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A major overhaul of Spain's banking system is in full swing. Felled by the housing crunch, Spanish banks are getting billions in rescue loans from Europe, but they'll have to lay off about 55,000 workers in exchange.

It is now clear that we are living in a world of viral memes that take no sides when it comes to spoofing politicians or debate moderators. So what's a politician to do as the target of a social media parody? Run with it.

Both the Romney and Obama campaigns agreed to a laundry list of rules for the debates. That "Memorandum of Understanding" is 21 pages long and covers everything from air conditioning to props. Whether the candidates obey the rules is another story.

The EU says a recent change in Google's privacy policy that allows it to combine and share data collected from all of its different services is a breach of European privacy law. Regulators say Google needs to be transparent about how it's using that data, and give users the choice to opt out.

Because we had better food, our brains grew bigger than those of our primate cousins, scientists say. Early humans cooked, which makes meat and veggies more digestible and nutrients more available to the body. Plus, there was all that chatting and chewing around the campfire.

The Swedish Academy praised the Chinese writer's work, which "merges folk tales, history and the contemporary." The award is a cause of pride for a government that disowned the only previous Chinese winner of the award, an exiled critic.

Turkey's Prime Minister has given more details about the cargo on board a Syrian passenger plane that was intercepted by Turkish Air Force jets and forced to land in Ankara on Wednesday. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the plane was carrying "defense equipment" for the Syrian military. Officials in both Syria and Russia have denied that claim.

London's mass transit system, known as the Tube, has been hit by a guerrilla attack by pranksters. Informational posters in rail cars have been covered up by stickers poking fun at the system. Shepherd's Bush stop was relabeled Shepherd's Pie. Priority seating in pranked cars now reads: "Pretend to be asleep and they won't ask you to move."

The Venezuelan president remains in Cuba, receiving treatment for cancer. His supporters — with the backing of the Supreme Court — say that he can be sworn in at a later date.

Amtrak's Acela Express trains are breaking the speed limit along some stretches in the Northeast corridor. The company it testing how its trains and tracks perform at speeds up to 165 mph. Tests are happening along four isolated stretches of track in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusett