A roundup of local and international news.
Covid-19. Romania recorded 312 new Covid infections today, the highest daily figure since the end of May, as well as 4 new related fatalities. The number of Covid patients receiving hospital treatment is also on the rise, passing 660, including 86 in intensive care. The infection rate in Romania went up to 0.12 per 1,000 inhabitants. The coordinator of Romania's mass vaccination campaign Valeriu Gheorghiţă made a new call on public radio for the population to comply with Covid protection rules and to get the vaccine. He warned that the Delta variant is much more contagious. Some 5 million Romanians accounting for a quarter of the country's population have been fully vaccinated to date.
Climate. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis promised to take an active involvement in the processes aimed at solving the climate crisis following the stark warning issued by a major UN report on the accelerated pace of climate change caused by human action. The report notes that global warming may exceed by 1.5 degrees Celsius the levels recorded at the end of the 19th century by around 2030, ten years earlier than previously estimated. UN experts speak of a genuine red code for humanity and unprecedented disasters, including more heat waves and floods. In response to the UN report, the European Commission said it is not too late to stop this trend provided the countries of the world act immediately and do so together. The US said the world cannot delay ambitious climate action, and the UK said the transition to renewable energy must be made fast, an idea supported by France. Greenpeace insists that it is now up to the world's governments to take measures and commit to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Attack. Romania reiterated its strong condemnation of any acts of aggression that represent violations of the principles and norms of international law and voiced its concern over the negative effects of these actions on regional and international security. This view was shared on Monday at an open debate of the UN Security Council held in video-conference format discussing maritime security as an expression of international cooperation. The foreign ministry in Bucharest said the attack on the Mercer Street oil tanker is a threat to peace and a blatant violation of international law. The European Union also condemned the attack and called for compliance with the principles and norms of international law. The Romanian foreign ministry recalled that Romania's and Britain's permanent representatives at the UN together with Liberia's permanent representative (under whose flag the ship was sailing) signed a joint letter to the president of the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary General on the subject of the attack on the Mercer Street tanker, in which a Romanian was also killed. The US presented information that the drone that hit the vessel was an Iranian-made kamikaze drone.
Tennis. The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea reached the fourth round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal, in Canada, worth over 1.8 million dollars in prize money. She defeated Alison Riske of the US, 6-3, 6-4. Another Romanian player, Simona Halep, who is seeded sixths at this event, will be playing straight in the second round against the winner between Danielle Collins of the US and Jil Teichmann of Switzerland.
Football. The Romanian football champions CFR Cluj are today playing the decisive match in the Champions League third preliminary round against the Swiss side Young Boys Berne. In the first leg at home, CFR drew 1-all. If they qualify, CFR will play the Champions League play-offs against the winner between Ferencvaros Budapest and Slavia Prague and if they lose they will be playing the Europa League play-offs against the losing side in the match between Red Star Belgrade and Sheriff Tiraspol. If they lose this latter match, CFR will in any case have a seat in the Europa Conference League groups. (CM)
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