English in Madrid

Source: Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash Inflation: Sports bras in, doughnuts out of cost of living measure   High demand for workout gear and health-conscious vegetarian options are now being used to calculate the change in the cost of living in the UK.  Items such as tinned beans , boosted by a rise in plant-based diets, have also been added to the basket of goods used to measure prices.  The review by the Office for National Statistics also saw pet collars added.  But men's suits and doughnuts are out as homeworking shifted how we dress and snack during Covid lockdowns .  The ONS said it decided to add meat-free sausages to the basket of more than 700 goods, which is used to calculate how the cost of living is changing, to reflect a boost in demand for healthier food options.  It also said that the removal of a men's two-piece suit, and the addition of sports bras and crop tops , accounted for the fact that spending on formal clothes has bee...

Source: Andreeew Hoang on Unsplash McDonald's and Coca Cola halt business in Russia Consumer giants including McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Starbucks have joined the list of firms halting business in Russia due to the invasion in Ukraine.  McDonald's said it was temporarily closing its roughly 850 restaurants in Russia, while Starbucks also said its 100 coffee shops would shut .  McDonald's said the move was a response to the " needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine".  The company said it was "impossible to predict" when it would reopen.  "The conflict in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Europe has caused unspeakable suffering to innocent people," chief executive Chris Kempczinski said in a memo to staff that was shared publicly.  "As a system, we join the world in condemning aggression and violence and praying for peace."  McDonald's said it would continue to pay its roughly 62,000 staff in Russia. The fi...

Source:  Mark de Jong on Unsplash Queen Jubilee letter in FULL - read the Queen's words on Camilla  QUEEN ELIZABETH II has issued a special message marking her Platinum Jubilee on February 6.  Today (Sunday, February 6), the Queen marks an unprecedented seven decades on the throne with her Platinum Jubilee. On this date in 1952, the Queen's beloved father King George VI died at Sandringham House in Norfolk, leading to the new Queen ascending the throne at the age of 25. In recognition of her 70 years on the throne, the Queen issued a special written statement on February 5, 2022.  Within the message, the Queen expressed her thanks to the nation for its continued support for her reign.  But the Queen also expressed her "sincere wish" that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall will be known as Queen when Prince Charles is King.  Here is the Queen's Platinum Jubilee message in full: "February 5, 2022.  "Tomorrow, 6th February, marks the 70th anniv...

Source: Anne Nygård on Unsplash Here are some tweets from October to December 2021. Click on a tweet to read the full story. You can reply in Twitter or here in the blog. What new words and expressions did you find? October #politics #Madrid leader takes issue with pope’s apology for ‘painful errors’ in Mexico https://t.co/u8kAyVrgD6 — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) September 30, 2021 Brits are back in Benidorm as beer buckets and sun worshippers return https://t.co/iI9GfedxoO via @MailOnline — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) October 4, 2021 https://t.co/xhifRQQkLj — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) October 12, 2021 Some other North Korea-related stories: Bad Hair Ad Upsets North Koreans - https://t.co/JPEcv8tBl0 North Korean cuisine to come to Scotland - https://t.co/0ujx8aRPyj https://t.co/bqrz0Ybsot pic.twitter.com/G5IeTi4JGw — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) October 14, 2021 https://t.co/BFEv5BCyOK — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) October 19, 2021 Spanish kin...

Wordle: New York Times buys viral game for seven- figure sum   Puzzle creator Josh Wardle ‘ thrilled ’ that newspaper is taking over internet sensation  The New York Times has acquired the viral word game Wordle for an undisclosed seven-figure sum, the publisher announced on Monday.   Created by a Reddit engineer and launched in October, Wordle gives players just six guesses to determine a five-letter word that changes every day. The soothing daily puzzle has become a hit since its launch, quickly attracting hundreds of thousands, then millions, of players. Social media posts about its game of the day have become ubiquitous , along with screenshots of the game’s distinctive grid .  Josh Wardle, who created the game for his partner, who loves puzzles, told the Guardian this month that he felt overwhelmed by the game’s viral success.  “It going viral doesn’t feel great, to be honest. I feel a sense of responsibility for the players. I feel I really ...

