Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• US Charges Ex-Mexican Defence Chief With Drug Trafficking-Related Crimes Sputnik 16 Oct 2020 -- Former Mexican Defence Minister Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda has been charged by a US federal grand jury with drug trafficking and conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds, an indictment unsealed on Friday revealed.
• Former Mexican Defence Minister Detained in US, Foreign Minister Says Sputnik 16 Oct 2020 -- Former Mexican Defence Minister Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda has been detained at the airport of the US city of Los Angeles, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said.
• Former Mexican Defense Chief Arrested at US Airport VOA 16 Oct 2020 -- Former Mexican Defense Secretary Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos was arrested Thursday night on drug and money laundering charges at Los Angeles International Airport.
• Misuse of terrorism laws during conflict creates 'unmitigated calamity' UN News 16 Oct 2020 -- The misuse of terrorism laws during conflict situations often leads to an "unmitigated calamity" on the ground, an independent UN expert has warned.
• Concerns Mount as US Seen Downplaying Al-Qaida Threat in Afghanistan VOA 16 Oct 2020 -- There are growing concerns the United States is vastly underestimating al-Qaida's strength and influence in Afghanistan, even as the White House continues to talk about ever more ambitious deadlines for bringing home U.S. troops still stationed in the country.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Weekly Update WHO 16 Oct 2020
• UN: Ending extreme poverty by 2030 'nearly utopian' due to pandemic SPA 16 Oct 2020 -- The coronavirus pandemic and economic fallout could push as many as 100 million people into poverty this year, diminishing prospects for ending extreme poverty by 2030, dpa quoted the United Nations as saying on Friday.
• 4 drugs have little to no effect on COVID-19, including Remdesivir SPA 16 Oct 2020 -- The world's largest randomized trial of COVID-19 treatments found conclusive evidence that remdesivir, a drug used, has little or no effect on severe cases, AP cited the U.N. health agency as saying Friday.
• COVID-19: 'Little or no' benefit from trials of anti-virals, says WHO UN News 16 Oct 2020 -- Latest results from a UN-coordinated international trial on four COVID-19 therapeutic drugs, indicate that they have "little or no" positive impact on preventing deaths in patients infected with the new coronavirus.
• Remdesivir, Hydroxychloroquine Have Little or No Effect on Severe COVID-19 Cases, WHO Says VOA 16 Oct 2020 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Friday that a sixth-month randomized trial of COVID-19 treatments found "conclusive evidence" that remdesivir, a drug used to treat U.S. President Donald Trump when he fell ill, has little or no effect on severe cases of the virus.

United States

• Weekly Update: DHS Response to COVID-19 DHS 16 Oct 2020
• This Week in Operation Warp Speed - Oct. 16, 2020 DoD 16 Oct 2020 -- Below is a compilation of initiatives, actions and accomplishments across Operation Warp Speed (OWS)'s primary efforts in the past week.
• DOD Awards $6.98 Million Firm-Fixed Price Contract Action to Teel Plastics, LLC to Increase Domestic Production Capacity of Swabsticks for COVID-19 Testing Swabs DoD 16 Oct 2020 -- On October 16, 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, awarded a $6.98 million Firm-Fixed Price contract action to Teel Plastics, LLC, to expand US-based industrial production capacity of injection-molded and extruded swabsticks used in the production of COVID-19 testing kits. Teel Plastics, LLC has been a US-based producer of medical plastic products for over forty years.
• Trump Administration Partners With CVS and Walgreens to Provide COVID-19 Vaccine to Protect Vulnerable Americans in Long-Term Care Facilities Nationwide DoD 16 Oct 2020 -- To meet the Trump Administration's Operation Warp Speed (OWS) goals, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DOD) today announced agreements with CVS and Walgreens to provide and administer COVID-19 vaccines to residents of long-term care facilities (LTCF) nationwide with no out-of-pocket costs.
• U.S. governors urge president to hold meeting on COVID-19 vaccination program People's Daily 16 Oct 2020 -- New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday released a letter from the National Governors Association (NGA), asking U.S. President Donald Trump for a meeting to discuss how a vaccination program would be conducted and what the respective roles of the federal and state governments are in this regard.
• CDC projects up to 240,000 COVID-19 deaths in U.S. by Nov. 7 People's Daily 16 Oct 2020 -- A new ensemble forecast published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday projects up to 240,000 COVID-19 deaths in the United States by Nov. 7.
• U.S. CDC Reports 216,917 Deaths From Coronavirus SPA 16 Oct 2020 -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today, on Friday reported 7,958,254 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 63,486 from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 892 to 216,917, according to Reuters.
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 16 Oct 2020

