English in Madrid

UK says Falkland Islands 'definitely ours' after Argentina banner The UK government has said "the World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are," after Argentina players celebrated their victory over England by waving a banner in support of their country's territorial claim.Speaking after England's 2-1 semi-final defeat in Atlanta, Downing Street said Sir Keir Starmer wished both Argentina and Spain "well for the final, especially Spain". Argentina face the prospect of disciplinary action from Fifa. The banner held by some of their players read "Las Malvinas son Argentinas", which translates as "The Falklands are Argentine". The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean. They remain the subject of a sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina, with the two countries waging a brief but bitter war over the territory in 1982. A British military task force ejected A...

Venezuela quake survivor pulled out alive after eight days A man has been rescued alive after being trapped for eight days in the rubble of a building that collapsed after twin earthquakes in Venezuela. Emergency workers managed to free Hernán Gil more than 100 hours after they had first located him under 140 tonnes of rubble. A Chilean firefighter had earlier described the rescue operation as "without doubt the most complex and technically difficult which I've had to tackle ". Almost 2,300 people are confirmed to have died in the quakes which hit Venezuela on 24 June, and tens of thousands are still missing. Allan Madrigal, a paramedic with the Costa Rican Red Cross, told journalists at the site that Gil had "emerged just perfect" from the ordeal . Madrigal is the rescuer who heard Gil's faint cries for help emerging from the rubble on Sunday. "It was an emotional moment," he recalled , explaining that at first he had not trusted his own ea...

Source: YouTube (The Telegraph) Key words: Starmer resignation speech Walking up this street two years ago was the proudest moment of my life. A new Labour government. The first in 14 years. A page in our country's history turned after years of disappointment and despair . The chance to change the lives of millions of people for the better. That's what I came into politics for. The journey to that point was not easy. Six years ago, I inherited a Labour Party that was politically, financially and morally bankrupt. I was told, time and time again , that my party was finished. That we were consigned to history , that a majority at the general election, let alone a landslide majority , was impossible. But we proved those people wrong because we changed our party. Ripping out the poison of antisemitism, restoring trust on the economy, defence, and national security. And becoming a party that, once again, stood proudly with , not against, our national flag. The hard work o...

Image created with Chat GPT I hear the word buddy more and more . It is an informal American term for a friend that has become widely used in British English. I wouldn't mind so much if we didn't have slang terms for friends already. Mate seems to have been overtaken by buddy. People sometimes use buddy when talking to complete strangers so it can sound insincere and perhaps patronising.             (in the gym)           - Hey buddy! How many sets do you have left ?           - I've just started but we can take turns if you like .               (in the pub)           - Hi there! Can I have two pints of lager please?           - Sure buddy. That'll be £8.50.           - How ya doin', bud? Not seen you in ages. Mate is the UK equivalent of buddy and it is still very common to hear. It'...

World Cup Controversy - Before the 2010 World Cup, some people weren't happy that Spanish players were reported to get €600,000 each if they ended up   winn ing the championship. The country was suffering after the great financial crash but nobody seemed to mind when Spain were crowned the winners. However, Spain got off to a terrible start when they were defeated by Switzerland - Did Spain get too big for  their football boots? , and many pointed the finger at Iker Casilla's partner - Girlfriend gets blame for defeat . England had thought, as they always do, that they would lift the trophy - Arrogant English - will they ever learn?   and most Scots supported Anyone But England - Come on USA, Algeria and Slovenia - ABE! Scotland played the World Champions a few months later - Come on Scotland!!! ; it wasn't as easy a win as Spain had assumed - Scotland 2 Spain 3 Boo-hoo! I didn't post anything related when Spain won the World Cup but I did when they went out in...

Image created with Chat GPT Do the Quizlet to see how many of the twenty random e-words you know:    Now look at some of the following q-words within a tweet. Click on some links (you don't have to explore every single one). You can respond to the tweets in X/Twitter if you like.  QUIET 2/2 ... their dogs' mess. The square is full of litter. I wonder if she would say something to the culprits. I always feed birds away from people but even so, I can't be left in peace. As I asked the señora, is there not anything more important in the world to worry about? pic.twitter.com/D9uvp3c7ky — Upgrade your English (@madteacher72) June 30, 2019 QUOTE crawl: https://t.co/PzXsDJx1iB quote (v,n) - citar, cita - presupuesto I got a few quotes before deciding who to get to do the job. in quotes - entre comillas Read and comment on some of these quotes: https://t.co/j3LwAfuHob pic.twitter.com/TERlWIE0Tn — Upgrade your English (@madteacher72) March 10, 2022 QUIZ The seven Who Wants to b...

Pope begins Spain visit with praise for country's opposition to war and support for migrants Pope Leo XIV has started his official visit to Spain by praising its government's opposition to wars as well as its support for migrants. Speaking at a reception with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at the royal palace in Madrid, Pope Leo spoke of Spain's "active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples". Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has clashed with US President Donald Trump over Iran, and with Israel over the war in Gaza and the Pope hailed Spain's "faithful adherence to international law and multilateralism". During his seven-day visit, Pope Leo will meet victims who experienced sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, as well as groups that look after the welfare of migrants. Immigration is a divisive issue in Spain, and the Pope's focus on the issue during his tour could be seen as support for the socialist prime minister. He will also deliv...

Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark social media addiction trial A Los Angeles jury has handed down an unprecedented win for a young woman who sued Meta and YouTube over her childhood addiction to social media. Jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, owner of YouTube, intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed the 20-year old's mental health. The woman, known as Kaley, was awarded $6m (£4.5m) in damages , a result likely to have implications for hundreds of similar cases now winding their way through US courts. Meta and Google said separately that they disagreed with the verdict and would both appeal . Meta said: "Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. "We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online." A spokesperson for Google said: "This case misunde...

Grisly or just country life? The mole photos dividing social media Warning - this story contains images some readers may find distressing For decades, mole catchers in the countryside have hung their carcasses on fences to be counted for payment and as evidence of their trapping prowess . But when hill walker Simon Lucas shared a photograph of the tradition on social media, he was unprepared for the ferocity of the response. "It seemed to really strike a nerve ," he says. Lucas, 61, a musician from Bristol, travels to the Lake District in Cumbria for one week every month and regularly posts pictures of his wanderings . In February, he was returning from a hike on the road which connects Borrowdale to Seathwaite Farm when something caught his eye : a row of moles had been hung by their pink snouts from a barbed wire fence, their outsized front paws groping lifelessly in the air. "I did think it was a bit grisly but I was mostly intrigued," he says. He put h...

Alcohol-free beer and pet grooming used to measure inflation A shift towards healthy living has been reflected in changes to the way inflation is calculated. Alcohol-free beer and houmous are among the items added to the virtual basket of goods and services used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to chart the rising cost of living. The ONS collects the costs of 760 products and services across different retailers to come up with the monthly inflation figures. The items are reviewed every year and selected on the basis that they are representative of things that consumers typically spend their money on . Motorhomes, dashboard cameras , and pet grooming have also been added in the latest review. "This year, healthier lifestyle choices influence consumer spending, reflected by goods such as houmous and non-alcoholic beer," said Stephen Burgess, the deputy director for prices at the ONS.                       ...