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From Our Own Correspondent: Iran’s opposition movement in exile

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Soldiers on guard

09/11/2019 GMT

Iran’s opposition movement in exile

BBC World Service - From Our Own Correspondent, Iran’s opposition movement in exile

How Iran’s leading opposition movement found themselves in Albania

How Iran’s leading opposition movement found themselves in Albania.

Over two and half thousand members of Iran’s leading opposition group live in a military-style settlement on a hillside, about 30 kilometres from Tirana. They had come here after the Americans brokered a deal with Albania in 2013 to bring the remaining 3,000 MEK members from Iraq. The MEK’s official message is one of political transformation for Iran, gender equality and a respect for human rights - Linda Pressly went to hear how some of its members are adapting to life in Europe. 

Since the fall of Communism, the Czech Republic has transformed from a basket case to a vibrant market economy. But 40 years of communist rule have left a legacy. The former regime enthusiastically promoted heavy industrial towns such as Kladno, north-west of Prague. Chris Bowlby wanted to see how this old steel town is balancing its past with its prospects for the future.

The West African state of Liberia remains one of the poorest in the world. Its football star-turned president, George Weah has promised to help the most disadvantaged. But two years into his tenure, unemployment is still high and the capital Monrovia is beset with crime. Liberians blame much of the robbery and theft on an underclass of drug addicts known as Zogos. 

Liberians blame much of the robbery and theft on an underclass of drug addicts known as Zogos. Lucy Ash went on an unusual shopping trip and discovered crime has been turned into something of an art form.

French women – especially Parisiennes - are renowned for their style and careful attention to their appearance. One of the four fashion capitals, Paris is home to some of the world’s most celebrated design houses. But a current talking point in the French press concerns a different aspect of their appearance – why it is so difficult to get a good haircut nowadays. Although almost a million French people go to the hairdresser each day in a sector worth almost 6 billion euros annually, business is falling into decline. Joanna Robertson visits a salon to find out why.

(Image: Soldiers on guard outside the Iranian opposition MEK Headquarters in Albania. Credit: Siavosh Hosseini/NurPhoto/Getty Images)

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