International
EU prosecutor opens probe into Covid jabs procurement
AFP
The EU prosecutor’s office on Friday said it had opened an active investigation into the acquisition of Covid-19 vaccines in the European Union but gave no details.
The European Commission has served as the centralised pre-purchaser of coronavirus vaccines for the EU’s 27 members but those countries were then responsible for buying supplies from that centralised stock.
“This exceptional confirmation comes after the extremely high public interest. No further details will be made public at this stage,” the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) tweeted.
It was not clear what the possible target of the investigation was.
Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen is in hot water with the EU Ombudsman’s office for refusing to hand over mobile phone SMS messages she exchanged with the CEO of Pfizer, Albert Bourla, as her EU executive was arranging contracts.
After the commission said it did not identify any text messages relating to a formal request on the matter, and considered such messages too short-lived to warrant archiving, the Ombudsman, Emma O’Reilly, in July said “this constituted maladministration”.
The commission secured up to 4.2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines to respond to the initial waves of the coronavirus and future ones.
Most of the doses are of the mRNA type, particularly from the tie-up between German company BioNTech and US giant Pfizer.
So far, 83 percent of the EU’s population is fully vaccinated.
Contacted by AFP for comment on the EPPO investigation, a commission spokesman said any questions should be referred to the EPPO, as it is an independent prosecutor.
The spokesman added: “With regard to the SMS topic, I would like to stress that the president (von der Leyen) did not negotiate the contracts.”
Some 10 eastern EU countries found they had a vaccine oversupply compared to the jabs uptake in their territories.
Some, such as Poland, refused to pay for their allotted supply ordered via the commission, prompting the EU to push for renegotiation of the contracts with the relevant companies.
At the height of the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe, the EU also imposed short-lived export controls on supplies of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 viral vector vaccine which ended up finding much lower uptake than the mRNA ones.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
International
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.
Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
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