Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime and Explosives Charges for Plotting to Blow up Synagogue US Dept. of Justice 15 Oct 2020 -- The Justice Department announced that Richard Holzer, 28, pleaded guilty today to federal hate crime and explosives charges for plotting to blow up the Temple Emanuel Synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado.
• Officials Announce International Operation Targeting Transnational Criminal Organization QQAAZZ that Provided Money Laundering Services to High-Level Cybercriminals US Dept. of Justice 15 Oct 2020 -- U.S. Victims of Various Cybercriminal Malware Schemes throughout the United States Had Stolen Multi-Million Dollar Funds Laundered by QQAAZZ
• United States Unseals Superseding Indictment Charging Nationwide Money Laundering Network US Dept. of Justice 15 Oct 2020 -- The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of a superseding indictment charging six individuals with participating in a conspiracy to launder millions of dollars of drug proceeds on behalf of foreign cartels. This superseding indictment is the result of a nearly four-year investigation into the relationship between foreign drug trafficking organizations and Asian money laundering networks in the United States, China, and elsewhere.
• 8 foreign suspects detained over links to IS in Turkey People's Daily 15 Oct 2020 -- Turkish police detained eight foreign nationals in two separate operations over their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) militant group, local media reported on Wednesday.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Young, Healthy People May Not Receive COVID-19 Vaccine Until 2022 VOA 15 Oct 2020 -- The World Health Organization says the young and healthy may have to wait until 2022 to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

United States

• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Announces State to Provide 200,000 Rapid Test Kits to New York City Schools in "Yellow Zones" New York State 15 Oct 2020
• COVID-19 test positivity rate in New York "Red Zones" tops 6 pct People's Daily 15 Oct 2020 -- The COVID-19 test positivity rate in New York state's "Red Zone" focus areas, where the outbreak has been the most severe, has surpassed 6 percent, Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted on Wednesday.
• Fear of COVID-19 drives two-thirds students in NYC immigrant district into all-remote learning People's Daily 15 Oct 2020 -- The parents of two out of three students in New York's District 26 have opted for all-remote learning, a higher rate than any of the city's 31 other school districts, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
• Nearly 700,000 children in U.S. test positive for COVID-19 People's Daily 15 Oct 2020 -- Nearly 700,000 children in the United States have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, according to a new report of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 15 Oct 2020

China

• Beijing on alert amid world virus resurgence Global Times 15 Oct 2020 -- Amid a global COVID-19 resurgence and the approaching cold winter that increases the occurrence of respiratory diseases, as well as a recent flare-up in Qingdao, Beijing has stepped up management of overseas arrivals and enhanced testing capacity to tackle the risk of a second wave.
• 10.94 million people tested in Qingdao so far, no new cases found Global Times 15 Oct 2020 -- Qingdao in East China's Shandong Province has so far collected 10.94 million nucleic acid samples during its citywide testing campaign for all 11 million residents, which the city has vowed to complete by Friday.
• Qingdao top health official, hospital head deposed for coronavirus outbreak Global Times 15 Oct 2020 -- Sui Zhenhua, Party secretary and director of the Qingdao Health Commission, has been suspended from his post pending further investigation, according to an official notice released by the city's Party committee on Thursday.
• Over 8.8 mln sampled for COVID-19 testing in China's Qingdao Global Times 15 Oct 2020 -- Over 8.82 million people have been sampled for nucleic acid testing, as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, in east China's city of Qingdao, after it began a city-wide COVID-19 testing campaign on Monday.
• Beijing strengthens entry management over COVID-19, warns against unnecessary travel Global Times 15 Oct 2020 -- Beijing is strengthening management of entry into the capital by requiring screening and testing for anyone entering the city from mid- and high-risk regions, among other prevention and control measures, a meeting participated by top municipal officials decided on Wednesday.
• Hong Kong sees zero increase in COVID-19 cases, HK Phil musician preliminary positive People's Daily 15 Oct 2020 -- Hong Kong reported zero increase in COVID-19 cases on Wednesday due to a tropical cyclone that suspended specimen collection services on Tuesday, but a Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) musician tested preliminary positive, according to the Center for Health Protection (CHP).

