London Project

LondonProject: UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Lauren Bedsole — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 10:20:10 -0400

UPDATE: OK so not much has happened on this site for ages but if you've arrived here, you should definitely follow this link to The Fifty Word Review. Some of the peoples from the book project are involved and it's more fun than an ountbreak of herpes at a nudist camp. Check it!

The Fifty Word Review - the world in fifty words

Sex For Sale - Buy It Now

JJ ODonoghue — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:57:02 -0400

Dir: Antonio Campos; Cast: Chelsea Logan, Rosemarie DeWitt, Christopher McCann, Tiffany Yaraghi, Stacy Jordan; 62min/2005

Earlier this year I was involved in a project (to be finished) which involved documenting peoples’ experience of losing their virginity. Like learning to become a therapist I involuntarily remembered my own milestone experience.

Running For Love

Lauren Bedsole — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:22:15 -0400

Most people (though I don't count myself among them) find it difficult to imagine Simon Pegg as a romantic interest. Even I admit that the gauche, paunchy commitmentphobe in Run Fat Boy Run is a hard man to love.

But he's a better man than his rival for Libby's (Thandie Newton) affections, American financier Whit (Hank Azaria, currently audible as myriad characters in the Simpsons feature). For a start, he doesn't go to spinning classes. On the other hand, he also got his young son arrested - five years after abandoning his pregnant girlfriend at the altar.

Potter Turns Plotter

Lauren Bedsole — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:48:11 -0400

Like many muggles sympathetic to Harry's (Daniel Radcliffe) plight with the Dursley's, I was somewhat saddened that the Dementors didn't have their wicked way with Dudley (Harry Melling) - not that there seems to be much of a soul to suck out.

But if nothing else, the underpass confrontation livened up an opening sequence more suited to an NSPCC ad than a summer blockbuster. There's nothing quite like getting in trouble with the Ministry of Magic, yet again.

To Be Continued

Lauren Bedsole — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 10:57:35 -0400

Just like the end-of-season episode of your favourite TV programme that leaves you in the middle of the action, the BookProject is going away for a while but will pick up where we left off later this year.

Expect some big changes, as well as more free books - coming soon to a Tube near you!

A tale of two logos

JJ O'Donoghue — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:02:49 -0400

Last week Tokyo unveiled its logo as part of its application bid to stage the 2016 summer Olympics, more than eight years away and well before the official shortlist of host cities is announced.

Now that Tokyo has a logo the Japanese capital could feasibly step in and hold next year's Olympiad should Beijing collapse under the weight of change or be swallowed up by a pollution cloud and be unable to stage the world's premier athletic spectacle. (I imagine China would sooner open a Strabucks on every street corner than have the games handed over to their long term rivals).

For The Love of BLING

JJ ODonoghue — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 19:48:49 -0400

Much has been written of the 8,601 diamonds placed in the skull that forms the centrepiece to Beyond Belief, Damien Hirst's current exhibition at the White Cube galleries in London.

This review differs slightly in that it does not intend to be a critique of the artist as an artist. Instead I will write only of the viewing experience.

In the beginning there's a queue - not beyond belief. The lady handing out the tickets takes your name and post code. I advise invention. I was Tony Montana, from Battersea.

Kill Kill Kill: Hostel Take Two

Omid Nikfarjam — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:38:52 -0400

Hostel: Part II

Director: Eli Roth; Cast: Lauren German, Roger Bart, Heather Matarazzo, Bijou Phillips; 93 min./2007; Rated R.

I have to admit I had my doubts about watching Hostel II, because of what director Eli Roth had said before the film's screening, "The amount of violence that I got into Hostel: Part II, I don't think has been allowed in an American film before." This didn't surprise me, as this is probably the only way the sickest man in cinema right now can promote his film.

Actually, I was horrified by the anticipation that I was going to see a film more violent than the first instalment of Hostel - which some believe is the most violent film ever to be made in Hollywood.

Climbers Fight For Famous Peaks

JJ O'Donohue, Takeshi Sobukawa — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 07:11:32 -0400

Most of us can only imagine what it's like to climb over 29,000 feet and stand on top of the world.

Towering snow capped peaks, clouds floating beneath and a cigarette butt in the snow.

Or perhaps a plastic bag rustling in the heavens.

For Japanese climber Ken Noguchi, the amount of rubbish on Mt Everest has compelled him to make multiple treks to the summit armed with black refuse bags.

Mammy, What Does The ‘F' Word Mean?

