Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Statement from the Press Secretary on Sudan The White House 23 Oct 2020
• Trump Tells Congress He Will Remove Sudan From Terrorism Blacklist Sputnik 23 Oct 2020 -- President Donald Trump has notified the Congress that he plans to remove Sudan from the US terrorism blacklist after the country transferred $335 million in compensation to the American victims of terror attacks in which it was implicated, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany stated.
• Global Terror-Funding Watchdog Keeps Pakistan on 'Gray List' VOA 23 Oct 2020 -- An international agency fighting illicit financing has urged Pakistan to deliver on its remaining commitments by February 2021 to curb money laundering and funding sources to terrorist groups.
• Pakistan Kept On Global Terrorism Financing 'Gray List' RFE/RL Gandhara 23 Oct 2020 -- A global financial watchdog has decided to keep Pakistan on its terror financing watch list, saying the country had not completely implemented a set of guidelines.
• Financial Action Task Force Adopts New Standards on Proliferation Financing, and advances work on COVID-19 AML/CFT Risks, and Trade-Based Money Laundering US Treasury 23 Oct 2020 -- The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) concluded its 32nd plenary meeting on Friday, October 23, by agreeing to revise its standards to further strengthen the global response to the financing of proliferation related to weapons of mass destruction.
• Riverside, California Man Who Admitted Planning Mass Casualty Attacks and Purchasing Firearms Later Used in 2015 Terrorist Attack in San Bernardino Ordered to Serve 20-Year Federal Prison Sentence US Dept. of Justice 23 Oct 2020 -- A Riverside man was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to commit terrorist attacks in the Inland Empire and for providing assault rifles later used in the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack that killed 14 people.
• United States Sanctions Five Iranian Entities and Watchlists IRGC Cyber Actors for Interfering in Our Elections US Dept. of State 23 Oct 2020 -- The United States will not tolerate foreign interference in our elections. The whole of the U.S. government is using all the tools at our disposal to target those who attempt to interfere in our democratic process.
• Russia, Iran Ramp Up Attacks In Attempt to Meddle in US Election, Officials Warn VOA 23 Oct 2020 -- Russia and Iran are ramping up attacks on U.S. government networks and computer systems while also amplifying their disinformation campaigns, hoping to rattle the confidence of American voters with less than two weeks until the Nov. 3 presidential election.
• U.S. Says Russian Hackers Targeted State, Local Governments Ahead Of Election RFE/RL 23 Oct 2020 -- Russian state-sponsored hackers have targeted dozens of U.S. state and local government networks in recent weeks and stolen data from at least two servers, the U.S. government says.
• United States Sanctions Russian Government Research Institution US Dept. of State 23 Oct 2020 -- The United States remains steadfast in countering malign cyber activities by Russian actors on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation. Today, we designated a Russian government research institution directly connected to the destructive and life-threatening Triton malware - also known as TRISIS and HatMan- pursuant to Section 224 of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.
• U.S. Sanctions Russian Research Institution Tied to Malware That Targets Industrial Systems RFE/RL 23 Oct 2020 -- The United States has sanctioned a Russian government research institute connected to the development of a computer malware capable of targeting industrial safety systems and causing catastrophic damage.
• Treasury Sanctions Russian Government Research Institution Connected to the Triton Malware US Treasury 23 Oct 2020 -- Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated, pursuant to Section 224 of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a Russian government research institution that is connected to the destructive Triton malware.
• Bulgaria, Kosovo, North Macedonia Join U.S. Initiative To Block Chinese Equipment In 5G Network RFE/RL 23 Oct 2020 -- Bulgaria, Kosovo, and North Macedonia have signed declarations with the United States on the security of 5G wireless communications networks under which they committed to protect their networks from "untrusted" Chinese tech companies such as Huawei.
• Bulgaria Joins U.S. Initiative To Block Chinese Companies From Building 5G Networks RFE/RL 23 Oct 2020 -- The United States and Bulgaria on October 23 signed a memorandum on the security of 5G wireless communications networks under which Bulgaria commits to protecting its 5G networks from "untrusted" Chinese tech companies such as Huawei.
• United States - Republic of Bulgaria Joint Declaration on 5G Security US Dept. of State 23 Oct 2020 -- The text of the following joint declaration was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Bulgaria on October 23, 2020.
• United States - Republic of North Macedonia Joint Declaration on 5G Security US Dept. of State 23 Oct 2020 -- The text of the following joint declaration was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of North Macedonia on October 23, 2020.
• United States - Slovak Republic Joint Declaration on 5G Security US Dept. of State 23 Oct 2020 -- The text of the following joint declaration was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Slovak Republic on October 23, 2020.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Weekly Update WHO 23 Oct 2020
• 'Very tough' months ahead in COVID battle, WHO helping scale up dwindling oxygen supplies UN News 23 Oct 2020 -- Facing another critical juncture in the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief told reporters on Friday that a "very tough" few months lie ahead with too many nations seeing an exponential increase in cases.
• WHO Urges World's Leaders to Act as COVID-19 Cases Surge VOA 23 Oct 2020 -- Noting the world is at a critical juncture in the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization is urging nations to take immediate action to prevent unnecessary deaths, the collapse of essential health systems and the shutdown of economies.
• UN Chief Calls for More Coordinated Global Efforts to Fight COVID VOA 23 Oct 2020 -- United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it was very unfortunate that the 20 major industrialized nations did not come together in March, as he suggested then, to establish a coordinated response to suppress COVID-19 worldwide.

