Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House and Certain Congressional Committees The White House 26 Oct 2020
• Text of a Letter from the President to Certain Congressional Committees The White House 26 Oct 2020
• Trump Informs Congress US Rescinds Sudan's Designation as Sponsor of Terrorism Sputnik 26 Oct 2020 -- US President Donald Trump has sent Congress a letter formally informing the lawmakers that his administration has rescinded Sudan's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
• From Cold War to Gray War: Internet Conflict Intensifying VOA 26 Oct 2020 -- A former top security adviser to Boris Johnson has revealed that Britain has launched recently a series of covert cyber-based attacks on Russian leaders and their interests to "impose a price greater than one they might have expected" for their cyber-offensive against the West.
• US Calls Death of al-Qaida Official a Major Setback for Terror Group VOA 26 Oct 2020 -- The United States has confirmed the death of a high-ranking al-Qaida official in Afghanistan, describing it as a major setback for the group despite some initial confusion in reporting about his seniority.
• Muslim Anger Aimed At France Grows Over Cartoon Row RFE/RL 26 Oct 2020 -- France faces a growing backlash over images being displayed in the country of the Prophet Mohammad, which some Muslims consider blasphemous.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Catch-up, 'get ahead and stay ahead' of coronavirus, urges UN health agency chief UN News 26 Oct 2020 -- Global COVID-19 cases spiked to their highest level yet during last week, with many northern hemisphere countries seeing "a concerning rise in cases and hospitalizations", the UN health agency chief said on Monday, urging countries to "get ahead and stay ahead" of the virus.
• WHO Director-General Warns Against Politicization of COVID-19 Pandemic VOA 26 Oct 2020 -- The World Health Organization Monday once again warned nations against "the politicization" of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it has led to confusion and disrespect for science, and made the pandemic worse.

United States

• Weekly Update: DHS Response to COVID-19 DHS 26 Oct 2020
• DOD and HHS Award $33 Million Contract to Tecan to Establish Domestic Production Capacity of Disposable Pipette Tips DoD 26 Oct 2020 -- On October 26, 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded Tecan a $33 million contract to establish U.S. based industrial production capacity of disposable pipette tips for COVID-19 testing.
• Naval Hospital Harnesses Power of Sun to Increase COVID-19 Protection DoD News 26 Oct 2020 -- With patient and staff safety being paramount, one command has gone solar for additional safeguards in providing safe care to all in need.
• Biden Claims, Trump Denies He's 'Waved White Flag' on Coronavirus VOA 26 Oct 2020 -- Democratic Party challenger Joe Biden is accusing the incumbent president of giving up the fight against the coronavirus, while President Donald Trump pushed back against the former vice president during dueling campaign events in a battleground state.
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic New York State 26 Oct 2020
• NYS governor slams White House's COVID-19 response as chief of staff says U.S. not to control pandemic People's Daily 26 Oct 2020 -- New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday that COVID-19 can be defeated, while questioning the White House's inaction as its Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said that the country is "not going to control the pandemic."
• Pence continues campaign despite top aid tests positive for COVID-19 People's Daily 26 Oct 2020 -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, a spokesperson said. The new case has added to the list of infected persons connected to Donald Trump's administration.
• White House: 'We're not going to control the pandemic' Press TV 26 Oct 2020 -- The White House says the United States is "not going to control" the coronavirus pandemic amid a spike in cases across the country.
• 'Significant Surge': US States Struggle to Contain COVID-19 as New Cases Spike Sputnik 26 Oct 2020 -- The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday reported that the US has recorded a total of more than 8.6 million cases of COVID-19, and the virus continues to ravage the nation.
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 26 Oct 2020

China

• Kashi returns to quasi lockdown after virus spike Global Times 26 Oct 2020 -- The sudden spike in coronavirus infections in Kashi prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region brought the region back to a quasi lockdown mode, where one in five residents are undergoing nucleic acid tests, and many businesses were closed, and classes were suspended. But the source of the infections remains a mystery.
• Kashi reports 26 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases Global Times 26 Oct 2020 -- Kashi of Northwest China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region recorded 26 asymptomatic COVID-19 infections from 4pm Sunday to 4pm Monday, city officials announced at a daily press conference.
• Xinjiang asymptomatic cases a 'small-scale sporadic outbreak'; low temperatures blamed Global Times 26 Oct 2020 -- Low temperatures could be one reason for the soaring number of newly reported asymptomatic cases in Kashi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Yang Gonghuan, former vice director of China's CDC, said, calling it a small-scale sporadic outbreak which is controllable.
• China's Xinjiang reports 137 asymptomatic COVID-19 cases People's Daily 26 Oct 2020 -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has identified 137 new asymptomatic cases of COVID-19, as of 2 p.m. on Sunday, a local health official said at a press conference.
• Chinese mainland reports no new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 26 Oct 2020 -- No new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported Sunday across the Chinese mainland, the National Health Commission said Monday.
• Chinese health authority sends working group to Xinjiang People's Daily 26 Oct 2020 -- China's National Health Commission on Sunday sent a working group to northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to oversee COVID-19 epidemic-control work.
• Hong Kong sees another untraceable COVID-19 case People's Daily 26 Oct 2020 -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported six additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, taking Hong Kong's tally to 5,295.
• Scores of Coronavirus Cases Detected Amid New Outbreak in Xinjiang's Kashgar Radio Free Asia 26 Oct 2020 -- Authorities in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have detected an outbreak of the coronavirus in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) city, leading to a lockdown of the area and the mandatory testing of millions of residents of the Silk Road oasis city.
• 137 more silent virus carriers detected in Xinjiang's Kashi, mass testing in full swing Global Times 26 Oct 2020 -- Nucleic acid testing in Kashi prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region covering more than 4.7 million people was in full swing on Sunday, aiming to curb virus transmissions after 138 asymptomatic cases were reported in two days.

Europe

• Europe imposes new restrictions amid resurging COVID-19 pandemic People's Daily 26 Oct 2020 -- A number of European countries are putting into place new restriction measures as a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates across the continent.
• Spanish PM announces State of Alarm to curb coronavirus People's Daily 26 Oct 2020 -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Sunday announced a State of Alarm in an attempt to halt the spread of coronavirus, days after Spain became the first European Union state to pass the grim one-million-case mark.
• France reports daily record of over 50,000 new coronavirus cases People's Daily 26 Oct 2020 -- France registered 52,010 new cases of COVID-19 infection in a 24-hour span, a new daily record after a record 45,422 on Saturday, according to the Public Health Agency on Sunday.
• Bulgarian PM tests positive for COVID-19 People's Daily 26 Oct 2020 -- Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on his Facebook page on Sunday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently being treated at home.
• East Europe hit with new COVID-19 wave as Polish, Bulgarian leaders test positive Global Times 26 Oct 2020 -- East Europe is facing a grim resurgence of COVID-19 as Polish President Andrzej Duda and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov have tested positive for the coronavirus, and some local residents and Chinese in Poland said that the reopening of schools and resumption of gatherings have contributed to a second wave that seems to be more fierce than the first one.
• British pharmacy chain to offer rapid coronavirus test SPA 26 Oct 2020 -- A chain of chemists in Britain is set to introduce a fast coronavirus test in the coming weeks that it says can process results in 12 minutes, dpa reported.

Russia

• Russia's new coronavirus cases hit new record high of 17,347 SPA 26 Oct 2020 -- Russia's daily tally of new coronavirus cases surged to a record high of 17,347 on Monday, including 5,224 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 1,531,224, Reuters reported.
• Russian Coronavirus Vaccine Sputnik V Causes No Side Effect in 85% of Patients, Developer Says Sputnik 26 Oct 2020 -- Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V causes no side effects in 85 percent of the vaccinated, the head of the Gamaleya research center that developed the vaccine, said Monday.

India

• India's Case Fatality Rate lowest since 22nd March India PIB 26 Oct 2020 -- The focused efforts of Centre and State/UT governments on effective clinical management of the hospitalized cases have ensured that India's Fatality Rate has touched 1.5%. With effective containment strategy, aggressive testing and standardized clinical management protocols based on holistic Standard of Care protocol across government and private hospitals, the number of new deaths has significantly dipped.
• Dr. Harsh Vardhan launches Punjab National Bank's All India CSR campaign against COVID 19 India PIB 26 Oct 2020 -- Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare launched Punjab National Bank's (PNB) All India CSR campaign against COVID 19. He also released the digital CSR album & CSR video of Punjab National Bank.

Iran

• Official: COVID-19 kills 337 more in Iran IRNA 26 Oct 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Monday that some 337 more Iranians have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 32,953.
• Iran will never forget US acting as accomplice with COVID-19 IRNA 26 Oct 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a message on Monday that Iranians will never forget US acting as accomplice with COVID-19 in killing spree with maximum pressure targeting transactions to buy medical and emergency supplies.
• Iran calls US regime 'cruel collaborator' of coronavirus Press TV 26 Oct 2020 -- Iran says it will never forget how the United States' outgoing regime acted as a "cruel collaborator" of the new coronavirus by retaining its illegal and unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic at a time when the country is battling the hugely deadly phenomenon.
• 'COVID-19 Death Toll in Iran up to Three Times More than Official Figures' Radio Farda 26 Oct 2020 -- A member of the Iranian Supreme Medical Council, Hossein Gheshlaghi, says the number of coronavirus victims in Iran is three to four times higher than the official figures announced by the country's Ministry of Health.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 357 New Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, 361 New Recoveries Reported, in Saudi Arabia SPA 26 Oct 2020 -- The Ministry of Health announced in a statement here today that 357 new confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 345,232, including 8,228 active cases undergoing treatment.

Malaysia

• Malaysian king calls for end of "politicking" COVID-19 fight People's Daily 26 Oct 2020 -- Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on Sunday urged the country's politicians to stop "politicking" the COVID-19 fight when Malaysia continues to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.
• Malaysia reports 1,240 new coronavirus cases with seven new deaths SPA 26 Oct 2020 -- Malaysia's health ministry reported 1,240 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the biggest daily jump since the start of the pandemic, taking the total to 27,805 infections, according to Reuters.
• Malaysia's King Rejects PM's Request to Declare State of Emergency VOA 26 Oct 2020 -- Malaysia's King Al-Sultan Abdullah has rejected Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's request to declare a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Calls for Malaysian PM to step down after king rejects emergency bid Press TV 26 Oct 2020 -- Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is facing calls to resign in a new power struggle following King Abdullah's rejection of his call for an emergency status to contain the coronavirus crisis.

North Korea

• North Korea Punishes Unauthorized Mask Makers Hoping to Profit From COVID-19 Demand Radio Free Asia 26 Oct 2020 -- North Korea is cracking down on companies that manufacture coronavirus facemasks without a license, a move that sources told RFA said was aimed at protecting factories in the capital Pyongyang and stopping provincial factories from cashing in on surging mask demand.

Australia

• Australia's island state reopens to mainlanders after seven-month COVID-19 closure People's Daily 26 Oct 2020 -- Australia's state of Tasmania eased restrictions on visitors from elsewhere in the country on Monday, no longer requiring them to seek special exemptions or quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
• Australia's Second-Largest City to Begin Emerging from Strict COVID-19 Lockdown VOA 26 Oct 2020 -- After more than three months under stifling restrictions imposed in response to a second wave of COVID-19 cases, life in Australia's second-largest city is slowly about to return to normal.

Other Countries

• Second COVID wave swells across U.S., Europe as winter looms SPA 26 Oct 2020 -- The United States, Russia and France set new daily records for coronavirus infections as a second wave swelled across parts of the Northern Hemisphere, forcing some countries to impose new curbs.
• Coronavirus 'feeds off instability', disrupting Israel-Palestine peace efforts UN News 26 Oct 2020 -- The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process reminded the Security Council on Monday of the Secretary-General's renewed appeal for a global ceasefire to respond to COVID-19, highlighting that the "the virus feeds off instability".
• Nigerian Citizens Justify Massive Looting of COVID-19 Supplies VOA 26 Oct 2020 -- Amid tensions in Nigeria last week over police brutality, mobs of citizens are overrunning several government-owned facilities and ransacking palliatives meant for distribution earlier during the coronavirus lockdowns. So far, nine Nigerian states have been looted. On Saturday, security officials dispersed mobs at another storage facility under attack in Abuja.