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Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Pentagon Took Over 3 Hours to OK Deployment of National Guard to Capitol Riot, DC Commander Reveals Sputnik 03 Mar 2021 -- As thousands of Trump loyalists stormed the Capitol on January 6 in a bid to halt the certification of the Electoral College results, dozens of DC National Guard troops were forced to remain on standby, despite the disturbing events that were unfolding. The hourslong delay has largely been blamed on failed communication among senior leadership.
• US Intel Officials Admit They Were in the Dark About Looming Capitol Breach VOA 03 Mar 2021 -- The top intelligence officials of the FBI and Department of Homeland Security made a troubling acknowledgement in congressional testimony Wednesday: Neither agency had garnered intelligence indicating that supporters of former President Donald Trump would storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6 in an effort to overturn the November election results.
• US Capitol Riot Hearing: 3-Hour Delay in Deploying Guard Troops VOA 03 Mar 2021 -- The commander of the National Guard in Washington told Congress Wednesday it took more than three hours to get approval to deploy troops to the U.S. Capitol on January 6 to confront rioters who were storming the building trying to block lawmakers from certifying Democrat Joe Biden as the country's new president.
• FBI chief says Jan. 6 Capitol riot is domestic terrorism People's Daily 03 Mar 2021 -- Christopher Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), said on Tuesday that the law enforcement agency classifies the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot by former President Donald Trump's supporters as domestic terrorism.
• Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS US Dept. of Justice 03 Mar 2021 -- An Illinois man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham, a foreign terrorist organization (aka ISIS).
• U.S. 'Deeply Concerned' After Kyrgyz 'Crime Boss' Released From Detention RFE/RL 03 Mar 2021 -- The United States says it is "deeply concerned" over the release from pretrial detention of a Kyrgyz organized-crime figure for whom Washington has offered a $1 million reward.
• Treasury Sanctions Fugitive Associate of CJNG US Treasury 03 Mar 2021 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Mexican national Juan Manuel Abouzaid El Bayeh ("Abouzaid El Bayeh") as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act).
• Turkey Arrests 10 Foreigners Suspected of Links to Daesh, Reports Suggest Sputnik 03 Mar 2021 -- Turkish security forces arrested 10 foreign nationals over suspected links to the Daesh* terrorist group during a special operation in Istanbul, media reported on Wednesday, citing a source.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• WHO: Number of new global COVID-19 cases rises after long decline SPA 03 Mar 2021 -- The number of new global cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has risen over the past week after a long decline, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement, according to Sputnik News Agency.
• Top China, U.S. epidemiologists call for global cooperation to fight COVID-19 People's Daily 03 Mar 2021 -- Leading Chinese respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan and top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci have called for global solidarity and cooperation to fight against COVID-19.
• Variant First Detected in Brazil Could Reinfect People Recovering from COVID-19 VOA 03 Mar 2021 -- Scientists are warning that a variant of the novel coronavirus that was first detected in Brazil could reinfect people already recovering from COVID-19.

United States

• Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials The White House 03 Mar 2021
• Ending Mask Mandates Reflects 'Neanderthal Thinking,' Biden Says VOA 03 Mar 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden, while expressing frustration, has limited power to overrule decisions by state governors who are ending mask mandates and lifting other restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.
• US Health Official: 'Now is Not the Time' to End COVID-19 Restrictions VOA 03 Mar 2021 -- The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday "now is not the time" to lift COVID-19 restrictions, one day after the governor of Texas announced the southern U.S. state was "100 percent open."
• U.S. launches research on COVID-19 impact on children as about 3.17 mln child cases reported People's Daily 03 Mar 2021 -- The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched a new research effort to understand how COVID-19 affects children, who have accounted for roughly 13 percent of total confirmed cases in the country.
• U.S. Texas lifts COVID-19 mask mandate People's Daily 03 Mar 2021 -- U.S. Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday announced an order to lift the mask mandate in the state and increase capacity of all businesses and facilities to 100 percent capacity starting next Wednesday.
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Announces Event, Arts and Entertainment Venues Can Reopen at 33 Percent Capacity Beginning April 2 New York State 03 Mar 2021