China

• China's Qingdao completes city-wide COVID-19 sampling Global Times 16 Oct 2020 -- Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, has completed a citywide nucleic acid testing covering all its 11 million residents starting Monday, after a new cluster of local COVID-19 infections emerged.
• Improper disinfection at hospital causes new COVID-19 cluster infections in Qingdao Global Times 16 Oct 2020 -- Inappropriate disinfection in the CT room at the Qingdao Chest Hospital led to the new cluster of COVID-19 infections in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, a local health official said Friday.
• Eastern Chinese cities to offer ordinary citizens COVID-19 vaccines Global Times 16 Oct 2020 -- With the safety and effectiveness of China's homegrown COVID-19 vaccines gradually being proved through numerous tests and pilot injections, some local Chinese governments are trying to offer more people voluntary injections ahead of the coming autumn-winter period, a traditionally peak season for respiratory infections.
• Qingdao finishes city-wide testing, finds no new COVID-19 cases Global Times 16 Oct 2020 -- Qingdao, a coastal city in East China's Shandong Province, has completed city-wide nucleic acid tests for its nearly 11 million residents in five days as promised and no new infections were found, indicating that the risk of community transmission could be ruled out, deputy mayor of Qingdao Xue Qingguo said on Friday.
• China's Qingdao tests 11 million after local COVID-19 cases emerge People's Daily 16 Oct 2020 -- Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, has vowed to complete a citywide nucleic acid testing campaign covering all 11 million residents within five days starting Monday, after a new cluster of local COVID-19 infections emerged.

Europe

• WHO: Hospitals in Europe to reach capacity soon as virus cases rise SPA 16 Oct 2020 -- The rising number of Covid-19 cases across Europe will soon bring many hospitals to their limit, the World Health
  Organization (WHO) said on Friday, according to dpa.
• WHO Europe chief calls for targeted measures to fight COVID-19 resurgence People's Daily 16 Oct 2020 -- Europe should "gradually escalate" targeted measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge, said at a virtual press conference here on Thursday.
• Italy added to UK's quarantine list as London raises alert level Global Times 16 Oct 2020 -- Italy has been added to Britain's quarantine list, which means travelers returning from the country will have to self-isolate for 14 days, a senior British official announced Thursday.
• Daily COVID-19 cases reach new high of 7,833 in Netherlands Global Times 16 Oct 2020 -- The number of daily COVID-19 infections in the Netherlands reached a new high on Thursday, as a party on the parliament's doorstep triggered public outrage.
• Malta reports record daily increase in COVID-19 cases Global Times 16 Oct 2020 -- The Maltese health authorities on Thursday announced a record daily increase of 112 new cases, bringing the total number of active COVID-19 cases surpassing the 1,000 mark for the first time since March this year.
• EU states required to prepare for common vaccination strategy People's Daily 16 Oct 2020 -- The member states of the European Union (EU) are now required to prepare for a common vaccination strategy while the arrival of the first safe and effective vaccine is eagerly awaited, the European Commission said on Thursday.
• Britain Accuses Russia of Vaccine Disinformation Campaign VOA 16 Oct 2020 -- British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Friday accused Russia of mounting a worldwide disinformation campaign aimed at eroding public confidence in Western coronavirus vaccines, calling the action "reprehensible" at a time when countries should be coming together to tackle a pandemic that's killed more than a million people.
• Medical staff in northern England "exhausted" amid rising coronavirus fears People's Daily 16 Oct 2020 -- Doctors and nurses in northern England, one of areas hit hardest by coronavirus, have described themselves as being physically and emotionally "exhausted" in the fight against the pandemic, local media reported Thursday.
• London moves to Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions to curb rising infections People's Daily 16 Oct 2020 -- Millions of Londoners will face tougher restrictions from Saturday as the British capital will be placed in a higher level of the government's coronavirus alert system, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced Thursday.
• Finland's Prime Minister Leaves EU Summit After COVID-19 Exposure VOA 16 Oct 2020 -- Finland's prime minister Friday became the second European Union leader to leave a two-day summit as a precautionary measure, after contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
• Czech Health Minister Warns of 'Huge' Spike in COVID-19 Patients VOA 16 Oct 2020 -- The Czech Republic's health minister said Friday the country's health system needs be ready for a "huge influx," of COVID-19 patients over the next 10 days to two weeks, as the nation faces Europe's fastest growing rate in new coronavirus cases.

