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Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• UNHCR to Help Identify Migrants in Mexico Eligible to Enter US VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will work to identify the most needy migrants waiting in Mexico and help them complete paperwork to pursue asylum claims in the United States, a U.S. official told VOA.
• Three North Koreans Indicted in Sony Hack VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- The U.S. Justice Department has indicted three North Korean computer programmers for trying to extort and steal more than $1.3 billion as part of a global cyber scheme that included the 2014 hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
• US Charges Three North Korean Spies for Attempted Cybertheft of $1.3B Worldwide Radio Free Asia 17 Feb 2021 -- The United States has charged three North Korean military intelligence operatives with attempting the cybertheft of $1.3 billion from banks and cryptocurrency companies around the world, including South and Southeast Asia, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday.
• CISA, FBI, and Treasury Expose Latest Tool in North Korea's Cryptocurrency Theft Scheme – AppleJeus CISA 17 Feb 2021 -- The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) issued a joint cybersecurity advisory about North Korean government malicious activity the U.S. government refers to as "AppleJeus."
• Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers Delivers Remarks on the National Security Cyber Investigation into North Korean Operatives US Dept. of Justice 17 Feb 2021 -- Justice Department Announces New Charges in United States v. Jon Chang Hyok, Kim Il, and Park Jin Hyok (CDCA)
• Three North Korean Military Hackers Indicted in Wide-Ranging Scheme to Commit Cyberattacks and Financial Crimes Across the Globe US Dept. of Justice 17 Feb 2021 -- Indictment Expands 2018 Case that Detailed Attack on Sony Pictures and Creation of WannaCry Ransomware by Adding Two New Defendants and Recent Global Schemes to Steal Money and Cryptocurrency from Banks and Businesses while Operating in North Korea, China
• US Charges 3 North Korean Hackers in $1.3Bln Cyber Scheme, Justice Department Says Sputnik 17 Feb 2021 -- The United States has charged three North Korean hackers for allegedly orchestrating cyberattacks around the world to obtain $1.3 billion from financial institutions and businesses, the Justice Department said on Wednesday.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks to the UN Security Council Briefing on COVID-19 and Vaccine Access US Dept. of State 17 Feb 2021
• UK calls for ceasefires to vaccinate people against COVID-19 UK FCDO 17 Feb 2021 -- The Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab calls for ceasefires to enable vulnerable people in conflict zones to be vaccinated against coronavirus.
• Ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in contexts affected by conflict and insecurity UK FCDO 17 Feb 2021 -- At the UN Security Council, the Foreign Secretary proposed a new Resolution on temporary ceasefires and coordinated effort for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
• Chinese envoy to UN asks peacekeeping operations to help fight COVID-19 Global Times 17 Feb 2021 -- A Chinese envoy to the United Nations (UN) on Monday asked UN peacekeeping operations to help host countries fight COVID-19.
• UNICEF to Security Council: Equitable Access to COVID-19 Vaccines in Areas of Conflicts is Essential SPA 17 Feb 2021 -- Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), affirmed that equitable access to vaccines for all people, including those living under conflict, is essential.
• COVID infections drop 16% worldwide in one week: WHO UN News 17 Feb 2021 -- In its latest update on the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that although the number of global infections have fallen by 16 per cent in a week – 500,000 fewer cases – regions, including Europe, are still in the grip of the virus whose variants are spreading.
• WHO Says Number of Global New COVID-19 Cases Falling SPA 17 Feb 2021 -- The number of new global cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is decreasing, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement, according to Sputnik News Agency.
• UN Chief Calls on Rich Nations to Implement Global Vaccine Task Force VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- The U.N. secretary-general called on the world's largest economies Wednesday to create a task force to plan and coordinate a global COVID-19 vaccination plan.
• COVID-19 vaccination 'wildly uneven and unfair': UN Secretary-General UN News 17 Feb 2021 -- International partners working to achieve equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines appealed on Wednesday for the UN Security Council to ensure people caught in conflict have access to these lifesaving treatments.
• Strengthen 'One Health approach' to prevent future pandemics - WHO chief UN News 17 Feb 2021 -- The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates "intimate" linkages between the health of humans, animals and ecosystems, as zoonotic diseases spread between animals and people, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief said on Wednesday.

United States

• Nearly 1,200 coronavirus variants cases detected in 50 US states Global Times 17 Feb 2021 -- Nearly 1,200 infection cases of coronavirus variants have been reported in the 50 US states, according to the latest data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials The White House 17 Feb 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger, February 17, 2021 The White House 17 Feb 2021
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Announces Four Additional FEMA & State Partnered Vaccination Sites to Open in New York, Targeted at Increasing Equitable Vaccination Access New York State 17 Feb 2021

China

• Pension Figures From China's Hubei Spark Doubts Over Virus Deaths Radio Free Asia 17 Feb 2021 -- Chinese government figures showing the absence of more than 150,000 elderly people from the list of those given state subsidy payments in the first quarter of 2020 could point to a far greater COVID-19-linked death toll than previously reported in the country, analysts told RFA.
• China provides vaccines to more places, fulfills promise Global Times 17 Feb 2021 -- The just-passed Spring Festival not only witnessed an energetic Chinese society that has revived itself from the COVID-19 epidemic, but also the growing importance of China's COVID-19 vaccines for the world as more countries and regions are accepting Chinese vaccines as a lifesaver amid the COVID-19 pandemic that is still ravaging on.