Source: Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash   Here are some tweets from July to September 2021. Click on a tweet to read the full story. You can reply in Twitter or here in the blog. What new words and expressions did you find? July Raffaella Carrà, Italian entertainment icon, dies aged 78 https://t.co/VjKcTEcvem — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) July 5, 2021   #monarchy #OnThisDay : 29 July 1981 – The Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Diana https://t.co/HhyRzACKJH — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) July 29, 2021 August @Augus171717 https://t.co/RWiZJDgsg1 — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) August 6, 2021   #animals https://t.co/NVArUzrDtd — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) August 8, 2021   #football https://t.co/4RpleJ7oex — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) August 8, 2021 September Have a go at this #lyricstraining https://t.co/DB8AvcQLXr Can you find the words/expressions that mean: 1. to find sb attractive 2. to have fun 3. very rich 4. (used ...

Source:  engin akyurt on Unsplash Here are some tweets from April to June 2021. Click on a tweet to read the full story. You can reply in Twitter or here in the blog. What new words and expressions did you find? April Spain blocks export of painting that could be a lost Caravaggio https://t.co/ymGNWpIHGp — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) April 8, 2021   https://t.co/eIju2oQ439 — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) April 9, 2021   Watch this guide to my part of the world - the Highlands of #Scotland . Put on the subtitles - they are pretty accurate. Take a note of any useful words. Have you watched the ones on Madrid and London? https://t.co/R5Ctduqyt1 — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) April 20, 2021   What is 'survivalism' and why is it getting so popular in Spain? https://t.co/pzpDz40Kfg — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) April 21, 2021   ‘They capture history’: the projects saving Spain and Portugal’s shop signs https://t.co/DSL86hzN8y — English in M...

Source:  Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash Royal scandal as King's disgraced brother-in-law admits to affair with colleague  Iñaki Urdangarín, the brother-in-law of Spain's King Felipe, admitted to hav ing an affair after pictures emerged of him holding hands with a woman on a beach King Felipe of Spain has been embroiled in a royal scandal as his brother-in-law admitted to an affair with a colleague.  Iñaki Urdangarín has been married to Infanta Cristina, 56, the youngest of the king’s two sisters, since 1997.  This morning he admitted to having an affair as he arrived at work this morning at a law firm in Vitoria.  It comes as he was pictured holding hands with Ainhoa Armentia, 43, on a beach in the south of France. Mr Urdangarin, a former handball player for Spain’s national team, said: “These things happen…it is a difficulty that we will manage with the utmost tranquillity and together as we have always done.”  Sources told Hola!, the sister pub...

Source: Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash Here are some tweets from January to March 2021. Click on a tweet to read the full story. You can reply in Twitter or here in the blog. What new words and expressions did you find? January  "Spain’s former King Juan Carlos seen struggling to walk in rare glimpse of disgraced royal | Royal | News | https://t.co/Znwv7CMpOV " https://t.co/2bCiKuUHfG — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) January 5, 2021   https://t.co/TMDCXBFA8F — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) January 11, 2021 https://t.co/hx724IsmEN — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) January 13, 2021   @Augus171717 You can read and comment on this blog post (keep an eye out for cold weather words): https://t.co/Tbz27lBx7k The original article has lots of photos: https://t.co/RZCperqxHq — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) January 14, 2021   https://t.co/Dj80lAtsWE — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) January 14, 2021   https://t.co/5s3grzIEhk — English in Madrid (@madte...

  Source:  Nacho Arteaga on Unsplash Choosing pets over babies is ‘ selfish and diminishes us’, says pope   Pontiff laments ‘ denied parenthood ’ and people who ‘substitute cats and dogs for children’ In a move likely to raise the hackles of millions of cats, dogs and their human cohabitees , Pope Francis has suggested that couples who prefer pets to children are selfish. Wading into a debate noted for its toxic tone on social media, the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics said substituting pets for children “ takes away our humanity”.  During a general audience at the Vatican, he said: “Today … we see a form of selfishness. We see that some people do not want to have a child. Sometimes they have one, and that’s it, but they have dogs and cats that take the place of children. This may make people laugh but it is a reality.”  Pet keeping was “a denial of fatherhood and motherhood and diminishes us, takes away our humanity”, he said. The con...