feet

The United Kingdom has found lithium under its feet, but extracting it is going to be a billion-dollar logistical nightmare

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For vacationers visiting cornwallin the south-west of the United Kingdom, the landscape is a haven of peace dotted with historical remains. It is the land of the old tin and copper mines that inspired series like Poldarka region with more than 4,000 years of mining history. However, beneath this postcard scenario lies the most coveted resource of the 21st century. The then Prime Minister Boris Johnson baptized it in 2021 as the “Lithium Klondike”, in reference to the historic gold rush. Today, As detailed in an extensive report by Guardianthat “white gold” is the great hope for the British energy transition. The race for the first drop of lithium. The sector has recently reached milestones that seemed impossible a decade ago. On the one hand, as reported Financial TimesCornish Lithium company has just commissioned its first commercial demonstration plant in the region. This facility is designed to extract lithium from hard rock in former clay (kaolin) mines, a crucial step that demonstrates that large-scale domestic mining is technically feasible. Crushing stone is not the only way. In parallel, a fascinating technology has emerged that unites mining and renewable energy. It turns out that, several kilometers deep, the superheated water flowing through the fractures of the granite of cornwall It is loaded with dissolved lithium. As explained by BBCTaking advantage of this has enabled a historic milestone: the United Downs power plant, operated by Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL), has become the first in the country to generate electricity from the Earth’s heat, while producing the first domestic supply of lithium extracted from these underground fluids. The mechanics, as detailed Guardianis ingenious: the boiling brine is pumped (at about 200 °C), its heat is used to drive turbines that generate electricity, the lithium is chemically extracted and the cold water is returned to the subsoil. The initial figures for this project are modest—just 100 tons of lithium per year, enough for 1,400 electric cars—but the goal is to scale up to 18,000 tons per year. What does it really mean to unearth this treasure?? As emphasized Financial Timesthe primary motivation is geostrategic: the West desperately needs to reduce its dependence on China in the critical metals supply chain. Additionally, unlike wind or solar energy, geothermal brine provides renewable electricity “24 hours a day, 7 days a week”, shielding the network against the vagaries of gas. An abyss riddled with obstacles. But from the laboratory to the commercial mine there is a stretch full of barriers. First, drilling wells kilometers deep or building processing plants requires massive injections of capital. The GEL project has already cost 50 million pounds, inform BBC. Furthermore, the market is ruthless: recently, the Imerys British Lithium (IBL) side project, which promised to create the largest lithium hub in the country, has had to be halted due to “funding constraints and difficult market conditions.” The second major obstacle is the emotional shock with the population. A report from a few months ago in The Conversation perfectly illustrates this drama in the village of St Dennis. For Cornish Lithium to expand its open-pit mine at the former Trelavour quarry, it needs to demolish huge conical mountains of clay waste. The problem is that the locals have affectionately named them Flatty and Pointy. What for the mining company is debris that blocks lithium, for the people it is their heritage, their visual identity since the 19th century. It is the bitter dilemma of the green transition: sacrificing the local landscape to save the global climate. The Spanish mirror. This tension between national urgency and local rejection resonates strongly in Spain. As we have explained in Xatakathe European Union has launched a lifeline of 22,000 million euros to support 47 strategic mining projects and stop the bleeding of foreign dependence. Seven of them are on Spanish soil, with three standing out in Extremadura: the Aguablanca mine (the only nickel deposit in Europe, which reopens after a decade) and the tungsten mines of Las Navas and La Parrilla. However, the syndrome NIMBY (“Not In My Back Yard”) hits just as it does on British soil. The same publication recalls that the emblematic and controversial Cáceres lithium mine has been left out of European aid due to the fierce opposition of neighborhood and environmental platforms, a social pressure that has already managed to knock down similar projects in Ávila. The shadow of the dragon: the clock is ticking. While Europe deals with waste dumps and bureaucracy, China competes in another league. Fatih Birol, director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), warned to launch An operational mine takes an average of 17 years. The West is running against the clock, and Beijing is two decades ahead of us. And the data is suffocating. China processes 80% of the world’s lithium and 95% of graphite. For years, they sold batteries below production cost, taking losses to exterminate Western competition and establish silent dependence. Far from relaxing, the Asian giant keep devouring the subsoil: it has recently tripled its lithium reserves (going from 6% to 16.5% worldwide) thanks to new discoveries in its salt lakes. And the problem is not just “white gold.” The IEA alert that by 2035 there will be a 30% supply deficit in copper. Without copper for the cables, having batteries will be useless. The true cost of the transition. The UK’s mining awakening is the perfect microcosm of the challenge facing the West. We have discovered that we have the treasure under our feet, but geology is only the starting line. “White gold” requires colossal sacrifices. It requires risking billions in unstable markets, altering places that communities love and facing a very slow bureaucracy in the face of an implacable Asian rival. The batteries that will power the 21st century are not only going to cost us money; They will require profound social wear and tear. Lithium promises us the future, but unearthing it is going to be a real nightmare. Image | Cornish Lithium Xataka | China sold cheap batteries … Read more

