Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• ISIS Militants Charged With Deaths Of Americans In Syria US Dept. of Justice 07 Oct 2020 -- Two 'Beatles' charged with hostage-taking of American citizens in Syria and other terrorism offenses that resulted in the deaths of James Wright Foley, Steven Joel Sotloff, Peter Edward Kassig, and Kayla Jean Mueller
• Remarks by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers on ISIS Militants Charged with Deaths of Americans in Syria US Dept. of Justice 07 Oct 2020
• US Indicts 2 British Members of Islamic State 'Beatles' VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- Two alleged members of Islamic State's once notorious hostage-taking cell dubbed "The Beatles" are in the United States to stand trial, U.S. officials said Wednesday.
• Two Daesh Members Known as 'the Beatles' Face Life Sentence in US for Beheading Americans in Syria Sputnik 07 Oct 2020 -- Two former British citizens were indicted on Wednesday on charges of torturing and beheading four Americans along with other individuals taken hostage by Daesh* in Syria, according to a court ruling.
• Kenyan Court Convicts Two in 2013 Westgate Mall Attack VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- A Kenyan court has found two men guilty for their roles in the deadly 2013 terrorist attack inside Nairobi's Westgate Mall. The men were convicted Wednesday of conspiring with and aiding the attackers from the Somali militant group al-Shabab. The court acquitted a third suspect of all charges.
• Acting Secretary Responds to Chairman Thompson's Blatant Misrepresentation of the Homeland Threat Assessment DHS 07 Oct 2020 -- Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf released the following statement regarding Chairman Thompson's misrepresentation of threats in the HTA to the New York Times.
• US Homeland Security: White supremacists 'exceptionally lethal' Press TV 07 Oct 2020 -- The US Homeland Security says it is "particularly" concerned about the threat of white supremacists, warning that they are "exceptionally lethal."

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• COVID-19 to Add as Many as 150 Million Extreme Poor by 2021 World Bank 07 Oct 2020 -- Global extreme poverty is expected to rise in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years as the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic compounds the forces of conflict and climate change, which were already slowing poverty reduction progress, the World Bank said today.

United States

• Weekly Update: DHS Response to COVID-19 DHS 07 Oct 2020
• Transcom Acts Quickly During COVID-19 Pandemic DoD News 07 Oct 2020 -- As COVID-19 hit the nation, for the Defense Department, U.S. Transportation Command and much of industry, there was no opportunity to stop movement, the commander of Transcom said today at the virtual National Defense Transportation Association-U.S. Transportation Command Fall meeting.
• US military generals reportedly in quarantine after exposure to COVID-19 Global Times 07 Oct 2020 -- Members of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, including Chairman Mark Milley, are reportedly in quarantine after exposure to COVID-19.
• AFMC begins phased COVID-19 surveillance testing US Air Force 07 Oct 2020 -- Air Force Materiel Command began a phased roll-out of COVID-19 surveillance testing Oct. 1.
• Fauci: US COVID-19 Death Toll May Hit 400,000 'If We Don't Do What We Need To' in Fall, Winter Sputnik 07 Oct 2020 -- Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the leading members of the White House coronavirus task force, warned on Tuesday that without adequate prevention measures, US deaths from COVID-19 could double in the fall and winter months. As of Wednesday, the grim figure stands at roughly 211,000 dead.
• Up to 400,000 Americans could die from coronavirus unless urgent measures taken, Fauci says Press TV 07 Oct 2020 -- The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says between 300,000 and 400,000 Americans could die from covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, if action isn't taken in the fall and winter.
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic New York State 07 Oct 2020
• Trump Declares Catching the Coronavirus a 'Blessing' VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- In a video released Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump termed his catching COVID-19 a "blessing in disguise."
• Wisconsin Opens COVID-19 Field Hospital Amid Surging Cases VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- Wisconsin health officials opened a field hospital Wednesday at the state fairgrounds near Milwaukee to cater to the swelling number of COVID-19 cases threatening to overwhelm hospitals.
• US Drug Oversight Agency Issues New Guidelines on COVID-19 Vaccine Approval VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a set of strict new guidelines for emergency authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine in defiance of strong objections from the Trump administration.
• Rapid COVID-19 Tests Offer New Tools To Slow Pandemic VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- As the COVID-19 pandemic marches on, new, rapid tests offer hope for pumping the brakes on the virus' spread.
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 07 Oct 2020

China

Europe

• UK to impose tough coronavirus-related restrictions at airports Press TV 07 Oct 2020 -- As the UK tries to contain a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has once again turned its attention to ports of entry and international travelers.
• British PM Again Defends COVID-19 Response as Cases Rise VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Wednesday once again defended his government's approach to controlling the spread of COVID-19 as the number of new cases rose sharply.
• COVID-19 Makes Science Harder as Britain Battles Over Best Strategy VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- Some top scientists in Britain are calling on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's ruling Conservative government to shift strategy on the coronavirus pandemic and adopt a "herd immunity" approach, allowing people who are less likely to become seriously ill from the virus to return to normal life.
• Scotland Latest to Introduce New COVID-19 Restrictions VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- After a surge in COVID-19 cases over two weeks, Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Wednesday announced new restrictions for the country, including the closing of all pubs in Glasgow and Edinburgh and a 16-day nationwide ban on indoor alcohol consumption beginning Friday.
• Czech Republic Reports Daily COVID-19 Infection Record VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- Officials in the Czech Republic reported a record number of new COVID-19 infections Wednesday, with nearly 4,500 new cases in one day.
• French President Macron Announces New COVID-19 Restrictions SPA 07 Oct 2020 -- French President Emmanuel Macron says there will be new restrictions to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, as the country reported a new all-time high, at almost 19,000, of new infections of the disease, Reuters reported.

