Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• North Korea Turns to Crypto Theft to Fund Weapons Programs VOA 23 Feb 2022 -- Experts say North Korea is exploiting the lack of global regulatory controls on cryptocurrency to steal digital currencies to fund its nuclear weapons and missile programs.
• US Warns Of Russian Cyberattacks Against Ukraine VOA 23 Feb 2022 -- The United States and Britain warned Wednesday of new malware that attacks network devices, which the U.S. says has been commonly used by Russia.
• Websites Of Ukrainian Government Agencies, Banks Targeted Again By Cyberattack RFE/RL 23 Feb 2022 -- Several Ukrainian government websites and the websites of some Ukrainian banks were offline on February 23 in what the government said was another apparent cyberattack.
• Three Men Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to a Plot to Attack Power Grids in the United States US Dept. of Justice 23 Feb 2022 -- Three men pleaded guilty today to crimes related to a scheme to attack power grids in the United States in furtherance of white supremacist ideology.
• Three Men Plead Guilty in Plot to Attack US Power Grids VOA 23 Feb 2022 -- The U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday that three men pleaded guilty to crimes linked to plans to attack power grids in the U.S. to promote white supremacist ideology.
• National Guard to back law enforcement at DC demonstrations Army News 23 Feb 2022 -- As many as 700 members of the National Guard will be available to help local law enforcement during First Amendment demonstrations expected in the nation's capital.
• Pentagon approves National Guard deployment ahead of DC trucker convoy Press TV 23 Feb 2022 -- The Pentagon has approved the deployment of hundreds of unarmed National Guard troops to the nation's capital, ahead of a truck convoy protest against pandemic restrictions planned for the next week.
• Pentagon Approves 700 National Guards to Help Washington Police During Truckers Protest Sputnik 23 Feb 2022 -- The US Defense Department has approved deploying 700 National Guard troops and equipment in Washington to assist police control the truckers' protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates during the State of the Union address on March 1, spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday.
• Portugal Extradites Notorious Russian Crime Lord RFE/RL 23 Feb 2022 -- Russia says Portugal has extradited Stepan Furman, a notorious criminal figure, to Moscow for being a "thief-in-law," the highest title in the criminal world's hierarchy in the former Soviet Union.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• World Health Organization Creating New COVID Global Training Center VOA 23 Feb 2022 -- The World Health Organization is creating a global training center to help low-income countries make vaccines, cancer treatments and antibodies using the mRNA technology that has effectively been used to create COVID-19 vaccines.

China

• Wuhan tests over 720,000 residents as 23 COVID-19 infections reported in three days Global Times 23 Feb 2022 -- Wuhan tested more than 720,000 residents after a latest outbreak registered a total of 23 COVID-19 cases in three days.
• HKSAR gov't unveils huge budget to fight COVID-19 People's Daily 23 Feb 2022 -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Wednesday said it aims to direct more than 54 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 7 billion U.S. dollars) to the financial hub's anti-COVID-19 work in the new financial year.
• HK to test all residents three times for coronavirus in March People's Daily 23 Feb 2022 -- Hong Kong will launch a massive program in March to test every resident three times for COVID-19 in an effort to ferret out any infections in the community after the special administrative region reported 6,211 confirmed infections and 39 deaths on Tuesday.
• Chinese mainland reports 90 new local COVID-19 cases Tuesday People's Daily 23 Feb 2022 -- The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported 90 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday.
• Hong Kong to Begin Mandatory Coronavirus Testing of All Citizens Beginning Next Month VOA 23 Feb 2022 -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam says the semi-autonomous Chinese city will begin mandatory COVID-19 testing of its 7.5 million people next month.
• Why China emphasizes adherence to dynamic zero-COVID approach People's Daily 23 Feb 2022 -- "We are on the way, no matter rain or shine" -- Zhou Peijing, a nurse from the Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, posted on her social media handle, as she left for Baise, a city with a population of over 3.5 million that neighbors Vietnam, earlier this month.
• Mobile cabin COVID-19 hospitals supported by mainland being constructed in Hong Kong People's Daily 23 Feb 2022 -- The construction of four temporary community isolation and treatment facilities, or mobile cabin hospitals, for COVID-19 patients, began on Tuesday in Hong Kong with the support of the central government.

India

• India's Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 176.19 Cr India PIB 23 Feb 2022 -- With the administration of more than 33
• COVID - 19 Vaccination Update - Day 404 India PIB 23 Feb 2022 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 176
• Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Availability in States/UTs India PIB 23 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 23 Feb 20226

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 227 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 23 Feb 2022 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 135,726 with 227 more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Wednesday.

South Korea

• S.Korea Reports 171,452 COVID Cases, New Daily Record -KDCA SPA 23 Feb 2022 -- South Korea reported 171,452 new coronavirus cases for Tuesday, another daily record and a sharp increase from 99,573 a day before, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Saudi Arabia

• Saudi Arabia Registers 627 New COVID-19 Cases, 1,880 Recoveries, 3 Deaths SPA 23 Feb 2022 -- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced today the registration of 627 new COVID-19 cases and 1,880 recoveries in the past 24 hours.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports 56 new COVID-19 cases, including 2 domestic CNA 23 Feb 2022 -- Taiwan on Wednesday reported 56 new COVID-19 cases -- two domestically transmitted infections and 54 that originated abroad -- and no new deaths from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan reports 2 new domestic COVID cases; Farglory FTZ cluster ends CNA 23 Feb 2022 -- Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday reported two new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and said that the cluster infections in Taoyuan's Farglory Free Trade Zone (FTZ) had ended.
• 89 hospitals in Taiwan offer special clinics to treat long COVID CNA 23 Feb 2022 -- A total of 89 hospitals in Taiwan are now offering special clinics to treat people who suffer from post-COVID-19 conditions, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.

North Korea

• UN Rights Official Urges 60 Million Vaccines for North Korea VOA 23 Feb 2022 -- The United Nations' top North Korea human rights expert is urging the international community to send 60 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to North Korea, one of only two countries yet to begin widespread COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.

Other Countries

• Mexico Reports 706 More COVID-19 Deaths, Toll Reaches 316,492 SPA 23 Feb 2022 -- Mexico registered 18,309 new confirmed cases and 706 more deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to health ministry data, bringing the country's overall number of confirmed cases to 5,436,566 and the death toll to 316,492, Reuters reported.
• UAE announces 626 new COVID-19 cases, 1,994 recoveries, one death last 24 hours SPA 23 Feb 2022 -- The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced that it conducted 470,793 additional COVID-19 tests over the past 24 hours.
• Jordan Records 9,117 New Cases of COVID-19 SPA 23 Feb 2022 -- The Jordanian Ministry of Health announced the registration of 9,117 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 1,591,278.
• African Health Authorities Meet in Nigeria, Discuss Vaccination Goals VOA 23 Feb 2022 -- African health authorities are calling for better coordination to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are distributed quickly to all African nations.
• COVID Prompts Calls for More Investment in Africa's Health Care Systems VOA 23 Feb 2022 -- Experts are calling for increased investment in Africa's health care infrastructure to support data collection, research and development related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent impact on African economies.
• New Wave of COVID-19, Measles Outbreak Stretch Fragile Afghan Health System VOA 23 Feb 2022 -- Aid groups warned Wednesday that a spike in COVID-19 infections and an alarming measles outbreak have compounded the health emergencies in Afghanistan, stretching the impoverished, war-torn country's fragile health care system.