. Between the gloomy, grey-dominated visual palette of this third installment,numerous surprisingly bleak characters deaths, and an unexpectedly poignant ending which left none of the characters happy, this third film dipped into territory which was simply too sad and self-serious for a series originally adapted from a theme park ride.So it's no wonder Will and Elizabeth didn't return forPirates 4 aftertheir shared storyline came to a brutal close in this film'sgrimfinal scenes.Fans were confounded by acomplicated plotthat dragged the film out to a whopping 168-minute runtime, as well as Will and Elizabethbeing left apart at their story's unexpectedly tragic end.

The East India Trading Company's attempts to play various parties off one another resulted in a string of double and triple crossesthat were less clever and more needlessly complex. Even outside of their involvement, the plot already hadthree conflicting villains to deal with by the first sequel alone, with the disgraced Norrington, the undead Barbossa, and theoctopus-faced monster Davy Jones all vying for screen time. The second sequel brought in a set of Pirate Lords (including Keith Richards as Jack Sparrow Senior, bizarrely), and inevitably added more cooks to this by-now thoroughly spoiled broth. Even if the East India Trading Company's contributions to the narrative were disregarded entirely, nine Pirate Lords, two love stories, two antagonists, and an undead army are too much for one story

Of course, the unspoken reality is that none of the convoluted plots or wavering tones would have mattered if the films were still fun, and the reason many fans soured to the series has little to do with its inconsistency and complexity. By the time the fourth (and worst) Pirates of the Caribbeanmovie, On Stranger Tides, was released the franchise had dropped much of its old cast and carried over only the reliable audience favorite Captain Jack Sparrow, alongside a couple of supporting plays such as Barbossa and Joshamee Gibbs. The problem was, by this stage Depp's version of the character was more than a little tired and audiences were sick of what had once been a fresh new antihero.

The character had been ripped off countless times (sometimes by his actor in other roles), and the sight of a campy, too-clever scallywag getting his way out of scrapes by sleight of hand had well and truly lost its charm by the time the franchise's critically abhorred fifth installment arrived in cinemas in 2017. Only time will tell whether Disneycanwin back the crowd by recasting the role, as Depp's incarnation of the character remains iconic even if he did outstay his welcome at the cineplex. Only time will tell whetherthe upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean rebootmight be able to revive the ailing franchise, but it will be an uphill battle after four films of inconsistent tones and overlong, over-egged plottingled the publicto fall out of love with this franchise.

More: Pirates of the Caribbean: Every Crime Jack Sparrow Committed

Matrix 4 Is A Love Story According to Keanu Reeves

Continued here:

Pirates of the Caribbean: What Went Wrong With The Sequels - Screen Rant

PlayStation 4 owners, prepare to engage in your first deniable operations.

Just under two months before the release of the direct sequel to the original Call of Duty: Black Ops, and mere weeks ahead of the games Beta, all PS4 owners will be able to participate in the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Alpha.

This exclusive weekend commences on September 18 at 10am Pacific / 6pm BST, and is set to conclude on September 20 at 10am Pacific / 6pm BST. The Alpha is free to all PS4 players. PlayStation Plus Subscription not required for most owners.*

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Alpha is set to have a download size of approximately 25 GB.

Pre-loading is planned to begin on September 17 at 8am Pacific / 4pm BST ahead of the Alphas scheduled launch on September 18 at 10am Pacific / 6pm BST.

Download the free Alpha at the links below for your respective region:

Those who own Call of Duty: Modern Warfare or have Warzone installed can access the Black Ops Cold War Alpha through the main menu.

Within the Modern Warfare or Warzone menus, selecting the Alpha menu blade either brings you straight to the Alpha to jump in and play if youve already downloaded, or redirects you to its download page at PS Store.

You can also exit the Black Ops Cold War Alpha and go straight into Warzone through a menu blade within the Alpha.

All participants will receive a Calling Card, accessible across Modern Warfare, Warzone, and Black Ops Cold War upon its release, just for participating in the Alpha.

Heres what players can expect in the Alpha, including an all-new Multiplayer mode for the franchise:

The Alpha will include three traditional game modes across two maps designed for 6v6 play.

Among this trio is the gold standard of squad-based game modes in Call of Duty Team Deathmatch (TDM) as well as Kill Confirmed, a TDM variant where Operators must confirm kills by picking up enemy dog tags dropped by downed players before they are denied by the enemy team.

Then theres Domination, an objective mode staple in the Call of Duty franchise. Expect a larger capture area than in previous titles in Black Ops Cold Wars Domination, allowing for more cover opportunities and maneuverability when attacking or defending while capturing a point.

These three modes will be available on the following maps during the Alpha:

A prison transport vehicle has been intercepted by Perseus through hired DGI forces, with CIA forces arriving to take them out in the heat of Miamis South Beach.

Amid art-deco architecture and neon lights, Operators battle between various buildings, in the streets, and on a stretch of the beachfront itself. Various rooftops and windows act as prime longshot spots for sharpshooters who can take advantage of vistas across empty streets and beaches.

