• Military
• WMD
• Intelligence

• Security Menu                     

• Systems
• Industry
• Operations
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Space

Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Jury Convicts Man in Minnesota Mosque Bombing VOA 09 Dec 2020 -- A federal jury Wednesday convicted a man of civil rights and hate crimes charges related to the 2017 bombing of a mosque in the Midwestern state of Minnesota.
• Member of Neo-Nazi Group Sentenced for Plot to Target Journalists and Advocates US Dept. of Justice 09 Dec 2020 -- Johnny Roman Garza, 21, a member of the Neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, was sentenced today to 16 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in a plot to threaten and intimidate journalists and advocates who worked to expose anti-Semitism.
• Individual Pleads Guilty to Participating in Internet-of-Things Cyberattack in 2016 US Dept. of Justice 09 Dec 2020 -- An individual, formerly a juvenile, pleaded guilty to committing acts of federal juvenile delinquency in relation to a cyberattack that caused massive disruption to the Internet in October 2016.
• U.S. Cybersecurity Firm FireEye Hit By 'Nation-State' Attack, Russia Suspected RFE/RL 09 Dec 2020 -- Prominent U.S. cybersecurity firm FireEye says it has recently been targeted by hackers with “world-class capabilities,” believing that the hacking was state-sponsored.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Italian Study Doesn't Contradict Theory That COVID-19 Came From Wuhan: Researcher Radio Free Asia 09 Dec 2020 -- An Italian medical researcher who reported finding signs of antibodies to COVID-19 in Italian patients before China confirmed its first official case of the disease on Dec. 31 have said the findings don't undermine the prevailing view that the virus originated in Wuhan.
• Worldwide Coronavirus Cases Cross 67.73 Million, Death Toll at 1,548,905 SPA 09 Dec 2020 -- More than 67.73 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,548,905 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
• UN’s Bachelet slams ‘reprehensible’ political leadership during pandemic, sees hope in new US administration UN News 09 Dec 2020 -- Some political leadership during the pandemic has been “reprehensible”, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday, while holding out hope of a better 2021 as US President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
• We cannot allow corruption to infest COVID-19 recovery, UN chief says UN News 09 Dec 2020 -- Corruption has thrived under the coronavirus pandemic and anyone involved in graft must be prevented from exploiting the rollout of new vaccines, the UN Secretary-General has said.
• Bachelet: COVID Politicization Upending Myriad Human Rights Norms VOA 09 Dec 2020 -- Ahead of Human Rights Day on Thursday, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights warned that the politicization of the coronavirus pandemic was undermining a range of such rights, from economic, social and cultural rights to civil and political rights.

United States

• DOD Officials Provide Briefing on the Department's COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan DoD 09 Dec 2020 -- Assistant Secretary Of Defense For Health Affairs Thomas McCaffery; Army Lieutenant General Ronald J. Place, Director, Defense Health Agency; Jonathan Rath Hoffman, Assistant To The Secretary Of Defense For Public Affairs
• DOD Announces COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan DoD 09 Dec 2020 -- Today, the Department of Defense announced its deliberate and phased plan to distribute and administer initial and subsequent allocations of the COVID-19 vaccine.
• First COVID-19 Vaccine May Be Distributed Next Week DoD News 09 Dec 2020 -- An assessment by the Food and Drug Administration shows the COVID-19 vaccine developed by U.S. drug company Pfizer is around 95% effective. The vaccine will soon be considered by the FDA for emergency use authorization. If that happens, Operation Warp Speed is ready to distribute the vaccine immediately. It could happen by next week, the secretary of Health and Human Services said.
• DOD Officials Announce Distribution Plan for Initial Batch of COVID-19 Vaccine DoD News 09 Dec 2020 -- Regarding the initial COVID-19 vaccination rollout, Defense Department officials announced a phased and coordinated strategic plan for distributing and administering the initial COVID-19 vaccines.
• U.S. CDC Reports 285,351 Deaths from Coronavirus SPA 09 Dec 2020 -- The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today, on Wednesday reported 15,040,175 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 217,046 from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 2,566 to 285,351, Reuters reported.
• WH task force: Vaccine may not reduce virus spread until late spring Press TV 09 Dec 2020 -- The White House coronavirus task force has warned the governors across the United States that the ongoing vaccination plan won't reduce the spread of the disease until the end of spring.
• U.S. sets records for COVID-19 core metrics as caseload exceeds 15 mln People's Daily 09 Dec 2020 -- The United States has set new world records for COVID-19 core metrics including hospitalizations, seven-day average case and death increases, as the total number of confirmed cases topped 15 million on Tuesday.
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic New York State 09 Dec 2020
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Announces Federal Government Has Agreed Not to Collect Undocumented Identification as Part of Federal Vaccination Program New York State 09 Dec 2020
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 09 Dec 2020

