Erstellt am: 28. 10. 2013 - 14:27 Uhr

Washington Telephone Conversation

Reality Check: Growing EU-US tension over spying; remembering the life and music of Lou Reed; Czech political turmoil; Bulgaria's wall against Syrian refugees; Russian activist Ksenia Emroshina.

NSA spying row

EPA/MARIUS¦BECKER

A mural by artist group Captain Borderline in Cologne, Germany, entitled "Surveillance of the fittest."

As more allegations about the surveillance of the NSA are rolled out, this time concerning Spanish phone calls, a delegation from the European Parliament is heading to Washington DC to discuss their concerns. There is plenty of outrage, but does it carry any real political weight? Analyst James Boys considers the political fallout of the scandal:

Lou Reed obituary

EPA/TRACEY NEARMY

As the music world looks back and the life and legacy of Lou Reed, who died yesterday at the age of 71, we hear the reactions and thoughts of musician and music journalist Robert Rotifer:

Czech elections

Rob Cameron reports from Prague on the results of the weekend's general election, and the ensuing rumpus in the Social Democratic Party:

The Bulgarian wall

Bulgaria is building a wall along its border with Turkey to keep Syrian refugees out. Nick Thorpe explains the issues and the impact of Bulgaria's actions:

Anti-Putin campaigner, Ksenia Ermoshina

John Cummins meets Ksenia Emroshina, the 25 year old activist who was participating in last week's Elevate Festival in Graz: