PARIS (Reuters) - Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was found guilty of corruption on Monday and sentenced to three years in prison, a stunning fall from grace for a man who for five years bestrode the national and global stage.

A Paris court found that Sarkozy, 66, had tried to bribe a judge after leaving office, and to peddle influence in exchange for confidential information about an investigation into his 2007 campaign finances.

"He took advantage of his status and the relationships he had formed," presiding judge Christine Mee said.

Sarkozy served as president from 2007 to 2012 and retains influence among conservatives, even after retiring. He is the second head of state in modern-day France to be convicted of corruption.

He may not spend any time in prison, however. Two years of his sentence were suspended, and Mee said she was open to him staying out of prison tagged with an electronic bracelet for the remaining year, although that decision rests with another judge.

House arrest with electronic bracelet monitoring is fairly standard for prison terms of a year or less, so it doesn't seem like there was any preferential treatment here.

Some years ago, this alternative to imprisonment was strongly criticized by none other:

Je souhaite qu'il n'y ait pas de mesures d'aménagement de peine pour les peines supérieures à 6 mois #NSParisien

— Nicolas Sarkozy (@NicolasSarkozy) November 3, 2015

"However, this was never just about where #Fidesz sit in Brussels and Strasbourg, it's about how EU Member States ignore the Hungarian government's actions and breaches of the #ruleoflaw," says our @GDelbosCorfield.

More here 👉 [_link] #Orban #Hungary

— Greens/EFA in the EU Parliament 🌍 (@GreensEFA) March 3, 2021

The claimants say using a service hosted by Amazon, which has a parent company  located on American soil, may place it beyond the remit of European laws on the protection of private data.

Of particular concern is the 2018 US Cloud Act, which grants US police and intelligence agencies access to information stored on the servers of telecommunications operators and providers of cloud-based services both in the US and abroad.

The French Council of State has previously said the risk of data being accessed "cannot be ruled out altogether" after the French data watchdog CNIL called on the government to find an alternative solution to the hosting of health data on the Health Data Hub (HDH) by US firm Microsoft.

Germany has agreed to compensate energy companies with around €2.4 billion for their losses, as the country phases out nuclear power.

[_link]

— DW News (@dwnews) March 5, 2021

The pipeline, known as Nord Stream 2, is a project of the Russian state company Gazprom.

Lawmakers have noted that its construction would place Russian infrastructure inside NATO territory and thereby threaten its member states, and make some European countries more dependent on Russian energy.

But the pipeline is more than 90 percent complete and proceeding quickly, putting the Biden administration on a tight timeline to impose additional congressionally mandated sanctions on the project.

EU countries raised questions earlier in the year about J&J's production network and contract with the EU, which would require it to send vaccines made at its Dutch factory to the United States for bottling before being shipped back to the EU.

at the request of the Spanish judiciary, the parliament opened an inquiry into waiving their immunity. The parliament's Legal Affairs Committee voted last month to recommend the move.

Votes shows Catalonia is a national issue

In the decision on Puigdemont, 400 legislators voted for the waiver of immunity, 248 were against and 45 abstained. The motions against Comin and Ponsati were adopted by 404 votes to 247, the parliament said. ... The three MEPs have already announced that they will take the case to the EU's highest court, the European Court of Justice.

d/b/a human rights
EU threatens China with 'additional steps' over Hong Kong vote

Missing Link: 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives for 2030 (EN)
background, unpublished

src: MCS compilation

Berliners and Berlin's restaurants feel the pinch of the second coronavirus lockdown. But one Mexican restaurant has introduced three different prices for the same dish, depending on what the customers are able to pay.

'Sapere aude'

David Mundell, who served as Scottish secretary in Theresa May's government, said opponents of independence should waste no time in resisting the new Alba party, which Salmond has said could provide a "super-majority" for an independent Scotland. Pro-union figures have accused Salmond of "gaming the system" with his attempt to win seats in Holyrood through part of the voting system designed to make the overall result more representative.

Sounds like an endorsement to me.

Dutch PM Rutte censured but survives no-confidence vote https://t.co/M5RQBDIYSr pic.twitter.com/CgNsRcWkN1

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 2, 2021

The runaway culture of corruption on the flavour-starved island kingdom where public misery is compounded by inclement weather and bland food, has seen prices of medical equipment including personal protective equipment and even bodybags skyrocket, in some cases shooting up 1400 percent.

 UK authorities have been caught red-handed attempting to cover up a massive corruption scandal in which up to half of government spending on COVID-19 was funneled to politically connected companies with little experience and a history of controversy. In a ruling issued last Friday, a court in the country's diseased, rat-infested, riverside capital, London, found that Health Minister, Matt Hancock, had illegally withheld information regarding expenditure of trillions of shillings intended to tackle the pandemic.

