Morning headlines – December 8th 2021

Coronavirus and vaccines

• Vaccination in Romania: In the last 24 hours, more than 40.000 people got vaccinated. Totally, more than 7,81 million people got the vaccine, with more than 7,56 getting both doses and 1,69 of them getting the third dose.
• Coronavirus in Romania: In the last 24 hours, there were recorded 1.421 new SARS CoV-2 cases, 107 deaths, and in ICU there are now 834 people hospitalized.
• The National Committee for Emergency Situations wants to ease restrictions. The chief of the Emergency Situations Department, Raed Arafat, has announced that the eased restrictions that could be imposed during the holidays are: the elimination of the circulation interdiction during night and the elimination of wearing protection masks in open spaces, the increase of the time the shops are allowed to stay open from 9 pm to 10 pm, in malls and supermarkets the access could be allowed also to tested people, not only to those who are vaccinated or had the disease and on December 24^th and 25^th and during the New Year’s Eve no restrictions will be imposed in terms of the time restaurants and hotels are working and tested people should also be granted access. (Mediafax)

Global political and military events

• Biden-Putin summit. The US president, Joseph Biden, has told, on Tuesday, the Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, during the video-conference, that the US and European allies are `worried` due to the Russian troops’ activity near Ukraine’s borders and will react, mainly through sanctions, in case of an attack. Putin asked for guarantees that NATO will not extend to the East. (Mediafax)
• Biden informed the European leaders the result of the discussion he had with Putin. Joe Biden organized, on Tuesday evening, a virtual reunion with the president of France, with Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, the Italian prime-minister Mario Draghi and Great Britain’s prime-minister, Boris Johnson, after the conversation with Vladimir Putin. (Mediafax)
• Germany will close the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if Russia attacks Ukraine. The US officials told the Congress members that they agreed with Germany to close the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if Russia attacks Russia. (Reuters)
• Olaf Sholz becomes, on Wednesday, the new chancellor of Germany. The new Government of Germany, led by chancellor Olaf Sholz, is to be installed starting Wednesday, through Bundestag’s vote, the lower chamber of the Parliament. (Mediafax)
• The Representatives’ House approved the defense bill. The Pentagon will have more than 770 billion dollars in the 2022 fiscal year. The troops will have bigger salaries, with 2.7%, the armed forces will acquire aircrafts and fight ships and will take measures to deter China and support Ukraine. Also, the bill foresees the establishment of a commission to analyze the 20 years of war in Afghanistan. (ABS News)
• The United States is taking out more than 160 aircrafts. The US Representatives House has approved the decommissioning of more than 160 aircrafts for fiscal year 2022, including 47 F-16C / D, 48 F-15C / D Eagles, 4 E-8 JSTARS, 20 RQ-4 Global drones Hawk Block 30, but not Warthog A-10 aircraft, as required by the air force. (Breaking Defense)
• The US Senate approves the sale of missiles to Saudi Arabia. The US Senate voted Tuesday against a resolution banning the sale of missiles to Saudi Arabia. The armament package consists of 280 AIM-120C-7 / C-8 air-to-air missiles and 596 LAU-128 Missile Rail Launchers. (Reuters)

Romania's defense and security

• NHIH wants a partnership with STS for IT projects. The National Health Insurance House (NHIH) wants a partnership with STS for the development and completion of two IT projects, financed with EU funds, which together have an estimated value of about 282 million lei. (Hotnews)
• Silviculturists strike. The Federation of Forestry Trade Unions Silva organizes, on Wednesday, a protest action at the headquarters of the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests, between 11am and 1pm, to stop the collective dismissal of a number of 415 employees from the National Directorate of Forests - Romsilva. (Agerpres)