23 December 2021

Morning headlines – December 23rd 2021

Florin Jipa

Image source: Mediafax

Coronavirus and vaccines

  • Vaccination in Romania: In the last 24 hours, more than 24.000 people got vaccinated. Totally, more than 7,90 million people got the vaccine, with more than 7,63 getting both doses and 1,94 of them getting the third dose.
  • Coronavirus in Romania: In the last 24 hours, there were recorded 851 new SARS CoV-2 cases, 62 deaths, and in ICU there are now 491 people hospitalized.

Global political and military events

  • The US and Israel are not allowing Iran to get nuclear weapons. The United Stated and Israel are `aligned in their determination` to not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons, said the US Presidency, after a reunion with the Bilateral Strategic Consultative Group. (Mediafax)
  • Russia will negotiate the security guarantees with the US and NATO in January. The Russian ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, has stated, on Wednesday, that in January the negotiations with the North Atlantic Alliance and the Joseph Biden Administration will start, and separately there will be discussions in the OSCE. `We do not want war, we do not want to have a confrontation, but we will provide our security by using the methods we consider necessary`, has stated Sergey Lavrov, in an interview for Russia Today. (Mediafax)
  • Moldova will get 591 million dollars from IMF. Moldova got to an agreement with the IMF for a funding program worth of 590,6 million dollars (524 million euro) for 40 months. The program’s objectives refer to supporting the post-pandemic recovery by covering all urgent needs related to the development and consolidation of the governing and institutional frameworks.
  • Poland reacts to EU infringement decision. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki strongly criticized the European Commission's sanctioning procedure on Wednesday in response to a decision by the Polish Constitutional Court calling for an end to the European Union's "bureaucratic centralism" (Mediafax).
  • Ukraine tested Javelin missiles received from the USA. The Ukrainian military has tested US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles in a conflict zone in eastern Ukraine. The Kiev administration, which hopes Ukraine will be admitted to NATO, has received US weapons since 2018, including anti-tank javelin missiles. (Mediafax)

Romania's defense and security

  • Parliament votes on the budget. Parliament's plenary session debates and votes on Thursday on the draft state budget and the state social security bill for 2022. (Aleph News)
  • Solemn meeting on the 32nd anniversary of the Revolution. The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will organize, on Thursday, a solemn plenary session dedicated to the 32nd anniversary of the Romanian Revolution of December 1989. (Press release)
  • Police and military in reserve protest in Parliament. Police, penitentiary and military employees in reserve are protesting on Thursday, starting at 12:00, in front of the Parliament, for the application of some normative acts. (Press release)