 Over the last few months, media revelations have shown that friends of elected officials and civil servants were 10 times more likely to win public contracts in what has become one of the greatest spending sprees since nonagenarian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, took power nearly 70 years ago.

UK to receive 10 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses from India's Serum Institute https://t.co/kCV966YWBk pic.twitter.com/doL4iNvmTw

— Reuters (@Reuters) March 3, 2021

"When in around 6000 BCE, Britain detached itself from Europe, Homo Euroscepticus' last job was to dig the channel a little deeper."

Simon Ferigno's "Pre-history of Brexit" takes a comical ride through English history: https://t.co/TAY4lJdpaJ

— Central Bylines (@CentralBylines) February 27, 2021

The new guidance is based on the model already used to modify the seasonal flu vaccine to keep up with annual changes in the virus and was issued jointly by regulators in the U.K., Australia, Canada, Singapore and Switzerland. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency have issued similar guidance.

these days, pic.twitter.com/fYx0DH7v9a

— Charlie (@vampiretraums) March 5, 2021

Irish authorities have announced plans to fly unweaned dairy calves from Ireland to other EU destinations from May, in an effort to address growing unease about the length of the journeys made by thousands of animals shipped each year to mainland Europe.

This is why I'm standing down as leader of Reform UK.

I will continue to play my part through the media, social media and new projects.

My thanks go out to the many millions that helped change the course of history forever. pic.twitter.com/F9m0sCAW57

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) March 6, 2021

Farage got his place in history ... similar to Benedict Arnold.

'Sapere aude'

Between 2017 and 2019, the UK increased total exports to Germany by 8.5% -- less than the export growth achieved by Italy(12%), the Netherlands (14%) and Spain (20%), as well as the United States (24%).
[...]
The research, based on United Nations trade statistics, also indicates that the UK lost market share in China. here

"The combination of COVID, Brexit and the UK's long-term productivity challenges will put British businesses in an adverse position for the foreseeable future," the report said.

The United Kingdom's relatively poor productivity has puzzled economies for years: explanations vary from a poor employee skills and low research investment to demand-side factors such as the financial crisis.

This week's cartoon from KAL: https://t.co/ioNSNzrb2V pic.twitter.com/vRYt8ZRaVv

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) March 11, 2021

"It is clear, though, that the SNP are not listening. They are intent on pushing for a referendum, regardless of the cost to Scotland and the whole of the UK. We can build back better - but only if we all come together."

Mumble <something about replacing "SNP" with "Brexiteers"> mumble.

The value of imports from Britain, not including the British region of Northern Ireland, fell to 497 million euros ($593 million) in January from 1.403 billion euros in January 2020, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said.
[...]
The fall was driven by a 75% drop in imports of food and live animals and a 71% decline in imports of mineral fuels, such as petroleum and natural gas. Imports of chemicals and of machinery and transport equipment also both fell by more than half.

#Bristol #police battering protesters with batons, shoving women, kicking people on the ground and driving their horses into the crowd before things took off yesterday.@ASPolice @MarvinJRees @pritipatel #PoliceBrutality#killthebill #BristolProtest #bristolriots #bristolriot pic.twitter.com/WYEHDJsYMv

— Jack Sherwood (@JackSherw00d) March 22, 2021

A  celebration of the British weather and the largest grow-your-own food project of modern times will be among the events being staged for a nationwide festival of creativity aimed at bringing the UK together in 2022.

Scottish police have been told to avoid heavy-handed crowd control tactics in case footage ends up being exploited by "hostile foreign media" such as RT.

(CNN) Federal investigators are examining records of communications between members of Congress and the pro-Trump mob that attacked the US Capitol, as the investigation moves closer to exploring whether lawmakers wittingly or unwittingly helped the insurrectionists, according to a US official briefed on the matter.

The data gathered so far includes indications of contact with lawmakers in the days around January 6, as well as communications between alleged rioters discussing their associations with members of Congress, the official said.

The existence of such communications doesn't necessarily indicate wrongdoing by lawmakers and investigators aren't yet targeting members of Congress in the investigation, the official noted. Should investigators find probable cause that lawmakers or their staffs possibly aided the insurrectionists, they could seek warrants to obtain the content of the communications. There's no indication they've taken such a step at this point.

