English in Madrid

Tens of thousands protest against Canary Islands’ ‘unsustainable’ tourism model Organisers say 50,000 turn out to call for limit on tourist numbers, saying model makes life unaffordable and puts strain on resources Tens of thousands of people are protesting across the Canary Islands to call for an urgent rethink of the Spanish archipelago’s tourism strategy and a freeze on visitor numbers, arguing that the decades-old model has made life unaffordable and environmentally unsustainable for residents. The protests, which are taking place under the banner “Canarias tiene un límite” – The Canaries have a limit – are backed by environmental groups including Greenpeace, WWF, Ecologists in Action, Friends of the Earth and SEO/Birdlife. “We’ve reached the point where the balance between the use of resources and the welfare of the population here has broken down , especially over the past year,” said Víctor Martín, a spokesperson for the collective Canarias se Agota – The Canaries Have

Spain’s LGBT matador: 'More will come out because of me' Spain's first openly LGBT matador believes more bullfighters will come out, after revealing he is pansexual. "There have always been gay people in bullfighting, but they didn't say anything," says Mario Alcalde. I meet the 31-year-old on a remote farm near the Portuguese border, where he is having a practice session for one of Spain's most notable, and notorious , traditions. Dressed in a small black waistcoat and skin-tight grey trousers, he looks every inch the bullfighter . But Mario Alcalde also works full-time as a baggage handler at Madrid-Barajas Airport and lives with his family. Bullfighting only pays big bucks for an elite few. He's now embracing a boost to his profile after telling Spanish newspaper El Mundo he is pansexual - someone who is attracted to another, regardless of their sex or gender. It was a spontaneous decision to come out, he says. Not even his family knew. &q

Spain's prime minister defends Eurovision entry Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has defended the country's Eurovision song after it was branded "anti-women". The electro-pop anthem Zorra has come under fire because its title, which means vixen, is more often used to mean "bitch" or " slut " in Spanish slang . The song "insults women in a sexist way", said the Feminist Movement of Madrid in a statement . But Mr Sánchez dismissed the criticism , saying the song challenged sexist stereotypes. "It seems to me that feminism is not only fair, it can be fun, and this type of provocation must come from culture," he told the Al Rojo Vivo programme on La Sexta television. Zorra is performed by Nebulossa - a duo formed by María "Mery" Bas and Mark Dasous, from the village Ondara in Alicante. They have been married for 20 years and raised two children before forming their band in 2018. The group made headlines

Austrian heiress Marlene Engelhorn announces plan for €25m giveaway An Austro-German heiress is setting up a citizens group to decide how she should give away much of the fortune she inherited from her grandmother. Marlene Engelhorn, who is 31 and lives in Vienna, wants 50 Austrians to determine how €25m (£21.5m) of her inheritance should be redistributed. "I have inherited a fortune, and therefore power, without having done anything for it," she said. "And the state doesn't even want taxes on it." Austria abolished inheritance tax in 2008, one of a handful of European countries that do not impose inheritance tax - or death duties. Ms Engelhorn believes that is unfair. She is a descendant of Friedrich Engelhorn, the founder of German chemical and pharmaceutical company, BASF, and inherited millions when her grandmother died in September 2022. Traudl Engelhorn-Vechiatto's wealth was estimated by US magazine Forbes at $4.2bn (£3.3bn; €3.

  Brit chess prodigy tells Spanish court he was ' messing around ' when he joked 'I'm Taliban' and told pals ' on my way  to  blow up   the plane' in message that  sparked  fighter jet  escort  during easyJet flight to Menorca    A British  former  child  chess  prodigy has admitted in court he told his friends before  jetting to  Spain: 'On my way to blow up the plane. I'm a member of the Taliban.' But Aditya Verma insisted today as he  went on trial  that he was joking with his pals in a private Snapchat group before he was  hauled off  the flight. The 20-year-old student said he had 'no intention' of mobilising the two Spanish fighter jets sent to escort the  packed  easyJet plane he and 140 other  holidaymakers  were on as it  neared  Menorca along with police and firefighters on the ground.   Indian-born Aditya was 18 when he was  arrested  after  landing  on the island on July 3 2022 for a  post  A-Level exam holiday after finishing

Doctor warns Dry January will 'never work' to help really 'detox' the body - and instead reveals the ways to reduce booze intake across the year Doctor Alasdair Scott has likened the effects of dry January to a ' crash diet ' It is a challenge that requires a person to stop drink ing alcohol for a month New year, new me - or so the saying goes, and there's no better time to commit to a month devoid of booze. Or is there?  Doctor Alasdair Scott, director of London health care service Selph, has branded Dry January a 'myth', while adding that you can't simply 'detox' your body of alcohol within one month .  Dry January is a popular personal challenge that requires a person to refrain from drinking alcohol for a month - often in the hopes of cancelling out the effects of a very boozy Christmas.  The medical expert and surgeon likened the trend to a 'crash diet', while revealing that it had very few health benefits, a