January 7, 2022
A roundup of domestic and international news
România Internațional, 07.01.2022, 13:50
Covid-19Ro. The Romanian Government has approved an extension of the state of alert by 30 days, starting tomorrow, when additional anti-Covid protection measures also come into force. The most important measure is that wearing a protective mask will again be mandatory both indoors and outdoors. In addition, textile or plastic masks are no longer allowed, only surgical and FFP2 masks, which ensure a higher degree of protection. Meanwhile, in Romania, the number of Covid-19 cases has more than quadrupled since a week ago. Authorities have today reported 5,922 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 31 deaths in 24 hours. On the other hand, almost 8 million people have been fully vaccinated in Romania, which is a little over 40% of the eligible population.
NATO. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, is attending today the extraordinary meeting of the NATO heads of diplomacy, held via videoconference. The debates focus on the security situation in the Eastern Neighborhood and the Black Sea generated by the massive deployment of Russian troops in the vicinity of Ukraine and the implications for Euro-Atlantic stability as a whole. According to the MFA, Minister Aurescu will emphasize, among other things, the need to continue efforts to strengthen the Allied position of deterrence and defense on the entire Eastern Flank, in particular in the Black Sea region. At the same time, he will reiterate Bucharests support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders. The ministerial meeting was convened by the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Kazakhstan. Kazakhstans President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, has stated today that constitutional order has been largely restored in the country after several days of unprecedented protests. In a separate statement, the Kazakh Interior Ministry has announced that 26 “armed criminals have been liquidated” and more than 3,000 have been arrested. According to the Ministry, 18 policemen and members of the National Guard were killed in the protests. However, the international press notes that the internet and mobile telephony are disrupted in Kazakhstan, so the figures are difficult to verify. The largest country in Central Asia is shaken by protests that broke out on Sunday in the west of the territory, because of the increase in the price of liquefied gas, and spread to the economic capital Almaty, where the demonstrations turned into a riot against the Power, and protesters stormed official buildings. At the request of the Kazakh government, Moscow sent troops. The United States has warned against any violation of human rights. The European Union is also concerned about the recent developments in Kazakhstan. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest, the approximately 100 Romanians in Kazakhstan are safe.
Djokovic. The Australian Interior Minister Karen Andrews said that Novak Djokovic was not being held captive and could leave the country whenever he wanted, while the famous Serbian tennis player spent the night in a Melbourne immigrant detention hotel and his lawyers were fighting against his deportation. The players father, Srdjan Djokovic, has accused the Canberra government of imprisoning his son and wanting to humiliate him, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says the player is the victim of political persecution. Novak Djokovic, winner of the Australian Open, was detained at the airport in Melbourne after arriving in Australia on Wednesday, on grounds that there were issues with his entry visa. The tennis player had received a vaccination exemption against Covid-19 from the tournament organizers to compete in the event scheduled for January 17, but this was not enough for the border officials, who cancelled his visa saying that Djokovic failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet entry requirements into Australia. Novak Djokovic is awaiting a court ruling on whether he can stay in Australia after his team of lawyers challenged his visa cancellation.
Celebration. Some 2 million Romanians are celebrating their name day today, which is the Saint John the Baptist feast day in the Orthodox Calendar. St. John is considered the most important prophet, the one who makes the connection between the Old and New Testaments. He prophesied the coming to earth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, baptized Him, and revealed Him to the world as the Messiah. This day marks the end of the winter holidays.
Tennis. Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has qualified for the semifinals of the Melbourne Summer Set 1 tournament, with almost 240 thousand American dollars in prize money. She defeated the Swiss Viktorija Golubic 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. Simona Halep (aged 30, 20 WTA) will face in the penultimate act the Chinese Qinwen Zheng (19 years old, 126 WTA). Another Romanian – Irina Begu – was, instead, defeated by the American Amanda Anisimova (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) in the quarterfinals of the Melbourne Summer Set 2 tournament. However, Irina Begu is qualified for the doubles semifinals, together with the Serbian Nina Stojanovic. On Saturday, the two will take on the second-seeded pair made up of Bernarda Pera (USA) / Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic). (MI)