Europe

• EU To Get Millions More Pfizer-BioNTech Coronavirus Doses VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- The U.S.- German pharmaceutical partners Pfizer-BioNTech announced Wednesday they have struck a deal with the European Commission — the European Union's executive branch - for another 200 million doses of coronavirus vaccine, with an option to purchase an additional 100 million doses.
• Britain Approves First Human Challenge Trial to Study Effects of COVID-19 VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- The British government has approved the world's first-ever test that will involve deliberately exposing volunteers to the novel coronavirus.
• Britain to Push for COVID-19 Cease-fires to Get Vaccine to Conflict Zones VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- Britain's foreign secretary will call for a U.N. Security Council resolution Wednesday on local cease-fires in order to get COVID-19 vaccines to millions of people in conflict areas.
• Hungary receives first shipment of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines Global Times 17 Feb 2021 -- The first batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine purchased by Hungary arrived at Budapest on Tuesday.
• North Macedonia Kicks Off COVID-19 Vaccinations RFE/RL 17 Feb 2021 -- North Macedonia has launched its COVID-19 immunization campaign with doctors and other medical staff treating coronavirus patients being administered the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
• German Health Minister: British COVID-19 Variant Spreading Rapidly VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- German Health Minister Jens Spahn said Wednesday the so-called British variant of COVID-19 is spreading quickly in his country, now accounting for more than 20 percent of all tested cases, and nearly four times the rate of two weeks earlier.

India

• Active Cases decline in all States/UTs in the last month India PIB 17 Feb 2021 -- India's total Active Caseload currently stands at 1.36 lakh (1,36,549) today. The active caseload now consists of just 1.25% of India's total Positive Cases.
• Update on COVID-19 Vaccination- Day 33 India PIB 17 Feb 2021 -- The cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered to healthcare and frontline workers is close to 92 lakhs today.

Iran

• Iran Plans to Start Joint Production of Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine in 2 Months Sputnik 17 Feb 2021 -- Iran hopes to start producing the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine together with Russia in less than two months, Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, told Sputnik.
• Iran issues permit for emergency use for three other COVID-19 vaccines: Official IRNA 17 Feb 2021 -- Head of Iran's Health Ministry Public Relations Office Kianoush Jahanpour said on Wednesday that Iran has issued emergency use for three other COVID-19 vaccines.
• Official: COVID-19 claims 67 more lives in Iran IRNA 17 Feb 2021 -- Some 67 more Iranians have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 59,184, Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Wednesday.

South Korea

• S.Korea Reports 621 more COVID-19 Cases SPA 17 Feb 2021 -- South Korea reported 621 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Tuesday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 84,946.

Japan

• Japan Begins COVID-19 Vaccination Program VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- Japan began its long-awaited coronavirus vaccination program Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 334 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Reported in Saudi Arabia SPA 17 Feb 2021 -- The Ministry of Health said in a statement today that 334 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; thus bringing the total number to 373,702 confirmed cases, including 2,611 active cases, receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 480 critical cases.

Taiwan

• Taiwan confirms 1 new imported case of COVID-19 CNA 17 Feb 2021 -- Taiwan on Wednesday confirmed one new imported case of COVID-19 involving a Taiwanese woman living in the U.S. who returned to Taiwan in November 2020 and recently tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Deal to buy BioNTech vaccine foiled by outside sources: minister CNA 17 Feb 2021 -- Taiwan was extremely close to securing 5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine late last year, but the deal fell through at the last minute due to interference from outside sources, Taiwan's health minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said Wednesday.

NATO

• Coronavirus response: NATO and Latvia support to Ukraine NATO 17 Feb 2021 -- On February 17, Ukraine started receiving over 9000 litres of surface disinfectant from NATO's Pandemic Response Stockpile. The donation was coordinated by NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) and the Republic of Latvia to respond to Ukraine's request for international assistance for COVID-19. The disinfectant will be distributed to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and its border guard detachments at border crossing points across the country.
• NATO Delivers Disinfectant To Ukraine To Help Battle COVID-19 RFE/RL 17 Feb 2021 -- NATO says it is delivering over 9,000 liters of surface disinfectant to Ukraine in response to Kyiv's request for international assistance to combat COVID-19.

Tanzania

• Zanzibar's Vice President Dies at 77 After Testing Positive for COVID VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- The first vice president of Tanzania's Zanzibar Island, Seif Sharif Hamad, died Wednesday morning, weeks after being hospitalized with COVID-19.
• COVID-19 Cases Increase in Tanzania, Despite Government Denial VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- Tanzania's government insists there are no cases of COVID-19 in the country, but residents and doctors point to a growing number of illnesses and deaths. Opposition politicians say the government's stance is endangering lives.

Other Countries

• Canada sees increasing cases of COVID-19 variants Global Times 17 Feb 2021 -- The COVID-19 second wave in Canada's epidemiological curve has been trending downward for weeks, with the seven-day national average dropping from about 8,000 daily cases in early January to 3,000 over Valentine's Day weekend.
• UAE Announces 3,452 New COVID-19 Cases, 3,570 Recoveries, 14 Deaths in Last 24 Hours SPA 17 Feb 2021 -- The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced that it conducted 185,502 additional COVID-19 tests over the past 24 hours, using state-of-the-art medical testing equipment.
• South Africa Begins COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- It did not hurt a bit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Wednesday, shortly after he became one of the first South Africans to receive the hot-off-the-plane coronavirus vaccine at a public clinic in Cape Town's sprawling Khayelitsha township.
• Coronavirus Variant Could Overwhelm Hospitals, Zimbabwe Authorities Warn VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- Zimbabwean authorities say the more contagious coronavirus variant that was first spotted in South Africa now accounts for 61 percent of Zimbabwe's new cases. Public health experts say they fear the variant could overwhelm Zimbabwe's collapsed health care system.
• Gaza Receives First Shipment of COVID-19 Vaccines VOA 17 Feb 2021 -- The Gaza Strip received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines Wednesday after Israel approved its transfer through its borders.