JJ O'Donoghue — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 09:35:51 -0400

It wouldn't be out of the question to imagine that celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's first syllable spoken on earth might have been four-letters long beginning with the sixth letter of the alphabet. Listening to Ramsay, who uses the word f*ck more times than he adds spices to his dishes, is a pleasure because he puts so much passion into his poetic deliverance of the ‘f' word.

One Was Highly Amused

Lauren Bedsole — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 07:40:13 -0400

I managed to put it off for years - and I say this as someone who held season passes to DisneyWorld into her twenties. Musicals aren't my cuppa, and it was never my favourite film despite the soundtrack (which is fortunately preserved in the stage version).

In fact, it took the arrival of friends from America who saw it, loved it and put money in my hand for tickets before I was convinced it was worth my time. Even then, I almost missed it after a nearby restaurant failed to get my order out in time.

Welcome To Ireland - Please Have Your Umbrella To Hand

JJ ODonoghue — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 11:15:40 -0400

There are at least 40 different types of rain in Ireland. I should know I spent a week's holiday there staring out windows cataloguing the downpours.

There's the soft rain so constant, almost ephemeral, that hardly anyone notices it. This is idiomatically interrupted by the down pouring of domesticated animals - other types of rain in the 24/7 cycle are torrential, drizzling, pissing, spitting, lashing, soaking, driving, heavy - the list of adjectives goes on.

Ireland's constant rain cycle explains two immediate things to the visitor; firstly why the country is greener then Greenland, it's like one big golf course with housing estates dotted round the fairways. And when it rains the whole of Ireland moves indoors and where better to head for than a pub, or ten (thousand).

Singing The Blues

Omid Nikfarjam — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 22:19:48 -0400

La Mome/La Vie en Rose
Director: Olivier Dahan; Cast: Marion Cotillard, Silvie Testud, Gerard Depardieu, Jean-Pierre Martins; 140 min./2007; Rated PG-13.

Faced with any problem or difficulty in our daily lives, most of us tend to adopt a fatalistic outlook, thinking that this is it - the biggest disaster that could happen to an unlucky resident of this wretched world, that the world has come to a very unfortunate end which no power can possibly revoke! Well, believe you me, you know nothing about disasters unless you see this film!

La Vie en Rose (or La Mome) is the biopic of Edith Piaf, perhaps the most sensational French singer, who in her surprisingly short life of 47 years lived through a litany of misfortune and maleficence. She was abandoned by her singer-mother at a very early age, raised in a brothel, almost went deaf and blind during her childhood, did menial jobs in a circus as a teenager while her father worked as a contortionist, became addicted to the enetertainer's diet of drink and drugs, and ... the list goes on.

Happily Never After

Lauren Bedsole — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 19:14:52 -0400

For someone who didn’t watch many cartoons as a child, I’ve begun to acquire a taste for them in recent years – especially if they’re bankrolled by Disney or DreamWorks. Marvel comics try too hard to live in the real world. I like my escapism straight up and with lots of bright colours.

Which is why I love Shrek. Unhappy endings in Far Far Away? Highly unlikely. Beautiful Princess Fiona ditched when she takes ‘love’s true form’ and turns into a gross green monster? Probably not. Even the death of the king is more melodramatic than tearjerking. Of course, after a series of false ends, I was still half-expecting him to bound back across the lake. You just don’t know.

The Sparrow Who Took On The World

JJ ODonoghue — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 16:49:59 -0400

La Mome/La Vie en Rose
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Eat Your Greens

Sabine Wolf — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:21:57 -0400

If you have a truly green heart, is it possible to eat out in a sleek London restaurant without waking up the next day with a guilty conscience? Isn't sustainability about itchy woollen jumpers and rock-hard homemade linseed bread?

Welcome to Acorn House, a restaurant that pulls off the unlikely marriage of fine dining with a zero-waste policy.

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COMMENT: We Live In Financial Times

Mario Alemi — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 08:02:45 -0400

On 23 April, the Pearson group launched a campaign to revitalise their flagship newspaper, the Financial Times. Driven by the campaign website, the ad blitz also extends to huge billboards dotted around London and a few changes to the UK's print edition.

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Enemy Of The State

William, JJ — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:42:57 -0400
A high-ranking Iranian official said journalists who are critical of the government will be considered ‘enemy agents'.
At a speech yesterday, Iran's culture minister Mohammad Hossein Saffar Harandi (left) said: "Some papers inside [Iran] are advertising hostile thoughts and act as the soldiers of the enemies of the state."
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Speakers Corner Hosts Clash Of Civilisations

Ahmed Maliki — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:41:37 -0400

"Jesus is much more relevant than Muhammad for our time," shouts Jay Smith, an American evangelist, waving his hands with a small Penguin translation of Islam's holy book Quran.