A security guard tailed me on my walk home tonight. He demanded if I lived there because "you look suspicious." I showed my keys & buzzed myself into my building. He left, no apology. This is the reality of black girls: One day you're called an icon, the next day, a threat. https://t.co/MmANtQqpBs

— Amanda Gorman (@TheAmandaGorman) March 6, 2021

QUESTION: But until then, I mean - fine. I mean, that - but until then, what - practices like these - I mean, I can go on and on and on. Last June, for instance, a young cousin of mine was shot dead in cold blood - Ahmed Erekat - on June 22nd. His body is still there. The Israelis have not turned back - this to his family just to torment them. There are 67 cases like this. I just want to ask you, I mean, what are you doing different than, let's say, your predecessor? The embassy remains in Jerusalem despite being against international law, the office remains closed, resuming aid to UNRWA has not taken place, and I can go on and on and on. So how are you different from the previous one?

MR PRICE: Said, we as an administration do indeed look forward to deepening our engagement with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian leadership. I'd rather not make comparisons, but I will say that is our priority. That is our policy. As part of that, we are reviewing the diplomatic presence that you alluded to. We are ensuring that it will enable us to fully conduct our complete range of activities, including engagement with the Palestinian people, with the Palestinian authorities, public diplomacy, assistance, diplomatic reporting. We've talked about our commitment to - for funding for Palestinians, including Palestinian refugees. We are committed to all of that. It is - I think you will see concrete manifestations of that going forward.

you've got to be kidding me https://t.co/0AE9IqlUyE

— flglmn (@flglmn) March 16, 2021

For the past four presidential administrations, I have accompanied U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and photographed their encounters with migrants as they enforced immigration policy. No longer. Last week, when I documented migrant detentions in El Paso, I had to do so from the Mexican side of the border, taking long-range shots. Until now, journalists haven't had to stand in another country to cover what is happening in the United States.

We have gone from the Trump-era "zero tolerance" policy toward immigrants to a Biden-era "zero access" policy for journalists covering immigration. This development is unprecedented in modern history.

The current administration took over with a pledge to make U.S. immigration policy more humane and transparent. But it is falling short on the latter goal, which makes it hard to judge how it is doing on the former: We journalists have no way of verifying how conditions have improved for migrants.

Ps. Ol' Raisin Balls has been playing golf for two months now. When does the name of this section change to "Life with Joe Brezhnev"? :)
I know you love "Trumpism", but it's time to let go already!

Ought to get Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe noms for the flawless inclusion of the line "good strategy is required to reopen safely".

(BTW, doesn't Fauci says it's still masks forever?)

There will not be an All-Star Game in the 2020 season.

Los Angeles will host the ASG at Dodger Stadium in 2022. [_link]

— All-Star Game (@AllStarGame) July 3, 2020

China, Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba and other Global South countries support an IP waiver so generic COVID vaccines can be mass-produced.

But the US, UK, EU, Australia, Japan and Brazil blocked it -- to protect pharma profits.

Remind me again, who are the bad guys supposed to be? pic.twitter.com/D1hSTLjiHT

— Ian Goodrum (@isgoodrum) March 12, 2021

Bolivian police say they found Jeanine Añez hiding in a box after hours searching the city of Trinidad, Beni.

When she was not at her home, many feared that she had fled to Brazil. However, she was still in her city, she had failed to leave in time. pic.twitter.com/00UmMdxP7s

— Kawsachun News (@KawsachunNews) March 13, 2021

Rajapaksa is accused of widespread rights abuses during the war, charges he denies.

Weerasekera said the government plans to ban more than a thousand madrassa Islamic schools that he said were flouting national education policy. "Nobody can open a school and teach whatever you want to the children," he said.

(CNN)Tanzania's President John Magufuli has died at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, the country's vice president announced in a televised address on Wednesday. He was 61.
"President John Magufuli died of a heart ailment that he has battled for over 10 years," Samia Suluhu Hassan said.

[...]

Hassan is now the acting president of Tanzania. While a date for her swearing-in has not yet been announced, she will be Tanzania's first female president.

[...]

Magufuli was one of Africa's most prominent Covid skeptics.

Early on in the pandemic, Magufuli dismissed the seriousness of coronavirus in Tanzania, urging his citizens to "pray coronavirus away," believing the "satanic virus can't live in the body of Jesus Christ," and blaming the growing number of positive cases on faulty test kits.

In June, he claimed his country had eradicated coronavirus "by the grace of God," questioned the safety of foreign Covid-19 vaccines and made no plan to procure any shots for his country, instead pushing for the use of herbal medicine and steam treatments.

Tanzania hasn't reported Covid-19 figures since April 2020, prompting the World Health Organization to call for Tanzania to publish data on the coronavirus and ramp up public health measures.

"Iran decides independently on its relations with other countries and is not like some countries that change their position with one phone call."

China, one of Iran's largest trading partners and a long-standing ally, agreed in 2016 to boost bilateral trade by more than 10 times to $600 billion over a decade.

Its commerce ministry said on Thursday that Beijing will try to safeguard the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and defend the legitimate interests of Sino-Iranian relations.