Mexico has a gigantic energy treasure under its feet. The plan to extract it is called fracking

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Mexico is walking on a treasure and, at the same time, on a political minefield. Under the land of states like Coahuila, Tamaulipas and Veracruz, an energy giant sleeps: the sixth world reserves of unconventional gas. Waking him up was the great taboo of López Obrador’s six-year term, a red line drawn with the promise of “no to fracking“However, reality has knocked on the door of the National Palace. In a turn that redefines the new mandate, President Claudia Sheinbaum has faced an iron dilemma: staying true to the campaign promise of not using hydraulic fracturing or pursuing “energy sovereignty”, one of the almost mythical aspirations of the Mexican left, to stop depending on US gas. The president has already made a decision: she is willing to pay the political cost. What began as a rumor has become a budgetary and contractual reality in 2026. The data is compelling and leaves no room for doubt about the change in course. Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has increased its investment for this year in the “Gulf Tertiary Oil” program by 66%, going from 2,423 million pesos in 2025 to 4,016 million pesos in 2026, according to Treasury data obtained via transparency collected by The Universal. The machinery is already in motion. Pemex’s Strategic Plan (2025-2035) schedules the start of these operations after last year’s pilots. Pemex has awarded the first “mixed contracts” to private companies such as C5M, Geolis, CESIGSA and Petrolera Miahuapan. Although the state company retains the majority shareholding and control, it is the private parties who will provide the capital and technology, an urgent need for an oil company with a debt of more than 100 billion dollars. However, this injection of capital has raised alarm bells due to its opacity. The Mexican Alliance against Fracking denounces that in the 2026 Budget there are more than 245,000 million pesos allocated to gas projects that involve hydraulic fracturing, hidden under items that lack public breakdown and transparency, just as collected The Impartial. The semantics of dissimulation If he fracking was a “cursed word” in the previous six-year term, the new government has found a creative solution: change the dictionary. To avoid the political cost of openly announcing the use of fracking, the administration has chosen by a series of technical euphemisms. Rather frackingofficial documents speak of “reservoirs with complex geology” or “reservoir stimulation.” The general director of Pemex, Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, was blunt before the Senate: “We are not going to do frackingwe are taking advantage of technological development in evaluations of existing deposits.” But operational reality belies the rhetoric and breaks the discipline of official discourse. While euphemisms are used in the capital, on the ground urgency rules. The Undersecretary of Hydrocarbons of Tamaulipas, cited by The Countryrecently broke the taboo by declaring: “We talk it like it is here…hydraulic fracturing.” However, to understand the magnitude of the challenge, you have to look