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Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• CISA, FBI, NSA and International Partners Issue Advisory to Mitigate Apache Log4J Vulnerabilities CISA 22 Dec 2021 -- The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Security Agency (NSA), Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), Computer Emergency Response Team New Zealand (CERT NZ), New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NZ NCSC), and the United Kingdom's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-UK) issued a joint cybersecurity advisory with technical details, mitigations, and resources to address known vulnerabilities in the Apache Log4j software library.
• National Cyber Director Unveils New Approach at Cyber War College Conference DoD News 22 Dec 2021 -- After almost two years of operating within the COVID-19 environment, Cassandra C. Lewis knew it was time that her organization's annual flagship conference focus on the enduring impacts of the pandemic.
• How A Convicted Russian Cybercriminal Made $6,000 A Month Working For The FBI RFE/RL 22 Dec 2021 -- After being arrested by Spanish police in 2017, Pyotr Levashov said he so feared being extradited to the United States to face crimes related to his prolific spamming operations that he might take his own life.
• Designation of al-Qa'ida Network in Brazil US Dept. of State 22 Dec 2021 -- Al-Qa'ida and its regional affiliates continue to pose a threat to countries around the world. The United States is taking action today to stem the funding of this terrorist group by designating members of a Brazil-based network of al-Qa'ida-affiliated individuals and their companies as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
• Treasury Designates al-Qa'ida Support Network in Brazil US Treasury 22 Dec 2021 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated members of a Brazil-based network of al-Qa'ida-affiliated individuals and their companies for providing support to the terrorist group. Today's action targets three individuals and two entities, including al-Qa'ida operative in Brazil Haytham Ahmad Shukri Ahmad Al-Maghrabi (Al-Maghrabi), as Specially Designated Global Terrorists pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Ignoring COVID-19 will just perpetuate it, WHO warns UN News 22 Dec 2021 -- As many friends and families consider whether to celebrate Christmas together, the UN health agency issued a reminder on Wednesday that "anyone who ignores COVID-19 is...perpetuating it".
• WHO warns against blanket boosters, as vaccine inequity persists UN News 22 Dec 2021 -- Blanket COVID-19 vaccine booster programmes could prolong the pandemic and increase inequity, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday.
• WHO Chief Warns COVID Booster Programs May Prolong Pandemic VOA 22 Dec 2021 -- The World Health Organization's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned on Wednesday that blanket COVID-19 vaccine booster programs will not bring a definite end to the global pandemic, but prolong it, as poorer countries struggle to vaccinate their populations because of unequal access to immunizations.
• Developers of Major COVID-19 Vaccine Working on Omicron-Specific Version VOA 22 Dec 2021 -- British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca and Oxford University say they are developing a new version of its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine that will provide protection specifically against the new omicron variant of the coronavirus.

United States

• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on Meeting with European Commission on COVID-⁠19 and Global Health Security The White House 22 Dec 2021
• Press Briefing by White House COVID-⁠19 Response Team and Public Health Officials The White House 22 Dec 2021
• Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the Supreme Court's Announcement of a Special Hearing The White House 22 Dec 2021
• Statement by President Joe Biden On the FDA Emergency Authorization of the Pfizer COVID-⁠19 Antiviral Treatment The White House 22 Dec 2021
• FDA Gives Emergency Authorization for Pfizer COVID Pill VOA 22 Dec 2021 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of an antiviral COVID-19 pill, the pill's maker Pfizer Inc. said Wednesday.
• U.S. Records 288,579 New Cases of COVID-19 SPA 22 Dec 2021 -- The United States of America recorded 288,579 new infections, along with 1,373 deaths due to the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours.

China

• China's Zero COVID Strategy Braces for Omicron VOA 22 Dec 2021 -- On Jan 5, 2020, the WHO first reported to the world that cases with "pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan City" were reported to it on Dec 31.
• City in S. China's Guangxi bordering Vietnam adopts quasi-lockdown measures following one COVID-19 case Global Times 22 Dec 2021 -- Dongxing in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region that borders Vietnam adopted quasi-lockdown measures on Wednesday after one COVID-19 case.
• Chinese mainland reports 57 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 22 Dec 2021 -- The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported 57 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Wednesday.
• Over 2.7 bln COVID-19 vaccine doses administered on Chinese mainland People's Daily 22 Dec 2021 -- More than 2.7 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered on the Chinese mainland as of Tuesday, data from the National Health Commission showed Wednesday. Enditem
• China Records 77 New COVID-19 Cases SPA 22 Dec 2021 -- China reported 77 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.

