Latest news with #ElPaís
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Bacteria can turn plastic waste into a painkiller
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Tylenol could potentially be made greener and cheaper with the help of bacteria. Scientists were able to use a bacterial chemical reaction to convert a plastic water bottle into paracetamol with no environmental strain. This development could alter the way drugs are produced and provide a much-needed solution to the plastic pollution problem. The bacteria Escherichia coli or common in the gut microbiome, can be used to break down plastic into paracetamol, according to a study published in the journal Nature Chemistry. Paracetamol, or acetaminophen, is the main active ingredient in the painkiller Tylenol. It is generally produced using fossil fuels, namely crude oil, which has been known to worsen climate change. But "by merging chemistry and biology in this way for the first time, we can make paracetamol more sustainably and clean up plastic waste from the environment at the same time," said Stephen Wallace, a professor at the University of Edinburgh and the lead author of the study, to The Guardian. The researchers triggered a chemical reaction in known as the Lossen rearrangement that "until now had only been observed in test tubes," said Spanish newspaper El País. The was genetically modified to be able to break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic used in food packaging and bottles, and ultimately produce paracetamol. This process can occur at room temperature and produces no carbon emissions. "It enables, for the first time, a pathway from plastic waste to paracetamol, which is not possible using biology alone, and it's not possible using chemistry alone," Wallace said to Science News. While it will take time before the painkiller can be widely produced using this method, "this could mark part of a broader shift toward more sustainable, biology-based manufacturing practices, both in the pharmaceutical industry and in plastic recycling," El País said. Plastic waste has been known to harm the environment and can pollute waterways and leach chemicals into the ecosystem. Microplastics have also been found almost everywhere on Earth and in our bodies. "I genuinely think this is quite an exciting sort of starting point for plastic waste upcycling," Wallace said. PET plastic "creates more than 350 million tons of waste annually," said a news release about the study. While PET recycling is possible, "existing processes create products that continue to contribute to plastic pollution worldwide." This research could be the solution to the pollution. The study's findings indicate that "PET plastic isn't just waste or a material destined to become more plastic," Wallace said in the release. "It can be transformed by microorganisms into valuable new products, including those with potential for treating disease." This is not the first time bacteria have been used to break down plastic, and it likely will not be the last. However, the ability to create medicine from plastic introduces a fresh area of research. "Based on what we've seen, it's highly likely that many — or even most — bacteria can perform these kinds of transmutations," Wallace said. "This opens up a whole new way of thinking about how we might use microbes as tiny chemical factories."
Ya Biladi
5 days ago
- Ya Biladi
Protests erupt in Spain over Moroccan man's death at hands of police
Nearly 200 residents of Torrejón de Ardoz, near Madrid, gathered for a sit-in on Saturday, June 21, at Plaza de España, chanting slogans such as «Moroccan Lives Matter» and «Fascists Out!» The protest was sparked by the killing of a Moroccan man by a municipal police officer the previous Tuesday. Abderrahim, 35, died in an incident that drew chilling comparisons to the murder of African-American George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. Footage published by Spanish media shows the officer kneeling on Abderrahim's neck while ignoring pleas from a bystander urging him to «let the young man breathe a little; the police cannot take justice into their own hands». Anti-racist organizations denounced the killing at Saturday's demonstration, calling it part of a «systemic pattern of persecution against migrants». Abderrahim had lived in Torrejón de Ardoz for nearly 17 years. The officer involved was arrested on Tuesday and charged with involuntary manslaughter, but was released on bail Thursday. According to El País, the investigating judge ruled there was no risk of flight, reoffending, or tampering with evidence.