Russia

• Russia Starts Testing Sputnik V COVID-19 Vaccine on Volunteers Aged Over 60 Sputnik 16 Oct 2020 -- Russia has started testing its coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V on volunteers aged over 60, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told Sputnik on Friday.
• Russia's new daily COVID-19 cases reach 13,754 People's Daily 16 Oct 2020 -- Russia has added 13,754 COVID-19 cases and 286 deaths on Thursday, following Wednesday's record daily rise, the country's COVID-19 response center said in a statement.

India

• Indian PM holds review meeting of COVID-19 research, vaccine development People's Daily 16 Oct 2020 -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday held a review meeting of the research and vaccine deployment ecosystem against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.
• India continues to report one of the lowest deaths per million population in the world India PIB 16 Oct 2020 -- India continues to report one of the lowest deaths per million population which stands at 81 today.
• Centre rushes High Level Central teams to Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal India PIB 16 Oct 2020 -- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has deputed high level Central teams to Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. These States have been reporting a surge in the number of new COVID cases in the recent days.

Iran

• Official: COVID-19 kills 265 more in Iran IRNA 16 Oct 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Friday that some 265 more Iranians have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 433 New Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Reported, in Saudi Arabia SPA 16 Oct 2020 -- The Ministry of Health announced in a statement here today that 433 new confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 341,495, including 8,556 active cases undergoing treatment.

Taiwan

• Taiwan records four new imported COVID-19 cases CNA 16 Oct 2020 -- Taiwan confirmed four new imported cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total number in the country to 535 since the pandemic began at the end of last year, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said that day.

Other Countries

• Myanmar Reports First COVID-19 Case in Rakhine War Refugee Camps Radio Free Asia 16 Oct 2020 -- An elderly woman at one of dozens of war refugee camps in Myanmar's Rakhine state has tested positive for COVID-19, the first confirmed case among more than 200,000 people displaced by nearly 23 months of fighting, government authorities said Friday as a WHO official predicted more cases.
• WHO Warns of COVID-19 Spikes in Europe, Americas VOA 16 Oct 2020 -- Daily cases of COVID-19 have reached record highs around the world, particularly in Europe and the Americas, the World Health Organization said Friday.
• Public Health Officials Predict Winter COVID-19 Uptick VOA 16 Oct 2020 -- A predicted increase in COVID-19 cases as cold weather approaches in the Northern Hemisphere seems to be underway.
• Largest African delegation seeks vaccine offer in visit to Chinese developer Global Times 16 Oct 2020 -- A delegation of 51 African diplomats and senior representatives on Thursday visited the Beijing manufacturing workshop of one of China's main COVID-19 vaccine developers to get firsthand knowledge of the latest developments of the desperately-needed vaccines, while seeking more offers from China.
• Coronavirus can infect brain tissue, affect memory, language: Brazilian study Global Times 16 Oct 2020 -- SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is capable of infecting brain tissue and affecting the structure of the cortex, a region of the brain responsible for functions such as memory, consciousness, and language, according to a Brazilian study released on Thursday.
• Africa's COVID-19 cases pass 1.6 mln as AU urges joint efforts to curb pandemic People's Daily 16 Oct 2020 -- The total number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases across the African continent has reached 1,603,982 as of Thursday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.
• COVID-19: Azerbaijan Tightens Quarantine Regime To Curb Spread Of Virus RFE/RL 16 Oct 2020 -- Azerbaijan will close all educational institutions, including kindergartens, for two weeks starting on October 19 due to a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the country.
• Deadly Prison Outbreak Belies Turkmenistan's 'Coronavirus-Free' Claim RFE/RL 16 Oct 2020 -- Informed sources said on October 16 that a "very big" outbreak thought to be COVID-19 has struck a women's prison in nothern Turkmenistan in the latest blow to local authorities' insistence that the Central Asian republic has no infections despite the global pandemic raging all around it.
• Brazil registers another 713 coronavirus deaths on Thursday SPA 16 Oct 2020 -- Brazil has registered 713 additional coronavirus deaths over the last 24 hours and 28,523 new cases, the nation's Health Ministry said on Thursday evening, Reuters reported.
• Rise in Malawi Suicide Cases Linked to COVID-19 VOA 16 Oct 2020 -- Malawi has recorded a 57% increase in suicides since the start the coronavirus pandemic. Psychologists blame loss of hope in dealing with social distancing and economic problems from COVID-19.