The place is Hyde Park's Speakers Corner where people come every Sunday to witness live debates on colourful issues.
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A US Soldier Tells About Her 15-day Humanitarian Mission

William Hilderbrandt — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 05:59:58 -0400

Lara Dean returned to her home in Oklahoma (US) last week after her first 15 days being deployed as a part of the US National Guard (a subdivision of the Army). She will graduate this summer from university and plans to attend medical school next year.

How long was your trip, and where did you go?
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Breaking The Myth Of The Greenhouse Effect

Mario Alemi — Wed, 30 May 2007 09:37:09 -0400

[Also in Italian ] Gordon Brown, the British prime minister-in-waiting, and David Cameron, the Tory leader, have something in common - they both want Britain to be the world leader in the fight against climate-change. Whoever the PM, Britain will try to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent by 2012 compared with 1990 levels.
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Italy: 'God's Banker' Murdered

Mario Alemi — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:18:53 -0400

Twenty-five years after his death, Roberto Calvi received some justice - an Italian jury returned a verdict of murder and not suicide. Calvi, known as 'God's Banker', was found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge, London, 17 June 1982.
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A Hop And A Jump

Amy Judd — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 08:36:24 -0400
Jumping from one rooftop to another, scaling staircases on the outside and doing a back flip off a railing onto the ground below may not be everyone's idea of a good time, but some Londoners are finding this sport to be a great way to keep fit and try something new and different.
It's called Free Running, and involves participants clearing obstacles in their path in a smooth and fluid way, using movements such as vaulting, somersaults, and jumping in any way they can.

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Memo To Brown: Sarko Is The New Blair

Zaid Al'Alaya — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 13:37:06 -0400
What will happen to the American-British relationship after Blair steps down on 27 June? After the announcement of his departure date, the UK and US relationship has taken a new turn.
The unprecedented attack of 11 September 2001 showed the true nature of the Atlantic alliance.
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Untitled 4 - New Artistic Talent In Islington

JJ ODonoghue — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:09:51 -0400

'Untitled 4' are a group of nine international artists from Middlesex University. Anyone interested in original art, as opposed to the celebrity schmutz slapped up by Hirst et al, should check out the Candid Arts Centre, 3 Torrent Street in Islington June 15-17.

Lame Duck Prodi Hoping For Relief

Mario Alemi — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:54:42 -0400

Italian prime minister Romano Prodi aims to work hand in hand with German chancellor Angela Merkel on environmental issues. Both leaders hope to convince the US to set long term climate change targets.

Prodi also met with Irish rocker Bono to discuss environmentalism.

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Dancers Showcase World Heritage

unknown — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 20:28:20 -0400

The International Spring Fair, held at Kensington Town Hall in May, was a multisensory entertainment evening - complete with traditional dancers, souvenirs and foods from over 80 countries.

Despite their obvious differences, all the participants had at least a few things in common - not least of which being a commitment to preserving their cultures here in London, their new home.

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Chefs Cook Up A Night On The Town

unknown — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 20:12:12 -0400

I shot this video when I went to the colourful and exciting International Spring Fair at Kensington Town Hall in London last month.

Over 80 countries were represented there. Everyone was wearing traditional costumes, like the lady from Panama (pictured right) who was wearing the traditional dress of the Central-American country.
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Don't Be Colourblind

William, JJ — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 06:20:56 -0400


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Where The Locals Go

unknown — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 15:35:38 -0400

There is so much to see and do in the world's most exciting capital city - but what about those special hidden gems, where only locals go? These two men let us in on their secret haunt.
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Vox Pops: Part Of The UK?

Gaini Yussupova — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 13:13:40 -0400

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A Bookish Afternoon On The South Bank

Mario Alemi — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 13:37:50 -0400

Whether you're in the London Book Project or simply love books, try the Southbank Book Market.

"The council almost closed it in the Eighties, when the architect Richard Rogers proposed a project with shops on the South Bank promenade," said an old man before disappearing.
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Who Needs A Britain Day?

Marika Mathieu — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 12:46:49 -0400

Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne have launched a pledge to improve community cohesion and citizenship.