at the map. Pemex’s hopes are concentrated in three main basins: Burgos, Tampico-Misantla and Sabinas-Burro Picachos. The Burgos Basin is particularly relevant for being the natural extension towards the south of Eagle Ford in Texas, one of the deposits of shale most prolific of the American boom. If there is wealth north of the border, geology suggests there is wealth to the south as well. However, extracting this oil is not easy. The expert Miriam Grunstein illustrates the technical challenge starkly: the soil in these areas is a clayey “dump” and the crude oil has the density of “toothpaste.” This makes their exploitation extremely difficult, expensive and technologically demanding. Why go back to these complicated areas now? The answer is exhaustion. Pemex is pivoting toward the “unconventional” because its large conventional fields are drying up. It’s a portfolio decision to try to sustain the production platform in the face of the natural decline of traditional fields. If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu Behind Sheinbaum’s turn is a real geopolitical fear. Mexico imports 70% of the gas it consumes from the United States. “If the United States closes the valve, Mexico will be left in the dark,” recognized the head of Pemex himself. But the scenario is even more complex with the neighbor above led by Donald Trump and his vision of natural resources as national security. Recently, Washington has deployed the Project Vaulta strategy to secure critical minerals and counter China, which includes “geological mapping” of Mexican resources. The pressure is such that the Mexican government has had to give in to the harshest pragmatism. It was the Secretary of Economy, Marcelo Ebrard, who summarized Mexico’s position regarding the US energy integration demands with a lapidary phrase: “If you are not at the table participating, you are on the menu.” Mexico has decided to sit at the table fracking to avoid being devoured. Furthermore, the lack of liquidity forces this opening. Reactivating the identified wells requires immediate investments of more than $1 billion, money that will now come from private partners. The decision has been made, but the results will not be immediate. Although investment skyrockets in 2026, specialists warn that the launch of massive exploitation will take between three and four years to yield tangible results. The government’s optimistic projections suggest that, in their most developed phase, these fields could provide an additional 300,000 barrels per day. To achieve this, the “Mixed Contracts” model will be the norm: Pemex collect immediate bonuses for the award (almost 50 million dollars in the first round alone) and lets the private parties assume the operational and financial risk. A very high price The cost of this decision is already being paid in credibility with the bases. Organizations like Greenpeace and the Mexican Alliance against Fracking They have accused Sheinbaum of “betraying the people who elected her.” The most critical point is water. In a country hit by drought, the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC) estimates that 5.7 million liters of water are required per well. Greenpeace raise the alert citing the … Read more

