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The Fifth Floor

Factual: Life Stories

Global stories from the BBC’s 40 Language Services, with Faranak Amidi

Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the Fifth Floor, home to the BBC’s 40 Language Services.

Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the Fifth Floor, home to the BBC’s 40 Language Services

The Fifth Floor: 07/07/2012

07/07/2012

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, 07/07/2012

Overcoming detention and torture in Tajikistan - a World Service reporter tells his story

Tajikistan torture; Journey to Timbuktu; US and Pakistan - a bad marriage; and is sorry really the hardest word?

A fresh look at the week's global news from the World Service's 27 language sections, with David Amanor.

TORTURED IN TAJIKISTAN
He was so severely beaten and electrocuted that his family barely recognised him, BBC Central Asian service reporter Urunboy Usmonov tells The Fifth Floor about his arrest and torture in Tajikistan a year ago. Security officials accused him of having links with a banned organisation, a charge he vehemently denies and colleagues were holding vigils for his release outside Bush House. Urunboy is still fighting to clear his name and despite his ordeal trying to get permission to work as a journalist again. We also speak to head of the Central Asian section Hamid Ismailov who travelled to Dushanbe to secure Urunboy's release. 

ONLINE GREATEST HITS
Our very own internet guru, Thomas Pappon, takes us for a spin around the World Service language sites top hitting stories. This week they include a family living in a double decker bus, an extravagant Bollywood wedding and a way to find out which Olympic athlete you would be. 

TIMBUKTU'S TREASURES
People around the world have been horrified by the destruction of centuries old artefacts in Timbuktu by an Islamist group who has taken control of the ancient city. One person on The Fifth Floor who was lucky enough to see some these treasures before they disappear forever is BBC Africa's Manuel Toledo, he tells us about his travels to Timbuktu.    

AMERICA AND PAKISTAN: A BAD MARRIAGE?
If music be the food of love, then America and Pakistan - some might say - play on to a recipe of double-dealing, drones, and the odd coup here and there. It's an on-off, tempestuous relationship while the rest of the world  - teetering on various edges and brinks of global security - watches on. From Karachi, writer Mohammed Hanif plays marriage counsellor. 

IS SORRY THE HARDEST WORD?
This week US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave Pakistan a long-awaited apology for the death of 24 soldiers seven months ago. Pakistan responded by reopening a Nato supply route in the region. All better now? Well, perhaps not. When does an apology really count - or feel deserved. We tour the floor to get some sorry stories from Pakistan, Iran, Sierra Leone, China and Serbia. With Aamer Ahmed Khan, Hossein Sharif, Josephine Hazeley, Yuwen Wu, and Dejan Radojevic.

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07/07/2012

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