Morning headlines – 17th of Ianuary 2022

Coronavirus and vaccines

• Vaccination in Romania: In the last 24 hours, more than 9.000 people got vaccinated. Totally, more than 8,02 million people got the vaccine, with more than 7,91 getting both doses and 2,22 of them getting the third dose. (Press release)
• Coronavirus in Romania: In the last 24 hours, there were recorded 7.595 SARS CoV-2 cases, 28 deaths, and in ICU there are now 474 people hospitalized. (Press release)

Global political and military events

• NATO is waiting for Russia’s reaction after it has refused Moscow’s security demands. After the three failed rounds of negotiations from Genève, Brussels and Vienna, the NATO member countries are waiting for Putin’s reaction. The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov, has stated, on Sunday, that Moscow lost its patience. (CNN)
• Sweden dislocated troops and armored vehicles on a Baltic Sea island. Sweden’s armed forces have dislocated troops and armored vehicles on the Gotland Island, placed 330 km away from Kaliningrad, due to the Russian maneuvers with landing crafts in the area. (AFP)
• The Davos Economic Forum starts. On January 17th, the annual reunion of the World Economic Forum starts. (AP)
• North Korea is launching two unidentified missiles. North Korea has launched two `unidentified missiles` which  seem to be short range of action ballistic missiles, said on Monday the South-Korean armed forces. It is the fourth test this month for the communist country, which now has also hypersonic missiles which can carry nuclear warheads. (AP)
• North Macedonia has a new prime-minister. North Macedonia’s parliament chose, on Sunday, with 62 votes for and 56 against, the social-democrat Dimitar Kovacevski as country’s prime-minister, after two months of political crisis. (AFP)
• Russia withdrew its troops from Kazakhstan. The Russian Federation ended, on Sunday, the withdrawal of its troops from Kazakhstan, using 18 II-76 aircrafts and an AN-124 airplane. The Russian paratroopers landed on the Chkalovsky airport, close to Moscow, where the officials organized a military ceremony. (Tass)
• Serbia’s referendum passed. President Aleksandr Vucic announced, on Sunday evening, that the referendum on the modification of the Constitution passed with more than 60% of the total votes, after counting almost 98% of them. The amendments refer to the election of the judges and prosecutors, which will no longer depend on the politicians. The change was demanded by the EU. (AFP)

Romania’s defence and security

• Suspect death of a CS Romanian champion in Russia. A young Romanian boy, Alex Dincof, aka `Fusion`, aged 22, fell from the 9^th floor of a apartment house in West of Russia. The Russian police said we are dealing with an accident, while the family thinks he was killed. (Digi24)
• Police and prison staff are protesting. Members of the National Union of Police and Contract Personnel (SNPPC) and the Federation of Trade Unions of the National Administration of Penitentiaries (FSANP) will participate, on Monday, in street protests in front of the Ministry of Finance and Government, being dissatisfied with salaries and pensions . (Hotnews)
• The ruling coalition is discussing energy measures. The ruling coalition will meet in parliament on Monday to discuss energy measures. On Sunday, the Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu, declared that they are working on the new support scheme for the population from April 1. (News.ro)