A conflictive aesthetic is conquering the feet of thousands of Spaniards: “barefoot” footwear

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At seven in the morning, Fernando puts on his shoes barefoot before leaving for the school where he works. They are thin, soft, almost like a second skin. “Before I ended up with sores on my little fingers; now I can stand all day,” he tells us in an interview for Xataka. A few years ago you would have been looked at strangely for wearing sneakers with minimal soles and separated toes. Today, however, it does not go unnoticed as modern: the barefoot It has become a trend. From an alternative corner of the wellness world it has jumped to the feet of thousands of people. Influencers they recommend itshoe stores are multiplying and even Queen Letizia He wears them at public events. The phenomenon mixes fashion and physiology, and promises something as simple as it is powerful: walking again as we were born, barefoot. From niche to phenomenon. The rise of barefoot It has been meteoric. In just a couple of years, the concept has gone from health and natural parenting forums to digital catwalks. “At first they were ugly and almost no one used them,” remembers Fernando, 39, one of the first to try them in his circle. “But I saw people on Instagram talking about them, they said they were good for the feet and I decided to try them. From the first moment I felt very comfortable.” Like him, thousands of consumers discovered this type of footwear on social networks, recommended by social media accounts. physiotherapy either chiropody. Mar Oncina, owner from the shoe store DePeus in Alicante, confirms the change to Xataka: “When I opened, 80% of my clients were children. Now almost half are adults.” In just a year and a half, he says, interest has grown “hugely.” Schools ask for discounts for AMPAs and large chains, from Inditex to Mustang, have begun to launch their own minimalist lines. “People have understood that this is not just fashion, it is health,” he says. Walking ‘natural’. He barefoot proposes an idea as simple as it is radical: walking again without artifice. The difference with conventional footwear is in the structure. These shoes eliminate the heel (the so-called drop), cushioning and rigid insoles; Instead, they offer a thin, flexible sole that allows the foot to move and feel the ground. As explained in Podoactivathe main purpose of minimalist footwear is to promote a more natural gait and posture, strengthen the intrinsic muscles of the foot and promote proprioception. The foot, with its 28 bones and more than 100 tendons, is prepared to cushion naturally; What happens is that we have spent our entire lives enclosing it in rigid structures that atrophy it. a study published in Nature reinforces that idea: walking barefoot modifies the way the feet interact with the ground and how forces are distributed when walking. The researchers, led by evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman, discovered that people who walk without shoes develop thick calluses, but without losing tactile sensitivity. In other words, leather soles protect, but do not disconnect from the ground, while cushioned soles alter the natural way of walking and increase the impact on the joints. From children’s footwear to the adult boom. Paradoxically, the revolution of barefoot It started with the little ones. Mar tells us clearly: “It all started when my sister, an occupational therapist, decided that her daughter would only wear respectful shoes. She explained to us that children who go barefoot better develop gross motor skills, balance and foot strength.” From that family conviction, their store was born, and with it, a new market. Iraia, 36 years old, explains to Xataka that she discovered the barefoot looking for the best footwear for her daughter Alazne, who was unstable when taking her first steps. “I was convinced by the idea that the feet should move freely and without being deformed. Soon I started using them too and my posture changed. The lower back pain has disappeared, and my toes have literally separated.” Stories like yours are repeated in shoe stores and online forums. And although most started looking for health, many stay for comfort. “I no longer feel like coming home and taking off my shoes,” says Iraia. “It’s like going barefoot all day.” The view of the experts. Almost everyone agrees on the same idea: barefoot It’s not for everyone. “Whether it eliminates back or hip pain is questionable,” clarifies podiatrist Carles Espinosa interviewed by RAC1. “Yes, there are benefits if it is done with adaptation, but you cannot go from a shoe with a heel to a flat one overnight.” From the podiatry portal insist on the need of a progressive transition: gradually reduce the height of the heel to avoid injuries to the Achilles tendon or muscle overload. They also warn that hard surfaces, such as asphalt, are not the best to start with. Dr. Alberto Martínez Oller, from the MO podiatry clinic It’s even more concrete: “It is not recommended for people with flat feet, bunions, injuries or neuropathies. Nor for impact sports or uneven surfaces.” Their recommendation is clear: consult a podiatrist before making the change. Still, he recognizes the potential benefits: improved balance, muscle strengthening, increased mobility and prevention of deformities. In fact, some specialists fear, precisely, that viralization will turn a medical recommendation into a fast-moving fashion. “Walking naturally does not mean walking without control,” warn. The fever for well-being can lead to confusing minimalism with miracle, and each foot tells a different story. Digital fever and the power of the algorithm. If anything has driven the expansion of barefoothas been digital word of mouth. “The role of networks has been fundamental,” says Mar, from DePeus. “There are people who have known how to communicate it very well, such as podiatrists or physiotherapists who have reached thousands of people. The problem is that along with good information, many hoaxes also circulate.” “Transformation” videos abound on TikTok and Instagram: feet before and after months using barefoot, posture comparisons or 30-day barefoot challenges. … Read more

