Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• DHS Issues New National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin DHS 13 Aug 2021 -- On August 13, 2021 the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, issued a new National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin regarding the heightened threat environment across the United States. The threat environment to the Homeland is diverse and challenging, especially leading up to and following the 20th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks as well as religious holidays that could serve as catalyst for targeted violence.
• Efforts Underway to Contain Marburg Disease in Guinea VOA 13 Aug 2021 -- Concerted efforts are underway by local health authorities and World Health Organization experts to prevent the spread of the deadly Marburg disease within Guinea and across borders.
• Al-Qaida Will Return to Afghanistan, British Official Says VOA 13 Aug 2021 -- British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace warned Friday that Afghanistan risks becoming a failed state and predicted a-Qaida will again thrive in the country.
• Where Are the Taliban Getting Their Money? VOA 13 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban's sudden surge across much of Afghanistan, resulting in the capture of about half of the country's provincial capitals, may have stunned some officials and international observers, but it has been driven in part by extensive fundraising that has given the insurgent group access to millions, and perhaps billions, of dollars.
• Oregon National Guard deploys to fight wildfires Army News 13 Aug 2021 -- Twenty Airmen with the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Wing have departed Portland to help battle wildfires across the state.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• UN health agency urges support for new COVID-19 origins studies UN News 13 Aug 2021 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged all countries "to put differences aside" in order to speed up efforts to understand where and how the COVID-19 virus started – including the unproven suggestion that it was manufactured in a laboratory.

United States

• US FDA Authorizes Third Shot of Pfizer or Moderna for At-risk Group VOA 13 Aug 2021 -- An advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously Friday in favor of recommending a third coronavirus dose to 2.7 million people with weakened immune systems.
• CDC Panel Recommends Third Dose for Some with Weakened Immune Systems VOA 13 Aug 2021 -- A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel Friday recommended a third shot of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for some people with weakened immune systems following a Thursday authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
• Supreme Court Upholds Indiana University COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate VOA 13 Aug 2021 -- The Supreme Court has left an Indiana University COVID-19 vaccine mandate in place by declining an emergency request to block the school's requirement.
• U.S. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths continue to rise: CDC director People's Daily 13 Aug 2021 -- U.S. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths nationwide are rising at a record level as most of the country is experiencing substantial or high transmission, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said Thursday.

China

• China proposes virus origins study in countries linked to animal infection and Wuhan wet market suppliers, rejects WHO's plan Global Times 13 Aug 2021 -- China rejects the WHO's next-phase origins-tracing work proposal as it is not based on the scientific evidence gathered from the first-phase study jointly conducted by Chinese and foreign experts in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, earlier this year. The proposal was also made without full consultation with WHO member states, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Friday.
• Update: China rejects WHO's next-phase origins study based on non-scientific evidence, calls on US to 'open its door' Global Times 13 Aug 2021 -- South China's Guangdong Province penalized 20 local officials on Thursday for dereliction of duty in dealing with the local COVID-19 outbreak in May and June, making it the latest province to punish officials for their poor performance in the coronavirus fight, which is seen as an important part of China's dynamic and flexible epidemic prevention and control strategy that has proven effective in the country's fight against the virus.
• China penalizes 70 derelict officials amid Delta resurgence Global Times 13 Aug 2021 -- South China's Guangdong Province penalized 20 local officials on Thursday for dereliction of duty in dealing with the local COVID-19 outbreak in May and June, making it the latest province to punish officials for their poor performance in the coronavirus fight, which is seen as an important part of China's dynamic and flexible epidemic prevention and control strategy that has proven effective in the country's fight against the virus. Besides Guangdong, about 50 officials were punished in places which saw flare-ups connected to the Delta variant, including Nanjing, Yangzhou and Zhengzhou — the highest amount and most intense handling after Hubei in 2020.
• Ravaging Delta variant complicates China's control, highlights need of dynamic zero-case Global Times 13 Aug 2021 -- China on Friday reported 47 new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and 52 imported cases, which is the first time the latter exceeds the former since the latest Delta variant-related resurgence.
• Half of China's population fully vaccinated as focus turns to teenagers Global Times 13 Aug 2021 -- More than 777 million Chinese - more than half of the Chinese population - have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the National Health Commission (NHC) reported in its latest progress update released on Friday.
• China at "low risk" of developing large-scale COVID-19 outbreak: official People's Daily 13 Aug 2021 -- China is at a "low risk" of developing a nationwide, large-scale COVID-19 outbreak, as the recent resurgence of the epidemic since late July has been generally under control, a health official said on Friday.
• China steps up punishment for breaching COVID-19 prevention measures People's Daily 13 Aug 2021 -- China's public security organs are stepping up the investigation and punishment of actions that undermine the country's COVID-19 control and prevention efforts, the Ministry of Public Security said on Friday.
• Over 777 mln people in China complete COVID-19 vaccination People's Daily 13 Aug 2021 -- More than 777 million people in China had completed COVID-19 vaccination by Thursday, a health official said Friday.
• Chinese mainland reports 47 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 13 Aug 2021 -- The Chinese mainland on Thursday reported 47 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, including 26 in Jiangsu Province, 14 in Henan, four in Hubei, two in Hunan and one in Yunnan, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Friday.
• China rejects WHO call for further coronavirus origins probe Press TV 13 Aug 2021 -- China has rejected the World Health Organization (WHO)'s calls for a new probe into the origins of the coronavirus, saying it supports "scientific" over "political" efforts to find out how the virus started.

