Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Pro-Trump Lawyer Reportedly Advised Ex-White House Aide Hutchinson to Mislead Jan. 6 Panel Sputnik 21 Dec 2022 -- Former top ethics attorney in the Donald Trump administration, Stefan Passantino, advised his then-client, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson to provide misleading testimony to the US House committee investigating the January 6 riot, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
• Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco Delivers Remarks at the 34th Pan Am 103 Memorial Service US Dept. of Justice 21 Dec 2022
• Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on Anniversary of Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland US Dept. of Justice 21 Dec 2022
• Cyber focus unveiled at Justified Accord 23 final planning event Army News 21 Dec 2022 -- U.S. and Kenya military planners gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, Dec. 5-9, to finalize plans for U.S. Africa Command's largest East Africa military training exercise.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 21 Dec 2022
• WHO's Tedros recaps challenging year, appeals for more information on COVID spread in China UN News 21 Dec 2022 -- The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern on Wednesday over the evolving COVID-19 situation in China, saying the UN agency continued to receive increasing reports of severe continuous disease across the country.

United States

• U.S. COVID-19 cases surpass 100 mln -- Johns Hopkins University People's Daily 21 Dec 2022 -- The total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 100 million on Tuesday, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University.
• New Omicron subvariants account for nearly 70 pct new cases in U.S. People's Daily 21 Dec 2022 -- New Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 accounted for about 70 percent of new COVID-19 cases in the United States in the latest week, according to the latest estimates of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• About half U.S. counties experience severe COVID-19 community transmission amid holiday season People's Daily 21 Dec 2022 -- U.S. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise in the midst of the holiday season, stressing the healthcare system and resulting in staffing shortages.

China

• Experts: How China Reports COVID19 Deaths Keeps Total Low VOA 21 Dec 2022 -- As Chinese social media circulated photos and videos showing crowded fever clinics and people lining up outside of hospitals, China's National Health Commission (NHC) reported no new COVID-related deaths on Wednesday and 3,101 new confirmed cases nationwide.
• China to take further steps to facilitate cross-border travel: FM Global Times 21 Dec 2022 -- At least some quarantine hotels in Chengdu, capital city of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, have reportedly shortened the centralized quarantine time for travelers from overseas from five days to two days upon arrival, media reports said.
• Medical supplies enough to meet demand; cooperation with international community to continue for COVID challenges: FM Global Times 21 Dec 2022 -- When asked about whether China will accept the US offer of vaccines to deal with the ongoing COVID surge, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday that the overall supply of medicines and test kits could meet the demand, and China will continue cooperating with the international community in face of challenges linked to the epidemic.
• Three years' hard effort to fight COVID-19 'worthwhile' Global Times 21 Dec 2022 -- After three years' hard effort to keep the COVID-19 at bay, China has optimized its virus responses recently. The Global Times has talked with front line medical workers, grass-roots community workers and others about their experience in the three-year battle. These people believe that the three years' effort that has traded time until the variants became less lethal and has helped prevent most people from being exposed to dangerous variants, was worth the wait.
• What should be the yardstick to assess countries' COVID responses? People's Daily 21 Dec 2022 -- The COVID-19 pandemic has put health policies and governance capacities of countries around the globe to the test.

Russia

• Russia Delivers 100,000 Doses of Vaccine Against COVID-19 to Djibouti Sputnik 21 Dec 2022 -- Russia has delivered 100,000 doses of a domestically produced vaccine against the coronavirus to Djibouti, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) said on Wednesday.

India

• Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya reviews COVID-19 Situation and Preparedness of public health system for Surveillance, Containment and Management in view of Rising COVID-19 Cases worldwide India PIB 21 Dec 2022 -- Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare today chaired a high-level meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in India and preparedness of public health system for surveillance, containment and management of COVID-19 in view of the recent spike in cases of COVID-19 in some countries along with Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare. Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, senior officials and public health experts were present.

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 5 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 21 Dec 2022 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 144,672 with five more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Thursday.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports 19,155 new COVID-19 cases, 27 deaths CNA 21 Dec 2022 -- Taiwan on Wednesday reported 19,155 new COVID-19 infections and 27 deaths from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).