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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: 29/12/2012

29/12/2012

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, 29/12/2012

Looking back at 2012: a year's reporting from the World Service's 27 language sections

Stories from the frontline: Beslan, Libya, Kaduna; Love in the Arabic Service; Mohammed Hanif's revolution junkie; Russia's Bald-Hairy presidents; and Coup plotters

A look back at a year of stories, insights and experiences from the World Service's 27 language sections, with presenter David Amanor.

This end of year compilation includes excerpts from the following stories: 

STORIES FROM THE FRONTLINE: BESLAN
Zoya Trunova recalls the traumatic experience of covering the 2004 Beslan school siege in which over 300 people died - most of them children. She describes why it was a turning point in her journalistic career. 
[first broadcast on 08/09/2012]

LOVE IN THE ARABIC SERVICE
What happens when you work with your spouse? There are many married couples working for BBC Arabic, Shaimaa Khalil (who's one of them) goes on a double-date - microphone included.
[first broadcast on 09/06/2012]

LETTER: FROM A REVOLUTION JUNKIE
He's desperate for a bandana and for a spot of usurping - but will he come through? BBC Urdu's Mohammed Hanif on watching the Arab Spring unfold from his perch in Karachi.
[first broadcast on 28/01/2012]

STORIES FROM THE FRONTLINE: LIBYA
BBC Arabic's Mohammed Ballout was shot when reporting in Libya - he survived but the two men who took the same bullet did not. He gives his personal perspective of war-reporting. 
[first broadcast on 11/02/2012]

ONLINE GREATEST HITS
Thomas Pappon of BBC Brasil gives the lowdown on some of the big-hitting stories across the World Service language sites this year - including amorous mosquitoes, amorous cyclists, too many Malaysian mother-in-laws, and disappearing ninjas.

THE BALD-HAIRY THEORY
Artyom Liss breaks down the handy hint for remembering Russian rulers.
[first broadcast on 05/05/2012]

STORIES FROM THE FRONTLINE: KADUNA
Ibrahim Shehu-Adamu, a Hausa-Muslim journalist from Nigeria's fractious Kaduna state, tells of being trapped by a Christian mob and rescued at the last minute by a Christian friend. 
[first broadcast on 01/12/2012]

DRAMA: COUP PLOTTERS
When is a coup really a coup and how do you plot the perfect overthrow? Cpt Mbango and Sgt Zoomzoom are our imaginary coup-plotters, cooked up by the satirical pen of BBC Africa's Robin White.
[first broadcast on 28/04/2012]

(Photo: Credit)

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