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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: 27/10/2012

27/10/2012

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, 27/10/2012

Reporting Lebanon: a day shift in Beirut and a lifetime of conflict in your country

Beirut diary and memories of civil war; Mali's griot storytellers; Burma's new beauty queen; and James Bond reimagined as a Pakistani spy

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

SPOTLIGHT ON LEBANON
BBC Arabic's Carine Torbey was first on the scene when a senior Lebanese intelligence officer was assassinated last week, and then amongst the crowds when a protest gathering at his funeral turned violent.  As a young child growing up in wartorn Beirut, Carine would regularly cross demarcation lines unprotected. Now as an adult, reporting in her hometown, she finds herself in a similarly precarious position - but this time with riot gear. Is it a help or hindrance? 

"The most difficult task was to cover the deaths of people you know. You're covering the disaster of your own country." Nada Abdelsamad, also with BBC Arabic and a Beiruti born and bred, has had a career on the frontline. She lived in Lebanon throughout the civil war, and then reported its painful aftermath - including the death of close friends. For her, the war seems never-ending - with no space for memories to sink in. Hear her perspectives of war-reporting and the risk of Lebanon being swallowed up the Syrian quagmire. 

ONLINE GREATEST HITS
BBC Brasil's Thomas Pappon gives the lowdown on the big-hitting stories across the World Service language sites this week - including topless Ukrainian protesters, and a doll that speaks Nigerian local language, Igbo 

MODERN DAY GRIOTS OF MALI
Mali's traditional singer-storytellers, the griots, have a long sung the history of their county - from the antics of ancient kings to modern day coup d'etats. So, how are they narrating the current events in Mali? Bamako-based journalist, Idrissa Fane looks at the challenges faced by today's griots - and whether journalism can compare to that style of storytelling.   

THE LIFT PITCH
There’s only five floors to go – and Soe Win Than tells why the Burmese President's first ever press conference was overwhelmingly overshadowed by a woman in a bikini. 

MY BOND IS MY WORLD
This month is the 50th anniversary of James Bond's first outing on the big screen in Dr No. Can the quintessential English spy get an international makeover? Special Agent Amanor parachutes onto the Fifth Floor where 007 is reimagined as an overweight Pakistani spy crawling the pubs of Kinshasa quaffing both Venezuelan whisky and Chinese hard liquor. What else is left? Just watch out for those Russians...With Yolanda Valery Gil of BBC Mundo, Carol Yarwood of the Chinese Service, BBC Afrique's Arthur Malu-Malu, Aamer Ahmed Khan of BBC Urdu, and the Russian section's Nikolay Voronin.

(Image: Protesters in Lebanon. Credit: Getty)

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