Morning headlines – January 14th 2021

Coronavirus and vaccines

•  According to images broadcasted by the national TV channel CGTN, the WHO team of experts got to China, Wuhan, to investigate the origins of the coronavirus, says AFP. China tried to postpone this visit as much as it could, wanting to push away any responsibility for the pandemic that led to almost 2 million deaths in the entire world.
• Romania wants to vaccinate 10 million people until September. Prime-minister Florin Citu has said, on Wednesday, that the Covid vaccination „is going well” so far, and its objective is to vaccinate 10,4 million people until September. Many experts think that will not be enough, because we cannot reach immunization for more than 70% of the population.
• Spain has recorded, on Wednesday, a record number of cases in 24 hours, with almost 39.000 new infections, an unprecedented number since the pandemic has started, says Agerpress.

Global political and military events

• Trump cannot be suspended until the end of his mandate. The US House of Representatives has approved the impeachment of the effective president, Donald Trump, for “incitement to insurrection”, but the US Senate cannot compete the suspension procedure until the end of Donald Trump’s mandate, on January 20^th, said Senator Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Republican group.
• The US under curfew. The federal authorities have taken unprecedented security measures for the oath ceremony of president Joe Biden, to take place on January 20^th. FBI has warned that there will be violent actions in the entire country, if president Donald Trump will get suspended More than 15.000 military in the National Guard were mobilized in Washington only, which is under a curfew until 24^th of January, says AFP.
• Iran is breaking another commitment, by producing metallic uranium. On Wednesday, Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency that it will produce metallic uranium to use it as fuel for one reactor, which means that it will be, again, breaking its commitments assumed in the international treaty signed in 2015, says AFP.

Romania’s defence and security

• Manifestations. The “Sanitarian Solidarity” Federation is organizing, on Tuesday, manifestations in Victory Square and in front of the city halls in country’s counties, says a press release of the union organization.
• The Culture day to be celebrated online. The National Culture Day will be celebrated online in the headquarters of the Romanian Cultural Institute, by organizing concerts, expositions, recitals, presenting movies and debates, said the interim president of the Romanian Cultural Institute, Mirel Talos.
• Code yellow for snowstorm in the mountain areas in six counties. The meteorologists have issued, this morning, code yellow warnings, available in the mountain areas in six counties from Transylvania, Moldova and Muntenia: Cluj, Prahova, Suceava, Neamt, Arges and Dambovita.
• 2021 budget. Prime-minister Florin Citu has announced Wednesday that he will discuss, the following week, with the associative structures of the local authorities about the 2021 budget and he will analyze even their reorganization, the fund level and the way money is used or the costs of the personnel.
• The minimum wage has increased. The government has approved, Wednesday, the law that establishes that the minimum gross wage in 2021 is 2.300 RON/ month, said prime-minister Florin Citu.