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BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

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: Under Fire in South Ossetia

Documentaries

Shelled building in South Ossetia 2008 (credit: VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images)

10/08/2018 GMT

Under Fire in South Ossetia

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Under Fire in South Ossetia

A Georgian journalist remembers his first experience of conflict reporting

Remember war in Georgia; my home town: Burundi; Cairo's Maspero triangle; Syrian conflict through rap; bank notes around the world. With Faranak Amidi.

Ten years ago, conflict broke out between Georgia and Russia over the break-away region of South Ossetia, with the first shells falling on the capital Tskhinvali on 7th August.  Watching events unfold from the Georgian capital Tbilisi was Temur Kighuradze, now a journalist with BBC Russian, but then an ambitious young newspaper journalist.

My Home Town: Bujumbura, Burundi
In this week's episode of My Home Town, we're off to Bujumbura, capital of Burundi, where Robert Misigaro of BBC Great Lakes grew up. He shares memories of guitar playing, attending street parties, and finding solace in the midst of a civil war.

Cairo's Maspero Triangle
The Maspero Triangle in central Cairo is home to families who’ve lived and worked in the dilapidated buildings for generations, as well as what's believed to be Egypt's oldest watch shop.  As work starts to demolish buildings and redevelop the area,  BBC Arabic's Abdelbassir Hassan shares Maspero memories.

The Syrian conflict through rap
When the Syrian conflict began in March 2011, there was no home-grown rap scene to speak of. But over the years, many artists have emerged, some pro-regime, some anti, and others simply anti-war.  Andrea Glioti, an Arabic specialist at BBC Monitoring, and a former rapper, has compiled a history of the conflict through rap.

Bank notes around the world
The recent celebrations honouring the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela included new banknotes issued by the South African Reserve Bank.  So what famous faces or images feature on your bank notes?  We hear from Milton Nkosi from BBC Africa, Beatriz de la Pava from BBC Mundo, Gulnara Kasmambet from BBC Kyrgyz and Prudent Nsengiyumva from BBC Great Lakes.


Image: shelled building in South Ossetia 2008
Credit: Viktor Drachev/AFP/Getty Images

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