Section of Condominium Tower Collapses in Florida

A wing of the condominium building Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, a community in Miami-Dade County, collapsed on June 24 in the early morning hours. As of June 30, the collapse has caused 18 confirmed deaths, with 145 people remaining unaccounted for.

 Investigations have already begun into the cause of the partial building collapse. Building residents had long complained of building defects and had planned to spend millions in repairs for the building. Inadequate waterproofing of the swimming pool may have allowed water. including saltwater (which causes more advanced deterioration), to seep into the concrete. The building was also believed to have been sinking for years prior to the partial collapse.

Emergency crews immediately began working to clear the rubble as they searched for survivors. So far, only one person has been rescued from the collapsed portion of the building. Another 18 were rescued from other sections of the building.

In response, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has ordered an audit of all building older than 40 years and with more than five stories. Others, including the editorial board of the Miami Herald and Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, have called for a grand jury investigation into the cause of the collapse.

Microsoft Announces Windows 11

Microsoft announced Windows 11, the latest version of their long-running operating system line, on June 24. The announcement comes nearly six years since the release of the current Windows version, Windows 10.

Microsoft is planning to implement a simpler design interface compared with that of previous Windows versions, as well as chat integration in the taskbar. This version of Windows will also be the first to allow Android apps to run on the system without having to download third-party software.

 

Bill Cosby Freed from Prison After Conviction Overturned

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, convicted in 2018 of sexual assault, was set free from prison Wednesday after serving nearly three years of a three to ten year sentence. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction, citing violations of Cosby’s due process rights under the 5th and 14th Amendments.

In 2005, Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor, also known for his defense of President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial, promised Cosby that he would not be criminally prosecuted if he provided testimony under the penalty of perjury in a civil case that alleged sexual assault by him. In his testimony, Cosby admitted to providing Quaaludes to women, and this admission was a basis for his criminal conviction in 2018. The Supreme Court ruled that the prosecution broke Castor’s previous agreement when prosecutors later sought criminal charges against Cosby. The court also barred any further criminal charges from being brought against Cosby in this case.

After his release, Cosby returned to his home in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

China to Allow Couples to Have Three Children

The Chinese government will now allow married couples to have up to three children as the country aims to stem off demographic imbalance and population decline.

In the announcement, the government also vowed to provide educational and child rearing assistance, both commonly seen as barriers for couples who desire more children. 

Since 2015, China has allowed all couples to have up to two children as the population has continued to age. In addition, there are concerns over the gender imbalance, as the traditional bias for male offspring has led to more males being born than females.

 

Belarus Diverts Flight to Arrest Dissident on Board

 A Ryanair flight from Athens, Greece to Vilnius, Lithuania was diverted on May 23 after a Belarussian fighter jet intercepted the plane. Using the pretense of a bomb threat, the plane landed in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, and journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend were arrested. Protasevich is a known critic of Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian leader of Belarus who has led the country since independence from the Soviet Union.

The other passengers of the flight were eventually allowed to depart on the plane, which reached Vilnius  over eight hours behind schedule.

The European Union has banned flights from flying through Belarussian airspace in response to the incident, which has been widely called a violation of international law.

Belarus, sometimes called the last dictatorship in Europe, is known for its restrictive laws and its strongman rule by Lukashenko. Lukashenko faced massive protests calling for his resignation after the presidential election in 2020, which was clouded by allegations of widespread fraud.