Russia

• The Week In Russia: The Dangerous Summer RFE/RL 13 Aug 2021 -- As September elections approach, COVID-19 takes a mounting toll and wildfires burn across huge swaths of the country, devouring forests, blanketing cities in smoke and diminishing public trust in the authorities. The Kremlin crackdown on dissenters, civil society, and independent media continues.

India

• India's Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage nearly 53 Cr India PIB 13 Aug 2021 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has nearly reached 53 Cr
• COVID-19 Vaccination Update- Day 210 India PIB 13 Aug 2021 -- In a significant achievement, India's Cumulative COVID Vaccination Coverage has achieved53 crore (535399783) landmark milestone, as per the 7 pm provisional report today
• COVID-19 Vaccination Update India PIB 13 Aug 2021 -- The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country
• COVID-19 UPDATE India PIB 13 Aug 2021

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 527 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 13 Aug 2021 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 96,742 with 527 more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Friday.
• Iran Faces 'Tsunami' Of COVID-19 Infections, Deaths RFE/RL 13 Aug 2021 -- With a new victim of the coronavirus dying every two minutes, deaths are soaring in Iran, with infections from the new Delta variant skyrocketing and hospitals overfilled.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports 18 new COVID-19 cases, most imported CNA 13 Aug 2021 -- Taiwan on Friday reported 18 new cases of COVID-19 -- four transmitted domestically and 14 contracted overseas -- and two deaths from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan reports 1st COVID case caused by Colombian variant CNA 13 Aug 2021 -- A Taiwanese woman who tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from the United States in early August has been infected by the coronavirus variant discovered in Colombia, the first case of the new variant in Taiwan.

Other Countries

• Vietnam's COVID-19 epicenter starts applying Sinopharm vaccine among local citizens People's Daily 13 Aug 2021 -- Southern Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), the country's current COVID-19 epicenter, on Friday started administering China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine among its Vietnamese citizens.
• Malaysia orders additional batch of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines People's Daily 13 Aug 2021 -- The Malaysian government has ordered an additional batch of COVID-19 vaccines from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac, Malaysian pharmaceutical company Pharmaniaga said on Thursday.
• Philippines receives more Sinovac vaccines from China People's Daily 13 Aug 2021 -- China delivered an additional batch of Sinovac CoronaVac vaccines to the Philippines on Thursday to support the Southeast Asian country's inoculation campaign against the COVID-19 pandemic.
• First batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine through COVAX facility handed over to Pakistan People's Daily 13 Aug 2021 -- The first batch of COVID-19 vaccine that China provided to the COVAX facility was officially handed over to Pakistan during a ceremony held here on Thursday.
• Hoarding of COVID Drugs in Myanmar Causes Prices to Soar Radio Free Asia 13 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's wealthy are hoarding immunosuppressive and antiviral medications to treat the coronavirus, paying thousands of dollars for them in the country's poorly regulated pharmaceutical market, while ordinary citizens struggle to buy the drugs, drug sellers and medical professionals told RFA.
• Somalia Receives Johnson and Johnson Vaccines to Help Curb COVID 19 VOA 13 Aug 2021 -- Somalia has received more than than 300,000 doses of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The doses, donated by the U.S. through the international COVAX facility, will be the first single-dose vaccines to be distributed in Somalia.
• New Zealand Outlines COVID-19 Plan to Reconnect with World VOA 13 Aug 2021 -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said her government will continue to pursue its ambitious COVID-19 elimination strategy indefinitely. On Thursday, she outlined a cautious and staged approach to reopening the country's borders to some foreign travelers early next year.