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Carnival Cruise Line is pushing back against recent rumors circulating online, which allege that the company has introduced new bans aboard its ships, ranging from music restrictions to the prohibition of popular dance accessories. Company representatives say that many of the claims currently circulating on social media are either outdated or completely false.Some social posts have alleged that Carnival recently banned clacking fans—commonly used when dancing to songs like “Boots on the Ground”—and even barred line dances such as the “Wobble.” Others suggested the cruise line had eschewed the playing of rap and hip hop music, prompting accusations among certain…

The Trump administration, through the Department of Defense, plans to spend $1 billion over the next four years on what it calls “offensive cyber operations.”  The provision in Trump’s landmark One Big Beautiful Bill does not say what those “offensive cyber operations” are, nor what specific tools or software would qualify. The budget does note that the money will go towards enhancing and improving the capabilities of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which operates in the Asia-Pacific region, including China, the U.S.’ biggest geopolitical rival.  The move to spend a billion on cyber comes as the newly passed budget also slashed…

CNN  —  Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in March 2025. It was republished in July 2025 to include a new episode of CNN’s Chance Encounters podcast featuring Beverly’s love story The first time Beverly Carriveau saw Bob Parsons, she felt like a “thunderbolt” passed between them. “This man stepped out of a taxi, and we both just stared at each other,” Beverly tells CNN Travel today. “You have to remember, this is the ‘60s. Girls didn’t stare at men. But it was a thunderbolt.” It was June 1968. Beverly was a 23-year-old Canadian university librarian on vacation in…

NEW YORK (AP) — Martin Cruz Smith, the best-selling mystery novelist who engaged readers for decades with “Gorky Park” and other thrillers featuring Moscow investigator Arkady Renko, has died at age 82.Smith died Friday “surrounded by those he loved,” according to his publisher, Simon & Schuster. Further details were not immediately available, but Smith revealed a decade ago that he had Parkinson’s disease, and he gave the same condition to his protagonist.His 11th and final Renko book, “Hotel Ukraine,” will be published this week. The Associated Press praised it as a “gem” that “upholds Smith’s reputation as a great craftsman…

The Starbucks headquarters is seen at Starbucks Center on July 3, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. David Ryder | Getty ImagesStarbucks corporate employees will have to return to the office four days a week starting in October, the company announced on Monday.For workers who would prefer to leave the company instead of heading back to the office for an additional day, Starbucks is offering a “one-time voluntary exit program with a cash payment,” CEO Brian Niccol said in a letter to employees.”We understand not everyone will agree with this approach,” Niccol wrote in the announcement. “We’ve listened and thought carefully. But…

LONDON (AP) — A man from Australia has been charged with “malicious mischief” for allegedly smashing a glass case holding the Stone of Destiny, an ancient symbol of Scottish nationhood.Arnaud Harixcalde Logan, 35, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Monday to face the charge, which is similar to vandalism.Logan, whose address was given as Sydney, wasn’t asked to enter a plea and was ordered detained until a hearing next week.Police said that they were called to a “disturbance” at Perth Museum in central Scotland on Saturday, after reports of a kilt-wearing man attempting to smash the case containing the royal…

by Susan Young Last updated: 12:00 PM ET, Sat July 12, 2025 McKinley Express tour through Alaska. (Photo Credit: Susan Young)As a travel writer, I’ve cruised Alaska several times but never included the Holland America Denali Cruisetour package.Previous experiences involved round-trip itineraries from Seattle or Vancouver. This time was different and gave me a new perspective on the amazing adventures of the land and sea itinerary. The cruise began in Vancouver on the Nieuw Amsterdam, with stops in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, along with sea days spent visiting Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord. The seven-day itinerary ended in…

After announcing in late May that the platform would be experimenting with a new virtual reward system, Discord is now launching it to the public. The aim of the rewards, called Orbs, is to get people to click on more interactive ads. Users earn Orbs after completing Quests, which involve interacting with ads for products or games to get virtual items. Users can redeem Orbs for digital items in Discord’s Shop, like a three-day Nitro credit, an Orb-themed profile badge, profile effects, avatar decorations, and more.  Image Credits:Discord According to Discord, Orbs have been popular among testers, with millions earned and…

Jerusalem CNN  —  A planned “humanitarian city” inside Gaza intended to hold hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would be a “concentration camp,” former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has warned. Defense Minister Israel Katz said last week he had told the military to advance plans for the zone, which would eventually contain the entire population of Gaza. The area would be built on the ruins of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, and once Palestinians enter the zone, they would not be allowed to leave. Katz also vowed to implement a plan for the emigration of Palestinians from Gaza.…

Sesame Workshop was trying to regain full control over its Elmo account on the X platform Monday after a hacker gained access and posted a string of racist and antisemitic messages.“Elmo’s X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts. We are working to restore full control of the account,” a Sesame Workshop spokesperson said Monday. Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit behind “Sesame Street” and Elmo.The account was compromised over the weekend and instead of the usual posts of encouragement and kindness, Elmo’s 650,000 followers were given antisemitic threats and a profane…