Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• 'An Aggressive, Multifaceted Effort': Five Highlights From The U.S. Senate Report On Russian Interference RFE/RL 19 Aug 2020 -- The fifth and final volume of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election landed with a reverberating thud, adding yet more to the din and rancor that has made this year's election unlike any previous one.
• Trump Denies Collusion After Senate Report Finds Evidence Of Russia's 2016 Election Interference RFE/RL 19 Aug 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee's final report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election showed he had not colluded with Russia or Ukraine.
• U.S. Senate report reveals more details between Trump campaign and Russia in 2016 People's Daily 19 Aug 2020 -- U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday released the final volume of its bipartisan investigation report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
• Ex-FBI Lawyer Admits To Altering Document During Russia Probe RFE/RL 19 Aug 2020 -- A former FBI lawyer pleaded guilty on August 19 to altering a document used to obtain a secret surveillance warrant as part of the bureau's early probe into whether President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia.
• Attorney General Barr Delivers Opening Remarks at Press Conference Announcing Updates to Operation Legend US Dept. of Justice 19 Aug 2020
• Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Updates on Operation Legend at Press Conference in Kansas City, Missouri US Dept. of Justice 19 Aug 2020 -- At a press conference in Kansas City, Missouri, today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates on Operation Legend.
• US Authorities Arrest Nearly 1,500 in Joint Crime Fighting Initiative VOA 19 Aug 2020 -- Federal and local authorities have arrested nearly 1,500 people as part of a joint violent crime fighting initiative launched last month in major U.S. cities grappling with a rise in homicides and shootings, U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced Wednesday.
• USS Nitze Interdicts Millions in Drugs US Navy 19 Aug 2020 -- The Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) seized 82 kilograms of suspected cocaine and 2,961 pounds of suspected marijuana, July 29.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Red Cross: COVID-19 Patients, Medical Workers Facing More Violence VOA 19 Aug 2020 -- There have been a large number of cases of violence against coronavirus patients and the medical workers who care for them, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Wednesday.
• WHO chief warns against vaccine nationalism People's Daily 19 Aug 2020 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday that the world needs to prevent vaccine nationalism so as to guarantee the equitable access and fair allocation of COVID-19 vaccines.
• 'Epidemic is Changing': COVID-19 Spreading Rapidly Among Young People, WHO Warns Sputnik 19 Aug 2020 -- A top World Health Organization (WHO) official is warning that COVID-19 is now spreading rapidly among younger people.
• G20 countries urged to stop 'COVID generation' from being locked out of the classroom UN News 19 Aug 2020 -- A group of 275 former world leaders, economists and business leaders on Wednesday, urged the G20 group of leading industrialized nations to help stop the pandemic from leaving tens of millions of children from becoming known as the "COVID generation", denied a proper education.

United States

• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 19 Aug 2020
• Remarks by President Trump in Press Briefing | August 19, 2020 The White House 19 Aug 2020
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Announces 12th Straight Day New York's COVID-19 Positivity Rate Is Below 1 Percent New York State 19 Aug 2020
• U.S. deaths from COVID-19 far more than other high-income economies: report People's Daily 19 Aug 2020 -- The number of deaths caused by COVID-19 in the United States since July is six times the average rate in other high-income economies, a U.S. news website said last week.

China

• China, Africa working together to defeat COVID-19 in Africa Global Times 19 Aug 2020 -- China is ready to work with Ghana and other African countries to win the war against COVID-19, the Chinese embassy in Ghana said here Tuesday.
• China's top expert says COVID-19 will not be less infectious in summer Global Times 19 Aug 2020 -- China's top respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan warned the public on Monday to maintain vigilance over the risk of contracting COVID-19 especially in the summer, saying it's naïve to think the coronavirus is less contagious in warm temperature, as shown by the sporadic cluster cases which have recently occurred in the country.
• China's medical team to aid COVID-19 fight in South Sudan, Guinea People's Daily 19 Aug 2020 -- A medical team departed from east China's Anhui Province to aid the anti-epidemic fight in South Sudan and the Republic of Guinea early Wednesday.
• Chinese mainland reports no new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 19 Aug 2020 -- No new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported Tuesday across the Chinese mainland, the National Health Commission said Wednesday.

Europe

• Britain Announces Plan for Mass COVID Testing VOA 19 Aug 2020 -- Britain health officials said Wednesday they plan to begin mass, population-wide testing for COVID-19 to curb the spread of the virus in one the worst hit countries in the world.

India

• India continues on its path of high testing: more than 8 lakh tests/day for 2nd day in a row India PIB 19 Aug 2020 -- Keeping the focus on "TEST, TRACK AND TREAT" strategy, India has tested more than 8 lakh COVID-19 samples for the 2nd consecutive day in a row. With a strong resolve to rapidly increase the number of tests done per day to touch 10 lakh/day testing capacity, 8,01,518 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.
• India scales another peak: Total recoveries cross 2 million India PIB 19 Aug 2020 -- Fast on the heels of crossing 3 crore cumulative tests, India has recorded another high. Total number of recoveries has crossed 2 million today (20,37,870).

