POPE Francis has announced the appointment of 13 new cardinals, including archbishops from the U.S., Rwanda and the Philippines.

The appointments will be formalised in a consistory, a meeting of cardinals, on Nov. 28, the pontiff said during his yesterday Angelus message.

Nine of the appointees are under 80, and as long as they do not reach that age, they can take part in the next conclave, the council of cardinals that elects new popes.

Read Also: Pope warns against vaccine priority for rich

 

The list includes Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory, Kigali Archbishop Antoine Kambanda, representing one of the most Catholic countries in Africa, and Jose Fuerte Advincula, the Archbishop of Capiz in the Philippines, Asia’s most Catholic country.

The list also includes several Italians, including the head of the Vatican’s sainthood department, Bishop Marcello Semeraro, and the head of the Franciscan convent of Assisi, Fra Mauro Gambetti.

 

UNITED States (U.S.) Vice President Mike Pence planned to press ahead with campaigning, including a trip yesterday to the battleground state of North Carolina after multiple close aides tested positive for the coronavirus, as the pandemic remained front and centre in the presidential race.

With nine days to go before the Nov. 3 election in which Democrat Joe Biden is challenging Republican President Donald Trump, the White House cited Pence’s status as an “essential worker” as justification for his travel despite exposure to his chief of staff, Marc Short, who tested positive on Saturday.

Multiple other senior aides to Pence also tested positive for COVID-19, the White House chief of staff said, as new nationwide infections soared to record numbers in recent days amid a pandemic that has killed 225,000 Americans.

In addition to dominating the campaign policy debate – with Trump insisting the United States is “rounding the turn” on the crisis while Biden has blasted Trump’s disjointed response – the pandemic has changed Americans’ voting habits, with 58.7 million ballots already cast.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told reporters that White House doctors have cleared Pence to travel after Short tested positive. Pence is scheduled to address rallies in Kinston, North Carolina, later yesterday and in Hibbing, Minnesota, today.

Read Also: Vitafoam to boost earnings with new product campaign

 

While Biden holds a wide lead in national opinion polls, polls show closer contests in those two key states.

Devin O’Malley, a spokesman for the vice president, said on Saturday that Pence and his wife both had tested negative and that Pence would maintain his schedule “in accordance with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines for essential personnel.”

It was the latest reminder of the way that Trump – who was hospitalized for three nights this month after contracting COVID-19 – and those around him have downplayed the advice of public health experts to wear masks and observe social distancing guidelines to stem transmission of the virus.

In an appearance on the CNN program “State of the Union,” Meadows yesterday cited the “essential personnel” distinction for Pence as justification for the vice president not adhering to CDC guidelines for isolation after potential exposure to an infected person.

Meadows said Pence would continue to campaign and speak at rallies.

“I spoke to the vice president last night at midnight,” Meadows told CNN. “And what I can tell you he’s doing is wearing a mask, socially distancing, and when he goes up to speak he will take the mask off and put it back on.”

 

THE ECOWAS Court of Justice said yesterday it is not going back on holding virtual sessions, judgments and court processes, especially in view of its affordability to the common citizens of the community.

President of the Court Justice Edward Asante said the virtual processes introduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic had proved to be the solution to the high cost of pursuing court cases by community citizens.

Asante said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on the sidelines of a valedictory ceremony held to honour its five retiring staff members.

He said the court had invested $138,000 in purchasing the gadgets and software needed to make the virtual sessions seamless and as such, there was no going back.

According to him, with the new virtual sessions, parties and their lawyers do not need to come to Abuja as hitherto required, but can file all processes and pursue their cases to the end from their home countries.

“The parties are in the countries with their lawyers, we have set up a system where they see us and we see them while the hearing goes on.

“This is very good for us and for them as well.

“So parties do not need to travel to Abuja by air, they do not have to house their lawyers in hotels, so it is virtually free because they also bring their documents by email.

“The ECOWAS Court is meant for indigent parties, it is not meant for the rich; therefore for parties to fly themselves and their lawyers to Abuja to have hearings was a problem for us and we sympathised with them.

Read Also: ECOWAS lifts sanctions imposed on Mali after military coup

 

“Now that this one has come, at the cost of $138,000 we purchased all the gadgets, processes, systems and software; that is a huge expenditure by the Court and, therefore, it has come to stay.

“Whether there is COVID-19 or no COVID-19 we are going to do virtual hearings.

“Even the court room now as it is, the core staff members, the interpreters, the translators are all in the booths and those who are doing verbatim translation are in their offices doing their work.

“So, in the court room it is only the three judges who sit and the two or three court clerks who sit in front of them.”

Speaking earlier during the valedictory session, the court’s President expressed delight to bid farewell to the retiring staffers, particularly two of who were founding members of the Court.

He said their departure marked the end of an era in the annals of the court, while commending them for sacrificing their most vibrant and productive years to the service of the community.

The retiring personnel include Chief Registrar Mr. Tony Anene, Principal Legal Officer Mrs. Franca Ofor, an Accountant Mr. Apenteng Takyako, a Translator Mrs. Mariama Gouro and a secretary Mrs. Elisaberth Ashalley.

Retirement at the court is upon the attainment of 62 years of age or 35 years in service whichever comes first.

 

Agency Reporter

U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden plan to square off on Thursday in their final debate before the Nov. 3 election.

The televised duel will take place from 9-10:30 pm (01:00-02:30 GMT) on Friday in Nashville, Tennessee.

The commission responsible for organising the debates has changed the rules for the last match-up, muting one candidate’s microphone so the other has two minutes of uninterrupted time to initially answer the moderator’s questions.

The remainder of each 15-minute segment will be an open discussion.

Organisers hope the new rule will prevent the chaos and frequent interruptions that marked the first presidential debate in August.

Trump comes into the final debate trailing Biden in the polls.

The president has repeatedly attacked the debates commission, characterising the event as unfair and accusing moderator Kristen Welker of favouring Biden.

READ ALSO: Trump may leave US if Biden wins election

The NBC News reporter has chosen to discuss topics including climate change, national security and the coronavirus.

Trump has come under fire for his handling of the pandemic, which has resulted in more than 221,600 deaths in the U.S.

Biden could face questions about his son’s past business dealings as Republicans have levelled unverified corruption allegations against him.

The second presidential debate, which was meant to take place last week, was cancelled after Trump declined to participate when it was moved to a remote format due to his coronavirus diagnosis.

Although millions of people have already cast their ballots in early voting, the debate could still change some voters’ minds.

(dpa/NAN)

Agency Reporter

Russia’s embassy in Washington, on Tuesday, denied allegations from the United States that Russian state hackers had committed cyber-attacks, targeting rival countries, state media reported.

The U.S. Justice Department had said on Monday that six Russian military intelligence officers had been charged for involvement in the worldwide deployment of destructive malware.

The group from Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency was implicated in computer intrusions and attacks against Ukraine, Georgia, and France, as well as the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea due to Russia’s national team being banned on doping allegations, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

READ ALSO: U.S., Britain accuse Russian intelligence officers of cyberattacks

“It is completely obvious that such conclusions have nothing to do with reality and are intended only to stir up anti-Russian sentiments in American society,’’ the Russian embassy said in a statement carried by state news outlet RIA.

(dpa/NAN)