English in Madrid

Source: Wikipedia (Jove)   Spanish riot police clash with protesters after rapper arrested   Rubber bullets fired at crowds in Madrid day after Pablo Hasél was detained on charges of glorifying terrorism  Police have fired teargas, rubber bullets and sound bombs at thousands of protesters in Madrid, the day after a rapper was arrested on charges of glorifying terrorism and insulting royalty in his songs.  Protests in the capital’s central Plaza de Sol square were initially peaceful, with people clapping their hands in unison and chanting , “No more police violence” and “Freedom for Pablo Hasél”, the rapper detained in the Catalan city of Lleida on Tuesday.  But police charged into the crowd wielding batons after a few protesters began throwing glass bottles and stones that they had loosened from the pavement . Some protesters responded by setting fire to containers to create barricades in the narrow Madrid streets.  In Barcelona, police also fired rubber bullets into

Source: Arnaud Jaegers on Unsplash   Catalonia election: pro-independence parties increase majority   Catalan Socialist party finishes first as secessionists win more than half the vote on turnout of only 53%   Source: Guardian News Catalan pro-independence parties have increased their parliamentary majority following a regional election in which the unionist Socialists took the largest share of the vote and the far-right Vox party outperformed its conservative rivals to win its first seats in the northeastern Spanish region.  Sunday’s election was overshadowed by the Covid pandemic and dominated by the continuing debate over independence that has shaped and divided Catalan politics for the past decade.  For the first time, pro-independence parties took more than half the votes , winning 51% – up from 47.5% in the last regional election in December 2017. Between them , they now hold 74 of the 135 seats in the Catalan parliament, an increase of four seats.  The Cata

Source: Wikipedia (Parrot of Doom)   Larry, the No 10 cat, celebrates 10 years on the seat of power  The popular tabby has seen off two prime ministers as well as numerous mice and birds  Britain’s chief mouser is celebrating 10 years prowling the corridors of political power at No 10 Downing Street.  This Monday marks 10 years since Larry the cat left Battersea Dogs and Cats Home for a new home with the prime minister.  He was the first cat to hold the rat-catching portfolio since stalwart ratter Humphrey was retired in 1997.  Lindsey Quinlan, from Battersea, said: “It seems like only yesterday that Larry came to our cattery as a stray in need of a home. I don’t think anyone back then could have imagined just how incredible his life would turn out to be .  “ Throughout his time at No 10 , Larry has proved himself to not only be a brilliant ambassador for Battersea but also demonstrated to millions of people around the world how incredible rescue cats are.  “His rags

Spanish princess Leonor to attend UWC Atlantic College in Wales The heir to the Spanish throne is to study in Wales from this summer, it has been announced.  Princess Leonor de Borbon, 15, the elder of two daughters of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, will attend Atlantic College, based at St Donat's Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan.  The princess, who turns 16 in October, will begin her £67,000 two-year course at the boarding school this summer.  King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will personally meet the cost of the course.   She applied for a place through the United World Colleges (UWC)'s Spanish committee. Princess Leonor went through the entire selection process, part of which is conducted anonymously, along with all other candidates.  "We are looking forward to welcom ing HRH Princess Leonor of Asturias as one of the Spanish nominees to attend UWC Atlantic in 2021," said Peter T. Howe, principal of the college.  "We hope very much she enjoy

Source: Jonas Dücker on Unsplash   US Coast Guard rescues three Cubans stranded on desert island for 33 days   Two men and a woman swam to Anguilla Cay after boat capsized Unclear if Cubans were trying to reach United States The US Coast Guard rescued three Cuban nationals stranded on a desert island for roughly five weeks, after officers saw the group waving a makeshift flag to gain their attention.  The group, including two men and a woman, had been living on an uninhabited Bahamian island, Anguilla Cay, for 33 days after their boat capsized.  The US Coast Guard found them while flying a routine mission from the Florida Keys, and told the Florida Sun Sentinel the group lived off coconuts, conch and rats while on the island.  “We were alerted to them by the flags that they actually had in addition to a large cross that they put out there for themselves,” helicopter pilot Mike Allert told the Miami TV station WPLG.  The pilot said he then decided to fly back around Anguilla C

Source: John Cameron on Unsplash   China promotes education drive to make boys more ' manly '   A notice from China's education ministry has caused a stir after it suggested young Chinese men had become too "feminine". The message has been criticised as sexist by many online users - but some say China's male celebrities are partly to blame .  For a while China's government has signalled concern that the country's most popular male role models are no longer strong, athletic figures like " army heroes". Even President Xi Jinping, a well-known football enthusiast, has long been seeking to cultivate better sports stars.  So last week, the education ministry issued a notice with a title that left no doubt about its ultimate goal.  The Proposal to Prevent the Feminisation of Male Adolescents called on schools to fully reform their offerings on physical education and strengthen their recruitment of teachers.  The text advised recruit