Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• U.S. State Department Issues Country Reports on Terrorism 2019 US Dept. of State 24 Jun 2020 -- The State Department today released its annual Country Reports on Terrorism, detailing key developments in 2019 in the global fight against ISIS, al-Qa'ida, Iranian proxies, and other international terrorist groups.
• U.S. Says Terrorist Threats Persist, Citing Iran's Rising Support For Extremists RFE/RL 24 Jun 2020 -- The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump says "dangerous terrorist threats persisted" in 2019 even as Iran, the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, and Al-Qaeda suffered setbacks.
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo At a Press Availability on the Release of the 2019 Country Reports on Terrorism US Dept. of State 24 Jun 2020
• United States Provides Additional U.S. Foreign Assistance for El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras US Dept. of State 24 Jun 2020 -- "Recently, I informed Congress of the Administration's intent to provide $252 million in additional U.S. foreign assistance for El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. This assistance will promote U.S. national security and further the President's goal of decreasing illegal immigration to the United States."
• Rewards for Justice – Increased Reward Offer for Information on ISIS Leader Amir Muhammad Sa'id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla US Dept. of State 24 Jun 2020 -- The U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice Program is increasing its reward – now up to $10 million – for information leading to the identification or location of ISIS's new leader Amir Muhammad Sa'id Abdal-Rahma al-Mawla. This represents a doubling of the previous reward offer of up to $5 million announced in August 2019.
• National Guard ready for hurricane season Army News 24 Jun 2020 -- In 1992, Air Force Maj. Gen. Steven Nordhaus was a first lieutenant stationed at Homestead Air Force Base in South Florida when Hurricane Andrew struck, destroying his house and car.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation report - 156 WHO 24 Jun 2020
• WHO Emergencies Press Conference on coronavirus disease outbreak - 24 June 2020 WHO 24 Jun 2020
• IMF Predicts All Regions of Global Economy to Experience Negative Growth for First Time VOA 24 Jun 2020 -- The global economy will shrink by 4.9 percent, the worst annual contraction since World War 2, the International Monetary Fund predicted Wednesday in its World Economic Outlook report.
• COVID-19: Recovery will be slower following 'crisis like no other', IMF predicts UN News 24 Jun 2020 -- Economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is projected to be more gradual than previously forecast, according to a report published on Wednesday by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• Coronavirus: 10 million infections milestone looms – WHO's Tedros UN News 24 Jun 2020 -- The world is on track to reach 10 million coronavirus cases within the next week, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief executive said on Wednesday, a "sober reminder" that as research continues into therapeutics and vaccines, utmost efforts are needed now to suppress transmission and save lives.
• WHO Chief: Coronavirus Infections Could Reach 10M Next Week VOA 24 Jun 2020 -- World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that the number of coronavirus cases throughout the world could reach 10 million next week, a sharp increase from the 9.3 million cases currently reported.

United States

• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 24 Jun 2020
• Wisconsin Guard tops 150,000 COVID-19 specimens collected Army News 24 Jun 2020 -- Wisconsin National Guard teams have collected more than 150,000 COVID-19 test specimens across the state in support of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
• Oregon National Guard completes PPE mission Army News 24 Jun 2020 -- The Oregon National Guard has conducted numerous missions throughout the state in response to COVID-19 while focusing on distributing millions of pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo, Governor Murphy and Governor Lamont Announce Joint Incoming Travel Advisory That All Individuals Traveling from States with Significant Community Spread of COVID-19 Quarantine for 14 Days New York State 24 Jun 2020
• Theodore Roosevelt Sailors Receive COVID-19 Antibody Testing DoD News 24 Jun 2020 -- Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt participated in voluntary COVID-19 antibody testing.
• Fauci "cautiously optimistic" for COVID-19 vaccine by late 2020, early 2021 People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- The U.S. government's top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said Tuesday he remains "cautiously optimistic" that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine at the end of this year or early 2021.
• Coronavirus has brought US 'to its knees': CDC director Press TV 24 Jun 2020 -- The coronaviurs has brought the United States "to its knee," a US public health chief told Congress on Tuesday as some states have seen record hospitalizations related to the fatal virus.
• Department of Justice Files Statement of Interest Challenging the Constitutionality of Hawaii Governor's COVID-19 Order that Effectively Discriminates Against Out of-State Residents in a Manner that Harms Hawaii's Economy US Dept. of Justice 24 Jun 2020 -- The Justice Department yesterday filed a statement of interest in Hawaii federal court in support of a lawsuit filed by Nevada and California residents who own property in Hawaii challenging a measure by Gov. David Ige in response to COVID-19 that mandates a 14-day self-quarantine for individuals entering Hawaii.