They suggested today the need for a "Britain Day" to reinforce citizenship and prevent communities from becoming more divided.
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The Up-And-Coming Art Pack

Marika Mathieu — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:50:39 -0400

Free Range is Europe’s largest graduate art and design show held annually at The Old Truman Gallery in London’s East End. Everything imaginable and impossible is on exhibition in this mega-showcase of student work. Marika Mathieu caught up with three of the artists to talk about lips, the 40s and portals to the past.
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Political Pictures Of Our Cultural Life

Marika Mathieu — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:28:25 -0400

"It's fascinating to look at the influence of American culture on British society". British Artist Steve Schofield, said while showing me pictures of cowboys drinking tea and Indians doing laundry in green kitchens from his portfolio.

Within his series of images entitled "Land of the Free", Schofield attempts to show people in their own homes and environments, dressed up in costumes they wear for special events.
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Carbon Dioxide: I Plead Not-Guilty

Mario Alemi — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 19:38:01 -0400

Temperatures in the last 400,000 years have fluctuated dramatically, by more than 10 degrees (see graph). That is not due to greenhouse anomalies, but to the fact that the Earth is like a spinning top
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A Hidden Indian Gem

William Hilderbrandt — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 07:53:57 -0400

Last night I dined on something truly special. Suruchi is an Indian restaurant in North London that offers vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

While they say they specialise in North Indian cuisine, my plate was an exclusive South Indian specialty.

But this restaurant makes little fuss about itself, and for that reason it feels like you've discovered a hidden treasure.
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Crowther's Brilliant Touch Traces Iranian Femininity

Omid Nikfarjam — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 05:06:29 -0400

Yasmin Crowther’s debut novel, The Saffron Kitchen, shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, tells the story of an Iranian woman embittered by guilt and burdened with the pain of lost love.

But thoughts of her love and the warm colours and flavours of Iran are forged in her memory forever, even after moving to the foreign and lush greens of England.

One autumn day, Maryam Mazar, now an old woman, is still mourning the death of her elder sister when she is confronted with her troubled past.

But this confrontation has tragic consequences for her pregnant daughter Sara.

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Gone With The Wings

Marika Mathieu — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:40:53 -0400
Today is your last chance to visit a unique sculptural creation; located next to Liverpool Street station, in the middle of Broadgate Circle, a multi-channel sound installation welcomes tired workers from the City into a series of arcades.
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Get Green or Die trying to know what does it mean...

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:33:36 -0400

The problem with the environment is maybe not to be really able to judge the arguments advocated by a part or an other...

Every body is now supposed to have an "opinion" on CO2, energy suppliers and so on...and to be consequently able to defend this opinion when needed, for example when choosing a new system of heating, a new president, a new car or a new bin.

How many people really knows what they are defending so well, or at least, what they are being asked to defend with such a growing energy?
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Production Fortnight Diary

unknown — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 11:09:38 -0400

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Oops, She Did It Again...

Marika, Dave — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 13:23:13 -0400

A month ago Nicolas Sarkozy was elected President of France with 53 per cent of the votes.

But his wife was not among his supporters on that day. Cecilia Sarkozy, who is "hot in Prada" according to many Frenchmen, decided she had something more exciting to do with her Sunday than vote for her frenetic husband.
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Greenpeace Condemns Blair

Takeshi Sobukawa — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:24:48 -0400

Prime Minister Tony Blair has been doing as little as his US counterpart to tackle climate change, a Greenpeace campaigner told the London Project.
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Training Day - A Policeman In Baghdad Speaks

Ahmed Maliki — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 09:15:31 -0400

As part of our portraits series London Project talked with an Iraqi policeman stationed in Baghdad. Sergeant Khalid Hassan (not his real name) spoke to Ahmed Maliki about his typical workday in the most dangerous city on earth.

Polishing a gun, holed up inside a dusty police station in western Baghdad, it's hard for Sgt. 1st Class Khalid Hassan to believe that only four years ago he was a chef at one of Baghdad's best-known hotels.
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What Really Happens At The G8

JJ, Dave — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:39:37 -0400

Deconstructing the G8 timetable...

Thursday 7 June 2007

0930:    Official welcome of G8 heads of state and government

“Velcom to Gerrrrmeny! Ve vill hav verk and fun too, ja.” Merkel sings David Hasselhoff's "Looking For Freedom". "He liberated us from communism, you know," she explains to a baffled Bush, who asks if Pamela Anderson is a member of G8.
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English Blind To Native Wine

David Wall — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 07:30:10 -0400

UK wine consumers are still in the dark when it comes to drinking the nectar of the gods made on their own shores.

