Morning headlines – July 19th 2021

Coronavirus and vaccines

• Vaccination in Romania: In the last 24 hours, more than 8.000 people got vaccinated. Totally, more than 4.8 million people got the vaccine, with more than 4,7 getting both doses.
• Coronavirus in Romania: In the last 24 hours, there were recorded 44 new SARS CoV-2 cases, 1 death and in ICU there are now 30 people hospitalized.
• The WHO investigators want to return to China. The WHO sent a new request to China. The experts want to make additional checkups in the Wuhan laboratories where they have identified the first coronavirus cases. `We are asking for transparency, openness and cooperation from China, especially in terms of information, the uncovered data we have asked from the first days of the pandemic. We need direct information on the situation of this laboratory before the pandemic, but also at its beginning”, said Tedros Adhaom Ghereyesus, the WHO general director. (Mediafax)

Global political and military events

• Hungary’s government used an Israeli software to control journalists and opponents of Viktor Orban. The reveals were made by 16 global media organizations – including Guardian and Washington Post – which joined forces in the Pegasus project, named after the Israeli software created to offer military authorities, police and intelligence services the ability to track and intercept terrorists and criminals. Among the governments which would use such programs – sold by a private Israeli company, the NSO group, controlled by the Israeli Defence Ministry – is, according to The Guardian, Hungary’s, led by Viktor Orban. The Hungarian government denied any illegal action. (Mediafax)
• The US conducted an air strike in Syria, against a pro-Iranian Islamist group. According to local sources, an American drone destroyed a truck of the Islamist group Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, immediately after it entered Syria, coming from Iraq. The vehicle’s driver was killed, according to the SOHR. The truck was full of weapons and ammunition. (Mediafax)
• The Havana syndrome is making victims among the US diplomats in Vienna. The US State Department said it is investigating unusual health incidents among the US diplomats in Vienna. Victims of Havana Syndrome have reported a varying set of symptoms and physical sensations, including sudden vertigo, nausea, headaches and head pressure, sometimes accompanied by a "piercing directional noise. Some have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries and continue to suffer from debilitating headaches and other health issues years later.

Romanias’s defence and security

• The storms broke roofs and trees in Cluj and Craiova. In Cluj and villages nearby, a strong storm along with hail provoked lots of damages on Sunday night. 11 teams composed of 30 firefighters had to reduce the impact of the bad weather. Issues provoked by extreme weather are also present in Craiova. The roof of a condo building was pulled by the strong wind. A car was also damaged. (Mediafax)