cafebabel.com

Ethnic violence in Skopje: Macedonian magic circle

('Boris Kaeski',) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:46:11 -0000

Attempts to raise inter-ethnic tensions escalated on 16 April when four twentysomething men and an older eyewitness were murdered near the capital, triggering riots. Since the victims are Slavic-speaking Macedonians, the speculation is that the murderers are from another ethnic group - but we don't need this boat to be rocked again

Balkan basketball: Macedonia honour and no 'hate thy neighbour' syndrome

('shadow',) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:30:00 -0000

In 1991 SFR Yugoslavia won the 'Eurobasket' gold medal and ended its existence as the second most successful country in basketball championships (after the soviet union). Twenty years on, all of Yugoslavia's ex-republic national teams have met for the first time at the same event. The riveting European basketball championships have reunited a region and end in Vilnius on 18 September

Greek tragedy of a Macedonian tragedy: the story of #Martin in five acts

('Annie Rutherford',) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:51:02 -0000

On 5 June 2011 21-year-old Martin Neskovki was killed at the hands of Igor Spasov, bodyguard to the Macedonian prime minister. Two months on from demonstrations attended by thousands outraged by the government’s inaction, a handful of remaining protesters present their own conclusion to the investigation – onstage and online

Skopje’s ‘Albanian neighbourhood’ in Old Bazaar, Çarshia

('Anisa Ymeri',) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:03:26 -0000

There are essential traces of the history of Albanians and Macedonians, evidence of survival and revival after the Balkan or world wars. Skopje’s ‘Albanian neighbourhood’ is in a corner where the çarshia (bazaar) lies below the citadel, says Anisa Ymeri

Macedonia the Great: historical obsessions and Skopje 2014

('Nela Lazarevic',) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:12:04 -0000

The ongoing urban project sounds as if the Macedonian capital were preparing to host the next olympics. It's actually about classical origins: Skopje will be revamped in a neo-classical style with the aim of strengthening national identity, attracting foreign tourists and, according to some, further provoking Greece, in the name of the dispute that started when Macedonia became independent in 1991

Digging out Macedonian documentary film and its female directors

('Annie Rutherford',) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:40:58 -0000

Did you know that it was a Macedonian team who did the visual effects for Martin Scorcese’s The Aviator? Or that the George Clooney-vehicle The Peacemaker was also partly filmed in Macedonia? Twenty years after Macedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia, we discover there are actually new angles on the Balkan country's claim to fame

Greece 2010 mayoral poll: first social(ist) media elections

('Georgios Kokkolis',) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:48:39 -0000

New Athens and Thessaloniki mayors George Kaminis and Yiannis Boutaris managed the impossible on 14 November. This socialist victory sends five main messages - including the fact that 'people dont give a monkeys about the politicians'. Extract from the cafebabel.com blog in Athens

Esma Redzepova: 'Roma are cosmopolitan'

('Annie Rutherford',) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:30:00 -0000

A mother of 47, a career spanning 20 albums and 40 years and songs in Serbian, Macedonian and Romany. At the Sin Fronteras festival in France, the Macedonian 'gypsy music queen' brings a bit of Roma culture to a country which is planning to export large numbers of its gypsy population 'back' to Romania and Bulgaria by the end of the month

Theatre: Balkans’ not dead, from Paris to Skopje via Pristina

('Joss Corner',) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:30:00 -0000

The Theatre de Syldavie company presents a sparse play in which the muslims and christians of Macedonia attempt to understand one another: - 'Blood Wedding’, or the re-writing of a great Balkan classic

Riots, reactions in Montenegro and Macedonia after recognising Kosovo

('Gojko Keselj',) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:49:12 -0000

Whilst over 400, 000 Albanians celebrated openly in Macedonia, Montenegros’ 15, 000 were silent after the former Yugoslav states recognised their neighbour. Unilateral independence was declared eight months ago

Babelblogs: little princes and book fair bombs

('Susannah Readett-Bayley',) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Some European member states don't get much attention, but are often worth a detour. Our multilingual community blogs take you there

Macedonia in images: names, Tito and David Morales

('Nikos Chrisikakis',) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

After a Greek veto on its joining NATO during the annual summit in Bucharest on 2 - 4 April, the country could still be on track to start EU membership talks by the end of 2008 if it meets the relevant criteria. View from the lens

NATO summit in Bucharest: Albania and Croatia to join

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

On 2 April NATO invited the two candidates to join the defence alliance, but leave Macedonia waiting