Good morning. We’re protecting the rising loss of life toll from a constructing collapse in Florida and Sydney’s strict Covid-19 lockdown to include the Delta variant.

On Sunday, 4 days after a residential constructing north of Miami Seaside collapsed, the loss of life toll rose to nine as rescuers discovered extra our bodies and stays. Greater than 150 individuals are nonetheless lacking. Listed below are live updates and what we know so far.

The search has been painstakingly slow: Hearth beneath the rubble has hampered efforts and rescuers need to balance their own safety with their search. Greater than 300 emergency personnel are working 24 hours a day, and the Military Corps of Engineers has been known as in to assist. Nonetheless, some households are starting to lose hope.

The collapsed constructing, which was in Surfside, Fla., was about to bear repairs to repair “major structural problems” that an engineer had identified in 2018.

Subsequent door: Residents of a sister tower are caught in limbo. Constructing inspectors decided it was structurally sound, a rental board member mentioned. Nonetheless, whereas some residents are assured; others unexpectedly packed baggage and located different locations to sleep.

Security test: The collapse has raised questions on the safety of similar buildings alongside South Florida’s seashores, the place salt air tends to eat away at metal and concrete buildings. On Saturday, the mayor of Miami-Dade County introduced a 30-day audit of all buildings which might be 40 years and older.

A worldwide drawback: Around the world, sloppy building, poor upkeep or shoddy supplies typically trigger buildings to break down. However the larger drawback is weak, uneven or nonexistent oversight.

Because the Delta variant spreads by way of Australia’s greatest metropolis, officers implement a strict two-week lockdown that started on Saturday for all of higher Sydney and its surrounding areas. It’s the first such lockdown since early 2020 and displays the rise in concern in regards to the rapidly-growing outbreak.

A cluster that started with an airport limousine driver has jumped to almost 100 circumstances, with dozens extra anticipated over the approaching days. Officers additionally fear a couple of hair salon that had 900 purchasers whereas not less than just a few staff have been infectious, and a seafood wholesaler the place a supply driver examined optimistic after a number of days of transporting fish throughout the town.

Officers, who initially resisted such robust measures, mentioned they have been now obligatory after a number of new chains of transmission have been discovered. Till not less than July 9, individuals throughout Sydney can depart their properties solely to train, search medical consideration, look after family members, purchase meals or perform different important actions.

Vaccines: Australia is one among many international locations all through the Asia-Pacific area that continue to struggle with the ups and downs of the coronavirus, primarily due to new variants and a gradual rollout of vaccines. Most people in Sydney are unvaccinated. Fewer than 1 / 4 of Australians have obtained not less than one dose, based on New York Times data.

Listed below are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic.

In different developments:

  • Dozens of climbers on Mount Everest have given firsthand accounts of being contaminated with the coronavirus, however Nepal refuses to acknowledge any circumstances.

  • Indonesian docs, who got the Chinese-made Sinovac shots, are nonetheless getting sick.

  • Indian docs fear a couple of new model of the virus: Delta Plus.

  • The British well being minister resigned after pictures surfaced of him embracing a senior aide — an obvious violation of social distancing pointers.

Pope Francis despatched a deeply encouraging handwritten letter to a frontrunner within the Roman Catholic Church’s effort to achieve out to L.G.B.T.Q. individuals. However a growing dissonance has developed between his inclusive language and the church’s actions.

This previous week, the Vatican confirmed that it had grave concerns about laws at present within the Italian Parliament that will increase protections for L.G.B.T.Q. individuals. Days later, the second in command insisted the church had nothing towards homosexual rights, however was defending itself from potential discrimination prices stemming from the brand new invoice.

Francis’s notice provides to the political confusion over whether or not he’s a liberal making an attempt to reform the church or only a social conservative making an attempt to please everybody, our Rome bureau chief writes.

Background: Francis has appeared open to homosexuality: In 2016, he famously responded, “Who am I to evaluate?” on the problem of homosexual Catholics and just lately, he has expressed help for same-sex civil unions. However in March, the church’s prime doctrinal workplace — with Francis’s help — denied Catholic clergy the authority to bless homosexual unions.

Chinese language vacationers are flocking to points of interest to soak up the official model of the historical past of the Communist Celebration forward of its July 1 centennial. This wave of “red tourism” — by which outdated tour websites have been jazzed up for the period of Instagram and TikTok — presents a sanitized, typically deceptive, narrative.

Individuals have been holding conferences for 1000’s of years. Historical Egyptians had hieroglyphs to convey the idea of “council.” George Washington, sick of writing letters, convened the founders in his examine to assist arrange the U.S. authorities, Caity Weaver writes in The Times.

Over the course of the pandemic, in-person conferences have shifted to on-line ones. However they have been virtually by no means with out technical difficulties, and many individuals discovered them wanting.

So, Caity asks, what can we miss once we don’t meet in particular person?

With their emphasis on collaboration, conferences can “play a psychological function in motivating the work power,” Caitlin Rosenthal, an financial historian, mentioned.

Avoiding a foul assembly requires a function, a mix of introverts and extroverts and — ideally — designated determination makers. As Caity writes, “A gathering could be good, briefly — however provided that it must be a gathering.”

For extra: Do chance encounters at the office truly improve innovation?

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