Cosby’s sex conviction rejected – National and International News – WED 30June 2021 –

The court overturns the sex sentence for Cosby. The northwestern heat wave kills dozens of roads, buttons. Afghan civilians say “no choice” except to fight the Taliban themselves.

NATIONAL NEWS

The court overturns the sentence of Cosby’s sexual assault

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has overturned the 2018 sexual assault sentence against comedian Bill Cosby, now 83. The ruling allows Cosby to be released immediately from prison after serving less than two years of his 10-year sentence. The sentence was for the 2004 drug and assault of Andrea Constand, an athletic director at Temple University. Philadelphia District Attorney Kevin Steele made the decision to indict Cosby in 2016, just days before the statute of limitations expired.

The Supreme Court ruling in no way acquits Cosby, nor does it cast any doubt on his guilt in the matter. Rather, the ruling says DA Steele should have heeded his predecessor’s promise not to accuse Cosby of assault. This despite the fact that there is no evidence that this promise has been formalized or even written.

The verdict alleges that Cosby was relying on the previous DA’s decision not to prosecute him when he gave self-incriminating evidence in a civil case brought by Constand. Steele later used those statements against him in the criminal case.

Justice David Wecht said that dropping the sentence and stopping any further prosecution is the only remedy that meets society’s reasonable expectations of its elected prosecutors and our criminal justice system.

Neither Constand nor Steele’s office has yet issued a statement. It is unclear what if there is a legal recourse they should challenge the court decision.

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The heat wave in the West Bank kills dozens in the US and Canada

A “heat dome” in the Pacific Northwest has killed dozens of people in the US and Canada this week. In Oregon and Washington state, temperatures have been over 100 degrees for several days, even 116 in Portland. Across the border in British Columbia, temperatures reached 115 degrees, highest since the start of registrations.

Hundreds in the area have also been hospitalized for heat-related illnesses. The area usually enjoys relatively mild summers and many homes do not have air conditioning. Local authorities have opened heating shelters in schools and large public places to allow residents to escape the heat.

But people have not been the only victims of the heat wave. The heat has also damaged some infrastructure, winding paths and electric melting cables.

The entire west coast has suffered severe drought conditions for weeks. Drought and heat dome have mutually intensified each other. Even when this particular heat wave starts to break down, experts fear the country could be in for a mess this summer. Forecasts call for a particularly catastrophic summer of heat and fires.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

As US troops leave, Afghan civilians take up arms against the Taliban

Across Afghanistan, hundreds of civilians carrying outdated automatic rifles, pistols and grenade launchers are joining forces to strengthen Afghan defense forces in their fight against the Taliban.

Many of the civilians are former mujahedeen veterans, while others are young students. One such fighter, Dost Mohammad Salangi, 55, says, “If [the Taliban] impose war on us, oppress us and oppress women and the wealth of men, even our seven-year-old children will be armed and stand against them.

A student who has joined has said he and others like him have no “solution” now that foreign forces are leaving.

The withdrawal of US troops has emboldened the Taliban, who have captured 50 of the country’s 370 administrative districts. The Taliban have signed a ceasefire with the US, but not with the Afghan government. The deadly daily attacks on Afghan military positions have escalated for weeks.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has called on the United States for help. President Biden has vowed to end the longest and, arguably, most fruitless foreign war. Biden said he would support Afghanistan, but that the Afghans themselves must decide for themselves their future.

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