China

• CPPCC spokesperson calls 'vaccine diplomacy' claims 'narrow-minded' People's Daily 03 Mar 2021 -- It is "very narrow-minded" to perceive China's action of providing COVID-19 vaccines and related assistance to other countries as a tool for gaining geopolitical influence, Guo Weimin, the spokesperson of the fourth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said during a news briefing on Wednesday.
• Over 5 mln get COVID-19 vaccine in Beijing People's Daily 03 Mar 2021 -- Over 5 million people in Beijing had received COVID-19 vaccines as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, local authorities said.
• China accelerates vaccination to form herd immunity sooner Global Times 03 Mar 2021 -- China is ramping up efforts to vaccinate 560 million people, or 40 percent of China's population, by the end of June, and another 330 million people will be vaccinated by the end of the year, covering 64 percent of the total population, the Global Times has learned.
• Sinopharm to submit clinical trial data on subjects aged 3-17 for approval Global Times 03 Mar 2021 -- China's vaccine producer Sinopharm has completed clinical trials for groups aged 3-17 and will submit its data for approval soon, which industry observers said is likely to expand China's mass vaccination for minors.

Europe

• France Could Ease COVID-19 Restrictions Next Month VOA 03 Mar 2021 -- A French government spokesman said Wednesday officials are hoping to lift some of the nation's COVID-19-related restrictions by the middle of next month, as vaccinations have, so far, proven effective at lowering infection rates.
• Blast Damages Dutch COVID-19 Testing Site VOA 03 Mar 2021 -- Dutch police say an explosive device detonated at a COVID-19 testing site before dawn Wednesday in the town of Bovenkarspel, north of Amsterdam, shattering windows but causing no reported injuries.
• COVID-19 vaccination rate in Germany reaches 2.6 pct: RKI Global Times 03 Mar 2021 -- More than two months after the start of the coronavirus vaccination program in Germany, almost 2.16 million people received the second jab as of Monday, bringing the country's vaccination rate to 2.6 percent, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Tuesday.
• UK coronavirus deaths falling fastest among over 80s thanks to vaccine: ONS Global Times 03 Mar 2021 -- Coronavirus-related deaths in England and Wales are falling fastest among those aged 80 and over thanks to the vaccine rollout in Britain, statistics from the British Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed Tuesday.
• Italian PM signs new anti-virus decree Global Times 03 Mar 2021 -- Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi signed on Tuesday a decree with fresh coronavirus containment measures.
• Czechs and Slovaks to Get 100,000 Extra Vaccines Each from EU Partners SPA 03 Mar 2021 -- The Czech Republic and Slovakia, both under severe pressure from the coronavirus pandemic, will each receive an extra 100,000 vaccine doses from their European Union partners, according to Reuters.
• Greece Extends Lockdown, Tightens Restrictions to Stem Surge in COVID-19 Cases SPA 03 Mar 2021 -- Greece has extended a lockdown and tightened restrictions in Athens and other affected regions to stem a surge in new COVID-19 infections, Reuters cited authorities as saying on Wednesday.

Russia

• Russia's COVID Vaccine Sputnik V Green-Lighted for Use in Angola, Congo, Djibouti Sputnik 03 Mar 2021 -- Angola, Djibouti and the Republic of Congo have officially authorized Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V for mass use, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Wednesday.

India

• Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka continue to report an upsurge in Daily New Cases India PIB 03 Mar 2021 -- Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka continue to report a surge in the COVID daily new cases. Together, they account for 85.95% of the new cases reported in the past 24 hours.
• COVID19 Vaccination-Day 47 India PIB 03 Mar 2021 -- The cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 1.63 Crore today.

Iran

• COVID-19 claims 86 lives in past 24 hours in Iran: Official IRNA 03 Mar 2021 -- Some 86 more Iranians have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 60,353, Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 331 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Reported in Saudi Arabia SPA 03 Mar 2021 -- The Ministry of Health said in a statement today that 331 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; thus bringing the total number to 378,333 confirmed cases, including 2,546 active cases, receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 501 critical cases.

