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Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Joint Statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) CISA 16 Dec 2020 -- Over the course of the past several days, the FBI, CISA, and ODNI have become aware of a significant and ongoing cybersecurity campaign.
• US Security Adviser O'Brien Cuts Trip Short to Address Hacking Incident Sputnik 16 Dec 2020 -- White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien has cut his diplomatic trip in Europe short to return to the United States to address the recent hacking incident that targeted multiple federal agencies, National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said in a statement.
• White House National-Security Adviser Cuts European Trip Short To Deal With Major Cyberattack RFE/RL 16 Dec 2020 -- White House national-security adviser Robert O'Brien has cut short a European trip and returned to Washington to deal with the fallout from a major cyberattack by suspected Russian hackers.
• Kenyan National Indicted for Conspiring to Hijack Aircraft on Behalf of the Al Qaeda-Affiliated Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab US Dept. of Justice 16 Dec 2020 -- Cholo Abdi Abdullah Obtained Pilot Training and Researched How to Hijack Aircraft in Order to Conduct a 9/11-Style Attack at the Direction of al Shabaab
• Suspected Al-Shabab Operative Brought to US to Face Terror Charges VOA 16 Dec 2020 -- An al-Shabab terror group operative accused of conspiring to carry out a 9/11-style attack in the United States has been brought to New York to face terrorism charges, the Justice Department announced on Wednesday.
• In blow to US, Mexico passes law curbing activities of foreign agents Press TV 16 Dec 2020 -- The Mexican congress has approved a new law curbing the activities of foreign agents in the country, in a blow to US agencies that maintain a robust presence there under the pretext of the so-called war on drugs.
• Mexican Congress Passes New Security Law Restricting Foreign Law Enforcement in Country Sputnik 16 Dec 2020 -- Although the newly-passed Mexican legislation does not target a particular country, some have voiced concern that law enforcement agencies of the United States will be those most impacted by the new rules.
• French Court Convicts Accomplices of Charlie Hebdo Attackers VOA 16 Dec 2020 -- A French court has convicted 14 accomplices in connection with the January 2015 attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a Jewish supermarket in Paris.
• France Expels 75 More Foreign Extremists as Part of Counter-Terrorism Response, Minister Says Sputnik 16 Dec 2020 -- France has expelled 75 more foreigners listed for radicalisation within the state-backed roadmap to curb the terrorist threat, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday.
• New EU Cybersecurity Strategy Suggests Special Cyberintelligence Working Group, Borrell Says Sputnik 16 Dec 2020 -- The European Union's new cybersecurity strategy envisages setting up a special cyberintelligence working group, EU high representative for the foreign policy, Josep Borrell, said Wednesday.
• Virginia National Guard staged for winter storm response Army News 16 Dec 2020 -- The Virginia National Guard has staged approximately 60 Soldiers and 20 vehicles in the northwest area of the state to help respond to the impact of heavy snow along the I-81 and I-66 corridors on Dec. 16.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Vaccines for all, an 'acid test' in COVID-19 battle UN News 16 Dec 2020 -- Equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines will represent an "acid test" for the international community, the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) told journalists on Wednesday, highlighting the importance of global cooperation and solidarity in beating back the disease.
• Worldwide Coronavirus Cases Cross 72.27 Million, Death Toll at 1,628,337 SPA 16 Dec 2020 -- More than 72.27 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,628,337 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
• IDB Mobilizes $1 Billion for Vaccinations in Latin America VOA 16 Dec 2020 -- The Inter-American Development Bank pledged $1 billion Wednesday to help Central American and Caribbean nations fight the coronavirus pandemic.
• While First COVID-19 Vaccines Arrive, Much of the World Will Have to Wait VOA 16 Dec 2020 -- While the first shots against COVID-19 are rolling out in the United States, Britain and Canada, nearly a quarter of the world's population likely will not have access to a vaccine until at least 2022, according to a new study.