Spain is an agricultural giant with mud feet

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To understand the current problem of the Canarian banana only two figures are needed: the first is 0.42 (“The average price that the producer will receive for the most quality fruit (…) per kilo “); the second is 0.75 (” the production costs “of that same kilo of bananas). To understand the full problem, we have to take perspective. Because, if right now the Canarian sector is dying, a couple of months ago we saw the bananas in the peninsula up to seven euros per kilo. What is happening? As Roman Delgado explainedtoday (and with the data of week 36 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) prices “continue to generate losses in the crop, because with them the exploitation costs are not covered.” And yet, this would not have to be as bad as it really is. The Canarian banana, Thanks to the Posei Program of the European Unionhas one of the most refined compensation systems in the country. In principle and in these circumstances, the EU would complete the producers’ accounts with 33 cents. However, the situation is so tense that (in many cases) or with those aids, costs would be covered. And that prices have not been as low as they feared. Above all, because it has entered much less Latin American banana in the peninsula of what was expected. Meteorological problems on the other side of the puddle and logistics problems have produced a relative shortage of peninsular markets. This means that, although (as happened in 2024) everyone expected a price drop – related to the decrease in institutional demand with the arrival of summer, fortunately the collapse has been lower. Map (Via Canarias now) A problem that comes from afar … That is, the banana has saved furniture at the last moment and, even so, they are in free fall. But the key question is why: and the answer is a succession of years between bad and nefarious that have led On the verge of bankruptcy to any of the main cooperatives of the archipelago (which dragged problems from the eruption of the palm). … And that nobody is clear how long it will arrive. Because, remember, 2025 was the good year. That is, everything seems to indicate that as is the case with other traditional Spanish crops (such as the olive tree), the Canary Islands banana is on the edge of death and does not know. For now, it is still alive because the possei is armored until 2027, when the next budget framework of the Union is approved. The problem is that chaining another three bad years waiting for a solution from heaven to “fall very similar to” survive hooked to a machine. ” Even more when The ghost of the European agreement with Mercosur Threat to complicate (even more) the situation. The truth is that Canary Islands, Like the rest of Spanish agricultureneed a background reflection: it has grown thanks to the European “regulatory walls”, but those walls have been cracking for years. It’s time to reflect seriously about what we want to be older. Image | Brando Makes Branding / Diego Catto In Xataka | If the question is what to do with the millions of bananas that Canary Islands throw every year, there are already those who are clear: wine

Anthropic has seen that their users do not stop using the 200 euros plan a month of their AI. They had to stop their feet

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Anthropic has announced new weekly limits for your CLAUDE They have already entered into force, especially affecting Claude Code, their programming tool through artificial intelligence. The measure arrives after some users have been executing the tool continuously 24 hours a dayconsuming resources equivalent to tens of thousands of dollars with the most expensive subscriptions of $ 200 per month. There are saturation and the accounts do not come out. The most intensive developers They are putting cane To the Anthropic servers, saturating them with a use that goes far beyond what the company had planned at first. Some programmers have configured Claude Code to permanently operate in the background, automating tasks and generating code without stopping. This has caused Claude Code to have suffered partial or total falls at least seven times in the last month, according to THE STATE PAGE of Anthropic. New limits. Of course, users will have limits that restart every seven daysin addition to the current five -hour limits. Users of the Pro Plan ($ 20 per month) will be able to use between 40 and 80 hours a week with the sonnet 4. those of the Max Plan of $ 100 will have between $ 140 and 280 hours with Sonnet 4 and up to 35 hours with Opus 4. The Max Plan of 200 dollars will allow up to 480 hours with Sonnet 4 and 40 hours with Opus 4. Anthropic ensures that less than 5% of its users will be affected by these changes. It is not an isolated case. Other companies in the sector are living similar situations. Cursor, the popular programming tool with AI, changed its price strategy In June to stop the most intensive users of their 0 dollars plan, although He had to apologize Then not to communicate the changes well. Replit, another rival in the space of the program assisted by AI, also implemented similar measures the same month. It is clear that companies dedicated to AI are experiencing their plans and studying the use given by their users. That there are price changes as soon is a symptom that they are still taking their pulse while looking for a way for the business to come out profitable. Hidden limits. One of Claude’s problems is that it does not offer an accountant that allows users to know how much they are consuming in real time. Developers have to go “blind” until they run directly with the limit, something that generates frustration especially among those who pay the most expensive subscriptions. In addition, the company has detected that some users are sharing and reverting accounts, which makes the use of these accounts even more intensive. An experimental business model. Anthropic has pledged to offer “other options” for cases of intensive use in the future, but for the moment the priority is to maintain stable service for most users. Subscribers of the Max Plan may buy additional use at API prices when they exceed their limits. Keep a generative ia service as Claude It’s a challengeespecially if you want to guarantee maximum performance to all users. That is why we see so many changes in their plans, and it will not be uncommon to see them in the rest of the alternatives. Cover image | Anthropic In Xataka | There are those who believe that the best AIs become more silly over time. It is no madness