China

• Empty Promises from the People's Republic of China in Africa US Dept. of State 24 Jun 2020 -- "The American people continue to stand with our partners across Africa in confronting the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic."
• China's Publicized WHO Fundraising Drive Falls Short of Hype VOA 24 Jun 2020 -- A highly touted Chinese drive to raise funds for the World Health Organization, launched after President Donald Trump announced he was ending financial support for the WHO, has raised less than $10,000 in its first month, according to data posted on the fund's website.
• China Has Conducted Over 90 Million COVID-19 Tests Since Start of Pandemic, Says Official Sputnik 24 Jun 2020 -- China has conducted over 90 million nucleic acid COVID-19 tests since the start of its novel coronavirus outbreak, the state-run Xinhua News Agency announced Wednesday.
• Latest virus outbreak linked to Beijing market 'basically contained' Global Times 24 Jun 2020 -- Beijing's latest COVID-19 outbreak linked to the Xinfadi wholesale market has been basically contained, a spokesperson of the Beijing municipal government announced on Wednesday.
• Hong Kong to launch health code system to facilitate people traveling to Guangdong, Macao Global Times 24 Jun 2020 -- Secretary for Food and Health of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Sophia Chan said on Wednesday that Hong Kong will develop a local health code system to facilitate people traveling between Hong Kong and Guangdong, or Hong Kong and Macao.
• Beijing vows to further expand scope of COVID-19 nucleic acid testing Global Times 24 Jun 2020 -- Beijing has vowed to further expand its scope of nucleic acid testing for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the fight against the second wave of the virus, local government said on Wednesday.
• Chinese COVID-19 vaccine candidate the first to start phase 3 clinical trials worldwide Global Times 24 Jun 2020 -- Chinese-developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate is the world's first to enter phase three human clinical trial which will begin in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday. It is also the first overseas clinical trial for a Chinese-grown vaccine, and is seen as an important step toward putting the vaccine into use and benefiting all humanity.
• China's daily nucleic acid testing capacity tops 3 mln: official People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- China currently can offer 3.78 million nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 every day, a 200-percent increase from March, a health official said Wednesday.
• Chinese mainland reports 12 new confirmed COVID-19 cases People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- Chinese health authority said Wednesday that it received reports of 12 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Tuesday, of whom nine were domestically transmitted and three were imported.
• China's Hebei reports 2 new confirmed COVID-19 cases People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- North China's Hebei Province reported two new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the provincial health commission said Wednesday.
• Beijing reports 7 new confirmed COVID-19 cases People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- Beijing reported seven new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases, four suspected cases and one asymptomatic case Tuesday, the municipal health commission said Wednesday.
• China's Hubei reports no new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- No newly confirmed, asymptomatic or suspected cases of COVID-19 were reported in central China's Hubei Province Tuesday, the provincial health commission said Wednesday.
• Shanghai reports 2 new imported COVID-19 cases People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- Shanghai reported two new imported COVID-19 cases and no increase in locally transmitted cases on Tuesday, the municipal health commission said Wednesday.
• Beijing requires nucleic acid testing for 3 groups of people People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- Nucleic acid testing is required for three groups of people -- those who visited the Xinfadi market or came in contact with the market staff; employees in farm produce markets, restaurants, canteens, food delivery and logistics; people living in medium and high-risk areas, medical staff and frontline personnel, and those in service sectors such as transportation, supermarkets and banking, local authorities said Monday.
• Chinese mainland reports 3 new imported COVID-19 cases People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- The Chinese mainland reported three new imported COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 1,888, the National Health Commission said Wednesday.
• Vice premier stresses more targeted COVID-19 control in Beijing People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Tuesday stressed earlier and more targeted COVID-19 prevention and control to keep the epidemic from spreading in Beijing.
• Chinese mainland reports 12 new confirmed COVID-19 cases People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- Chinese health authority said Wednesday that it received reports of 12 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Tuesday, of whom nine were domestically transmitted and three were imported.
• Beijing hotels, tourist sites to reject visitors from COVID-19 risk areas People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- Beijing's hotels and scenic spots will not receive visitors who have been in medium- or high-risk areas or who arrived from overseas within 14 days, an official said Tuesday.
• China greenlights new COVID-19 vaccine candidate for human trials People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- Chinese authorities have approved a new COVID-19 vaccine candidate for human trials, the Institute of Microbiology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in a statement.
• China's inactivated COVID-19 vaccine starts phase-3 clinical trial internationally People's Daily 24 Jun 2020 -- China's inactivated COVID-19 vaccine candidate has started its phase-3 clinical trial globally in the United Arab Emirates, according to the vaccine developer China National Biotec Group (CNBG).

