cafebabel.com

Documentary 'Listening to Garzon': Spain’s most famous judge judged

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:00:46 -0000

‘Escuchando al Juez Garzón’ is an 87-minute documentary shot as a single interview with the high-profile human rights judge in Madrid in late 2010. Over a year later, he is going on trial for triple prosecutions on his abuses of power at his country's supreme court. International human rights activists argue that this 'Judge Dredd' case is one of Spanish science fiction

'What if?': students re-imagine 2011's big events

('Annie Rutherford',) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:31:09 -0000

Protests, eurocrisis and elections: it's all too easy to assume the events we read about in the news are inevitable. Yet so often they are instead the result of chance encounters, spontaneous decisions and personal feelings. We asked four European students to re-imagine the big events of 2011

Britain-Europe: confessions of an angry Lib Dem

('dominicmaciver',) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:42:58 -0000

Type 'What Defines an English Person' into google right now and see the top result - this is how unpopular we are with the rest of the world, especially after the UK chose not to join a new EU treaty governing the finance system. Europe has divided a two-headed monster, 'Clammeron', in half: the government led by David Cameron and Nick Clegg since 2010 has been spliced together by iron threads of political contingency

Paul Lewis: call him ‘special projects editor’

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:05:22 -0000

At The Guardian, the award-winning British-Spanish journalist, 30, handles investigative news in an innovative method via social networks and micro-blogging sites – it even helped him crack stories about two murders. Interview

Bonfire night: Guy Fawkes, Europe's first 'indignant' citizen

('Lucy Russell',) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:04:15 -0000

The image of Guy Fawkes is everywhere at the moment, inspiring the worldwide anonymous and occupy movements. What would he have thought if he had known that over four hundred years after his death thousands of people in Europe and beyond would be wearing masks of his face while protesting against today’s all-encompassing global political system?

Tunisia’s Arab renaissance comes out of London exile

('dominicmaciver',) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:00:00 -0000

On 23 September the arab spring achieved its most significant achievement yet. It was a rebirth for the modern Arab world without spilt blood nor fiery rhetoric in the dust and the death; instead it used ink and consensus to rebuild a country. Moderate islamist party ennahda, coming out of exile in the UK, won 41% in the country's first democratic elections on 22 October

Riots: Britain's boring thugs and Europe's burning thread

('Metsa Rahimi',) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:23:02 -0000

Don't synonymise the London rioters with the protesting Greeks or Syrians; it is just plain offensive. Yes, Londoners mobilised for four days, but it can't compare to the months of social, political and economic agitation across Europe and the Arab world

Georgia fashion week 2011: open to Europe

('cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:40:20 -0000

Between 13-16 October, Tbilisi will be all blitz and glamour instead of rockets: designers, buyers, models and fashion hype gather in the Georgian capital for the second edition of fashion week

French perspectives on London riots: 'so 2005'

('hkeet',) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:20:55 -0000

Rioters were brought before the courts, police failings were discussed. What were the causes of the unprecedented violence that the UK witnessed in August? The authorities, driven by traditional populism and reactionary politics, refused to analyse them in-depth in the moment. Perspective from across the channel

Lisbon, London: the problem with SlutWalks or Who's afraid of feminine sexuality?

('Madalina Pierseca',) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:49:55 -0000

Europe has been celebrating three months of the Canadian-exported 'SlutWalks', with the next protest against the equation 'sexy clothing does not mean slut' taking place in Lisbon on 25 June. 11 June saw the phenomenon hitting British shores

Supper clubs between London and Paris

('Amy Tighe',) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:55:34 -0000

With all the talk of recession-wrought doom and gloom, cutbacks and taxation, it can be easy to forget to make lemon cheesecake out of Life’s proverbial lemons. If necessity is the mother of invention, let the economic depression yield inspiration. And let's have a slap-up meal in the process

Wedding fever: UK royals 2011 vs fin-de-siècle Austria-Hungary

('Nettah',) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:20:08 -0000

In case you haven’t heard, on 29 April Prince William is to marry Kate Middleton in a royal ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Once upon a time, on 1 July 1900, in Reichstadt, Bohemia, Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, married his lover of five years