China

• China delivers 2nd batch of anti-coronavirus medical aid to Arab League Global Times 09 Dec 2020 -- China on Tuesday delivered the second batch of anti-coronavirus medical aid, including 130,000 N95 masks, to the Arab League based in Cairo, capital of Egypt.
• Chinese COVID-19 vaccine registered in UAE with 86% efficacy, no serious safety concerns Global Times 09 Dec 2020 -- Chinese-developed inactivated COVID-19 vaccine has shown 86 percent efficacy against the virus, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) health ministry said on Wednesday, based on their interim analysis of Phase-III clinical trials.
• Chengdu tightens COVID-19 control in communities, expands nucleic acid testing Global Times 09 Dec 2020 -- After entering "wartime mode" amid a fresh COVID-19 outbreak, the southwest Chinese city of Chengdu has tightened epidemic control measures in residential compounds citywide and further expanded nucleic acid tests on Wednesday to cover some college students and faculty members.
• Sichuan starts emergency vaccine use for 12 priority groups, mass inoculation to follow Global Times 09 Dec 2020 -- Southwest China's Sichuan Province has started coronavirus vaccine emergency use for 12 types of high-risk groups - about 2 million people - with inoculation scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. The public will have access to the vaccine after the upcoming 2021 Chinese Spring Festival begins on February 12.
• China's Chengdu reports 4 new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases, 1 asymptomatic case People's Daily 09 Dec 2020 -- Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, reported four new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and one asymptomatic case on Tuesday, local authorities said.
• Chinese-made COVID-19 Vaccine Nearly 90% Effective, UAE Says VOA 09 Dec 2020 -- One day after Britain became the first Western nation to begin mass COVID-19 vaccinations, the United Arab Emirates says a Chinese-made vaccine has proven to be 86% effective in preventing moderate and severe cases of the disease.

Europe

• 'A New Beginning': Relief, Hope as UK Begins Mass COVID Vaccinations VOA 09 Dec 2020 -- Scientists and doctors say the mass coronavirus vaccination campaign that started in Britain this week represents a major milestone in the fight against COVID-19, although big challenges remain in producing and distributing enough vaccines to end the global pandemic.
• UK reports highest weekly coronavirus deaths since May 15 People's Daily 09 Dec 2020 -- Britain has recorded the highest number of weekly coronavirus deaths since May 15, figures from the British Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed Tuesday.
• German Chancellor Calls for Tighter COVID-19 Restrictions as Nation Sets New Daily Death Record VOA 09 Dec 2020 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel Tuesday called for tougher COVID-19 restrictions as the nation set daily record for deaths from the virus and infection numbers continue to rise.
• EU says to work to deliver available COVID-19 vaccines to Gaza People's Daily 09 Dec 2020 -- An EU delegation said on Tuesday that the EU will provide necessary medical gear for COVID-19 tests in the Gaza Strip and work to deliver vaccines to the besieged enclave once they are available.
• Italy reports 14,837 new COVID-19 cases, total tops 1.75 mln People's Daily 09 Dec 2020 -- Italy reported on Tuesday 14,837 new COVID-19 cases, bringing its tally to 1,757,394, according to the country's health authorities.

Russia

• Peskov After Turkey's Refusal to Buy Sputnik V: Trials Showed Vaccine's Effectiveness Sputnik 09 Dec 2020 -- The results of trials of the Russian vaccine against coronavirus Sputnik V indicate its effectiveness and reliability, it can and will certainly play an important role in the fight against the pandemic, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik amid Turkey's refusal to purchase Sputnik V.

