Morning headlines – May 10th 2021

Coronavirus and vaccines

• Vaccination in Romania: In the last 24 hours, more than 103.000 people got vaccinated (more than 54.000 with both doses). Totally, more than 3.6 million people got the vaccine, with more than 2.3 getting both doses.
• Coronavirus in Romania: In the last 24 hours, there were recorded 857 new SARS CoV-2 doses, 63 deaths and in ICU there are now 984 people hopitalized.
• Almost 700.000 Pfizer BioNTech doses arrive in Romania, on Monday. 697.320 Pfizer BioNTech vaccine doses will arrive, on Monday, in Bucharest Brasov, Cluj, Constanta, Craiova, Iasi and Timisoara.

Global political and military events

• The chief-doctor from hospital Omsk, where Navalny was treated, is missing. Doctor Aleksandr Murahovski, chief of the Omsk hospital (Siberia) – where the Russian dissident was treated for a short period after he suddenly felt sick, last year, while on plane heading Moscow, is missing, said, on Sunday, the Russian police, according to Reuters. Other two doctors from the same hospital, who were in contact with Navalny, have died last year.
• Olaf Scholz, appointed as SPD candidate for the German chancellor position. The German social democrats who are governing along with the Christian-democrats of chancellor Angela Merkel have confirmed, on Sunday, the Minister of Finances, Olaf Sholz, as the candidate for the German chancellor position at the general elections to take place in September, says AP.
• Armed attack in the US: a man has killed 6 people at a party. A man from Colorado has opened the fire at a party and killed six people then killing himself as well, says AP.
• Russia held the military parade. More than 12.000 troops, with 190 military equipment and 76 aircrafts have participated, on Sunday, in Moscow, at the military parade from the Red Square, to mark 76 years since the victory against Nazism, says TASS.
• The Talibans are asking for a three-day ceasefire. The Talibans have asked, on Monday, for a three-day ceasefire, starting Wednesday, for the celebration of the Eid-al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, says AP.

Romania’s defence and security

• Poland’s president is visiting Romania today. President Klaus Iohannis will host, on Monday, together with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, the B9 Summit, preparing the NATO Summit from Brussels, to take place on June 14^th, and to discuss the security situation on the Eastern flank. President Biden and the NATO Secretary General will also participate at the conference, through videoconference.
• The Polish, US, Dutch and German paratroopers will be dropped today in Buzau. On Monday, starting with 2pm, on the airfield of the Boboc Air Base, sequence of the multinational drill Swift Response 21/Defender Europe 21 will be developed, which includes air droppings executed by the US, Polish, Dutch, German and Romanian soldiers.
• Romania is importing expensive energy, after the second unit form Cernavoda has stopped. The price of energy in 2021 has increased three times. On May 8^th, the price for a Mwh was 440 RON, and on May 9^th 490 RON for a Mwh. Last year, the price for a Mwh was 190 RON, says Aleph News.