What are you doing on 29 April? European republicans on rise amid British royal wedding hysteria

('Lucy Russell',) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:01:08 -0000

As a Brit currently living in Germany, many people have recently been asking me excitedly about the up-coming British royal wedding. Mostly people are surprised, or even disappointed, when I explain that no, I won’t be watching the wedding, but rather probably inviting friends around for a 'this is not a royal wedding' party

Simon from Is Tropical: ‘England is very oversaturated in music, London especially'

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:29:48 -0000

The boy from Bournemouth explains why his low-fi British band, signed to French label Kitsune, is more European than English. The three-piece of former London squatters, who perform with masks, are on a mini European tour in mid-April. Their debut album Native To is released on 13 June

10:10? EU 'first ever' energy summit? Don’t bother going green

('james whyte',) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:45:01 -0000

With America dumping 128% of Europe's total Co2 figures into the atmosphere and China 133% we just can't make a difference, and the EU knows it. Can it honestly slash its energy consumption by 20% by 2020? Before the first EU energy summit on 4 February, some of us are asking, why bother

Testimony London protests: 'I don’t recognise my country'

("naomi o'leary",) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:25:14 -0000

As 2010 drew to an end, Britain saw a level of civil unrest that had not been seen in decades. Between media bias, police violence, and petrol bombs, here is an eyewitness report on how it happened. Another student protest is scheduled in London for 29 January

Alex Metric: the man with a studio tan

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:11:24 -0000

The 29-year-old British DJ and producer takes us on his own brief musical journey of electronic music as we await the remixes on his new disc Open Your Eyes. The eponymous first single, an intriguing collaboration with DJ Angello of Swedish House Mafia, is out this January

London paralysed by snow: a Frenchie breaks the ice

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:15:00 -0000

It was supposed to be for a few days holiday, it ended up being an extended ice break as one French babelian ended up stuck in the snow. Like plenty of others, the days passed and the prospects of christmas at home drifted further away

Film review: terrorist comedy ‘Four Lions’ by Chris Morris

('Louis',) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:08:28 -0000

The Brit’s satirical debut feature film follows a group of jihadists from the northern city of Sheffield, struggling to make an impact. To coincide with its final European release dates, another reflection on how and why Morris pokes fun at the delicate issue just five years after the 7/7 bombings

Lithuania's female bloggers: cooking, sex and the city

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:11:53 -0000

Somewhere between the 200, 000 Lithuanians in the UK and the 3 million at home, bloggers are making their own female-shaped dent in the internet universe

French duo John & Jehn: 'in England, no-one cares about boundaries'

('emily',) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:00:00 -0000

On 29 March a duo like none of the other new faces on the French music scene released their second album, 'Time For The Devil’. Fans of Joy Division and The Velvet Underground, the couple live and compose in London, which might be why their album exudes the feel of the British new wave

Salma Yaqoob: the other left in UK elections

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Tue, 04 May 2010 10:45:00 -0000

A cocktail of otherworldliness, pacifism and explosive environmentalism is taking over the UK in the lead up to the general election on 6 May. The Guardian has called the Respect party leader 'the most prominent Muslim woman in British public life'. Respect is eager to get back in touch with the 'common people'

Nick Clegg for European British prime minister?

("naomi o'leary",) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:13:10 -0000

Since 1918 the prime minister of Britain has been either labour or conservative. Red or blue. The 6 May elections were set to be no different. The two-party system seemed safe. Murdoch's papers screamed blue. Until Mr. Nick Clegg, leader of the liberal democrats, entered. The final televised leaders' debate in the UK takes place on 29 April

Truth? There's no-one to vote for in 6 May UK elections

('james whyte',) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:13:58 -0000

For the first time in decades, the very real possibility of a hung parliament allows the political landscape to be shaken up in the UK's general election on 6 May. But the opposition leader David Cameron, who launches his election campaign on 13 April, appears windswept, PM Gordon Brown imperious and Nick Clegg just wants to be recognised

