LONDON — Banknotes featuring a portrait of King Charles entered circulation in Britain on Wednesday, nearly two years after he succeeded the late Queen Elizabeth as head of state.

Charles’ image will appear on the new notes for five, 10, 20 50 pounds issued by the Bank of England (BoE). Existing notes featuring Elizabeth will continue to circulate.

“This approach is in line with guidance from the Royal Household, to minimize the environmental and financial impact of this change,” the BoE said. “This means the public will begin to see the new King Charles III notes very gradually.”

Queen Elizabeth was the first monarch to feature on British banknotes, in contrast to coins in England which have carried images of kings and queens for more than 1,000 years.

The design of the new banknotes was revealed in December 2022, shortly after coins featuring King Charles entered circulation. Other than the new monarch, the design of the banknotes is unchanged.

Cash usage has fallen sharply in Britain in recent years as consumers favor debit cards and other electronic payments.

According to the British Retail Consortium, cash accounted for more than half of transactions in shops in 2014, but had fallen to 15% by 2021 — partly due to COVID-19 restrictions — before rising to 19% in 2022.

“We are committed to providing banknotes for as long as the public demand them. Bringing these new notes into circulation is a demonstration of that commitment,” BoE Governor Andrew Bailey said on Wednesday.

Britain’s government passed legislation last year to require banks to ensure ready access to cash. — Reuters

MADRID — Spain announced measures on Tuesday to ensure parental controls on smartphones by default as part of new steps to protect children from the harmful effects of social media.

The government will also criminalize the creation of “deepfake” artificial intelligence-generated images involving sexual content and the sharing of pornographic material with children, Justice Minister Feliz Bolanos told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

The age of data protection consent would be raised from 14 to 16 and a digital restraining order — banning certain people from contacting others online — to be introduced, he said.

“We want to give families the peace of mind that when their children are in a digital environment, they can be sure that the government of Spain cares for them,” he said.

The bill has to be approved by parliament to become law.

The European Union’s sweeping Digital Services Act (DSA)brought in last year includes some specific protections for children but countries are also generating their own legislation to respond to public concerns.

France made a parental control available by default on all internet-connected devices in September 2022. In Britain, an Online Safety Act that came into force in October last year requires platforms such as Meta’s Facebook or Instagram and Alphabet’s  YouTube to remove illegal content and be effective in checking their users are at least 13 years old.

The potential risks for children of using social media are still being investigated and debated.

In May 2023, the US Surgeon General said that while social media offered some benefits, there were “ample indicators” it could also harm the mental health of children.

Social media use may cause and perpetuate body image issues, affect eating behaviors and sleep quality, and lead to social comparison and low self-esteem, especially among adolescent girls, he warned in an advisory.

The Spanish government also intends to roll out a national education campaign for children and teenagers to help them navigate social media and training for teachers and healthcare staff in identifying those struggling with it, Bolanos said. — Reuters

LJUBLJANA — Slovenia became the latest European Union (EU) country to recognize an independent Palestinian state after its parliament approved the move with majority vote on Tuesday, dismissing a call for a referendum on the issue by the largest opposition party.

The government last week decided to recognize Palestine as an independent and sovereign state following in the steps of Spain, Ireland and Norway as part of a wider effort to coordinate pressure on Israel to end the conflict in Gaza.

“Today’s recognition of Palestine as a sovereign and independent state sends hope to the Palestinian people in the West Bank and in Gaza,” Prime Minister Robert Golob said on X.

The vote was scheduled for Tuesday and a parliamentary group for foreign affairs on Monday endorsed the government decision with majority vote.

The right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) of former premier Janez Jansa, however, then submitted a proposal on a consultative referendum on the recognition bid, which would have delayed the vote for at least a month.

The SDS, the largest opposition party, argued it was not the right time to recognize an independent Palestinian state and that the move would only award the “terrorist organization Hamas.”

After the ruling coalition, which holds a majority in Slovenia’s 90-member parliament, tried to find the way around the referendum demand and proceed with the vote, the SDS withdrew their proposal but submitted it again hours later.

The parliament committee for foreign affairs declared it inadequate and dismissed it at an extraordinary session.

The decision was approved with 52 votes, and nobody against it after the opposition SDS party had left the session.

Of the 27 members of the EU, Sweden, Cyprus, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria have already recognized a Palestinian state. Malta has said it could follow soon.

Israel has been fighting against Hamas, which rules Gaza, since the cross-border Oct. 7 attack by militants in which some 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Nearly 130 hostages are believed to remain captive in Gaza.

Gaza health authorities say more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war over the past seven months. — Reuters