Japan

• Tokyo, Osaka see rises in numbers of COVID-19 patients in "serious condition" Global Times 19 Aug 2020 -- The Tokyo metropolitan government on Tuesday confirmed 207 new cases of COVID-19, with infections topping the 200-mark again after retreating on Monday, although rising cases of seriously ill patients in the capital and Osaka has further stoked concerns about the virus' resurgence.

Iran

• Iranian capital renews restrictions to curb COVID-19 Press TV 19 Aug 2020 -- Authorities in the Iranian capital say restrictions meant to curb the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coroanvius pandemic, have been extended in the city and surrounding towns for another week.
• Official: COVID-19 kills 153 more in Iran IRNA 19 Aug 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Wednesday that some 153 more Iranians have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 20,125.

Saudi Arabia

• As many as 1,180 Recoveries from COVID-19 Reported in Saudi Arabia, Tally at 274,091, Health Ministry says SPA 19 Aug 2020 -- The Ministry of Health said in a statement today that 1,363 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 302,686 cases, including 25,089 active cases receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 1,725 critical cases, while the health condition of the rest is stable.

Taiwan

• Vietnamese infected during quarantine; 3 other COVID-19 cases closed: CECC CNA 19 Aug 2020 -- A Vietnamese migrant worker, who recently tested positive for COVID-19 in his home country after leaving Taiwan, was likely infected while he was in quarantine there, Vietnam health authorities told Taiwan on Wednesday.
• CECC defends probe of local health bureau that found COVID-19 case CNA 19 Aug 2020 -- Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), on Wednesday defended his decision to launch an investigation into the Changhua County Health Bureau, saying it was not clear why the bureau had tested an asymptomatic teenager for COVID-19 after his recent return from the United States.
• Foreign students below tertiary level now allowed to enter Taiwan: MOE CNA 19 Aug 2020 -- New and current international students enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in Taiwan will be allowed to enter the country with immediate effect, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said Wednesday, as Taiwan further eased its border restrictions.
• CECC looking into 3 COVID-19 cases that Taiwan may have exported CNA 19 Aug 2020 -- The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) was unable to offer much insight Wednesday into three COVID-19 cases detected in nearby countries that may have originated in Taiwan, but said it was checking their contacts in Taiwan.

North Korea

• Hospital Construction in Pyongyang Makes Headway KCNA 19 Aug 2020 -- The construction of the Pyongyang General Hospital is now progressing apace in the DPRK.
• Anti-epidemic Activities Get Brisk in DPRK KCNA 19 Aug 2020 -- Commercial and catering facilities across the DPRK are actively conducting the anti-epidemic activities to tackle the worldwide pandemic.

Australia

• "Every single Australian" to receive free COVID-19 vaccine: PM People's Daily 19 Aug 2020 -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a deal to guarantee free access to a potential COVID-19 vaccine for all Australians.
• Australia Reaches Deal to Secure Millions of Doses of Potential COVID-19 Vaccine VOA 19 Aug 2020 -- The Australian government has reached a deal to secure 25 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine from British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca that is currently undergoing late-stage human trials.

Other Countries

• COVID-19 pandemic to hit hard 220 mln young workers in Asia-Pacific: ADB People's Daily 19 Aug 2020 -- The COVID-19 pandemic will hit hard nearly 220 million young workers aged 15 to 24 in Asia-Pacific region, according to a report released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday.
• Brazil's COVID-19 deaths near 110,000 Global Times 19 Aug 2020 -- Brazil registered 1,352 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 109,888, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday.
• AIIB approves 100-mln-USD loan for Uzbekistan's COVID-19 fight People's Daily 19 Aug 2020 -- The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a 100-million-US-dollar loan to Uzbekistan to strengthen the country's public health emergency response and help overcome the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, AIIB said Tuesday.
• Israel's health official eyes to advance cooperation with China on fighting COVID-19 People's Daily 19 Aug 2020 -- Israel's COVID-19 project manager Ronni Gamzu said on Tuesday that he looks forward to further advancing the country's relations with China as both sides battle the spread of the virus.
• Kazakhstan Completes Preclinical Trial Of Domestic Vaccine Against COVID-19 RFE/RL 19 Aug 2020 -- A Kazakh research center has completed preclinical trials of a domestic vaccine against COVID-19, local media reported on August 19, citing the Almaty-based institute's press service.
• New Zealand Deploys Troops to Border to Prevent COVID-19 Spread VOA 19 Aug 2020 -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Wednesday the government will deploy about 500 troops at quarantine facilities and border areas to help stop the spread of COVID-19 into the nation from those who might be infected with it.
• How Singapore Flattened the COVID Curve Among Migrants VOA 19 Aug 2020 -- Domestic worker Yulia Endang says she is saddened by the stunning burst of COVID-19 cases in Singapore among foreigners. The surge of cases starting in April was a jolt for Singapore, which before then had seemed like a model nation that crushed the disease.