Spain is implementing new regulations to combat the negative effects of mass tourism, including overcrowding and strained resources. Tourist taxes are increasing in the Balearic Islands and Barcelona, while restrictions are being placed on damaged currency. Gran Canaria beaches now have bans on smoking and other activities, and Palma limits walking tour group sizes.
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In an effort to boost Russia's declining birth rate, Oryol's regional governor announced a 100,000 rubles incentive for school-age girls who become mothers. This policy, effective from 2025 to 2027, has sparked controversy, but the governor defended it as support for young mothers. Russia faces a demographic crisis worsened by military losses in Ukraine.
Former CIA Director Michael Hayden compared Trump's Time Person of the Year selection to Hitler's. VP-elect JD Vance defended Trump, criticizing "career bureaucrats" and highlighting past recipients like Obama and Clinton. Vance's defense marks a shift from his earlier criticism of Trump.
The CIA is offering buyouts to its entire workforce, making it the first intelligence agency to implement Donald Trump's voluntary redundancy program for federal employees. This includes halting the hiring of certain candidates. The initiative aims to align the CIA's workforce with national security priorities and Trump's government efficiency goals. This development follows Trump's proposal regarding the Gaza Strip.
​Deferred resignation is available to all full-time federal employees except for military personnel of the armed forces, employees of the US Postal Service, those in positions related to immigration enforcement and national security. Employees who accept the program won't have to work for these eight months. They can also accept a new job in this time.
The Harvard International Review removed an article critical of the Sikh separatist Khalistan movement after facing backlash and a complaint. The decision and subsequent controversy highlight tensions between editorial decisions and authors' perspectives, as well as the ongoing sensitivities surrounding the Khalistan movement.
Heather Tessman discovered her long-lost half-brother, who endured horrific abuse in a Connecticut home for over 20 years. His stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, and her daughters kept him locked up, starving, and drinking from a toilet. Rescued from a burning home, he weighed just 68 pounds. Tessman demands severe punishment for the accused and emphasizes her relentless search for him.
A Russian drone attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv resulted in injuries to seven people and ignited fires in high-rise apartment buildings. The overnight strikes prompted emergency services response across multiple districts, with falling debris from a destroyed drone causing significant damage.
Nadine Menendez, the wife of former Senator Bob Menendez, has been convicted on all counts for her involvement in a bribery scheme. She accepted gold bars, cash, and a luxury car in exchange for political favors facilitated by her husband. The scheme involved three New Jersey businessmen seeking assistance with their ventures, leading to their convictions as well.
Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff are back in California but they have several options in front of them now. Doug Emhoff is likely to be back at his legal job taking on clients while Kamala Harris has proposals for writing a book, giving speeches and on the political front, she has her options to run for California governor in 2026 and for the president again in 2028.
Political activists in Germany said Thursday they had projected an image of Elon Musk's infamous raised-arm salute and the word "Heil" onto the outside of his Tesla plant. The word "heil" is seen projected onto the factory near Berlin in the font of the automaker's logo, to spell the message "Heil Tesla", a reference to the Nazi greeting that honoured Adolf Hitler.