India

• At less than 4% of Total Cases, India’s Active Caseload of 3.78 lakh continues to retreat India PIB 09 Dec 2020 -- The ongoing trend of contraction of India’s total active cases continues. The active caseload of the country stands at 3,78,909. The share of Active Cases in the total Positive Cases has further shrunk to 3.89%.
• India's COVID-19 tally reaches 9,735,850, death toll at 141,360 People's Daily 09 Dec 2020 -- India's COVID-19 tally reached 9,735,850 on Wednesday as 32,080 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, while the death toll mounted to 141,360 with 402 new deaths, according to the latest data from the federal health ministry.

Iran

• 295 Iranians succumb to COVID19 in past 24 hours: official IRNA 09 Dec 2020 -- Some 295 more Iranians have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 51,212, Iran Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Wednesday.
• Rouhani: White House hindering Iran efforts to import vaccine, medicine Press TV 09 Dec 2020 -- President Hassan Rouhani has lashed out at his US counterpart, Donald Trump, for hampering Iran’s purchase of medical equipment and vaccines required to fight the coronavirus pandemic, saying the “evil” team at the White House did not even spare the elderly and the disabled from the “cruel” measures.

South Korea

• S.Korea to secure COVID-19 vaccines for 88 pct of population People's Daily 09 Dec 2020 -- South Korea planned to secure COVID-19 vaccines from foreign drugmakers for 44 million people, or 88 percent of the country's total population, the health ministry said Tuesday.
• New Infections Near 700 Despite Enhanced Social Distancing Rules SPA 09 Dec 2020 -- South Korea's new virus cases neared 700 today, on Wednesday on soaring community infections in the greater Seoul area despite toughened social distancing measures, Yonhap reported.
• S.Korea raises social-distancing rules to 2nd-highest level in capital area Global Times 09 Dec 2020 -- South Korea decided Sunday to raise its social-distancing rules in the Seoul metropolitan area by one notch to the second-highest level for three weeks amid a spike in COVID-19 cases for the past month.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 159 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Reported in Saudi Arabia SPA 09 Dec 2020 -- The Ministry of Health said in a statement today that 159 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 359,274 cases, including 3,648 active cases receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 550 critical cases, while the health condition of the rest is stable.

Taiwan

• Taiwan records two new imported cases of COVID-19 CNA 09 Dec 2020 -- Taiwan recorded two new imported cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, one from Myanmar and one from Indonesia, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 720, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Six fined for failing to provide COVID-19 test proof on arrival: CECC CNA 09 Dec 2020 -- A total of six Taiwanese citizens have each been fined NT$10,000 (US$351) after they failed to present proof of a recent COVID-19 test upon arrival in Taiwan as required by a new policy implemented on Dec. 1, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said on Wednesday.
• Australia reclassified as low COVID-19 risk country CNA 09 Dec 2020 -- The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday changed Australia's classification from a low-to-moderate risk country to a low-risk country, allowing business travelers from the region to shorten the period of time they must remain in quarantine upon arrival in Taiwan.

North Korea

• North Korea Warns South Will 'Pay Dearly' for Casting Doubt on COVID-free Claims VOA 09 Dec 2020 -- North Korea says South Korea’s foreign minister will “pay dearly” for casting doubt on the regime’s claims of being free of the novel coronavirus.
• North Korea outraged by South questioning its zero coronavirus claim Press TV 09 Dec 2020 -- The sister of North Korea's leader has strongly reacted to remarks by the foreign minister of neighboring South, which cast doubt over Pyongyang’s claim of the country having no coronavirus cases.
• Kim Jong-Un's Sister Slams South Korean FM Over Comments on DPRK Having Zero COVID Cases - Reports Sputnik 09 Dec 2020 -- In doing so, the North Korean leader's sister dispelled rumours of her "death", as she was last seen in late July, prompting speculation in the media that she was allegedly killed.

Other Countries

• Australians satisfied with country's COVID-19 response: study People's Daily 09 Dec 2020 -- The vast majority of Australians were reported being satisfied with their government's response to COVID-19, a new survey revealed Tuesday, with nine out of ten people in major states saying they agreed with the actions taken.
• Millions vote in Indonesia regional polls amidst COVID-19 concerns Press TV 09 Dec 2020 -- People in Indonesia are heading to the polls to cast their ballots in regional elections, despite warnings the vote could worsen the nation's COVID-19 crisis.
• Canada Approves COVID-19 Vaccine SPA 09 Dec 2020 -- Health Canada today, on Wednesday approved the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE , clearing the way for shots to be delivered and administered across the country, Reuters reported.