Taiwan

• CECC confirms receipt of 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine CNA 03 Mar 2021 -- A total of 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in Taiwan and will first be administered to health care workers who have direct contact with COVID-19 patients, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.
• Taiwan reports 3 new imported COVID-19 cases, from 3 nations CNA 03 Mar 2021 -- Taiwan on Wednesday recorded three new imported cases of COVID-19 from Canada, the United States and Poland, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 958, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said.
• First batch of COVID-19 vaccines arrives in Taiwan CNA 03 Mar 2021 -- Taiwan has received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX allocation program, airport sources have told CNA.

North Korea

• North Korean Military Exploits Pandemic to Cash-in on Face Masks Radio Free Asia 03 Mar 2021 -- North Korean companies affiliated with the country's military are exploiting nationwide coronavirus emergency protocols to cash in on face mask production, sources in the country told RFA.

Ghana

• Ghana begins mass vaccination program against COVID-19 Global Times 03 Mar 2021 -- The government of Ghana Tuesday rolled out a program to commence the mass vaccination of people living in some 43 epicenter-districts in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Central regions against the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Ghana to see dramatic drop in COVID-19 cases with vaccination roll-out: official People's Daily 03 Mar 2021 -- Ghana will soon record a dramatic drop in COVID-19 cases as a vaccination roll-out program started to be launched here on Tuesday, said Charity Sarpong, Greater Accra Regional Director for Health Services Charity.

Kenya

• Kenyans eagerly await COVID-19 jabs as vaccinations pick up in Africa People's Daily 03 Mar 2021 -- A cloud of hope is hanging over Kenya as the country expects its first dosage of about a million COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday night.
• Kenya Receives 1M Vaccine Doses, Will Distribute to Health Workers First VOA 03 Mar 2021 -- Kenya received one million Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines Tuesday night, the first East African nation to get a shipment of the vaccines. The ministry of health said it would set aside 400,000 coronavirus jabs for the country's medical workers.

Other Countries

• Turkey's daily COVID-19 cases set new record in 2 months; Iraq receives shipment of donated Chinese vaccines People's Daily 03 Mar 2021 -- Turkey on Tuesday reported 11,837 new COVID-19 cases, as its daily infections exceeded 10,000 for the first time in about two months. Meanwhile, Iraq received a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China.
• Philippine military starts vaccination of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines PLA Daily 03 Mar 2021 -- A vaccination ceremony of the COVID-19 vaccines provided by the Chinese military was held at Fort Andres Bonifacio in Metro Manila, the national headquarters of the Philippine Army, on March 2nd, local time.
• Ukraine Faces COVID-19 Vaccine Delays Amid Record Numbers Of Hospitalizations RFE/RL 03 Mar 2021 -- A record number of COVID-19 patients were taken to hospitals in Ukraine over the past 24 hours amid warnings from officials that there may be delays in the delivery of the vaccine developed by the Chinese company Sinovac.
• Sudan, Rwanda Receive Shipments of COVID-19 Vaccines VOA 03 Mar 2021 -- Sudan and Rwanda received their first shipments of COVID-19 vaccines Wednesday, according to the U.N.
• Peru will Receive a Second Vaccine Wednesday to Battle COVID-19 VOA 03 Mar 2021 -- Peru is getting another weapon in its battle against the spread of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
• Nicaragua Begins Inoculation of Population With Russia's Sputnik V COVID Vaccine - Reports Sputnik 03 Mar 2021 -- Nicaragua has started inoculating the population with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Prensa reported.
• COVID-19 vaccines touchdown in Sudan and Rwanda UN News 03 Mar 2021 -- Through the UN-led vaccine initiative COVAX, Sudan and Rwanda have become the latest beneficiaries to receive the lifesaving COVID-19 inoculation, UN agencies reported on Wednesday.
• Cambodia Deports Chinese Journalist Over Vaccine for Sale Story VOA 03 Mar 2021 -- The Cambodian government has deported a Chinese journalist for publishing what authorities deemed "fake news" about a purported scheme offering COVID-19 vaccines for a "service fee."