Morning headlines – March 10th 2021

Coronavirus and vaccines

• Vaccination in Romania: More than 1.250.000 people got vaccinated (more than 663.000 with both doses). In the last 24 hours, more than 48.000 people got vaccinated (more than 5.900 with both doses).
• Coronavirus in Romania: In the last 24 hours, 4.989 new SARS CoV-2 cases were recorded, 93 deaths and in ICU there are 1.126 people.

Global political and military events

• Belarus has expelled a Polish diplomat. The Foreign Affairs Ministry has announced, on Tuesday, the expulsion of a Polish consul as a protest for his participation at a ceremony dedicated to Polish military that fought against the German occupation and, then, of the Soviet one, says AFP.
• Summit of the Quad Alliance. The US president Joe Biden will discuss on Friday, within a videoconference summit, with prime-ministers from Australia, India and Japan, according to AP. The four countries are creating an Alliance called Quad, which aims at fighting against the Chinese actions in the South China Sea.
• The National Guard will continue to secure the Capitol. The Pentagon has announced on Tuesday the extension of the National Guard’s mission to secure the Capitol for two more months, until May 23th. Only 2.300 military will stay there, half of the current personnel number. The measure was taken after the violent actions from January 6^th.
• China could occupy Taiwan in 6 years. The admiral Philip Davidson, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, has stated in front of a Congress commission that until 2027 China could have the military ability to occupy Taiwan and no one could stop it. The admiral has warned that until 2050 China will have the capacity to change the world’s democratic order.
• Australia increases the defence budget - fearing a conflict with China - from 40 billion dollars in 2020 to more than 51 billion until 2025, says AP.
• The UN could not condemn the Myanmar coup. China, Russia, India and Vietnam have stopped, on Tuesday, the UN condemnation of the coup, by which they were announcing also future actions against the military junta from Myanmar.

Romania’s defence and security

• The Parliament is voting today the EU’s Decission, EURATOM 2020/2053 of the December 14^th 2020 Council on the system of own resources of the European Union. The level of Romania’s contribution for 2021 is 2.356.894717 euro. For the following five years, the estimated average of Romania’s contribution is 2.659.127.447 euro, and the average for the entire period of the  2021-2027 multiannual financial framework is 2.701.895.847 euro.
• The rescission of the Ombudswoman is being postponed. The reunited offices of both chambers have decided, on Tuesday, the extension, until March 31th, of the reports’ completion regarding the rescission of Renate Weber from the Ombudswoman position, the activity of the Romanian Television Society and the Romanian Broadcasting Station Society has stated the Deputies’ Chamber president, Ludovic Orban.
• Smaller incentives for the state’s employees. Raluca Turcan, the minister of Labor, has states that she wants to change the law so that the incentives of the state’s employees to be smaller than 20% of their salary and to only be given to two work categories, those working at great distance from their homes and in dangerous conditions and the second should consider motivational incentives.