The commission was tasked with examining the role of France in Rwanda between 1990 and 1994. Since becoming president, Macron has sought to confront France's colonial past and post-colonial dealings in Africa, in the hope of relieving the burden, better advancing French interests and countering rising anti-French sentiment among many young Africans, by providing a more fact-based narrative of the period.

In their conclusions, the report's authors found that there was a French political, military, diplomatic, administrative, intellectual and ethical failure in dealing with the genocide. They said the French presidency at the time was blinded by its proximity to the Rwandan Hutu leadership and by "an ethno-nationalist obsession."

Then president François Mitterrand, who was seriously sick (he would die of cancer less than two years after), was concentrating all the African policy decisions within his close circle and remained completely blind to the Hutu government murderous policies, keeping supplying it with weapons to fight the FPR rebellion, even when French officers in the country were sounding the alarm about the genocide in progress.

A UN investigation concluded on Tuesday that a French air attack in central Mali at the start of January killed at least 19 civilians, according to excerpts from the report.

The assault in the Sahel state created a dispute over casualties from the French attack with local residents saying it hit civilians attending a wedding ceremony in the village of Bounti, in the Mopti region.

French authorities immediately dismissed the findings of the UN inquiry.

Following the 3 January strike, the French army said it killed about 30 jihadist fighters who had been identified through aerial reconnaissance. The French authorities denied that a marriage had taken place in the remote village of Bounti.

A report from MINUSMA, the UN mission in Mali, said some 100 civilians had come to the site for a wedding, according to details of the investigation, as reported by AFP news agency.

The UN investigation said 19 unarmed civilians, as well as three armed men in the area, were killed.

Not really. pic.twitter.com/UDR44AkVPu

— JD (@DeGrotto) April 3, 2021

A massive iceberg broke off Antarctica's Brunt Ice Shelf, British researchers announced.

At 490 square miles, the berg is bigger than New York City, which is 302 square miles.

A crack in the ice shelf widened several hundred meters Friday before the iceberg sheared off. The last major chunk to come off in this area was in the early 1970s, the BBC said.

The event wasn't a surprise: "Our teams at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have been prepared for the calving of an iceberg from Brunt Ice Shelf for years," BAS director Jane Francis said in a statement.

The emergency declaration covers the counties of Hawai'i, Maui, Kalawao, O'ahu and Kaua'i, the governor's office said in a statement, while the disaster relief period runs until May 8.

USICH was originally authorized by Congress through Title II of the landmark Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 (PL 100-77) to serve as an "independent establishment" within the executive branch. We were charged with coordinating the federal response to homelessness and creating a national partnership at every level of government and with the private sector to reduce and end homelessness in the nation while maximizing the effectiveness of the federal government in contributing to the end of homelessness.

Solein, a yellow flour-type ingredient containing some 65 percent protein manufactured in a miniature bioreactor inside a laboratory.

The flour is ground from a liquid microorganism that is made out of carbon dioxide from air, electricity, water, microbes and nutrients.

BREAKING: Mathias Cormanan WINS the race to become next OECD secretary-general. Formal announcement imminent [_link]

— Bevan Shields (@BevanShields) March 12, 2021

Scott Morrison and New Europe sets tone and policy for the environment ...

Mathias Cormann elected OECD chief despite climate record | The Guardian |

Archived

Mathias Cormann: the Australian OECD candidate trying to airbrush his climate record

'Sapere aude'

The number of new COVID-19 infections globally rose last week for the first time in seven weeks, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

"We need to have a stern warning for all of us: that this virus will rebound if we let it," Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO technical lead for COVID-19, said during a briefing.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the surge in infections was "disappointing but not surprising."

He called on nations worldwide not to ease coronavirus measures, stressing that it was too early for countries to rely only on vaccination campaigns and abandon other measures.

"If countries rely solely on vaccines, they are making a mistake. Basic public health measures remain the foundation of the response," he said.

San Antonio doesn't have Donald Trump to push around -- and claw -- anymore.

At least not for the time being.

Louis Tussaud's Waxworks on Alamo Plaza moved the wax figure of the former president to a storage room because a few museum visitors -- with intense feelings and a lack of self-restraint -- kept pummeling him.

They punched and scratched the figure, inflicting so much damage that management had it pulled from public view, said Clay Stewart, regional manager for Ripley Entertainment, which owns the wax museum.

This being Texas, I'm surprised at the lack of firearms thus far.

Tackling racist and hate speech on social networks ...

Hi Guys

From tomorrow morning I will be removing myself from social media until the people in power are able to regulate their platforms with the same vigour and ferocity that they currently do when you infringe copyright.... pic.twitter.com/gXSObqo4xg

— Thierry Henry (@ThierryHenry) March 26, 2021

Made a resolve to better my life ...

'Sapere aude'