Morning headlines – September 15th 2021

Coronavirus and vaccines

• Vaccination in Romania: In the last 24 hours, more than 10.000 people got vaccinated. Totally, more than 5.3 million people got the vaccine, with more than 5.2 getting both doses.
• Coronavirus in Romania: In the last 24 hours, there were recorded 3.929 new SARS CoV-2 cases, 96 deaths, and in ICU there are now 675 people hospitalized.

Global political and military events

• Putin goes to self-isolation. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, will self-isolate after coronavirus cases were found in his inner circle and he will thus not be able to go to Tajikistan this week to have regional security meetings, said the Kremlin, Tuesday. (Aleph News)
• The general who has the highest position in the US military was worried about Trump’s mental health. General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the most important military counselor of the current American president, has secretly took measures to avoid a nuclear war with China, being worried about Trump’s mental health, after the latter lost the elections. The information is included in the book `Peril` of journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, from Washington Post, where they say Milley called the Chinese counterpart to ensure him the US will not attack China. (AFP)
• The United States have evacuated 500 Afghans from Uzbekistan. The Pentagon announced that it has evacuated 500 Afghan soldiers and civilians from Uzbekistan, and no Afghan refugee is now in this country, where 1.500 people ran fearing the Taliban. (AP)
• Investigation in Georgia for spying the clerics. The general attorney in Georgia has announced, on Tuesday, the opening of an investigation after publishing documents saying members of the Orthodox Church were spied by the intelligence agencies, related to their connections with people in Russia, the business environment and their private life. (Agerpress)
• B-2 bomber worth of 2 billion dollars was destroyed in the US. An invisible B-2 Spirit bomber was destroyed, on Tuesday, at the Whiteman Air Base from Missouri, during an emergency landing. The military base said there are no victims after this incident. (AP)
• South Korea-China discussions on North Korea. The foreign minister of South Korea, Chung Eui-yong, met, on Wednesday, in Seoul, with the Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, where they discussed about North Korea’s weapons, two days after the latter announced a cruise missile test. China is North Korea’s ally and more than 90% of the trade exchanges of Pyongyang are made through Beijing. (AP)
• North Korea launched two ballistic missiles. Officials from South Korea and Japan have announced, on Wednesday, that the Pyongyang government launched two ballistic missiles in the East of the peninsula, outside the exclusive economic area of the two countries.
• Taiwan, anti-invasion military drill. The Taiwanese armed forces started the `Han Guang` drill, which stimulates the reaction of the military forces to a Chinese invasion of the island, as China thinks it owns Taiwan.

Romania’s defence and security

• Bogdan Aurescu spoke with Jake Sullivan, the national security counselor of the US president. The two discussed, on Tuesday, on the phone, about the Black Sea region and the Visa Waiver program. (MFA)
• RCC could announce when the debate on the Government’s censure motion notification will take place. The Romanian Constitutional Court could announce when will take place the debate on prime-minister’s Florin Citu notification on a juridical conflict between the Parliament and the Government on the USR PLUS and AUR censure of motion, after the involved parts received Wednesday as a deadline. (Agerpress)