Early bird: Bashar Assad fled to Moscow from the revolution in Syria. In Italy, independent check-in for tourists has been banned, there are too many of them

Bashar al-Assad fled the country from the insurgents

The deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow and obtained asylum from his long-standing ally, Russian media reported on Sunday, a few hours after the rebels seized Damascus and ended his family's 50-year iron rule.

Thousands of Syrians poured into the streets, from which celebratory gunfire resounded, and they waved the revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring, before brutal repression and the rise of the rebels plunged the country into almost 14 years of civil war. Rapidly changing events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region, the AP agency reported.

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Self-service accommodation in Italy will not be possible even for the 2026 Olympic Games

According to the Italian Ministry of the Interior, which is concerned about the overcrowding of this popular tourist destination, law enforcement officers are to be deployed to ensure the removal of key boxes in properties where self-service check-in is carried out. The ban represents a tightening of Italian laws. All tenants, regardless of the length of stay, must be registered at local police stations, but in recent years, property managers have been forwarding photocopies or photos from mobile phones to the messaging service to comply with the regulation.

Now they will have to conduct physical checks in person. This step comes at a time when the city of Rome is preparing for a surge of tourists in connection with the Vatican's jubilee year in 2025 and when Italy is hosting the Winter Olympic Games in Cortina in 2026, both of which already have Airbnb and other short-term rentals booked, CNN wrote.

The Supreme Court in Romania has cancelled the presidential elections

The Romanian Supreme Court, after accusations of Russian interference, has cancelled the ongoing presidential elections and decided on Friday that the entire process, which was supposed to end this weekend, will have to be repeated.
The second round was scheduled for Sunday and voting had already started in polling stations abroad. In it, Calin Georgescu, a far-right and pro-Russian candidate, and pro-European centrist leader Elena Lasconiová, would have faced each other.

Georgescu had single-digit numbers in public opinion polls before the first round of voting on November 24th, but then he moved to the first place, which raised questions about the relevance of the result. Georgescu wants to end Romania's support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion. If he were to win the presidential elections, it would disrupt the pro-Western policy of this EU and NATO member, and Romania would be closer to the belt of states in Central and Eastern Europe, which have strong populist and Russia-leaning policies, including Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria, said Reuters agency.

Lewis Hamilton last raced for Mercedes, securing a record number of titles

Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes with the last overtaking and a heartfelt message to the team where he won the Formula 1 title six times. After twelve years spent at Mercedes, where he won six of his seven World Champion titles, Hamilton is moving to Ferrari. It was the most successful collaboration between a team and a driver in F1 history, which ended with overtaking team colleague George Russell and coming fourth in the final round. After crossing the finish line, Hamilton spun his car into celebratory skids for the spectators before getting out for the last time and raising his thumb twice amid the chant "Lewis". He then crouched down next to Mercedes and patted the car, reported AP agency.

Sources: apnews.com, reuters.com, cnn.com