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BBC World Service Online

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: Reporting From an Ebola Hotspot

A reporter typing wearing gloves.

01/08/2014

Reporting From an Ebola Hotspot

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Reporting From an Ebola Hotspot

Covering the outbreak, tackling fear and rumours in Sierra Leone

Reporting the Ebola outbreak, tackling fear and rumours in Sierra Leone; India plans the world's first Orwell museum; Forbidden love in Afghanistan; Togo's role in World War I

BBC Africa's Umaru Fofana in Freetown, Sierra Leone has been reporting on the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history. He describes how the virus has affected the atmosphere of his city and the precautions he has to take when covering this story. And as the death toll rises to over 700 across West Africa, so has the panic, misinformation and fear. Also from Freetown, BBC Media Action's Musa Sangarie reflects on how radio can tackle the spread of life-threatening rumours.

Also in the programme:

Searching for George Orwell in Bihar 
A bungalow in Motihari in the Indian state of Bihar where George Orwell was born is set to become the world's first museum dedicated to the writer. BBC Urdu's Suhail Haleem travels to Motihari to find out whether people there have ever heard of this famous former resident. 

Forbidden love in Afghanistan
Ali and Zakia met when they were child shepherds herding their flocks in the fields of Afghanistan's mountainous Bamiyan province. Ali is an ethnic Hazara and Shia, while Zakia is Tajik and Sunni, but these cultural differences didn't stop the young couple from falling in love. When rumours about their courtship got out, the couple feared Zakia's family might kill them both. In March, they eloped in secret and have been living in hiding since. BBC Persian's Ayoub Arwin, who is also from Bamiyan, has been to meet with them at their safe house and provides an update on their story. 

Togo's role in World War I
The first shots of the First World War were reportedly fired in Togo. In the year of the war's centenary, BBC Africa's Akwasi Sarpong explores West Africa's involvement in the conflict. 

Online Greatest Hits
Digital diva Fifi Haroon gives the low down on the top-hitting stories across the web including Kenya's boozy baboons and the Indian boy who had 232 teeth removed.

Hafez Nazeri
Persian composer Hafez Nazeri's new album was top of the classical music charts in the United States for two weeks - a rare occurrence for Iranian and Middle Eastern music.  BBC Persian's Sam Farzaneh caught up with Hafez to talk about his unique fusion of western and eastern music. 

(Image:  A reporter typing wearing gloves.  Image credit: European Photopress Agency.)

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