Spectator
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Spain's Pedro Sanchez won't limp on for long
Ahead of next week's Nato summit in The Hague, Spain's socialist prime minister has refused to increase his country's defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP. Pedro Sánchez says that the increase, championed by President Trump and backed by Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, is 'unreasonable'. His refusal has disrupted preparations for the summit at which all the allies were to be asked to commit to the 5 per cent target. Spain, currently the lowest spender on defence in Nato, recently pledged to increase from 1.3 to 2 per cent of GDP. To increase to 5 per cent would cost a further €80 billion (£68 billion) a year, Sánchez said in a forthright letter sent to Rutte on Thursday. That would require tax increases and cuts to healthcare, education, pensions, green investment and the much-needed housing budget. Instead Sánchez proposed that Spain be exempted from any spending target agreed next week or at least be allowed to adopt a flexible, voluntary approach. The events of recent days have left Sanchez's credibility in shreds Sánchez's anti-Trump stance will be well-received by the radical left-wing and separatist parliamentary allies that prop up his fragile minority coalition government. Engulfed in corruption scandals, Sánchez desperately needs their continued support to remain in office. Allegations of kickbacks on public sector contracts and sleaze in his left-wing party emerge almost daily. Even El País, Spain's centre-left newspaper of record whose support Sánchez can usually count on, has suggested that he should resign. The most damaging allegations centre on long-standing, systemic corruption in Sánchez's inner circle. Sánchez has tried, so far unsuccessfully, to distance himself from what he calls the 'toxic triangle' of two former right-hand men and a close adviser. This week audio recordings in which the men, who all deny wrongdoing, discuss how to divide the kickbacks as well as the different merits and attributes of various prostitutes whose company they are preparing to enjoy have surfaced. Those recordings have caused revulsion across Spain and the damage has been compounded by a series of unforced errors by Sánchez. In a parliamentary debate on Wednesday he provoked outrage by describing the corruption allegations as merely 'an anecdote'. Previously he attempted to dismiss the importance of another recording which appears to show evidence of vote-rigging by two of the toxic trio during his election as party leader in 2014. Unimpressive too are Sánchez's suggestions that others have done worse things and that his main problem is that he is such a trusting person that it never occurs to him that such things might be going on under his nose. It is not only Sánchez, though, who is showing signs of strain. Three of his ministers recently claimed that a member of the Guardia Civil police force was plotting to assassinate the prime minister. Even when the accusation, based on fake news, was shown to be false, the ministers refused to withdraw the accusation. A few weeks previously, one of the three, the Deputy Prime Minister, alarmed the public by declaring that the principle of presumption of innocence is a disgrace. When reminded that it's actually a cornerstone of democratic freedom, she tried to pretend that she'd never suggested otherwise. Meanwhile, Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has confirmed that the President wants to see all Nato countries pay their fair share towards defence by meeting the 5 per cent target. She said that she had not yet seen 'Spain's comments' but 'would make sure the President sees them'. But Sánchez's resistance to the increase in defence spending may not pose a long-term obstacle for Trump. Sánchez came to power promising 'democratic regeneration', so the events of recent days have left his credibility in shreds. With revulsion growing and further revelations expected, it seems increasingly unlikely that his government will survive until August 2027 when the next general election is due. Whenever that election is held, it's likely to usher in a right-wing coalition government of the Partido Popular and Vox. Vox in particular is strongly supportive of Trump. So, despite Spain's pacifist tradition – a 2024 Gallup survey showed that only 29 per cent of citizens were willing to take up arms in case of war, compared to a global average of 52 per cent – Spain's next government may well be more willing to align with Trump's defence priorities.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
19-06-2025
- Business
- First Post
'Unreasonable, counterproductive': Spain's Sánchez rejects push to increase Nato defence spending to 5%
