1. Azerbaijan Plane Crash and Russia Blame Game: Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has accused Russia of shooting down a passenger jetliner, which crashed in the Caspian Sea, killing all 113 people on board. Aliyev called the incident an "unforgivable crime" and demanded an apology from Moscow. (Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/29/world/europe/azerbaijan-blames-russia-plane-crash.html)

2. US Election 2024 and Its Impact on Americas: Seven stories shaped the Americas in 2024, following the US election. These stories include immigration, climate change, and social justice movements. (Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/29/beyond-the-us-election-seven-stories-that-shaped-the-americas-in-2024?traffic_source=rss)

3. H-1B Visa Program Reform: Tech CEO Elon Musk, along with venture capitalist David Sacks, have called for reforming the H-1B visa program, arguing that it is being abused by companies to hire cheaper foreign labor. (Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/eric-schmitt-blasts-abuse-h-1b-visa-program-says-americans-shouldnt-train-foreign-replacements)

4. Market Volatility and S&P 500 Rally: The S&P 500 experienced a significant rally in 2024, shocking many financial analysts who had anticipated a fizzle. (Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/s-p-500-2024-rally-shocked-160000546.html)

5. Tech Companies' Impact on Housing Prices: A new report suggests that tech companies are driving up housing prices in the cities where they are based, pricing out local residents. (Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tech-companies-pricing-locals-report-150013016.html)