United States

• This Week in Operation Warp Speed DoD 23 Oct 2020 -- Below is a compilation of initiatives, actions and accomplishments across Operation Warp Speed (OWS)'s primary efforts in the past week.
• U.S. records second-highest single-day rise in COVID-19 infections since pandemic began SPA 23 Oct 2020 -- The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the United States on Thursday was the second highest on record, coming in just short of a midsummer peak as the spread of the novel coronavirus accelerates in nearly every region of the country.
• 'Critical Phase': US Breaks Record for Single-Day Increase in COVID-19 Cases Sputnik 23 Oct 2020 -- The United States set a new record for daily COVID-19 cases on Thursday, with more than 77,000 new cases recorded, according to the latest tally by NBC News.
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 23 Oct 2020

China

• China set to retaliate if hurt by US virus blame game: sources Global Times 23 Oct 2020 -- Sources told the Global Times on Friday that China will resolutely take countermeasures if the US risks damaging China's interests using the COVID-19 pandemic as a cover.
• China launches mobile COVID-19 testing lab People's Daily 23 Oct 2020 -- Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, waiting in long queues for a COVID-19 test has been a major hurdle in getting tested. However, the advent of a mobile laboratory may help alleviate the problem.

Europe

• European nations tighten anti-virus measures as France, Germany see record daily spike People's Daily 23 Oct 2020 -- Soaring new infections on Thursday unveiled a gloomy landscape in Europe's grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting more governments to tighten restrictions to suppress the spread of the virus.
• Ghosts of Past Haunt Struggling Spain VOA 23 Oct 2020 -- The rhetoric would not have been out of place in the Spanish parliament in the early 1930s when monarchists and nationalists assailed a Popular Front coalition government consisting of Communists, Socialists and Catalan separatists in the run-up to Spain's civil war.
• German Health Minister Predicts Vaccine by Early 2021 VOA 23 Oct 2020 -- German Health Minister Jens Spahn says he expects a viable vaccine to be available to Germans by early next year and enough for "a large number of those want to be vaccinated" within six or seven months.
• Europeans Face More Restrictions as COVID Cases Surge VOA 23 Oct 2020 -- As Europe tries to curtail a second wave of the coronavirus, many residents across the continent are facing more restrictions in their daily lives.
• Czech PM Demands Health Minister Resign for Violating COVID-19 Restrictions VOA 23 Oct 2020 -- A political standoff is brewing in the Czech Republic where the health minister has refused to resign after pictures were published of him eating in a Prague restaurant closed under COVID-19 regulations.
• Despite Surge, Belgium Tightens COVID-19 Restrictions But Resists Lockdown VOA 23 Oct 2020 -- Belgian officials Friday announced new COVID-19 restrictions but stopped short of a lockdown to stem the surging rate of infections, which are now averaging more than 10,000 per day.

India

• Dr. Harsh Vardhan reviews COVID19 preparedness and measures for COVID Appropriate Behaviour in Uttar Pradesh India PIB 23 Oct 2020 -- Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, held a meeting through video conferencing to review COVID-19 preparedness COVID and measures for ensuring COVID Appropriate Behaviour with the Health and Medical Education Ministers and other senior officials of Uttar Pradesh, here today.
• India crosses the Landmark of 10 crore Total Tests India PIB 23 Oct 2020 -- India has demonstrated an exponential increase in the number of COVID-19 cumulative tests since Jan 2020. It has crossed the landmark of 10 crore (10,01,13,085) total tests today.
• India crosses a Landmark Milestone India PIB 23 Oct 2020 -- India has leaped across a significant milestone in its fight against COVID. The active caseload of the country has fallen below 7 lakh for the first time after two months (63 days). The active caseload was below the 7 lakh mark (6,97,330) last on 22nd August.

Iran

• Official: COVID-19 kills 335 more in Iran IRNA 23 Oct 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Friday that some 335 more Iranians have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours.
• Chaos-hit US sanctions three Iranian entities over election meddling claims Press TV 23 Oct 2020 -- The US administration has imposed sanctions on three Iranian organizations over accusations of running a disinformation campaign targeting the upcoming US presidential election.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 383 New Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, 397 New Recoveries Reported, in Saudi Arabia SPA 23 Oct 2020 -- The Ministry of Health announced in a statement here today that 383 new confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 344,157, including 8,315 active cases undergoing treatment.

NATO

• Coronavirus response: NATO delivers ventilators to Allies in need NATO 23 Oct 2020 -- NATO Allies decided on Friday (23 October 2020) to deliver 60 ventilators to the Czech Republic in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. The ventilators will be provided from the stockpile of medical equipment and supplies that NATO established to be able to provide immediate relief to Allies or partners in need.

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