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Putin's Russia
Putin bans searches for "extremism" on the Internet

Vladimir Putin has signed new legislation that makes it illegal to conduct intentional Internet searches for material that the Russian state has classified as extremist, writes the independent Meduza.

For example, anyone who searches for the autobiography of the deceased opposition figure Alexei Navalny, "Patriot," which was published posthumously last fall, risks a fine of up to the equivalent of 500 kronor.

The law has been criticized within Russia, writes SvD.

- There are now sanctions for simply searching for something on the Internet. It is an Orwellian crime - a "thought crime," says opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin.

Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the Kremlin-loyal media house RT, is asking the authorities to explain how they will now be able to investigate "extremist Navalny funds."

Trump expands White House with $2 billion banquet hall

Donald Trump plans to expand the White House with a $200 million banquet hall, equivalent to almost 2 billion Swedish kronor. This is what his press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press conference, The Hill reports.

The banquet hall will be able to accommodate 650 seated guests in a new building near the current East Wing of the White House. According to Leavitt, the cost will be covered by Trump personally and his donors.

Political situation in the UK
No British boy was named Keir

2024 was the year when Keir Starmer became Prime Minister in the UK. It was also the year when no parents named their child Keir, British media reports.

This is the first year since the country began keeping statistics that no newborn boy was given the name. In 2023, four boys were born who were named Keir.

The most popular boy names in the UK last year were Muhammad, Oliver and Noah. On the girls' side, Olivia, Amelia and Lily topped the list. 

Global Public Health
“Cannibal Mosquitoes” Used to Fight Infectious Disease in China

China is using “cannibal mosquitoes” to combat the spread of the disease Chikungunya, writes Bloomberg.

The mosquitoes of the species Toxorhynchites splendens grow up to two centimeters long, and the hope is that their larvae will eat the smaller mosquitoes that spread Chikungunya.

Thousands of cases of the disease have been reported from China's Guangdong province, where authorities warned this weekend that the spread poses a threat to public health.

Chikungunya causes fever and joint pain, among other things, but most patients get better on their own after about a week. There is currently no effective treatment.