Morning headlines – January 10th 2022

Coronavirus and vaccines

• Vaccination in Romania: In the last 24 hours, more than 14.000 people got vaccinated. Totally, more than 7,98 million people got the vaccine, with more than 7,88 getting both doses and 2,13 of them getting the third dose.
• Coronavirus in Romania: In the last 24 hours, there were recorded 4.712 new SARS CoV-2 cases, 14 deaths, and in ICU there are now 408 people hospitalized.

Global political and military events

• US-Russia meeting in Genève. The discussions between the Russian and American diplomats on Putin’s war threats and dislocation of troops at the border with Ukraine have started, on Monday, in Genève. The two states’ delegations will be led by the deputy state secretary Wendy Sherman and the deputy Russian foreign affairs minister, Sergey Riyabkov. (Reuters)
• NATO conferences on Ukraine. Following Monday’s summit, between the US-Russia representatives, the NATO-Ukraine Commission meetings will start, on January 11^th, and the NATO-Russia Council, on January 12^th, in Brussels. (Press release)
• US: Putin wants to recreate the Soviet Union. The US State Secretary, Antony Blinken, has stated, on Sunday, that Vladimir wants to recreate the Soviet Union. Putin is threatening with war if NATO’s extension towards the East will not stop, even if that is going against the will of sovereign and independent states like Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia. (AP)
• Russia and the US could agree on the non-dislocation of missiles in Ukraine. The United States and Russia could agree, on Monday, on the non-dislocation of missiles systems in Ukraine and the restriction of troop’s number to participate at military drills close to Russia’s borders and the NATO member states. (Tass)
• More than 8.000 arrests in Kazakhstan. More than 8.000 people were arrested in Kazakhstan since the protests started. Also, the Kazakhstan’s president signed a decree that declares 10^th of January as national mourning day for the protests’ victims. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that those who do not want to give in will be `destroyed`. 18 police men and military and more than 40 protesters were killed in last week’s demonstrations. (Aleph News)
• Putin is attending the CSTO Summit on Kazakhstan. Vladimir Putin will attend an online OTSC (Collective Security Treaty Organization) Summit on Monday to discuss developments in the security situation in Kazakhstan, where Russia has sent most of its troops to stabilize the situation. (Tass)
• The former Myanmar leader received another 4 years in prison. A Myanmar court has extended the sentence of former country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi for another four years for illegal possession and importation of walkie-talkies and violations of the pandemic control rules. (AP)

Romania's defense and security

• Ceremony on the return of the ship "Vice Admiral Constantin Bălescu". The Minister of Defense and the Chief of the Defense Staff participated, on Sunday, in the Constanta Military Port, at the return in the country of the minesweeper "Vice Admiral Constantin Bălescu" (274) after participating, for 3 months, in the European Union Operation EUNAVFOR MED "IRINI", in the Mediterranean. (Press release)
• Pakistan's foreign minister pays a visit to Romania on Monday. Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi meets on Monday with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu. (Press release)