Granada promised them very happy with their new degree of the university. Until his feet stopped

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The University of Granada (UGR) closed the month of June with An important varapalo: Your commitment to the degree in AI It was completely paralyzed. A temporal defeat that is a blow to the city, but not a definitive goodbye to a key degree for its curriculum. Granada wanted to join the wave. In September 2024, the University of Granada proposed the application for verification of the degree in Data Sciences and Artificial Intelligence. One shared with the city of Melilla, and in which students were sought to form one of the most demanded fields of today From this 2026 course. The answer has been a no. For now. What happened. The UGR faced an unfavorable report by the Agency for the Scientific and University Quality of Andalusia (ACCUA). The most immediate translation: Pedro Mercado, rector of the university institution, declared on Monday, June 30 that The beginning of the titles for the month of September would not be reached. The more than 1,100 pre-registered students In the degree they were in Limbo, forced to bet on other UGR formative alternatives. The degree was paralyzed, but not definitively. The University of Granada must make the modifications required by the organization to obtain green light from September. Juanma Moreno, president of the Junta de Andalucía, has assured that The administration will have “everything ready” to start the course in September In case of the issuance of a favorable report. Why acua. Accua It is the main quality evaluation agency in Andalusian universities. Without a favorable emission, the necessary filter is not passed to give the green light to the degree. This is the first time that the entity issues an unfavorable report for a degree of the UGR and, without it, there is no free way. In summary accounts: The university approves the application for degree verification. ACCUA (in the case of Andalusia) Check if the degree meets the quality standards required by the European Higher Education Area (EEES). The Junta de Andalucía analyzes the economic viability and planning of resources of the degree, once approved. The Council of Universities, at the hands of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, reviews whether the title of adjustment to the general framework of the university system. With all previous checks, the degree is officially recorded Why is it important. Spain is trying create a quarry of experts in the counterrelojto cover the current offers without covering in AI and data science. The country needs cover more than 4,000 positions Deserts in these territories, waiting for 2025 for both training offer and professionals with the necessary skills to start covering them. Universities are trying to integrate AI and modify the stem curriculum Not to be left behind and face an inevitable problem: who enrolls from a degree in 2025 will be in … 2029. And there the labor market will be completely different. Amparo Alonso, president of the Spanish Artificial Intelligence Association Between 2013 and 2021, he collected for Xataka that the key will be to “explain the scientific foundation behind”, and not so much programming languages or current technologies. Spain and AI at University. In this acceleration for integrating AI as a university competence, The Community of Madridthe Valencia Polytechnic Universitythe University of Leónthe University of Malaga and the University of Jaénare some of the few who have dared with public degrees focused on data science, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. In their programs, basic pillars such as: Data structures Learning systems GENERATIVE AND COMPUTATION IN THE CLOUD Programming techniques Regulation and legal framework The experts themselves suggest that the key to learning will be to know their pillars and be clear that there is not a single path: The university is a good alternative, but not the only. Key to Andalusia. The degree in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence responds to a key academic strategy for the technological development plans of the Andalusian Board in cities such as Malaga and Granada. The community led by Juanma Moreno has been trying to become a key technological hub in Spain, with great initiatives such as the Andalusian Technology Park in Malaga, capture of large companies (Vodafone, Salesforce) Chips manufacturing centersand degrees in artificial intelligence in Jaén either Almería. Clear victories, as Google’s first cybersecurity center in Spain In the center of Malaga, they place the community in a competitive and ambitious position. And Granada, on a smaller scale, is willing to follow its steps. Image | How to practice languages using artificial intelligence

