Bill Cosby Freed as Court Overturns His Sex Assault Conviction

Bill Cosby had his conviction for sexual assault overturned by a Pennsylvania appeals court on Wednesday and was freed from prison, a dramatic reversal in a case had represented the first high-profile sexual assault trial to unfold in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/arts/television/bill-cosby-release-conviction.html

Donald Rumsfeld, Defense Secretary During Iraq War, Is Dead at 88

Donald H. Rumsfeld, the secretary of defense for Presidents Gerald R. Ford and George W. Bush, who presided over America’s Cold War strategies in the 1970s and, in the new world of terrorism decades later, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, died on Tuesday at his home in Taos, N.M. He was 88.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/us/politics/donald-rumsfeld-dead.html

Trump Organization Is Charged in 15-Year Tax Scheme

The Trump Organization, the real estate business that catapulted Donald J. Trump to tabloid fame, television riches and ultimately the White House, was charged Thursday with fraud and tax crimes in connection with what prosecutors said was a 15-year-long scheme to compensate a top executive off the books.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which has been conducting the investigation, also accused the executive, Allen H. Weisselberg, Mr. Trump’s long-serving and trusted chief financial officer, of avoiding taxes on $1.7 million in income. He faced grand larceny, tax fraud and other charges.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/nyregion/allen-weisselberg-charged-trump-organization.html

Official: Haiti President Jovenel Moïse Assassinated at Home

Gunmen assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and wounded his wife in their home early Wednesday, inflicting more chaos on the unstable Caribbean country that was already enduring an escalation of gang violence, anti-government protests and a recent surge in coronavirus infections.

https://apnews.com/article/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-killed-b56a0f8fec0832028bdc51e8d59c6af2

‘Overdue’: Biden Sets Aug. 31 for US Exit from Afghanistan

President Joe Biden said Thursday the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan will end on Aug. 31, delivering an impassioned argument for exiting the nearly 20-year war without sacrificing more American lives even as he bluntly acknowledged there will be no “mission accomplished” moment to celebrate.

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-afghanistan-government-and-politics-86f939c746c7bc56bb9f11f095a95366

Hundreds Missing and at Least 69 Are Dead in Western Europe Flooding

Following a day of frantic rescue efforts and orders to evacuate towns rapidly filling with water unloosed by violent storms, the German authorities said late Thursday that after confirming dozens of deaths, they were unable to account for at least 1,300 other people.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/15/world/europe/flooding-germany-belgium-switzerland-netherlands.amp.html

New York AG Says Gov. Cuomo Sexually Harassed Multiple Women, Broke Laws

A five-month investigation has found that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and violated federal and state laws while creating a “climate of fear” in the workplace, New York state Attorney General Letitia James said on Tuesday.

The inquiry showed that Cuomo engaged in unwanted groping, kissing and hugging, and made inappropriate comments, James told a news briefing, adding that the Democratic governor’s office had become a “toxic” workplace that enabled “harassment to occur.”

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-york-ag-says-probe-found-gov-cuomo-sexually-harrassed-multiple-women-broke-2021-08-03/

‘Code Red’: UN Scientists Warn of Worsening Global Warming

Earth is getting so hot that temperatures in about a decade will probably blow past a level of warming that world leaders have sought to prevent, according to a report released Monday that the United Nations called a “code red for humanity.”

https://apnews.com/article/europe-science-climate-environment-and-nature-united-nations-1d89d5183583718ad4ad311fa2ee7d83

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Resigning Over Sexual Harassment

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation Tuesday over a barrage of sexual harassment allegations in a fall from grace a year after he was widely hailed nationally for his detailed daily briefings and leadership during some of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-resigns-17161f546bb83c32a337036ecf8d2a34

At Least 304 Dead, 1,800 Hurt as Powerful Quake Slams Haiti

A powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck southwestern Haiti on Saturday, killing at least 304 people and injuring at least 1,800 others as buildings tumbled into rubble. Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was rushing aid to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals overwhelmed with incoming patients.