Spanish PM Sánchez has told Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte that the proposed increase in the alliance's defence spending target to 5% of GDP would be 'not only unreasonable, but also counterproductive', according to a report read more Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has told Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte that the proposed increase in the alliance's defence spending target to 5% of GDP would be 'not only unreasonable, but also counterproductive,' according to a report. According to The Guardian report, citing Spanish newspaper El País, in a letter responding to Rutte's proposals for next week's Nato summit in the Hague, Sánchez declared his opposition for the proposed change arguing 'it is not necessary to fulfil our commitments to the alliance.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sánchez reportedly argued that the proposed 5% GDP defence spending target 'has nothing to do with the level of commitment to collective defence,' asserting that Spain remains confident in its ability to meet Nato obligations with lower spending levels. He warned that adopting such a target would negatively impact the Spanish economy, potentially requiring tax hikes, cuts to public services, and delays in the country's green transition plans. 'We choose not to make those sacrifices,' The Guardian quoted Sánchez to have told Nato Rutte. According to the report, the new Nato defence spending goal had been expected to pass unanimously, but Spain's opposition could now prompt further discussions among member states. A Spanish government source told El País that while Madrid does not intend to 'veto anything' for other countries, it wants to be clear that it 'can't commit to it.' Spain's national broadcaster RTVE also reported on Sánchez's stance. The latest Nato data shows Spain's defence spending at just 1.3% of GDP — the lowest among all alliance members. In April, the Spanish government announced tentative plans to raise that figure to 2%. With inputs from agencies
New York Post
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Bad Bunny blasts ICE agents as ‘sons of bitches' after filming operations in Puerto Rico: ‘Look, those motherf—rs'
Latin music mega-star Bad Bunny expressed outrage while witnessing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Puerto Rico on Tuesday. In a clip shared to his Instagram story, the artist recorded several law enforcement vehicles stopped on the side of the road, while officers appeared to interrogate several unidentified individuals. Bad Bunny could be heard insulting the ICE agents over the recording in Spanish. 'Look, those motherf——s are in these cars, RAV-4s. They're here in Pontezuela,' he said in Spanish, mentioning ICE working on the Avenida Pontezuela in Carolina, a city east of Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan. 'Sons of b——, instead of leaving the people alone and working there,' he added. ICE has ramped up operations in the U.S. territory since President Donald Trump's inauguration. Spanish newspaper El País reported on June 1 that 445 people have been detained on the island since Jan. 26. 'The vast majority are men, and nearly 72% of those detained are Dominican citizens, followed by Haitians, Venezuelans and Mexicans,' the outlet stated. 3 Bad Bunny took to social media to criticize the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Puerto Rico on Tuesday. Jonah Elkowitz / New York Post The report described the city as being 'under siege' thanks to the federal government's raids. Puerto Rico's governor, Jenniffer González-Colón – a Republican who supported Trump in the 2024 election – has stated that she will not get in the way of ICE operations, even those done in churches and hospitals. González-Colón stated that she 'cannot afford' to risk losing federal funds by interrupting deportations operations. The subject of illegal immigration enforcement has reached a fever pitch in the United States in recent weeks. Protests against Trump's immigration crackdown turned violent in Los Angeles last week, with the president calling in the National Guard and several hundred U.S. Marines to quell the chaos. 3 The Instagram story posted by the Latin music mega-star showed law enforcement vehicles stopped on the side of the road as officers appeared to interrogate several unidentified individuals. Instagram/@badbunnypr The artist, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is the latest to join the growing chorus of celebrities decrying Trump's immigration agenda. Kim Kardashian, whose sister Kendall Jenner dated Bad Bunny in 2023, made waves on social media earlier this month by denouncing the Los Angeles ICE raids as 'inhumane.' 'When we're told that ICE exists to keep our country safe and remove violent criminals — great. But when we witness innocent, hardworking people being ripped from their families in inhumane ways, we have to speak up. We have to do what's right,' she wrote in an Instagram story. 'Scream' actress Jenna Ortega similarly encouraged her 37.2 million Instagram followers to 'be angry' over ICE operations in an Instagram story last weekend. 3 445 people in Puetro Rico have been detained since January, according to Spanish newspaper El País. AP 'The world is crying all over. People in Los Angeles are being torn away from their everyday lives & love… The ones they've built so tirelessly over the years, just like you… Innocent civilians in Iran are caught in the middle of warfare. Palestinian cries are still being buried in every day [sic] media. My thoughts are heavy, my heart follows.' She added, 'Listen to one another & love, but be angry too. Educate yourself as best you can. To say this doesn't concern you, or that it isn't your problem, is a privilege under abuse.'