Russia

• Russia reports 11,115 new COVID-19 cases in single day Global Times 07 Oct 2020 -- Russia registered 11,115 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, close to its all-time high of 11,656 recorded in May, the country's COVID-19 response center said Wednesday.
• Russian president says relatives, associates vaccinated for COVID-19 Press TV 07 Oct 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says some of his close relatives and people in his inner circle have already been vaccinated against the new coronavirus.

India

• India's COVID-19 tally rises to 6,757,131, death toll 104,555 Global Times 07 Oct 2020 -- India's COVID-19 tally reached 6,757,131 and death toll 104,555 on Wednesday as 72,049 new cases were detected and 986 patients died during the past 24 hours, said the latest data released by the federal health ministry.
• India scales another peak with Recovery Rate leaping past 85% India PIB 07 Oct 2020 -- India has crossed a significant milestone. The national recovery rate has jumped past 85% today with the continuous streak of high number of recovered cases being reported in the past few weeks. The recovered cases have exceeded the new confirmed again during the past 24 hours.

Iran

• Official: COVID-19 kills 239 more in Iran IRNA 07 Oct 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Wednesday that some 239 more Iranians have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry Spokesman: 596 Recoveries from COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia, Tally at 323,208 SPA 07 Oct 2020 -- Assistant Minister of Health and Official Spokesman of the Ministry of Health Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdulaali said in a press conference here today that 468 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 337,711 cases, including 9,556 active cases receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 913 critical cases, while the health condition of the rest is stable.

Taiwan

• Quarantine extended for Sri Lanka, Malaysia business travelers to Taiwan CNA 07 Oct 2020 -- Taiwan on Wednesday revised its COVID-19 travel risk classifications for Sri Lanka and Malaysia, citing a recent uptick in the number of confirmed cases in the two countries, which means arriving business travelers will have to quarantine for longer periods than before.
• Taiwan tracing contacts of 4 possible domestic cases of COVID-19 CNA 07 Oct 2020 -- Health authorities in Taiwan are trying to track down the contacts of four people who tested positive for COVID-19 after their recent departure from the country, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.
• Two new imported COVID-19 cases reported in Taiwan CNA 07 Oct 2020 -- Two new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Taiwan on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 523 since the outbreak began at the end of last year, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said.

NATO

• NATO Secretary General thanks Estonia for supporting Allies and partners throughout the COVID-19 pandemic NATO 07 Oct 2020 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid to NATO headquarters on Wednesday (7 October 2020). He thanked Estonia for showing solidarity with Allies and partners throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, including by donating critical medical supplies to Italy and Spain and supporting NATO partners Georgia and Ukraine.

Other Countries

• Global trade amid COVID-19: Signs of rebound, but recovery uncertain UN News 07 Oct 2020 -- Global trade is showing signs of bouncing back from a deep, COVID-19-induced slump, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has said, with the caveat that any recovery could be badly disrupted by the future course of the pandemic and how societies react.
• COVID-19 cases in Philippines increase to nearly 330,000 with 2,825 new infections Global Times 07 Oct 2020 -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 329,637 after the Health Ministry reported 2,825 new cases on Wednesday.
• Brazil's COVID-19 death toll tops 147,000, infections near 5 million Global Times 07 Oct 2020 -- Brazil on Tuesday said it registered 819 deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 147,494.
• Philippines confirms 2,825 new coronavirus cases, 60 deaths SPA 07 Oct 2020 -- The Philippines' health ministry on Wednesday recorded 2,825 new coronavirus infections and 60 additional deaths, Reuters reported.
• Indonesia reports 4,538 new coronavirus cases, 98 deaths SPA 07 Oct 2020 -- Indonesia reported 4,538 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing its infections total to 315,714, data from the country's health ministry showed, according to Reuters.
• Assad Says Would Like to Get Inoculated Against COVID-19 With Russian Vaccine Sputnik 07 Oct 2020 -- Syrian President Bashar Assad told Sputnik he would like to get personally inoculated against the coronavirus with a Russian vaccine.
• In Tackling COVID-19, Africa Gives World Lesson VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- Africa's response to COVID-19 has gained global recognition for its fast and targeted action.
• Coronavirus Pandemic Adds Challenges to Jordan's Fragile Economy VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- Jordan's prime minister resigned earlier this week in line with preparations for next month's parliamentary elections. But observers say the government's recent handling of the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout may have also led to Omar al-Razzaz's resignation amid concerns about the country's stability as infection rates rise and a weekend lockdown looms.
• COVID-19 Forces Closure of Australia's Beaches in Sydney VOA 07 Oct 2020 -- COVID-19 restrictions have forced beaches to close near Australia's biggest city as scorching spring temperatures sent thousands of people to the coast. Beachgoers also were warned to stay away from Sydney's most famous arc of sand at Bondi as it neared capacity.