United States

• Oklahoma National Guard completes first COVID-19 vaccine delivery Army News 16 Dec 2020 -- The Oklahoma National Guard, in cooperation with the Oklahoma State Department of Health, delivered the first COVID-19 vaccines in the state on Dec. 15.
• Rollout of COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Is Off to Successful Start, Officials Say DoD News 16 Dec 2020 -- COVID-19 vaccine shipments are being delivered to every site identified by public health jurisdictions in Operation Warp Speed's first wave of shipments this week, Health and Human Service Secretary Alex M. Azar told reporters today.
• Tiberius Platform Aids COVID-19 Logistics, Delivery DoD News 16 Dec 2020 -- While Star Trek's Capt. James Tiberius Kirk said he grew tired of explaining the origins of his middle name, Operation Warp Speed officials are eager to highlight their version of Tiberius — a software platform designed to guide the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic New York State 16 Dec 2020
• U.S. reports over 1.6 mln child cases of COVID-19 People's Daily 16 Dec 2020 -- Nearly 1,640,000 children in the United States have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, representing 12.2 percent of the caseload nationwide, according to a new joint report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children's Hospital Association.
• California orders thousands of body bags as COVID-19 death toll grows Press TV 16 Dec 2020 -- The US state of California has ordered thousands of body bags and mobile morgues amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases there.
• Pompeo Quarantines, but Tests Negative for Coronavirus VOA 16 Dec 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is quarantining after an encounter with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, the State Department said Wednesday. Pompeo tested negative.
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 16 Dec 2020

China

• COVID-19 virus reported for first time on locally-produced food in E China Global Times 16 Dec 2020 -- The outer packaging of a batch of domestically-produced chicken drumsticks returned positive nucleic acid test results, Lai'an county in Chuzhou of East China's Anhui Province confirmed on Wednesday. The incident marks the first time that COVID-19 was reported on local cold chain food products from local sources in China.
• Chinese county kicks off COVID-19 vaccine registration for public use Global Times 16 Dec 2020 -- Tangyuan county in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Tuesday opened registration for the public to sign up for two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines for 420 yuan ($60) in total, becoming the first region in China to officially open early vaccine accessibility to normal residents.
• COVID-19 flares up again in NE China's Dalian port after four loaders found to be silent carriers Global Times 16 Dec 2020 -- Four asymptomatic COVID-19 patients working as loaders in an import cold-chain company have been found in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, signaling a possible recurrence of the epidemic in the coastal city this winter.

Europe

• Europe tightens coronavirus restrictions ahead of Christmas Press TV 16 Dec 2020 -- Europe has tightened coronavirus restrictions ahead of Christmas, with a number of countries entering weeks of lockdown, amid a surge in infections in recent weeks.
• EU Commission Chief: Bloc Aims to Begin COVID-19 Vaccinations on Same Day VOA 16 Dec 2020 -- European Union President Ursula Von der Leyen Wednesday said the EU member nations aim to start COVID-19 vaccinations on the same day before the end of the year as a sign of unity.
• France's COVID-19 cases up by 11,532, deaths top 59,000 as lockdown ends People's Daily 16 Dec 2020 -- France reported on Tuesday 11,532 new COVID-19 infections within 24 hours, and 790 new deaths as the government relaxed restrictive rules ahead of year-end festivities, health authorities data showed.
• UK records another 18,450 coronavirus cases with 506 deaths People's Daily 16 Dec 2020 -- Another 18,450 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 1,888,116, according to official figures released Tuesday.
• Germany Enters Strict Monthlong Lockdown to Curb Escalating Coronavirus Cases VOA 16 Dec 2020 -- A new set of tight restrictions took effect Wednesday in Germany in an attempt to curb a rising number of coronavirus infections and deaths.
• Germany reports 27,728 new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 16 Dec 2020 -- Germany reported on Wednesday 27,728 more COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the national tally to 1,379,238, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
• Netherlands Hits New Daily COVID-19 Infection Record As Lockdown Imposed SPA 16 Dec 2020 -- The number of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands jumped by more than 11,000 in 24 hours, hitting a new record, Reuters cited data released by the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) today, on Wednesday as showing.
• Bulgaria Plans to Extend Coronavirus Restrictions Until Jan. 31 SPA 16 Dec 2020 -- Bulgaria plans to keep its schools, restaurants and shopping malls closed until Jan. 31 to contain the spread of coronavirus and help its strained healthcare system, Reuters quoted the health minister as saying today, on Wednesday.
• Czech Republic Launches Nationwide Testing Program VOA 16 Dec 2020 -- The Czech Republic Wednesday launched nationwide COVID-19 testing in hopes of slowing the spread of virus in the country, which, like much of Europe, has seen a surge of infections in recent weeks.