Meanwhile, Operators can weave in-and-out of vacated tourist traps in close-quarters combat, using parts of a parking garage or the beachfront to flank enemy combatants.

First teased in the Black Ops Cold War Reveal trailer, Satellite is set in an Angolan desert where a KH-9 American-made satellite has been downed.

Soviet and American forces arrive on a battlefield devoid of any man-made structures, save for the satellite in question at mid-map. Other than this cover-heavy central point, the maps rocky outcroppings and archways provide numerous flanking routes and plenty of cover.

Alternatively, the natural sand dunes on the opposite side of the map are a perfect territory for snipers, at the expense of any meaningful protection from aerial Scorestreaks or a cross-map high-caliber bullet.

Combined Arms: Domination is a new 12v12, vehicle-inclusive twist on traditional Domination, set in larger maps compared to the games traditional 6v6 play spaces.

In Combined Arms, vehicles such as Tanks, Snowmobiles, Wakerunners, and Gunboats will allow squads to bolster their firepower and mobility across these expanded environments. Like the core 6v6 Domination mode, teams will be tasked with capturing and defending multiple objectives between two initial spawn areas.

Along with traditional loadout-based firefights and Scorestreak play, Combined Arms: Domination is defined by how each squad uses the available selection of vehicles to help their team turn the tide of battle.

In the Alpha experience, Combined Arms: Domination will take place on two maps:

Its 1984, and U.S. and Soviet forces are battling it out in the North Atlantic Ocean in search of a prototype nuclear submarine.

Competing squads will take to the high seas with skirmishes on multiple ships, utilizing ziplines, rappel lines, and various seacraft to navigate the rough waters below.

The central ship is a hotspot for combat of all forms, from CQB battles in control stations, to sniper duels with adjacent ships, to aquatic warfare that may take place below the surface. Be sure to explore every nook and cranny of the map to discover new entryways to each objective point, and keep your head on a swivel.

In the middle of the frozen Soviet wilderness, NATO forces have ambushed a large military convoy comprised of mobile ICBM launchers.

Tanks and Snowmobiles will help operatives plow over this snowy tundras banks and groves, both of which could be temporary homes to sharpshooters looking for longshot opportunities.

Those planning out their strategy for victory should consider wresting control of the communications station, the lone structure that stands at the dead center of the iced-over lake. Or, for those looking to flank the enemy team, try braving the rickety bridge that spans over a deadly chasm if youre not afraid of heights, that is.

Need to see the new maps and modes in action, including a run-down of what Multiplayer entails? Be sure to watch the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Reveal video here!

Before dropping into the above maps and modes, get a glimpse at the Create-a-Class, Gunsmith, and Scorestreak customization features showcased in limited capacity during the Alpha.

While youre editing your loadout, get to know the new Field Upgrades on offer. These are pieces of equipment earned over time while in-game that can act as a boon for your fellow squadmates or hinder the enemy teams abilities. Wildcards also fundamentally alter the rules of Create-a-Class, with four powerful options to choose from for maximum flexibility.

Alternatively, a few default loadouts are available for Operators looking to pick up and play with a developer-tailored selection of weapons, attachments, Perks, equipment, Field Upgrades, and Wildcards. For those looking for inspiration on Create-a-Class and Gunsmith creation ideas, these default loadouts can act as a great framework for crafting your own custom arsenal.

Once everything is to your preference, dive into Multiplayer and earn some Scorestreaks, which can be crucial for achieving victory. Scorestreak points earned via both kills and objective play are kept through death. Stay alive and string together multiple kills in one life to earn point multipliers that will aid in earning higher-end, game-changing battlefield technology.

This Alpha is just a fraction of all the content to come with Black Ops Cold War Multiplayer; expect more modes, maps, weapons and vehicles in the upcoming Open Beta and at the games launch on November 13.

Pre-order digitally now and get instant rewards like the Woods Operator Pack** for immediate use in Modern Warfare and Warzone, and secure early access to the Open Beta***, first on PS4.

*PS4 owners in Germany will need a PS Plus subscription due to the games age rating. Alpha starts September 18, 2020 on PS4 system. Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of Alpha subject to change. See http://www.callofduty.com/alpha for more details. Minimum Alpha duration is 2 days. Limited time only. Internet connection required.

**Call of Duty: Modern Warfare / Call of Duty: Warzone on pre-order platform required to redeem Woods Operator and Blueprint.Sold/downloaded separately.Must be redeemed by Nov. 13, 2021.

***Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of MP Beta subject to change. Seewww.callofduty.com/betafor more details. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only, while Early Access Beta Codes last, at participating retailers.Internet connection required. Online multiplayer subscription may be required. 2020 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS, CALL OF DUTY WARZONE, MODERN WARFARE, and WARZONE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.

The rest is here:

Play the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War PlayStation 4 Alpha on September 18-20 - PlayStation.Blog