France and Spain wanted to ban social networks to children under 15. The European Union has stopped their feet

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France threatened yesterday with prohibiting access to social networks to those under 15 years If the EU did not rule on a community policy that unified the criterion for all the countries of the Union. Brussels’s response to this demand has been equally overwhelming. Each country is a world. Brussels He ruled out Wednesday The possibility of establishing a minimum community age to access social networks. There was a proposal led by Greece, France and Spain to establish it in 15 years, but those responsible for the European Union have it clear: there will not be a unique criterion, and each country must establish their own. Of community prohibition, nothing. Thomas Regnier, spokesman for technological sovereignty of the Community Executive, He indicated yesterday In the daily press conference that although they took note of the announcement of Emmanuel Macron, “a prohibition of social networks at European level is not something that the commission is promoting. This is prerogative of the Member States.” The tragedy. The Macron statements And his attempt to accelerate the implementation of a community access to social networks It comes from afar. However, that debate was urgently reactivated After the tragedy occurred on Tuesday at a Nogent school, in the Haute-Marne region. There a 14 -year -old student was arrested after killing a 31 -year -old watchman who performed routine backpacks. There is no evidence that this attack occurred for something that the adolescent saw on social networks. The community proposal does not advance. Several European Union countries They have been maintaining a debate on whether a minimum age must be established at the community level to access social networks. The initiative was led by Greece, France and Spain, but Italy, Denmark, Croatia, Slovakia and the Netherlands also supported it. Precisely Spain and Slovakia were the ones that were most shown and proposed to establish that minimum age in 16 years, while France, Greece or Denmark proposed to establish it at 15. That proposal, however, has not advanced. The RGPD as an instrument. He General Data Protection Regulation (RGPD) already has article 8, which is specifically oriented to regulate the access of minors to “information society services”. According to said regulations“Member States may establish by law a lower age for such purposes, provided that this is not less than 13 years.” And the DSA prepares changes. The Digital Services Law is also preparing to establish regulation that affects minors. In fact, guidelines are prepared that theoretically will be published this summer and that will force the platforms – social funds among them – to protect the safety and privacy of minors. Private accounts, age verification. Among the measures that they must adopt is that the accounts of the minors are believed as private by default, in addition to the implementation of age verification measures. AGE VERIFICATION APP. As he points out The European Commission, in parallel to these guidelines, an age verification application is being developed that provides a solution until the European digital identity The EU is ready at the end of 2026. The technical specifications of said app are now available In Github. Image | Markus Spiske In Xataka | The Japanese are ceasing to consume paper pornography. And that has had a direct effect on its streets

Extremadura has decided to explore an energy “treasure” under his feet: rare earth deposits