Music: (subversive) songs for the European city

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 10:35:08 -0000

Madrid's famous Gran Via boulevard celebrated its 100th anniversary on 7 April, with a local survey seeing 'Gran Via' by crooner Antonio Flores top a list of songs dedicated to the city. From monkeys in Berlin to Red Bull and Swedes in Barcelona via Stalin in Warsaw, a selection of offbeat videos suggested by the cafebabel network

UK election: EU press on the one month for 'posh boy' Cameron to battle Brown

('euro topics',) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:05:28 -0000

On 6 April the British prime minister Gordon Brown announced parliamentary elections on 6 May, opening the race for the House of Commons. The Spanish, Italian, Irish and Austrian press expect the country's enormous budget deficit to dominate the discussion; the credibility of the established parties is also at stake, they say

Agop J. Hacikyan: 'I don’t feel I am translating my culture into English'

('RenataB',) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:44:37 -0000

The playful Armenian-Canadian author talks his latest novel - hailed as a 'love letter to Istanbul' - straddling continents and his opinions on Turkey in the EU

London conference on Afghanistan: 'olive branches and dollars'

('euro topics',) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0000

In the run-up to the Afghanistan conference which starts on 28 January in London, calls for negotiations with the radical islamist Taliban are mounting. A sign of the growing helpnessness of the international community deployed in the Hindu Kush, write the Austrian, Estonian, Italian and Portuguese press

London: god bless your (exploding) iPhone

('nisimasian',) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:00:00 -0000

The first Sunday of the new year was once an occasion for the faithful population to bring their working gear and tools into church to be blessed. What’s the harm then if an anglican vicar has decided to keep up with the times? All the more so since his parish is located in the financial heart of London

Slash your bonus wrists: what bankers want for christmas

('Lindsey Evans',) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Quite a remarkable christmas list found its way into my hands recently in France. 'Basically, Father Christmas, I just don’t know what more I can do to get decent payment for my hard work and the hard work of my brothers and sisters. That’s why I’m counting on you to change things.' At first glance, who would you assume these people were? Unemployed young people hit by the recession? Generation precarity? Underpaid interns?

Netaudio festival 2009: kick in the teeth for traditional record industry?

('Elaine Jordan',) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:10:15 -0000

While traditional record labels plunge deeper and deeper into trouble, new formats for distributing music via the internet are basking in their success following a sell-out festival in Berlin

Calling Europe’s anarchist class 2008-2009: no need to smash bank windows

('james whyte',) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:42:38 -0000

Today, anarchy has nothing to offer the public; a five-year-old sat in McDonalds could think of a better way to govern the people. Those that push it – the protesters on Europe's streets, as most popularly depicted in the media - are merely self-serving fools who ignore what democracy has done for us, and who are driven by some sort of warped fantasy of idyllic life

Le Corps Mince de Francoise: 'fuck off saying we’re trendy. We sing about what we are'

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:14:35 -0000

The trio hail from Helsinki, record in Berlin and are managed in the UK. We meet in Paris to dissect their pan-European wanderings and find out why exactly they diss boys and Finland so much in their screamy surface pop-experimental sound

Micachu and the Shapes, Emilie Simon: your music for October

('Sarah Pybus',) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Trendy London recommends its top 5 city tracks, we denote a French-flavoured album of the month and find out who Pájaro Sunrise is

Shlomo: ‘I used to think beatboxing was a way of impressing people’

('Catherine Neilan',) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:45:00 -0000

Simon Shlomo Kahn, 25, preaches his vocal talents to the mainstream and children. The British human beatbox artist, who has Israeli, Iraqi and German origins, talks self-important VIPs, the death of record companies and working with Bjork

Move to London: my experience

('Helen Swain',) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:57:54 -0000

As I had a few months free before going back to my studies, I felt it was time for a leap into the unknown, with a suitcase, some money and a one-way ticket to London. The plan was to work, have fun and refresh my English; pretty scary stuff. One month was my limit for becoming economically independent. A brief guide about surviving for a summer in London

