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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

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The Fifth Floor: The Hidden Story of the Siege of Mecca

Documentaries

1979 Siege of Mecca

28/07/2017 GMT

The Hidden Story of the Siege of Mecca

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, The Hidden Story of the Siege of Mecca

In 1979 militants occupied Saudi Arabia's Grand Mosque, and changed the country for ever

The siege of Mecca; reflections on Pablo Escobar; Yoruba demons; Brazil's slavery legacy; durian taste challenge.  With David Amanor.

In 1979 a group of armed religious zealots stormed the Grand Mosque in Mecca.  Hundreds died before it was retaken, and the siege changed Saudi Arabian society for ever.  It was very little reported at the time, but Eli Melki of BBC Arabic has spent 5 years looking into the story behind the siege for his documentary, Death in Mecca: 15 days that shook Islam.

Reinventing Pablo Escobar
The infamous Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar has been popping up in popular culture all over the place, from TV series to baseball caps to Kuwaiti ice cream bars.  Which got BBC Monitoring journalist, and Colombian, Rafael Abuchaibe a bit hot under the collar.

Yoruba demons
The phrase "Yoruba Demon" is a common one on Nigerian social media.  It describes a certain kind of young Yoruba man; handsome, fragrant and above all unfaithful.  BBC Africa's Tomi Oladipo is Yoruba himself - so what's behind this stereotype?

Brazilian slavery 
Cais do Valongo in Rio de Janeiro was recently listed as a World Heritage site.  The wharf was the disembarkation point for more than a million slaves from African countries in the 19th century, and its rediscovery has raised difficult questions about race and discrimination in modern Brazil.  Fernando Duarte of BBC Brasil explains.

The durian experience
It's the smelliest fruit in south east Asia, so why is Durian in such high demand? BBC Thai's Sucheera Maguire isn't a fan. 

And Fifi Haroon's pick of the world wide web.

Photo: The burning of Mecca's Great Mosque, 1979
Credit:AFP/Getty Images

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