Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Leader of ISIS Dead Following U.S. Raid in Syria DoD News 03 Feb 2022 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said today that the United States and its citizens are safer after the death of the leader of ISIS in northwest Syria.
• Statement by President Joe Biden The White House 03 Feb 2022
• Remarks by President Biden on a Successful Counterterrorism Operation The White House 03 Feb 2022
• Background Press Call By Senior Administration Officials On U.S. Counterterrorism Operations in Syria The White House 03 Feb 2022
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Raid Against ISIS Amir Hajii Abdullah DoD 03 Feb 2022 -- "I am immensely proud of the U.S. forces who conducted an operation against Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the leader of ISIS. He detonated an explosive device during the operation, killing himself and members of his family."
• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds a Press Briefing DoD 03 Feb 2022
• DoD Statement on Feb. 2, 2022 Counterterrorism Operation in Northwest Syria DoD 03 Feb 2022
• An Important Milestone in the Campaign Against ISIS US Dept. of State 03 Feb 2022 -- The military operation authorized by President Biden and carried out by U.S. forces last night in northwest Syria has resulted in the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the leader of ISIS - a significant victory in the global fight to disrupt and dismantle ISIS.
• US Calls Death of Islamic State Leader 'Significant Blow' VOA 03 Feb 2022 -- Top U.S. officials are hopeful that a risky nighttime raid, months in the making, will deal one of the world's most resilient terror groups a long-lasting setback and blunt its efforts to strike at the United States and its Western allies.
• US Says IS Leader Killed Himself in Act of Cowardice VOA 03 Feb 2022 -- Months after U.S. intelligence operatives tracked the leader of the Islamic State terror group to a non-descript residential building in northwest Syria, Amir Muhammad Sa'id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, detonated an explosive, killing himself and his family while U.S. forces closed in.
• DHS Launches First-Ever Cyber Safety Review Board DHS 03 Feb 2022 -- Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the establishment of the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), as directed in President Biden's Executive Order 14028 on Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity. The CSRB is an unprecedented public-private initiative that will bring together government and industry leaders to elevate our nation's cybersecurity.
• US Launches First-Ever Cyber Safety Review Board Sputnik 03 Feb 2022 -- The US government has created a new Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) to ensure cybersecurity resilience across the entire federal workforce, the Department of Homeland security (DHS) announced in a press release on Thursday.
• Designation of an Indonesia-Based Organization for Support to Terrorism US Dept. of State 03 Feb 2022 -- The United States is designating World Human Care, an Indonesia-based organization that has provided financial support to Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI), an Indonesia-based terrorist group. World Human Care provides financial support for MMI activities in Syria under the pretense of providing humanitarian aid.
• Treasury Sanctions Organization Supporting Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia US Treasury 03 Feb 2022 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated World Human Care, a non-governmental organization established by the Indonesia-based designated terrorist group Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI) to provide financial support for MMI extremists in Syria under the guise of humanitarian aid.
• Remarks by Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Elizabeth Rosenberg at the Union of Arab Banks Conference US Treasury 03 Feb 2022
• Cyber Warfare Prominent during Keen Edge 22 US Navy 03 Feb 2022 -- U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/ U.S. 10th Fleet (FCC/C10F) took part in Keen Edge 22, a bilateral, command post exercise led by the Japan Joint Staff and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), Jan. 26 - Feb. 3.
• Realignment of Responsibility for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program DoD 03 Feb 2022 -- On Feb. 2, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks directed the realignment of responsibility for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program. With this directive, the responsibility for the program transitions from the USD(A&S) to the DoD CIO.
• Deadline Nears for US on Seized Afghan Funds Sought By 9/11 Victims VOA 03 Feb 2022 -- Freeze it indefinitely, return it to Afghanistan or give it to 9/11 victims' families? The Biden administration has until February 11 to tell a U.S. court what it thinks should happen to $7 billion of Afghan government funds currently frozen at the New York Federal Reserve.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

China

• Chinese mainland reports 21 new local COVID-19 cases People's Daily 03 Feb 2022 -- The Chinese mainland reported 21 new locally-transmitted COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, down from 36 on Tuesday.
• Officials distribute unidentified drugs amid COVID outbreak in Xinjiang Radio Free Asia 03 Feb 2022 -- Local Chinese officials, including security personnel, are giving unidentified drugs to Uyghurs in a county near Ghulja city in the northwestern Xinjiang region that has been locked down due to an increase in coronavirus infections, county officials and residents said.

Europe

• Sweden Latest European Country to Lift COVID Restrictions VOA 03 Feb 2022 -- Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced Thursday the nation would end its remaining COVID-19 related restrictions on February 9, making the Scandinavian country the latest European nation to remove or scale back pandemic measures.
• WHO Europe Chief Sees 'Plausible Endgame' to Pandemic in Europe VOA 03 Feb 2022 -- The World Health Organization's European region director says that while COVID-19 cases on the continent continue to rise, he sees a plausible endgame for the pandemic in Europe in coming months.
• Germany's total COVID-19 infections exceed 10 mln People's Daily 03 Feb 2022 -- The total number of COVID-19 infections reported in Germany since the start of the pandemic surged to 10.19 million, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said on Wednesday.

Russia

• Russian COVID Cases Break Daily Record Again RFE/RL 03 Feb 2022 -- Russia has reported yet another record daily number of COVID-19 cases as the extremely contagious omicron variant spreads across the country, authorities said.

India

• India's Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 167.87 Cr India PIB 03 Feb 2022 -- With the administration of more than 55 lakh Doses (55,10,693) vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 167
• COVID - 19 Vaccination Update - Day 384 India PIB 03 Feb 2022 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 168
• Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Availability in States/UTs India PIB 03 Feb 2022 -- 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 03 Feb 2022

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 61 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 03 Feb 2022 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 132,624 with 61 more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia

• Interior Ministry: Third dose "Booster" is a prerequisite for Saudi citizens wishing to travel outside the Kingdom, while all arriving passengers are requested to display negative PCR test result SPA 03 Feb 2022 -- An official source at the Ministry of Interior said that as per the constant follow-up to the epidemiological situation locally and globally, and follow-up regarding any epidemiological risks, and based on the recommendations of the competent authorities regarding the measures taken by the Kingdom to counter the Coronavirus (Covid 19), and for preserving public health; it has been decided:
• Saudi Arabia Reports 3,852 New COVID-19 Cases, 4,638 Recoveries SPA 03 Feb 2022 -- The Ministry of Health (MoH) announced the registration of 3,852 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 4,638 recoveries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the past 24 hours.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports 56 new COVID-19 cases, including 22 domestic CNA 03 Feb 2022 -- Taiwan reported 56 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, consisting of 22 domestically transmitted cases and 34 imported, with no new deaths from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan reports 22 domestic COVID-19 cases in Taoyuan, Kaohsiung CNA 03 Feb 2022 -- Taiwan reported 22 domestic COVID-19 cases on Thursday, including seven from Taoyuan and 15 from Kaohsiung, the two disease hotspots in the country, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

Other Countries

• Kuwait Records 5,990 New Cases of COVID-19 SPA 03 Feb 2022 -- Kuwait recorded 5,990 new infections with the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 564,735.
• Africa needs to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination rate six-fold UN News 03 Feb 2022 -- The COVID-19 vaccination rate in Africa needs to increase six-fold for the continent to meet the 70 per cent target set for the middle of this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.