Morning headlines – November 17th 2021

Coronavirus and vaccines

• Vaccination in Romania: In the last 24 hours, more than 98.000 people got vaccinated. Totally, more than 7,51 million people got the vaccine, with more than 6,95 getting both doses and 1,22 of them getting the third dose.
• Coronavirus in Romania: In the last 24 hours, there were recorded 4.128 new SARS CoV-2 cases, 343 deaths, and in ICU there are now 1.681 people hospitalized.
• The National Liberal Party asks the unvaccinated people to pay for their hospitalization. The NLP asks for the hospitalization of people getting COVID-19 treatment to be paid by the patient if he/she is not vaccinated, says an amendment  submitted by the liberals from the Health Commission at the Law on introducing the mandatory green certificate at the workplace. (Mediafax)

Global political and military events

• The US and China are intensifying contacts to avoid a military conflict. The United States and China have decided the intensification of contacts on multiple levels to make sure the strategic rivalry will not get to a military conflict, says Jake Sullivan, the National Security counselor of president Joseph Biden. The decision was made during the Biden-Xi virtual summit that took place on Monday. (AP)
• Germany suspends the certification for Nord Stream 2. The project led by the Russian company Gazprom cannot be approved yet because its owners did not founded an exploitation branch according to the German laws. Gazprom was accused by some countries of limiting the exports to Western Europe to increase the pressure on Germany and accelerate project’s approval. (Financial Newspaper)
• Violent actions at the border between Poland and Belarus. Migrants have forced the entry in the EU and have become violent. The border guards and Polish military used water cannons against the migrants.(AFP)
• Great Britain will help Ukraine to modernize its fleet. Great Britain will assist Ukraine to modernize its naval capabilities to ensure the freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and the Azov Sea, based on an agreement announced on Tuesday, during the Kiev visit of the British minister of defence, Ben Wallace, given the tensions with Russia. (Mediafax)
• New truce between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia has announced, on Tuesday evening, that it got, through Russia’s mediation, to a new truce with Azerbaijan, after heavy military clashes took place in the separatist region Nagorno-Karabakh, which ended with the death of an at least one Armenian soldier. (Mediafax)
• The Nicaragua’s parliament asks for president’s withdrawal from OAS. Nicaragua’s parliament asked, on Tuesday, president Daniel Duterte’s withdrawal from OAS – The Organization of American States. The parliamentarians have accused OAS for interfering in country’s domestic affairs. (AFP)
• Serbia’s president thanks Russia for the tanks and vehicles. Aleksandar Vucic thanked Russia, on Tuesday, during the Army Day, for the donation of 30 T-72MS tanks and 30 armored vehicles BRDM-2MS. (Tass)

Romania’s defence and security

• Prolonged political crisis: The PNL voted on Tuesday, the rotating leadership, with the first liberal prime minister, but PSD demands that the number of parliamentarians be taken into account. (Aleph News)
• Hundreds of tons of garbage are burned illegally on the outskirts of cities. The statement was made on Tuesday by the president of the Senate, Anca Dragu, who promises to change the legislation. (Aleph News)