Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• White House Defends Top General Who Voiced Trump Concerns VOA 15 Sep 2021 -- The White House on Wednesday defended the top U.S. military commander, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley, against calls for his resignation following disclosures in a new book by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.
• General Mark Milley Facing Increased Scrutiny From Lawmakers Over Secret Calls to China Sputnik 15 Sep 2021 -- General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking military official in the United States, reportedly usurped the chain of command during the Trump presidency.
• Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley Defends His China Interactions After Revelations Made in Woodward Book Sputnik 15 Sep 2021 -- An upcoming book titled "Peril", penned by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, has claimed, according to some excerpts, that US Army Gen. Mark Milley twice contacted his Chinese counterparts, assuring them that former President Donald Trump would not order an attack against China.
• Reserve C-130 aerial firefighting teams fly during second busiest wildfire season US Air Force 15 Sep 2021 -- The 302nd Airlift Wing has three C-130 Hercules aircraft flying sorties out of McClellan Air Tanker Base this year in Sacramento County, California, performing an aerial firefighting mission unique within the Air Force Reserve.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• COVID crises highlight strengths of democratic systems, says Guterres UN News 15 Sep 2021 -- The UN Secretary-General, on Wednesday, urged the world to "learn from the lessons of the past 18 months, to strengthen democratic resilience in the face of future crises."

United States

• DOD Awards $3.2 Billion in Contract Modifications for Monoclonal Antibodies DoD 15 Sep 2021 -- On Sept. 14, 2021, the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded two contract modifications totaling $3.2 billion to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company to purchase additional doses of monoclonal antibodies to block the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
• U.S. COVID-19 mandate plan wins support, doctor presses for children's vaccines People's Daily 15 Sep 2021 -- The U.S. federal government's latest COVID-19 vaccination mandates have won support in a recent poll and the country's top pediatrician has called for medical agencies to accelerate approval of vaccines for children, as the pandemic's Delta variant keeps on victimizing unvaccinated Americans.
• Obtained emails 'raise alarming questions' on Trump handling of Covid Press TV 15 Sep 2021 -- Emails by Trump administration's officials "raise alarming questions" on how the former president handled of the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to "critical failures" during his tenure.
• US Launches Half-Billion Dollar Study of Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 Sputnik 15 Sep 2021 -- The US earmarked $470 million for a nationwide study of the long-term effects of COVID-19, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Wednesday.
• Biden Meets With Business Leaders to Discuss COVID Vaccinations for Workers VOA 15 Sep 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden meets Wednesday with corporate executives to discuss COVID-19 vaccinations for workers as infections in the U.S. surge among the unvaccinated.

China

• Fujian reports 50 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, schools and tourist spots shut down Global Times 15 Sep 2021 -- Fujian has recorded 152 cases in five days. The province has phased in a stricter epidemic prevention and control measures now, as multiple cities suspended schools and sped up mass testing for COVID-19.
• 91% of Chinese students aged 12-17 have received two COVID-19 vaccine doses Global Times 15 Sep 2021 -- About 91 percent of students aged 12 to 17 have received two doses of COVID19 vaccines in China, said a notice from China's Ministry of Education (MOE) on Wednesday.
• Mainland and Macao residents eligible for quarantine-free travel to HK as coronavirus-cut communication resumes Global Times 15 Sep 2021 -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government further expanded programs to facilitate mainland residents to travel to Hong Kong, a move welcomed by both Hongkongers and residents in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, who also called for travel restrictions to ease further to stimulate Hong Kong economy.
• Hong Kong reports one new imported COVID-19 case People's Daily 15 Sep 2021 -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported one new imported case of COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking the total tally of confirmed infections in Hong Kong to 12,149.
• Nearly 2.16 bln doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered in China People's Daily 15 Sep 2021 -- Nearly 2.16 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in China as of Tuesday, data from the National Health Commission showed Wednesday.
• China updates mass testing protocol to better cope with Delta variant People's Daily 15 Sep 2021 -- China has updated its protocol on mass testing to better respond to possible COVID-19 resurgence caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant.
• Chinese mainland reports 50 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 15 Sep 2021 -- The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported 50 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, all in Fujian Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Wednesday.

Europe

• EU Pledges 200 Million Doses of COVID Vaccines to Low-Income Nations VOA 15 Sep 2021 -- The European Union is pledging to donate 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to low-income countries by mid-2022.

Russia

• Putin to self-isolate in connection with COVID-19 cases People's Daily 15 Sep 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that he will observe self-isolation for a certain period of time in connection with the COVID-19 cases detected in his entourage.

India

• India Reportedly Close to Resuming Exports of COVID Vaccine VOA 15 Sep 2021 -- Amid increasing global pressure, India says it is closely examining the resumption of COVID-19 vaccine exports to the world, particularly Africa, which is badly in need.
• India's Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 75.89 Cr India PIB 15 Sep 2021 -- With the administration of 61,15,690 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, country's COVID-19 vaccination coverage surpassed the cumulative figure of 75.89Cr (75,89,12,277) as per provisional reports till 7 am today
• COVID-19 Vaccination Update - Day 243 India PIB 15 Sep 2021 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 76 Crore landmark milestone(76,49,36,158) today
• Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Availability in States/UTs India PIB 15 Sep 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 15 Sep 2021

Iran

• Iran's embassy in Moscow receives 300,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccines IRNA 15 Sep 2021 -- The 11th batch of Russian Sputnik V Coronavirus vaccines, comprising 300,000 doses, was delivered to the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Moscow and will be forwarded to Tehran on Thursday.
• Iran Approves Russia's Sputnik Light Single-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine, RDIF Says Sputnik 15 Sep 2021 -- Iran authorized Russia's Sputnik Light single-component vaccine against the coronavirus, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced on Wednesday.
• COVID-19 kills 452 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 15 Sep 2021 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 115,619 with 452 more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Wednesday.
• 40% of Iranians receive first dose of coronavirus vaccine IRNA 15 Sep 2021 -- An Iranian health official announced that nearly 40 percent of people have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 18 percent have received the second shot, as well.

Taiwan

• New COVID-19 case with Delta visited Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan CNA 15 Sep 2021 -- The new domestic COVID-19 case reported on Wednesday, a cabin cleaner at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, has been confirmed to be infected with the Delta variant of the coronavirus and had been to a department store in Taipei before testing positive.
• Colombia to include Taiwan COVID-19 vaccine in clinical trial CNA 15 Sep 2021 -- The Colombian government has announced an upcoming large-scale international clinical trial of coronavirus candidate vaccines sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country, including a COVID-19 vaccine made by Taiwan-based Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp.

Other Countries

• Central Vietnam Faces Strictest Lockdown to Date VOA 15 Sep 2021 -- As the delta variant of COVID-19 has surged through Vietnam over the past two months, the country's central provinces have endured the strictest lockdown measures to date.