The Romans may have introduced wine making to Britain over 2,000 years ago, but according to a recent survey commissioned by Yahoo! Answers, 40 per cent of respondents had never tasted English wine.
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Campaign News

Jo Barrett — Thu, 31 May 2007 11:22:24 -0400

Latest News: London Book Project Goes Down Under

We've just received news that the London Book Project has travelled down under - all the way to Australia!

The Sydney Morning Herald published an article about the whole LBP shenanigans earlier this week.
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An Informed Opinion: Black Men On Black Gangs

Claire Davenport — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:07:30 -0400

Excluded from school for setting off a firework in a classroom, a 14-year-old black boy grows up homeless.

Where are his parents? Where is the social care?

Now 18, the same boy is treading water just trying to make a living as a plasterer.

He is not in a gang. He does not sell drugs. He's black, he's poor, he's angry. He's just one of the hundreds of troubled black youths that community workers encounter every day.

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Luggage Fee Bags Ryanair More Profits

Takeshi Sobukawa — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 10:35:12 -0400

Extra charges for customer luggage helped Ryanair - Europe's largest short-haul carrier - reap record annual profits, it announced today.

Ryanair's annual post-tax, adjusted profits jumped 33 per cent to £272 million in the fiscal year ending March 2007. The Dublin-based airline also claimed a 22 per cent increase in total traffic (42.5 million passengers) and a 40 per cent surge in ancillary revenues.
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Gormley Strikes Gold with New Exhibit

Jo Barrett — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 08:53:17 -0400
"One skyline, a seriously large amount of molten metal and a life-sized mould in the shape of, erm, myself."
So went Antony Gormley's shopping list after dreaming up the most brilliant idea to hit British sculpture since the Angel of the North. Unsurprisingly, that was a Gormley too.

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YOUR VOICES: The Olive Tree Project

JJ ODonoghue — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:21:37 -0400

Every year as part of the Olive Tree Project 12 students from Palestine and Isreal receive scholarships to study at City University in London. Ronley Kirwan speaks to some of them about their experiences of coming from a divided land and studying together in London.

Image: Freepal

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Diana Pictures- Does The Nation Need Them?

unknown — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:15:44 -0400
Images of of a dying princess Diana will be broadcast in a documentary on Channel 4 tonight despite requests from her sons not to show them.
The princes William and Harry's private secretary sent a letter to the channel saying it would cause "gross disrespect" to their mother's memory. Channel 4 justified its decision claiming the pictures were in the public interest.

London Project asks Londoners and tourists whether they're going to watch the documentary tonight and what their opinions are on this sensitive issue.

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Internet Revolution Spins Backwards

Zaid Al-Alaya'a — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:37:15 -0400
Amnesty International's Irrepressible Info campaign, started in 2006 by The Observer, has been relaunched due to censorship crackdowns in many parts of the world. An advocate for free expression, it supports bloggers and others who have been persecuted - and often prosecuted - for publishing opinions online that are contrary to government policy.
The campaign also calls on web users to take action against governments who block or censor sites.
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The Tube Chills Out

Takeshi Sobukawa — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:27:24 -0400

London's sauna-like Tube system is set to cool its service if this year's pilot project succeeds. London Underground has already embarked on a full-scale cooling project using underground cold water at Victoria Tube station.

It will also start a borehole cooling technology with a heat exchanger to cool warm air at Stockwell station later this year.
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G8 Delivers New $60bn Package To Africa

Claire Davenport — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 07:45:06 -0400

Africa was the focus of the third and final day of the G8 as the leaders agreed on a new relief package for the continent to tackle infectious diseases such as Aids, malaria and tuberculosis.
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Is iTunes A Dying Brand?

Takeshi Sobukawa — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 09:59:13 -0400

Apple iTunes, the most popular online music store, is now offering higher quality tracks without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

On the other side of the Atlantic, however, a more attractive online music outlet has emerged; SpiralFrog started its legal free music download service in Canada last week.

So, which is likely to lead the industry?
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New Eurostar Terminal To Spur London Tourism

Takeshi Sobukawa — Wed, 30 May 2007 13:18:05 -0400

London tourism is expected to receive a shot in the arm once St Pancras International station begins Eurostar service this November.
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Foreign Students Lured With Work

Takeshi Sobukawa — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:07:51 -0400

The British government has given all international students studying in the UK a one-year extension of stay in the country after graduation, London Project has learned. It is expected that the scheme, which is now in effect, will boost the enrollment of foreign students in the UK.
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Year-Long Exhibition Showcases Climate Change

Takeshi Sobukawa — Tue, 29 May 2007 06:15:39 -0400

Can you imagine how cold minus 54.1 degrees is? That is today’s temperature at the South Pole. Ice Station Antarctica, a new exhibition at Natural History Museum in London shows how extreme the amazing continent is and makes it clear why we should save it from climate change.
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A Web Of Love

JJ O'Donoghue — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 19:34:00 -0400
Modern romance - what's it all about? For some couples, it means meeting through a fibre optic cable transferring megabits of information through an ADSL line, perchance to fall in love.
For most of us, the internet is a tool for finding cheap flights, car insurance or silly videos - but not a lover. Dates need to be arranged in the flesh.