Russia

• Russia records 26,689 new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 16 Dec 2020 -- Russia confirmed 26,689 coronavirus cases over the past day, taking the total number of infections to 2,707,945, the country's official COVID-19 monitoring and response center said Tuesday.

India

• India's Active Caseload continues to decline, stands at 3.32 lakh today India PIB 16 Dec 2020 -- The ongoing trend of contraction of India's total active cases continues. The active caseload of the country stands at 3,32,002. The share of Active Cases in the total Positive Cases has further shrunk to 3.34%.
• India's COVID-19 tally reaches 9.9 mln, Indonesia reports 6,120 new cases People's Daily 16 Dec 2020 -- Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths continued to climb in Asia-Pacific on Tuesday, as India recorded 22,065 new cases, taking the total to 9,906,165, said the latest data from the federal health ministry.

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 213 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 16 Dec 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Wednesday that some 213 more Iranians have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours.

South Korea

• S. Korea reports highest daily caseload of 1,078 COVID-19 infections, 45,442 in total People's Daily 16 Dec 2020 -- South Korea reported 1,078 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Tuesday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 45,442.

Japan

• Japan's capital reports record high daily COVID-19 case spike People's Daily 16 Dec 2020 -- The Tokyo metropolitan government on Wednesday reported 678 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours in the Japanese capital.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 180 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Reported in Saudi Arabia SPA 16 Dec 2020 -- The Ministry of Health said in a statement today that 180 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 360,335 cases, including 3,063 active cases receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 463 critical cases, while the health condition of the rest is stable.
• MoH: Over 150,000 individuals registered for taking COVID-19 vaccine SPA 16 Dec 2020 -- The Ministry of Health (MoH) has stated that the total number of individuals who have registered via "Sehaty" App to take the COVID-19 vaccine reached 150,000 since the launch of the registration yesterday up to this time, Wednesday's afternoon.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports 7 new imported COVID-19 cases CNA 16 Dec 2020 -- Taiwan reported seven new imported COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 749 since the pandemic broke out at the beginning of this year, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan to indefinitely suspend entry of Indonesian migrant workers CNA 16 Dec 2020 -- The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday said Taiwan will suspend entry of Indonesian migrant workers into the country indefinitely, as Indonesia has been unable to improve the accuracy of its COVID-19 test results.
• Four members of Russian ballet troupe among 7 new COVID-19 cases CNA 16 Dec 2020 -- Four members of a Russian ballet company that is scheduled to perform in Taiwan over the next two weeks were among the seven new imported cases of COVID-19 reported in the country Wednesday, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said.

Other Countries

• Countries with Advanced Digital Skills and Safety Nets Doing Better in Pandemic, Report Says VOA 16 Dec 2020 -- In this year's Global Competitiveness Report, the World Economic Forum measures the ability of countries to weather and recover from the devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
• Mexico's new daily COVID-19 cases top 11,000 People's Daily 16 Dec 2020 -- Mexico reported 11,228 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the national total to 1,267,202, according to the health ministry.
• Netanyahu to Become First Israeli to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik 16 Dec 2020 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to be the first person in Israel to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
• Brazil's President Refuses to Take COVID-19 Shot Sputnik 16 Dec 2020 -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has said he does not intend to receive a vaccine against COVID-19.
• Traders, Truckers Protest Cameroon-Chad Border Closing Over COVID VOA 16 Dec 2020 -- Traders and truck drivers in Cameroon and Chad held a nine-minute protest Wednesday on the N'Gueli bridge that crosses the border, with each minute symbolizing one month since cross-border traffic was restricted in March to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• Vietnam to Test Vaccine as Neighbors Weigh Coronavirus Radio Free Asia 16 Dec 2020 -- Vietnam is set to begin tests this week on a domestically produced coronavirus vaccine, a government led-effort that marks a first in Southeast Asia, starting with 60 volunteers, state media said on Wednesday.