Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• U.S. Senate report on Russian election meddling fails to present evidence: Russian Foreign Ministry People's Daily 23 Aug 2020 -- The whole story about Russian interference was "from the very beginning invented in the course of the internal political struggle between various forces in the United States," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Global COVID-19 deaths surpass 800,000: Johns Hopkins University People's Daily 23 Aug 2020 -- Global death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 800,000, with about 23 million confirmed cases.

United States

• Remarks by President Trump in Press Briefing | August 23, 2020 The White House 23 Aug 2020
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 23 Aug 2020
• US sees daily COVID-19 cases below 50,000 for 7 days after summer surge Global Times 23 Aug 2020 -- The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 46,754 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, marking the seventh consecutive day the daily count fell below 50,000 since Aug. 16.
• US Grants Emergency Use Authorization for Blood Plasma as COVID-19 Treatment VOA 23 Aug 2020 -- Calling it "a truly historic announcement," U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday hailed a federal government emergency authorization for use of convalescent blood plasma that he declared would "save countless lives" of coronavirus patients.
• White House: 'Breakthrough' Coming for Coronavirus Treatment VOA 23 Aug 2020 -- The White House says President Donald Trump will announce a "major therapeutic breakthrough" Sunday night for the treatment of coronavirus, the pandemic that has killed more than 176,000 people in the U.S. and infected nearly 5.7 million, more than in any other country across the world.

China

• China launches urgent use of COVID-19 vaccines for 1 month Global Times 23 Aug 2020 -- One month has passed since China officially launched the urgent use of COVID-19 vaccines on July 22, while the vaccines were going through clinical trials, said a National Health Commission official on Saturday. Recipients who got their first dose since then revealed they had few adverse reactions and none reported a fever.
• Beijing universities to reopen, ask all returning non-local students to undergo COVID-19 tests Global Times 23 Aug 2020 -- After almost seven months of suspended campus life, universities in China, with well-thought-out virus prevention measures, are set to reopen and welcome the new cohort of students, the latest sign of the country's achievement in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Chinese inactivated COVID-19 vaccine starts phase-3 clinical trials in Argentina People's Daily 23 Aug 2020 -- An inactivated COVID-19 vaccine developed by China has started phase-3 clinical trials in Argentina, according to its developer China National Biotec Group (CNBG), which is affiliated to Sinopharm.
• China's Hubei reports no new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 23 Aug 2020 -- No new confirmed, asymptomatic or suspected cases of COVID-19 were reported in central China's Hubei Province Saturday, the provincial health commission said Sunday.
• China's Xinjiang reports no new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 23 Aug 2020 -- No new confirmed COVID-19 cases or asymptomatic cases were reported in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for the fifth straight day on Saturday, the regional health commission said Sunday in its daily report.
• Chinese mainland reports 12 new imported COVID-19 cases People's Daily 23 Aug 2020 -- The Chinese mainland reported 12 new imported COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 2,402, the National Health Commission said Sunday.

Russia

• Russia Registers 4,852 COVID-19 Cases in Past 24 Hours SPA 23 Aug 2020 -- Russia has registered 4,852 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours (4,921 yesterday), bringing the cumulative total to 956,749, the country's coronavirus response center said on Sunday, Sputnik reported.

India

• India's COVID-19 tally surpasses 3 million Global Times 23 Aug 2020 -- India's COVID-19 tally surpassed 3 million on Sunday, reaching 3,044,940, according to the latest data released by the federal health ministry.
• High recoveries push India's Recovery Rate to nearly 75% India PIB 23 Aug 2020 -- A consistently increasing number of recoveries has pushed India's Recovery Rate amongst the COVID-19 patients to nearly 75%.
• Maintaining daily testing spree of more than 8 lakhs, India tests more than 3.5 crore India PIB 23 Aug 2020 -- Starting from one test in January 2020 through a single lab in Pune, India has exceeded cumulative tests of more than 3.5 crore today. Consistently testing more than 8 lakhs tests since the last six days, with 8,01,147 COVID-19 tests in the past 24 hours, the total has touched 3,52,92,220.
• India's virus caseload tops 3 million SPA 23 Aug 2020 -- India's coronavirus caseload topped 3 million on Sunday, with the country leading the world in new infections, AP reported.