But things don't always go to plan. Two such people who met on the virtual jungle and had no intention of falling in love are Amandine and Ryan.
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Students Are Topped Up

Camille Février, Marika Mathieu — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:13:39 -0400

Undergraduate fees are expected to double in order for the curriculum to stay competitive.

Tuition fees used to be around £1,200 per year. However, the top-up fees introduced this academic year reach £3,000. The Higher Education Bill has set them until 2010 for England and Northern Ireland.

For the detractors of the fees - such as students, academics, and the Scottish MPs who decided to keep universities free - that steady hike reveals the government's incapacity to protect the principle of an egalitarian education.

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Media, Integration: A Muslim Speaks His Mind

Gaini Yussupova — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:09:20 -0400

“Anything connected to Islam is reported in a bad way," says John Jewell, professor of journalism at Cardiff University.

He spoke to the London Project about how the issue of veiled women in the UK was covered by the media.

This news story highlights the bias of the media according to Jewell. "Race is being brought without need to the front-page."

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How Fast Does Brad Pitt Eat A Bagel

William Hilderbrandt — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 05:34:04 -0400

I swear I saw Brad Pitt today: he was eating a bagel outside The Fish Shop on St John's Street.

Let me first of all explain that I am not one that goes ga-ga for celebrities. I don't read celebrity mags, I don't know celebrity trivia (except for what I'll mention below), and I have never requested an autograph.
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How Students Cope With Financial Difficulties

Gaini Yussupova — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:17:02 -0400

In the UK students from outside the European Union pay substantially higher fees for third level courses.

The reason is that the British government contributes a significant amount of money to UK universities for the education costs of 'home' students.

As a result, international students are required to pay higher fees.

Despite the high costs of studying in the UK it is a very popular destination for students because of the quality of education in British universites.

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Hollywood Is Far From Paradise

Omid Nikfarjam — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:23:12 -0400



           Prepare to die - Hitcher                       Life's a beach - Paradise Lost

What has happened to Hollywood? Has it reached the end of the line? What are the scriptwriters doing? Is this the decade of remakes, sequels and prequels? Fantastic Four 2, Spiderman 3, Ocean's 13, and so on!
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The Ironman Cometh

David Wall — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:26:58 -0400
Pulling a double-decker bus with your right ear for 25 metres is not exactly everyone's idea of fun. But for Manjit Singh, it's become a way of life.
The "Ironman of Leicester", as he calls himself, runs a security services company but doubles up as a superhuman holding 30 world records, from the sublime to the ridiculously dangerous.

"My Ironman image fits well with the idea of security," Manjit said. "I signed a contract with a firm recently simply because they recognised me from previous record attempts. The business is good."

Manjit, 57, caught the bug at a young age.

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The Queen Of Energy Savings

Fu Jing — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 06:37:39 -0400

HM The Queen's state visit to the US last month totalled 8,275 flown miles and emitted 1. 5 tonnes of CO2. Upon her return, Buckingham Palace made a donation to an environmental charity to offset the royal entourage's flights.

But The Queen isn't the only state-level jetsetter. After thousands of miles of flights, politicians from eight industrialised countries and five developing ones have sat down together in Germany to try to hammer out a consensus on global warming and emissions targets.
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More Care Vital For Kids

Takeshi Sobukawa — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:20:12 -0400

Over 170,000 parents refusing to pay child support are putting their children at risk according to the Child Support Agency. The number of parents neglecting to pay expenses for bringing up children who are mainly cared by former partners increased by 20,000 last year.
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Voices From The Street

unknown — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 09:02:59 -0400



London is the multicultural epicentre of Europe. The English capital is home to communities from over 90 countries.

It has seven million inhabitants who between them speak 300 different languages.

In the video below, London Project talks to Greeks, Ghanaians, Spaniards, Caribbeans and Romanians about how they feel their community is represented in London, what they think about the UK and British people, and whether they have experienced problems integrating into the community.