London, Paris, Ghent, Transylvania: cross Europe by bike

('Helen Swain',) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:45:00 -0000

An Italian government eco-initiative offering big discounts on bicycles, a London cafe where you can repair your bike and bike film festivals across the continent - an overview of two-wheeled fun to spin your summer

In London? Hang out at Pure Groove or Cafe 1001

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:00:00 -0000

The one thing that has always characterised the idea of the Big Smoke aside from its climate is its lively music scene. Since the sixties, London has dictated the guidelines of European and sometimes global musical trends, acting as a forge and launch pad for small or slightly more established rock bands. I discover the Chew Lips in between Farringdon and Brick Lane

London and Berlin reviews of Mark Ravenhill's 'Over There' play

('Sandra Wickert',) — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:30:46 -0000

Mark Ravenhill’s unconventional play about identical twins who are reunited after growing up in east and west Germany travelled from London to Berlin this spring. Our London reviewer calls it a timely commentary on the EU’s current political troubles. Our Berlin reviewer wonders if the British director reproaches the Germans with the repression of history. Cross-reviews from the Royal Court and Schaubühne theatres

'Historic' G20 in London: a one trillion summit like no other

('c j',) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:44:06 -0000

On 2 April G20 leaders agreed on a mind boggling trillion dollar plan to tackle the global financial crisis. As US president Barack Obama heads to Strasbourg for a Nato summit, a roundup of the juice and conclusions

Middle-East: British students still mobilised

('Hayley Wood',) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Fighting in the Gaza Strip may be over, but sit-in demonstrations organised via email and Facebook continue in 21 UK universities. Amongst other things, students demand bursaries for Palestinian students. This is a campaign which 'has only just begun'

After JC Decaux’s Vélib’, 6, 000 bicycles for London

('Susannah Readett-Bayley',) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:00:00 -0000

Its recent success in the public bicycle market has led the French advertising giant into a race against competitors to secure the multiplying contracts popping up all over Europe

John Bird: ‘I know what it's like to be prejudiced, drunk, imprisoned’

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:34:06 -0000

As ‘The Big Issue’ street magazine for the homeless turns seventeen this September, its co-founder and social entrepreneur, 62, on racist London-Irish upbringings, crime, Paris 1968 and poverty in Britain

Venice, Edinburgh, Perpignan - a festival for everyone

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:00:00 -0000

Italy's 'La Mostra', Scotland's Fringe, photojournalism in the south of France - it’s not too late to recover your cultural health before the end of summer. Monthly guide to the best culture picks in Europe

Stanley Johnson: ‘Thatcher set a marvellous example for women politicians in Britain’

('Ozcan Tikit',) — Fri, 30 May 2008 05:28:42 -0000

The Cornwall-born writer, politician and father of London's new conservative mayor Boris Johnson, 59, on why his great-grandfather Ali Kemal Bey would have supported Turkish accession to the EU

Traffic jams go on in Vilnius

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Cities are home to more than half the world's population, whilst EU urban congestion causes 40% of CO2 emissions, according to the European parliament ...

Estelle Swaray: 'the singlest woman alive'

('Titus Aguigah',) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Why the British rapper, hip hop singer and producer, 28, swapped London, its boys and the UK music industry for Brooklyn's cabbies, leading to ‘an unexpected duet’ with American rapper Kanye West

Paul 'Macca' McCartney

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0000

Ahhh, love in the time of McCartney. The tabloid war to cover the tense divorce proceedings between former Beatle Paul McCartney and his former wife of four years, Heather Mills, has proved that Britain’s most gossipy journalists certainly have a tongue for linguistics

Map: London heads Europe’s 27 'most expensive' cities

('Erin Woycik',) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:23:00 -0000

Of the world’s 50 cities with the highest costs of living, more than half, 27, are in Europe. London and Copenhagen head the list

Zhenya Strigalev: 'London's jazz scene is more open than Moscow's'

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0000

At 28, the prodigious composer and late-night jam-session organiser is the only Russian alto-sax player active on the London scene. We catch him at the launch of his new fusion set ‘Findamorale’ at the London jazz festival