Europe

• Britain Records 106,122 New Cases of Coronavirus SPA 22 Dec 2021 -- Britain recorded 106,122 new infections of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), along with 140 deaths in the past 24 hours.
• UK Cuts COVID-19 Self-Isolation Period to 7 Days Sputnik 22 Dec 2021 -- UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced on Wednesday that people infected with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can now shorten the mandatory self-isolation period from 10 to seven days as long as they are able to produce negative lateral flow test on two consecutive days.
• Germany Reports 45,659 New COVID-19 Cases, 510 Deaths SPA 22 Dec 2021 -- Germany reported 45,659 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and 510 deaths during the last 24 hours.
• Up to 15 Percent of New COVID-19 Cases in Netherlands Attributed to Omicron Strain Sputnik 22 Dec 2021 -- Between 10-15 percent of new positive COVID-19 cases in the Netherlands are attributed to the Omicron variant, the chairman of the country's outbreak management team, Jaap van Dissel, said.
• Finland to Reestablish Border Control With Other EU Nations From 28 December Amid Omicron Surge Sputnik 22 Dec 2021 -- Finland will reestablish border controls with other EU countries and will require travellers arriving from the European Union to have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from 28 December, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told reporters.
• Fifth COVID-19 vaccine authorized in Europe as Omicron continues to surge People's Daily 22 Dec 2021 -- The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has added a fifth vaccine to its anti-COVID arsenal as the Omicron variant continued to spread across Europe.

India

• India's Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 138.96 Cr India PIB 22 Dec 2021 -- With the administration of 57,05,039 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 138
• COVID-19 Vaccination Update - Day 341 India PIB 22 Dec 2021 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has reached to nearly 140 Crore (139,61,10,941) today
• Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Availability in States/UTs India PIB 22 Dec 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 22 Dec 2021

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 44 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 22 Dec 2021 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 131,211 with 44 more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Wednesday.

South Korea

• S.Korea Records 7,456 New Cases of COVID-19 SPA 22 Dec 2021 -- South Korea recorded 7,456 new cases of the novel coronavirus along with 78 deaths in the past 24 hours.

Saudi Arabia

• Ministry of Health Reports 252 New COVID-19 Cases, 109 Recoveries in Saudi Arabia SPA 22 Dec 2021 -- The Ministry of Health (MoH) announced the registration of 252 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 109 recoveries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the past 24 hours.

Taiwan

• Taiwan confirms seven new Omicron cases, bringing total to 12 CNA 22 Dec 2021 -- Seven imported COVID-19 cases previously reported by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) have been confirmed as Omicron variant infections, the CECC announced Wednesday.
• Taiwan working to finalize digital COVID-19 certificate; details to be released soon CNA 22 Dec 2021 -- Taiwan is still in the process of preparing its digital COVID-19 certificate and will release more detailed information about the system next week, Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said Wednesday.

South Africa

• South Africa Rolls Out COVID Vaccines for Undocumented Immigrants VOA 22 Dec 2021 -- In the December holiday season of giving, undocumented immigrants in South Africa are getting the gift of COVID-19 vaccinations.
• South Africa Passes Peak of Latest COVID-19 Wave, Driven by Omicron VOA 22 Dec 2021 -- South African medical experts say a drop in coronavirus cases indicates the country has passed the peak of a fourth wave of infections driven by the omicron variant. Health officials say the omicron variant spreads faster than previous variants but has hospitalized far fewer patients.

Other Countries

• Jordan Records 2,448 New Cases of Coronavirus SPA 22 Dec 2021 -- The Jordanian Ministry of Health announced the registration of 2,448 new infections of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 1,045,714.
• UAE Announces 665 New COVID-19 Cases in Last 24 Hours SPA 22 Dec 2021 -- The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), in a statement, announced 665 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of recorded cases to 745,555, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
• Brazil Sees 75 New COVID-19 Deaths, 3,621 Cases SPA 22 Dec 2021 -- Brazil recorded 75 new COVID-19 deaths and 3,621 new cases of coronavirus, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
• Australia Outlines New Measures to Avoid Lockdowns Amid Spread of Omicron Variant Sputnik 22 Dec 2021 -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday outlined the new measures to avoid new lockdowns while containing the spread of Omicron variant, including mask-wearing, pay raise to vaccination staff, relaunching additional vaccination hubs and setting the interval in the booster administration programme.
• Malawi President Announces Economic Recovery Plan Amid COVID Pandemic VOA 22 Dec 2021 -- Malawi's president has announced a plan to help the country's struggling economy recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan, which includes government-wide spending cuts, follows nationwide protests against the high cost of living in Malawi, one of Africa's poorest nations.