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In recent days, we have heard a lot about “rare earths.” This last obsession of the US president, Donald Trump, has infected everyone and We have followed closely your insatiable search by different parts of the world as Greenland either Ukraine. However, this desire for the dominance of this element is due, among things, that China is the giant that It dominates it. However, to the surprise of many, Extremadura handles the hypothesis that houses a potential of four deposits of rare earths. Short. The Board of Extremadura granted a license In August 2024 to explore an area of ​​49,500 hectares, which will cover 20 municipalities of the Cáceres de los Ibores and scratch field. For its part, indications of the presence of rare earths have also been confirmed in the Badajoz area. An opening for Europe. This new finding marks a new path to Europe, since it needs its own reservations to reduce its dependence on third countries. Francisco Fernández, delegate of the College of Geologists of Extremadura (ICOG), He explained: “The geological characteristics of Extremadura are favorable to house rare earth deposits”, although it is still in a preliminary phase. However, it has not ruled out the possibility that in deposits already exploited from metals I can host these elements. In addition, more than five years ago there were previous work where there had been search for mining resources in the area. The work, entitled “Mining Resources of Extremadura, Rocks and Industrial Minerals”was commissioned by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, and placed the deposits in the Pacenses localities of Bartrota and Burguillos del Cerro, and in a cacereña, Alía. Spain has potential. The deposits are not reduced only to Extremadura. Spain has a wide variety of elements to extract and different areas for it. In particular, rare earths can find them in Galicia, Gran Canaria, Almería, Ciudad Realamong other places. The fan that has been opened is very wide, but these deposits have in common not only the element, but their extraction seems to be complex. However, another thing that does not remain and we can affirm that we have is ingenuity. In Spain, the formula has been found to stop depending on other countries to obtain rare earths, and It is by recycling. From a recycling plant, valuable elements are recovered through a process of merger at high temperatures. Other critical minerals. Ester Boixereu, an expert in Mineral and Vocal Resources of ICOG, in an interview for Radio 5, has detailed That rare earths are a critical mineral, but that the list of critical minerals in turn is a “very long list of elements.” In addition, he added that rare earth minerals have a peculiarity, and are not difficult names, but do not form their own minerals. In other words, it is difficult to find a high concentration of these elements, since they are all together in a series of minerals. On the other hand, Extremadura has a lot to offer, as it has great potential for minerals and is also in plans to carry out a Great Lithium Mine. However, making a more general photograph, Spain He is highlighting In the EU as a power in other productions such as copper, wolframium, graphite, vanadium and cobalt, among others. A long road. Despite the potential, rare earth mining is not immediate or simple. Despite the advance in extraction technologies to significantly reduce the environmental impact, there are still concerns about past cases such as that of Aznalcóllar. For this reason, Spanish legislation requires rigorous environmental controls before authorizing any mining exploitation to ensure care of the environment. Image | Pexels Xataka | Europe has been trapped between two powers: US and Russia already discuss the controversial Nord Stream 2 on their own

Spirit Airlines will prevent passengers with bare feet, scantily clad clothing or offensive tattoos from accessing their planes

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New York – The American low-cost airline Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy last Novemberis generating headlines now with his new rules on tattoos and clothing on board that can ground more than one passenger. The new “code” prohibits barefoot passengers from traveling on Spirit Airlines planesthose who wear clothing that reveals too much, exposes private parts or display tattoos that are offensive, lewd or obsceneaccording to the media that have reported the news, such as CNN or the KSAT channel. Those who do not wear shoes or wear “inappropriate clothing” will not be able to set foot on the plane.the media say. These measures are part of the new rules for passengers, which They not only cover how the traveler is dressed but also what they have drunk before boarding. (alcohol or drugs), if he suffers from a contagious disease or if his behavior is violent or disorderly and interferes with the work of the crew. In this regard, it establishes that the passenger must be willing or able to sit in a seat and with the seat belt on during the flight. The media remember that months before the update of these regulations Spirit Airlines had prevented two young passengers from taking a flight who were wearing shirts with their midriffs exposed. and a young man wearing a hoodie with a printed legend containing a curse word. In the middle of this month the company based in Dania Beach (Florida) announced the elimination of about 200 positions working in various departments with the aim of reducing expenses after declaring bankruptcy last November. In an attempt to cut costs, the airline had previously laid off hundreds of pilots and had also offered licenses to stewards and flight attendants, in addition to reducing its network and reaching agreements to sell part of its fleet of Airbus aircraft to raise funds. Spirit Airlines is in financial crisis since Jetblue broke a purchase agreement for $6.6 billion dollars; previously, he US Department of Justice had opposed the purchase agreement for violating antitrust laws. Keep reading: Grandmother of 6-year-old Hispanic boy who Spirit placed on wrong plane says she is disappointed with handling of case Spirit Airlines staff at LAX airport deny flight access to Puerto Rican family because the child did not have a passport

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