Europe

• Europe tightens curbs to fight COVID-19 resurgence; France to impose curfew People's Daily 15 Oct 2020 -- France, Portugal and Romania became the latest European countries -- after the Netherlands and Italy -- to impose tougher restrictions on Wednesday as a coronavirus resurgence continues to sweep across the continent.
• COVID-19 rise in Europe a great concern, says WHO regional chief UN News 15 Oct 2020 -- COVID-19 is now the fifth leading cause of death in Europe, where nearly 700,000 cases were reported this week: the highest weekly incidence since the pandemic began in March, the regional head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) told journalists on Thursday.
• European Cities Locked Down Amid Coronavirus Surge VOA 15 Oct 2020 -- Dozens of European cities have been forced into lockdown amid a surge in coronavirus infections. Hospital intensive care units in the affected regions are filling up fast and doctors are warning that health systems could become overwhelmed as winter approaches.
• WHO Europe Director Urges Tighter Controls as COVID Cases Surge VOA 15 Oct 2020 -- The World Health Organization's Europe director is encouraging European nations to tighten controls as the continent struggles to contain what appears to be a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Six-Week Nightly Virus Curfew for Paris and 8 other French Cities SPA 15 Oct 2020 -- An overnight curfew will come into effect in Paris and eight other big French cities on Saturday to combat rapidly rising coronavirus infections, President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, according to dpa.
• French Police Search Officials' Homes in COVID-19 Probe VOA 15 Oct 2020 -- French officials said police have conducted early-morning searches of the homes of the current and former top government officials after a special French court ordered an investigation of the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
• London Put On High Alert for COVID-19 VOA 15 Oct 2020 -- The British Health Ministry has declared London on COVID-19 High Alert, the second highest level on the government's three-tiered alert scale, as coronavirus infections in the capital approach 100 per 100,000 people and have passed that mark in many districts.
• COVID-19 Patients in English Hospitals Highest Since June 6 SPA 15 Oct 2020 -- The number of COVID-19 patients in English hospitals has risen to 4,379, Reuters cited government data as publishing today, on Thursday.

Russia

• COVID-19: Russia Records Record Daily Death Toll RFE/RL 15 Oct 2020 -- Russia has reported its highest number of COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
• As Russia's COVID Cases Spike, A Wait For A Vaccine Already Approved RFE/RL 15 Oct 2020 -- In early September, as the number of new coronavirus infections in Russia was rising again, Boris Mikhailov, a graphic designer from Moscow, saw an online ad for volunteers to test a vaccine against COVID-19.
• 'Only The Suffocating Are Hospitalized': Russia Faces Second Wave Of COVID-19 RFE/RL 15 Oct 2020 -- Perm, Omsk, Ufa, Moscow, and more: In cities across Russia, doctors, patients, and relatives of those seeking treatment or testing for COVID-19 have often harrowing stories about the resurgence of the coronavirus in recent weeks.
• Russia registers second coronavirus vaccine People's Daily 15 Oct 2020 -- The Novosibirsk-based Vector research center has registered the second Russian coronavirus vaccine, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced during an online government meeting Wednesday.

India

• India sets unprecedented record, Doubling Time nearly 73 Days India PIB 15 Oct 2020 -- India is reporting a progressively high increase in the recoveries and a persistent decline in the percentage active cases. As a result, the doubling time of the infection has sharply improved. It is now almost 73 days (72.8 days). This indicates a substantial fall in the daily New Cases and the consequent increase in time taken to double the Total Cases.
• PM chairs review meeting of the research and vaccine deployment ecosystem against COVID-19 India PIB 15 Oct 2020 -- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took a review meeting of the research and vaccine deployment ecosystem against the COVID-19 pandemic including testing technologies, contact tracing, drugs and therapeutics etc.
• India's Coronavirus Infections Rise to 7.31 Million; Russia Reports 13,754 New Cases SPA 15 Oct 2020 -- India's tally of coronavirus infections stood at 7.31 million on Thursday, having risen by 67,708 in the last 24 hours, health ministry data showed. Deaths from COVID-19 infections rose by 680 to 111,266, the ministry said.

Iran

• Official: COVID-19 kills 256 more in Iran IRNA 15 Oct 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Thursday that some 256 more Iranians have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 29,605.
• 35% of Tehran's state-run hospital beds serving COVID-19 patients: Governor Press TV 15 Oct 2020 -- The governor of the Tehran province, where the Iranian capital is located, says number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the region's state-run hospitals have exceeded 5,000 as he insists new restrictions meant to curb a renewed surge in the number of infections would remain in place at least for the time being.

South Korea

• Moon Vows Full Gov't Support for Coronavirus Vaccine Development SPA 15 Oct 2020 -- President Moon Jae-in said today, on Thursday the government will spare no support for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine and therapy to treat the contagious disease, during a visit to a vaccine development company, Yonhap reported.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 472 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Reported in Saudi Arabia SPA 15 Oct 2020 -- The Ministry of Health said in a statement today that 472 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 341,062 cases, including 8,608 active cases receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 829 critical cases, while the health condition of the rest is stable.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports one new imported case of COVID-19 CNA 15 Oct 2020 -- A migrant worker from the Philippines has been confirmed as Taiwan's latest case of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 531 since the pandemic began late last year, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Government to buy more flu vaccines as supplies may soon run out CNA 15 Oct 2020 -- The government is currently in talks with four local vaccine companies with the aim of buying more influenza vaccines to meet rising demand, as existing supplies are running out, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Thursday.

North Korea

• Emergency Anti-epidemic Front across Country Is Kept Impregnable KCNA 15 Oct 2020 -- Officials of the emergency anti-epidemic units across the country are active for further consolidating anti-epidemic front.
• North Korean Measures to Prevent Coronavirus Threaten Food Security, Rights: UN Expert Radio Free Asia 15 Oct 2020 -- Measures taken by North Korea to prevent the coronavirus from entering its borders have severely impacted trade, which in turn has increased widespread food insecurity in the country, while putting its citizens at risk of heightened rights violations, according to a United Nations expert.

Other Countries

• Over 40,000 health professionals test positive for COVID-19 in Turkey: minister People's Daily 15 Oct 2020 -- More than 40,000 healthcare professionals have tested positive for COVID-19 in Turkey since the pandemic outbreak, while the number of the medical staff who lost their lives from the infection has reached 107, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday.
• Sydney stalls on easing COVID-19 restrictions after "concerning" local infections People's Daily 15 Oct 2020 -- Instead of further easing COVID-19 restrictions this week, officials in Australia's State of New South Wales (NSW) were flagging new cluster outbreaks for the capital city of Sydney.
• UAE Announces 1,398 New COVID-19 Cases, 1,666 Recoveries, 2 Deaths in Last 24 Hours SPA 15 Oct 2020 -- The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, announced that it conducted 114,147 additional COVID-19 tests over the past 24 hours, using state-of-the-art medical testing equipment.
• Brazil registers 749 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday SPA 15 Oct 2020 -- Brazil has registered 749 additional coronavirus deaths over the last 24 hours and 27,235 new cases, the nation's Health Ministry said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
• Coronavirus Pandemic Worsens Hunger, Malnutrition in Parts of Africa VOA 15 Oct 2020 -- Hunger and malnutrition are worsening in parts of the African continent because of the coronavirus pandemic, especially in low-income communities or those already stricken by continued conflict, according to a survey of 2,400 people in 10 African countries by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
• Nigeria Government Calls for Reopening of Schools After 6-month COVID Lockdown VOA 15 Oct 2020 -- Nigeria reopened schools Oct. 12, six months after they were closed to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. However, not all parents believe students should be returning to the classroom.
• Soaring Myanmar COVID-19 Cases Test Long-Neglected Health Care System VOA 15 Oct 2020 -- Having contained its first brush with the novel coronavirus even as infections in neighboring countries surged, Myanmar is now straining to check a soaring second wave with a health care system blighted by decades of neglect under military rule.