https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-haiti-earthquakes-e067bc2ba933fb40c6d98d34a41a7729

Taliban Sweep into Afghan Capital after Government Collapses

The Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital Sunday after the government collapsed and the embattled president joined an exodus of his fellow citizens and foreigners, signaling the end of a costly two-decade U.S. campaign to remake the country.

https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-bagram-e1ed33fe0c665ee67ba132c51b8e32a5

US, Afghan Officials: At Least 72 Killed in Airport Attack

An Afghan official says at least 60 Afghans were killed and another 143 were wounded in the attack outside Kabul airport. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief media. U.S. officials say 12 military service members were also killed in the attack outside the airport.

https://apnews.com/article/europe-france-evacuations-kabul-9e457201e5bbe75a4eb1901fedeee7a1

Last Troops Exit Afghanistan, Ending America’s Longest War

The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan late Monday, ending America’s longest war and closing a chapter in military history likely to be remembered for colossal failures, unfulfilled promises and a frantic final exit that cost the lives of more than 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members, some barely older than the war.

https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-e10e038baea732dae879c11234507f81

SpaceX Launches 4 Amateurs on Private Earth-Circling Trip

SpaceX’s first private flight blasted off Wednesday night with two contest winners, a health care worker and their rich sponsor, the most ambitious leap yet in space tourism.

It was the first time a rocket streaked toward orbit with an all-amateur crew — no professional astronauts.

https://apnews.com/article/spacex-lifestyle-health-florida-travel-31a07f6a9f35d4a33880cb971f78452f

First Confirmed US Case of Omicron Coronavirus Variant Detected in California

The United States’ first confirmed case of the Omicron coronavirus variant has been identified in California, according to a source familiar.

The World Health Organization designates Omicron a “variant of concern.” In a technical brief released this week, WHO noted that the variant poses a “very high” global risk. The variant was first identified by scientists in South Africa, and has since been detected in several countries.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/01/health/us-omicron-variant-confirmed-case/index.html

Aung San Suu Kyi: Myanmar Court Sentences Ousted Leader to Four Years Jail

Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to four years in prison.

She was found guilty on charges of incitement and breaking a natural disasters law.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-59544484

Dozens Killed in Mexico Road Accident

At least 49 people were killed when a trailer collided with a truck and overturned in southern Mexico on Thursday, with most of the victims believed to be migrants, according to local authorities.

The Civil Protection service of Chiapas state, which borders Guatemala, said at least 58 people were injured in the accident, three of them seriously.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/09/americas/mexico-road-accident-intl-hnk/index.html

More Than 70 Killed in Kentucky’s Worst Ever Tornadoes

The governor of the US state of Kentucky has said that more than 70 people were killed by tornadoes on Friday night.

Andy Beshear said the figure could rise to more than 100 in what he called the worst tornadoes in the state’s history.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59620091

James Webb Space Telescope Lifts Off on Historic Mission

The $10bn James Webb telescope has left Earth on its mission to image the first stars to light up the Universe.

The observatory was lifted skyward by an Ariane rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59782057

Betty White, TV’s Golden Girl, Dies at 99

Betty White, whose saucy, up-for-anything charm made her a television mainstay for more than 60 years, whether as a man-crazy TV hostess on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” or the loopy housemate on “The Golden Girls,” has died. She was 99.

https://apnews.com/article/betty-white-dead-golden-girls-television-5818585387f6e5b4d5ea55ac380118aa

Putin Announces Start to ‘Military Operation’ Against Ukraine

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia declared the start of a “special military operation” in Ukraine on Thursday, after months of speculation about Russia’s intentions as it massed tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine’s border.

Addressing his nation in a televised speech broadcast just before 6 a.m. Thursday, Mr. Putin said his goal was to “demilitarize” but not occupy the country.

Minutes later, large explosions were visible near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and blasts were reported in Kyiv, the capital, and other parts of the country.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/world/europe/ukraine-russia-invasion.html