Iran

• Rouhani Underestimates Impact of Pandemic On Iran's Economy, Khamenei Demands Economic Reforms Radio Farda 23 Aug 2020 -- President Hassan Rouhani says Iran's economy has shrunk by only 3 percent as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, while the economy of most countries have contracted by up to 20 percent.
• Iran Vice-President Apologizes To Nation For Economic Hardships, Shortcomings Radio Farda 23 Aug 2020 -- Vice-President Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, who is the chairman of Iran's Planning and Budget Organization has apologized to the nation for the shortcomings in the country's economy.
• In Open Letter Attorneys Demand Release Of Political Prisoners Amid Pandemic Radio Farda 23 Aug 2020 -- Forty-four lawyers in Iran have urged a prominent Iranian advocate of human rights, Ms. Nasrin Sotoudeh, and other political prisoners to end their hunger strikes and avoid endangering their own lives. The attorneys also demand the release of inmates amid the COVID pandemic.
• COVID-19, restrictions of Moharram rituals in Iran IRNA 23 Aug 2020 -- Mourning traditions are parts of Hormuzgan people's beliefs that establishing some of these rituals leading to a public rally have been banned for observing the health protocols this year due to the coronavirus outbreak and the instructions of the National coronavirus Headquarters.
• Official: COVID-19 kills 141 more in Iran IRNA 23 Aug 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Sunday that some 141 more Iranians have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 20,643.
• Iran Prosecutor-General Urges President To Cancel Ban On Congregations In Mosques Radio Farda 23 Aug 2020 -- Iran's Prosecutor-General Mohammad-Javad Montazeri is urging President Hassan Rouhani to cancel the ban on holding mourning ceremonies of the Islamic month of Muharram in mosques and Tekyehs, places designed specifically for such ceremonies during the mourning month.
• Tehran Council Member Says COVID-19 Killed More Than 10,000 In Capital Radio Farda 23 Aug 2020 -- A member of Tehran City Council said on Sunday that since the coronavirus outbreak in February 10,200 residents of the capital have died of COVID-19. The official death toll of the country announced by the Health Ministry stands at 20,643.

South Korea

• Seoul's Coronavirus Positivity Rate Soars to Record High SPA 23 Aug 2020 -- Seoul's coronavirus positivity rate soared more than sevenfold this month due to the outbreak of cluster infections throughout the capital area, Yonhap cited the municipal government as saying today, on Saturday.
• South Korea Warns It's on Brink of Nationwide Pandemic VOA 23 Aug 2020 -- "We're on the brink of a nationwide pandemic," the director general of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday.

Taiwan

• Taipei donates personal protective equipment to San Francisco CNA 23 Aug 2020 -- The Taipei City government donated a shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE), including surgical masks, to San Francisco earlier this month to help the American sister city combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said Sunday.

Other Countries

• Tunisia says to launch COVID-19 vaccine in early 2021 Global Times 23 Aug 2020 -- Hechmi Louzir, director general of the Pasteur Institute of Tunis (IPT), said on Saturday that the vaccine against the coronavirus is expected to be fully ready in Tunisia in early 2021.
• Rohingya Muslims voice fears over coronavirus outbreak at Myanmar's "apartheid" camps Press TV 23 Aug 2020 -- Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya Muslims have expressed fears of coronavirus outbreak reaching their overcrowded camps in conflict-wracked Rakhine state, where they face state-sponsored violence and apartheid-like conditions.
• Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Tymoshenko Tests Positive For Coronavirus RFE/RL 23 Aug 2020 -- Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has tested positive for the coronavirus and is in serious condition with a fever, her party's spokeswoman said on August 23.
• Lebanon reports 507 new cases of coronavirus COVID-19 SPA 23 Aug 2020 -- Lebanon reported that it has inflicted as many as 507 new coronavirus COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, raising the overall number of cases to 12698 while the number of recoveries increased to 3516.
• Indonesia reports 2,037 new coronavirus cases SPA 23 Aug 2020 -- Indonesia reported 2,037 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing its total tally to 153,535, data from the country's COVID-19 taskforce showed, Reuters reported.
• Mexico's Coronavirus Deaths Pass 60,000, Cases Top 550,000 SPA 23 Aug 2020 -- Mexico's health ministry today, on Saturday reported 6,482 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 644 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 556,216 cases and 60,254 deaths, according to Reuters.