Europe

• US Working With EU to Reopen International Travel VOA 24 Jun 2020 -- The United States is working with the European Union (EU) and countries across the world on how to "safely reopen international travel" after months of COVID-19 lockdown and quarantine measures.
• Johnson Answers Questions About Lockdowns, Test & Track App VOA 24 Jun 2020 -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson sparred with opposition Labor leader Keir Starmer in Parliament Wednesday about Johnson's strategies for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in Britain.
• UK must prepare for second coronavirus wave: Health leaders warn Press TV 24 Jun 2020 -- Medical experts have sternly warned that there should be an urgent review to determine whether the United Kingdom is prepared for a second wave of the coronavirus.
• Sturgeon announces significant easing of lockdown measures beginning mid-July Press TV 24 Jun 2020 -- The Scottish government has announced a substantial reduction in lockdown measures beginning on July 15.
• WHO: UK coronavirus testing system is "capable" SPA 24 Jun 2020 -- Britain's coronavirus testing programme could help to give a picture of how the virus spread of the virus in the country, Reuters quoted Mike Ryan, head of the World Health Organization (WHO) emergencies programme, as saying today.
• Boris Johnson Grilled as Germany Beats UK to a Coronavirus Contact Tracing App Sputnik 24 Jun 2020 -- "We spent 12 million on this. Other countries are ahead of us. When are we going to have a working app?" opposition party Leader Keir Starmer said during a Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.
• Dutch set to further ease coronavirus measures as infection rate drops SPA 24 Jun 2020 -- The Dutch government announced a widespread easing of coronavirus lockdown measures on Wednesday that will allow outdoor gatherings, group restaurant visits and regular public transport services from July 1.

Russia

• Supreme Lama Of Russia's Siberian Region Of Tyva Dies Of Coronavirus RFE/RL 24 Jun 2020 -- The Supreme Lama Dzhampel Lodoi of Russia's Siberian region of Tyva - a remote area of 330,000 people near the Russia-Mongolia border - has died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
• Tatar Activist Loses Job After Publicly Challenging Coronavirus Numbers RFE/RL 24 Jun 2020 -- An activist in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan claims he has been dismissed as head of a branch of the local government-funded World Tatar Congress in the republic's second-largest city, Naberezhnye Chelny, after publicly challenging the official municipal statistics on the coronavirus.

India

• UPDATES ON COVID-19 India PIB 24 Jun 2020
• Just Like Wuhan, Delhi Announces COVID-19 Mass Testing for Every Household Sputnik 24 Jun 2020 -- India's national capital Delhi jumped to second place in term of cases in the country, with a tally of 66,602 COVID-19 cases, and reported a record single-day spike of 3,947 new infections on Tuesday, the highest reported by any Indian state so far.

Iran

• COVID-19 kills another 133 Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 24 Jun 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Wednesday that some 133 more Iranians have died of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 9,996.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 3,123 New COVID-19 Cases Reported in Saudi Arabia SPA 24 Jun 2020 -- The Ministry of Health said in a statement today that 3,123 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 167,267 cases, including 53,083 active cases receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 2,129 critical cases, while the health condition of the rest is stable. As many as 2,912 cases have recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 112,797.
• Ministry of Islamic Affairs: Lessons to Be Held Again in Mosques Starting from Today SPA 24 Jun 2020 -- The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance has issued a decision to allow holding lessons in mosques of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia starting from today 24 June, 2020, adding that speeches must be presented immediately after the prayer with a maximum of 10 minutes duration, and with regard to lessons, the lesson must be compatible with the protocol of mosques opening duration; and that does not exceed half an hour.

Taiwan

• No new COVID-19 cases reported in Taiwan Wednesday CNA 24 Jun 2020 -- Taiwan reported no new cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus on Wednesday, leaving the total number of cases at 446 since the pandemic began at the end of December, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan to allow foreign nationals to apply for non-tourist entry (update) CNA 24 Jun 2020 -- Taiwan will begin allowing foreign nationals to apply to enter the country for reasons other than tourism and social visits starting June 29, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Wednesday.

North Korea

• North Korean City of Chongjin on Lockdown After New COVID-19 Outbreak Radio Free Asia 24 Jun 2020 -- A new COVID-19 outbreak at two major factories in the North Korean industrial center of Chongjin has prompted authorities to close off the country's third largest city, a drastic step not seen in Pyongyang's initial extensive responses to the pandemic in January, sources told RFA.

Other Countries

• UN Agency Foresees Possible 'Crisis Within Crisis' as Migrant Workers Head Home VOA 24 Jun 2020 -- The U.N. labor agency urged governments worldwide to provide social protection and economic support to migrant workers as tens of millions return home to unemployment and poverty because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Cambodia Launches Stimulus Package For Poor Hit by Coronavirus Outbreak Radio Free Asia 24 Jun 2020 -- Cambodia's government on Wednesday launched an emergency cash transfer program for impoverished families hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, drawing the support of international donors, but criticism from observers who said the package is too small to be of much help.
• UAE Foreign Minister Discuss COVID-19 Countermeasures with His Azeri Counterpart SPA 24 Jun 2020 -- UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Azeri Minister of Foreign
• First COVID-19 Case Registered at Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Sputnik 24 Jun 2020 -- In mid-March, Ukraine introduced a nationwide quarantine for a month and subsequently extended it several times. The Ukrainian government decided to relax coronavirus-related restrictions starting 11 May.
• Africa Seeks Equitable Access to Any COVID-19 Vaccine VOA 24 Jun 2020 -- African leaders and health experts have called for equitable and fair access to any approved vaccine against the coronavirus. As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has surpassed 300,000, governments across the continent are organizing themselves to manufacture any vaccine quickly.