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Latin Film Fest Goes Native

Jo Barrett — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 12:54:14 -0400

Child labour. If you think you've heard it all before, think again.

This time it's the forgotten kids of Latin America who take centre stage in Antonio Rosa's powerful documentary.

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Wasting Time In TV's Wasteland

JJ ODonoghue — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 20:24:59 -0400

Late night television is a desolate landscape. The five terrestrial channels realise that nearly 11 people - roughly the same number of people who viewed this website on its first day - tune in to watch late night programming.

But once in a while a show comes on in the wee hours of the morning that makes waiting up for sunrise - and even insomnia - worthwhile.

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YOUR VOICES: Interrogated And Tortured

Judith Sarano — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 05:39:26 -0400

Iranian journalist and blogger Sina Motalebi was jailed for 23 days in 2003. His blog was shut down and he was charged with undermining national security and Islamic values. Blindfolded and broken Motalebi was tortured until he pleaded guilty. Listen to him describe his prison ordeal here.

Image:Javier Kohen

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VIEW: Another G8, Another Waste Of Time

Julian Bohne — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:19:42 -0400

All the signs seem to indicate that the G8 summit, beginning today in the north German seaside town of Heiligendamm, will be one of spectacular ineffectiveness - but not because the issues facing the leaders of the world's eight most powerful economies aren't pressing enough.

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Leggy Knightley Saves Pirates From Mega Flop

Omid Nikfarjam — Mon, 28 May 2007 11:44:02 -0400

Walt Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer are back in town with, pockets wide open, to cash in on the latest sequel to their hugely popular franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean, while many critics are still racking their brains to see how in the world it became the highest-earning film of last year in the first place.

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Japan Hits The Green Button

Takeshi Sobukawa — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:51:49 -0400

Environmental issues will be the priority for Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who is taking part in his first G8 meeting as head of state.

The Japanese government approved new environmental measures for 2007 just in time for the Heiligendamm summit with a raft of measures designed to encourage the entire nation to take action to meet the duties of the Kyoto Protocol.

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Iran Releases Three Finnish Sailors

Toni Oyry — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:02:37 -0400

Three Finnish nationals have been released by Iran. The men, who live in Dubai, were on a private fishing trip in the Gulf before being captured near Abu Musa island on Saturday.

Both Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) claim the island and its surrounding waters as their own.
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Criticising The Kremlin On Their Own Doorstep

Claire Davenport — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:23:05 -0400

The West got it wrong about Russia for years, said Russian journalist Roman Shleinov, a former colleague of murdered investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

At an Amnesty International event last night on press freedom in Russia, Shleinov tried to clarify decades of the West's "usual stereotypes" of the Russian media industry.
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VIEW: Do We Have A New UN?

Mattia Bagnoli — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 09:50:56 -0400

Leaders of the world's most industrialised nations are gathering today in Germany for the G8 summit.

The only problem with the G8 summit, where eight member countries who represent the majority of the world's economy, is that eight is not enough. In fact, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel has invited Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa to take part in the decision making process, primarily on the climate change issue.
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Charlie George: Arsenal From Head To Toe

David Wall — Tue, 29 May 2007 11:41:13 -0400

8 May 1971. The venue: Wembley. FA Cup final day. Lying on his backside, arms in the air, Charlie George's celebration is still fondly remembered by football lovers around the world to this day.

His goal in the second-half of extra-time sealed a historic first double (First Division, FA Cup) for Arsenal and a place in the hearts of his North-London fans. "Everybody dreams of scoring the winning goal in the Cup final," says Charlie. "It's the biggest buzz you'll ever get. For 30 seconds, it was better than sex and I can't even remember what that was like."

Thirty six years on, Charlie George still roams the corridors of Arsenal's glitzy new arena, as part of the club's ‘Legends Tour' at the new Emirates Stadium. The lad from Islington may have left Arsenal after a dispute with the club's management in 1975, but his heart never left N5. "I am an Arsenal fanatic," he admits. "They will always be my first club."
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Flying Accusations From Moscow

Claire Davenport — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 09:08:49 -0400

Vladimir Putin has accused George Bush of inciting another cold war, according to news reports in Russia.

The Russian president said that with the luxury of experience from the Soviet years he won't be launching a full-scale defence programme - but may still take the opportunity to test the new intercontinental ballistic racket missiles RC-24.
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Sarko's Baptism Of Fire

David Wall — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:37:14 -0400

Nicolas Sarkozy - "Sarko" to his countrymen - is enjoying a rare honeymoon. The hyperactive new president's approval ratings are at an all-time high of 65 per cent among his Gallic compatriots.

