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Woman Who Was Kicked Out of the Spanish Army's Entrance Exam Because She Has a Tattoo Is Fighting Back
Estela Martín was testing her swimming skills during an entrance exam for the Spanish army when a male examiner noticed a black lotus flower tattooed on the upper part of her right foot. She was told she could not complete the exam because the tattoo was visible, and that it would be particularly obvious were she to wear a skirt.
The Spanish army’s rules no longer required women to don skirts, however, and Ms. Martín was fully aware of this change in policy, which was re-solidified after her expulsion. The tattoo was not visible when Ms. Martín wore trousers — her typical choice of wardrobe during her service — and she argued she was within regulations, but the examiner refused to budge in his steadfastness against her tattoo, insisting she could one day receive orders to wear a skirt.
Travel to the U.S. steadily declined since President Donald Trump took office in 2017. The latest report shows the "Trump Slump" caused $4.6 billion in lost spending and 40,000 jobs.
The latest data from the National Travel and Tourism Office shows a 3.3 percent fall in travel spending and a 4 percent drop in international travel to the United States.
Catalonia, perhaps Spain’s wealthiest region, is on the verge of losing its 40-year autonomy as Madrid moves to once again impose direct rule over the region’s government.
With the capital of Barcelona at its heart, Catalonia has its own language and culture, a proud identity, a population of 7 million, and a history of repression by Spain. Now its most recent bid for independence has led to Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announcing last Saturday, after an emergency cabinet meeting, that he will remove Catalonia’s leadership and begin a process of direct governing from Madrid.