Daily Digest: New Laws Proposed, Hotel Fire, and Rapid Birth Incident

Every day, many events happen around the world that are impossible to follow in the constant news flow. Therefore, we compile the main news in this digest. Today we summarize January 28.

Penalties for Promoting Animal Cruelty Proposed

The State Duma has developed a bill that stipulates administrative fines for promoting cruelty to animals. The document has already been sent to the Russian government. Details were provided by the first deputy chair of the State Duma Committee on Education, Ksenia Goryacheva.

“People see how calls for cruelty are spreading on social networks, how dog hunter groups are created, and how this is discussed as normal practice — to torture a cat or a dog. At the same time, the police often respond: there is a formal ban, but no liability. This gap needs to be closed,” Goryacheva explained the goal of the initiative in a conversation with TASS.

The fine for such an offense would be:

• for citizens: 5,000 to 10,000 rubles (about $50-$100 at current rates);

• for officials: 10,000 to 20,000 rubles (about $100-$200);

• for legal entities: 30,000 to 50,000 rubles (about $300-$500).

Justifying cruelty to animals will be considered any public admission that such actions are correct and deserving of support. A «call» is understood as any action inciting cruelty, including the creation, display, and distribution of materials promoting violence against animals. A ban on such propaganda is written into federal law, but fines are not yet specified.

“Shared” Parental Leave Proposed in Russia

Russia has proposed introducing a new type of parental leave that would allow close relatives to help young mothers without taking unpaid leave. The initiative was put forward by the chairman of the commission of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation (OP RF) on demography, family protection, children, and traditional family values, Sergei Rybalchenko.

“Among the ideas I would now propose to consider is to give [working] grandmothers and fathers the opportunity to take child care leave during the period when the mother is still on maternity leave,” said the head of the OP RF commission.

Childcare leave is issued only after the completion of maternity leave (70 days after childbirth in a normal pregnancy). Also, such leave can be taken not only by the mother.

“And it turns out that relatives at this moment, in order to help the young mother, must take leave at their own expense. I believe it is necessary to eliminate this situation and help [them],” Rybalchenko noted in a conversation with TASS.

He added that such a support measure is needed because there may be several children in the family who also require care. At this time, the child’s mother may be in a perinatal center. Also, he said, a woman may be experiencing postpartum depression and needs the support of a loved one at this time.

Work Week May Be Reduced to 30 Hours for Parents

A bill to reduce the work week to 30 hours for one parent in families with multiple children has been submitted to the State Duma. The document is published in the electronic database of the State Duma. The initiative was developed by deputies from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) and Senator Elena Afanasyeva.

“The bill … proposes to supplement part one of Article 92 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation with a provision establishing the right of one of the parents with three or more children to a reduced working time — not more than 30 hours per week,” the explanatory note says.

According to the Russian Labor Code, the normal work week is 40 hours, and many parents with multiple children do not have the opportunity to hire a nanny or ask grandparents for help. The authors of the initiative are confident that reducing the work week will improve the quality of life for large families and Russia«s demographic policy.

Proposal for Annual 13th Pension Payment for Retirees

The introduction of a 13th pension for retirees is being discussed in Russia. More details were provided by State Duma deputy Sergei Mironov.

“The 13th pension is a deserved and very necessary gift to retirees who support the president and the Special Military Operation. Such a payment will help compensate for the lag of pensions behind the level of real inflation,” the parliamentarian believes.

It is planned that by the New Year every retiree will receive a supplement equal to the old-age insurance pension, but not less than 1.5 times the subsistence minimum. In 2026, its amount will be 24,432 rubles (about $244 at current rates).

In addition, the deputies propose quarterly indexation of payments.

“We propose to increase pensions not once a year, but every three months… We will push for both a new approach to indexation and the introduction of the 13th pension,” the parliamentarian summarized.

Schools to Switch to New Curriculum, University Diplomas to Change

Russian schools are to be fully transitioned to unified state textbooks. According to information from Russian Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov, this will happen within three to four years.

Changes will also occur in the higher education system. The Ministry of Education and Science is discussing the possibility of removing mentions of general qualifications from diplomas. The document proposes to indicate only specific specialties.

“When transitioning to a new model of higher education, we are considering abandoning the inclusion of general qualifications in diplomas that do not indicate the direction and profile of a graduate’s training. In the diplomas of those who have received basic higher and specialized higher education within the pilot project to change the levels of professional education, specific, employer-understandable qualifications will be indicated,” the ministry noted.

Professions in the document will be designated as “chemical expert,” “mining engineer,” etc. This will help employers better understand whom they are hiring.

The Ministry of Education and Science reported that the Russian president has expanded the pilot project, and now the government will approve not only specialties but also professions for graduates.

Diplomas of bachelors and masters who have already completed their studies will retain their status.

Authorities Detail Which Websites Will Be Blocked in the Country

Starting in March 2026, Russia will begin to block websites with online sales of tobacco and nicotine-containing products without a court order. This was announced by a member of the State Duma committee, Anton Nemkin.

“From March 1, 2026, the law on extrajudicial blocking of websites with online sales of tobacco and nicotine-containing products comes into force. The state is consistently closing channels of remote trade in goods whose turnover is directly limited by law, especially considering that the internet remains one of the key sources of access for minors to such products,” Nemkin explained.

This will speed up the process and prevent domain changes. Website and social network owners will also be required to monitor content.

This approach strengthens control over the turnover of socially sensitive goods on the internet and develops age verification tools, making the digital space safer.

Fire Erupts at Five-Star Hotel in Courchevel

The five-star Grandes Alpes hotel caught fire at the French ski resort of Courchevel. About 100 people were evacuated from the building.

“Sixty firefighters and 50 units of equipment are engaged in Courchevel to extinguish the fire at the Grandes Alpes hotel. About a hundred people, including clients and employees of the establishment, were evacuated. The evacuation proceeded calmly, no one was injured. All evacuated clients were able to be accommodated in other hotels of the resort,” a message from the prefecture of the Savoie department on social network X says.

According to the authorities, the fire started around 7:00 PM local time (about 9:00 PM Moscow time) on Tuesday in the hotel«s attic. According to the statement, the firefighting operation is expected to take a long time due to the characteristics of the building»s roof.

Russian Tourist Found Dead in Balinese Hotel

A Russian man was found dead in one of the hotels in the tourist area of Ubud on the island of Bali. Information about this appeared on the Bali Post portal.

The tourist«s body was found during the day. The windows of his room attracted attention because the light had been on for almost 24 hours. A witness found the man lying face down, and the body had already begun to acquire a bluish tint.

“The evening before, cries for help were heard from the deceased«s room; however, during a check, he was found in a sitting position and no signs of a threat to his life were noticed,” the article says.

The scene was examined by police and forensics, after which it was suggested that the cause of death was cardiac arrest. There were no signs of physical violence or struggle on the body, and in the room — any damage.

It is known that the man had been living in the hotel since June of last year and regularly extended his stay.

The body was sent for further actions in accordance with established protocols for foreigners. The police are cooperating with the relevant services and diplomatic missions.

Scammers Extort Money Under Pretext of Blackout

Criminals have begun extorting money from Russians in a new way. They pose as district maintenance workers and inform residents of apartment buildings that a power outage is allegedly planned.

The scammer also specifies that he is ready to drop a notice about the power outage into the mailbox, but for this the person needs to confirm their personal data, RIA Novosti reports.

Pregnant Woman Gives Birth in One Minute at Yakutsk Perinatal Center

A woman arrived at the hospital and right at the registration desk she went into labor. The child was born in one minute but sustained an injury, the Yakutia Ministry of Health reports on its Telegram channel.

“Within one minute at 10:34 AM in the lobby of the admission department, a rapid (precipitous) birth occurred. The child was immediately transferred under the supervision of specialists from the neonatal resuscitation and intensive care unit, where he was provided with all necessary specialized medical care in full,” the message says.

It is reported that doctors discovered the baby had a fracture of the right parietal bone of the skull. He is under round-the-clock observation by specialists.

“An internal investigation will be conducted immediately regarding this incident to establish all the circumstances of what happened. Based on its results, the necessary measures will be taken,” the Ministry of Health noted.