Despite the bucolic setting of the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm serving as the backdrop to his first G8, don't expect him to shy away from heated discussions. Sarkozy stated previously that he wants a "frank" dialogue with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

During his election campaign, Sarko criticised the Russian leader for having "blood on his hands" from the Chechnyan conflict. This frosty relationship will only get colder with France's decision to back US plans to base a new missile-defence system in Europe.

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Bumpy Ride For Blair

Jo Barrett — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:30:05 -0400

As Tony Blair scribbled down his to-do list for his tenth and final G8, sealing his legacy was probably right at the top.

The longest serving and thus "senior G8 leader", he's in a good position to steer the agenda and ensure he comes out glowing.

On climate change, he'll likely attempt to bridge the gap between the US and Europe over German chancellor Angela Merkel's tough new line - to ensure G8 states set clear goals for reducing emissions, create a carbon market and commit to UN-led, Kyoto-based climate monitoring.

Blair insists the key to environmental protection is to move the discussions forward with the US on board.

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G8 2007 - More Spectacular Ineffectiveness

Mattia Bagnoli — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:28:07 -0400
Julian Bhone, on EC1 FM, explains what German people can expect from G8 summit as well as what is happening within anti-G8 movement
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Canada Prepares For G8 Mediation

Evelyne Asselin — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:33:04 -0400

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been trying to make friends in view of this week's G8 summit.

Critics allege that the Conservative leader's pre-conference efforts have focused on minimising international criticism over Canada's failure to meet Kyoto carbon emission goals.
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Bush Proposes Productive Environment

Lauren Bedsole — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 06:24:11 -0400

Bush Jr launches into his penultimate G8 with a final chance to slag off Arab leaders along with his best mate Tony - remember last year's "Yo, Blair" incident? - but his paramount concern must be how many bodyguards to take into his "private" chat with Russian leader Vladimir Putin tomorrow.

But second on the list is climate change, and he's come with his homework done.

Granted, his proposal relies on voluntary enforcement rather than a carrot-and-stick system - though this may well be the only practical way to get developing countries on board.

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Water Dispute Key To Indo-Chinese Relationship

Fu Jing — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 06:03:23 -0400

Environmental concerns will dominate diplomatic relations between China and India in the future, according to a leading UK think tank.

A report from Chatham House, a London political institute, said that water resources are often a particularly contentious issue between the two countries.
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Blair's Next Step

JJ O'Donoghue — Tue, 29 May 2007 07:58:45 -0400

Nearly all the sand has fallen in the Blair's hourglass at No. 10 Downing Street. In less than one month's time, the sand will stop trickling and it will be time up for Tony Blair.

Enter the next chapter for the 54-year-old former prime minister and leader of the Labour party.

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Comida Dell'Arte

David Wall — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 16:37:16 -0400

London is a hotbed of fine world cuisine - but it usually comes at a price.

So when a friend told me about Comida Mexicana, an understated restaurant around the corner from my flat in Clerkenwell where "you can eat the best spaghetti carbonara in London" for £3.50 (including a can of Coke or whatever tickles your fancy), I was happy to give it a try and boy was I right.
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Protests Escalate In Germany

Claire Davenport — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:54:38 -0400

Protests on roads surrounding the ongoing G8 summit in Germany continue to escalate. German and UK journalists have confirmed that they are caught in blockades set up along the roads to Heiligendamm.
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Shisha Pipes Go Up In Smoke

Ahmed Maliki — Wed, 30 May 2007 07:56:35 -0400

The imminent law to outlaw smoking in public places is setting off a hot debate. The ban, which comes into effect on 1 July, will also cover restaurants and cafés that serve shisha in the capital.

"Nonsense! No way, they shouldn't do that," said a regular smoker at a shisha café in Edgware Road, where Middle-Eastern tourists and locals gather in their free time.

His two friends, shisha pipes in hand, are also clearly upset.
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See Green, Think Greener

unknown — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:24:36 -0400



London, one of the world's greenest capitals, has always tried to balance development with the environment. The London Project asks: how do people in the capital really feel about green issues?

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Six-Day War Still Haunts Middle East

Zaid Al-Alaya'a — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 09:51:43 -0400

Peace activists from Palestine and Israel are today commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Six-Day War.

The 1967 war is widely considered as a turning point in the Arab-Israeli conflict and a crucial reason behind many geographical and political changes to the map of the region.

The repercussions are felt to this day.
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I'm A Red Pepper I'm A Green Pepper